5 comments about Honor Killing: Race, Rape, and Clarence Darrow's Spectacular Last Case.

1. I really enjoyed this book and I applaud David Stannard for doing the research. Few survivors of the period are still alive; oddly enough, many of the main characters were young in 1931 and so live on today, and reading all the trial testimony carefull and collected the archives of the news accounts, as well as keeping an ear to the ground, has allowed David E. Stannard to expand, in an extraordinary way, our knowledge of this tragic affair beyond any preceding account. You can almost smell the frangipani, hear the ocean roar. As the Massies get drunk at the Officer's Club, you can almost sense the aimless confusion of those living beyond their means.
   
   Even the bizarre details ring true, such as when Thalia Massie, recovering from her "injuries" in a Honolulu hospital ward, asks the nurse to satisfy her curiosity about if Asian women are "built sideways."
   
   I think Thalia lied. However, Stannard is relentless in besmirching Thalia Massie, and his attack amounts to Hearst-style overkill. He had credibility going in, but there's so much detail about how awful she was that after awhile, two words spring to mind: character assassination. Had Stannard attempted to give us a more balanced, well rounded portrait of Thalia, her infamy might have registered more fully. As it is, I suspect that at least some good traits have been suppressed, because no one, not even Hitler, is as evil as he portrays Thalia Massie.
   
   Not only that, but OK, he doesn't believe her rape claim. If you relied on this book, you would think that the crime of rape never actually happened, that each accusation was false, or at least that no men of color had ever raped a white woman, anywhere in the world. Stannard doesn't make blanket statements, exactly; he just shows us that until the Massie case, no Hawai'ians had ever been convicted of raping a white woman, and that afterwards, whatever convictions have been obtained were tainted by the case and thus should be thrown out and all the rapists pardoned. Here, again, I think he goes too far. He all but says that ANY woman who has been raped was not raped, but only lying. Sad.



2. Although you'll probably find this book in the "True Crime" section of many bookstores, "Honor Killing" is far more than an account of an alleged rape, a murder, and two trials. Instead, Stannard provides a thorough grounding in Hawaiian social history--background without which the significance of this case would be incomprehensible. As Stannard summarizes in the notes, the Massie affair was "a pivotal moment in the history of Hawai'i, one that exposed a white supremacist social order both locally and nationwide."
   
   The facts of the case are complicated; any summary necessarily reduces things to an entry in a police blotter. In 1931 Thalia Massie, wife of a Navy officer (and--this is oddly important--an impoverished relative of Teddy Roosevelt and of Alexander Graham Bell) claimed that she was raped by a gang of five Hawaiians. Almost immediately, five locals (not all of them were even Hawaiian) were rounded up, in spite of their fairly substantial and tight alibis. Their is little doubt that Massie was lying about her experience that night--whatever may have really happened--but the truth of the case became less important than the outrage of the white aristocrats of the island and their American military backers, who rushed to the defense of this young member of one of the nation's leading families.
   
   When the trial of the young men ended in a hung jury, Thalia's husband and her mother, along with two cohorts, conspired to kidnap and murder one of the accused assailants. During the ensuing circus, the remaining four men were locked up in a prison cell to ensure their "safety," while the murder suspects were treated as celebrities by the local politicians and military authorities and given accommodations judged proper for their stations. Eventually, Clarence Darrow arrived to defend the "honor killing"--a performance that sullied his reputation among his usually left-leaning supporters.
   
   What's enviable about Stannard's book is his ability to take this case and transmit its page-turning essence while simultaneously describing the social history of the islands, recounting the alarmingly racist reaction by the mainland media (including, but not limited to, the Hearst newspapers), and conveying the importance of this case in transforming Hawaii's political structure. The retelling of the case itself is so effective that I was stunned by the outcome of the second trial--which is not what the reader is led to expect, but which is, ultimately, all the more shocking.
   
   One might argue that Stannard overstates the case's importance to the eventual overthrow of the white-dominated oligarchy--certainly there were other factors and events changing the social fabric (and the book touches on some of them). But it can not be in doubt that the Massie affair played a galvanizing role; in the short term, many of the organizers (particularly naval officials) on the "wrong" side lost their positions and had to leave the island, the ongoing attempt to militarize the islands failed, and the case helped to unite the previously quarrelling Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, and Portuguese communities. In the long term, some of the principals on the "correct" side of the case went on to play prominent roles in Hawaii's "Revolution of 1954"; it is not a coincidence that the territorial Senator William Heen was chief counsel for the defense of the five accused men.
   
   "Honor Killing," then, is something of a marvel: it succeeds as a detective story, a political thriller, and a social history. I couldn't put it down.



3. Hot, sexy story. I took it to the beach and sorry I wasn't in Hawaii. Kept thinking about what happened down in Aruba. I was drawn to the exotic place and the danger...makes me think that part of the fun is the danger. The book also brought up things like racism...but I know that is the way it was and in many ways still is...at least at my college. I love this kind of thriller...what could be bad about being naked and vulnerable...A must read for those who like intrigue and naked bodies, and heat, heat, heat.



4. HONOR KILLING; Race, Rape, and Clarence Darrow's Spectacular Last Case
   By David Stannard
   
   David Stannard's recounting of the Massie Affair is a lively courtroom drama, social and personal history, and examination of the social structure of the Hawaiian Islands during the pre World War II period. It is based on the true story of the alleged rape of a white woman by a group of young Hawaiian men; the kidnapping of and murder plot against one of them; and the legal entanglements that followed. The story reads like a novel, with characters like Admiral Stirling, the head of the Navy establishment; Raymond "Boss" Coll, Editor of Honololu's most influential newspaper; and Clarence Darrow , the famed advocate for the defendant in the Scopes monkey trial. Stannard examines the social interaction between the Native Hawaiian population and the white "haole" business leaders who called the political shots and dominated the economy. Stannard backs up his engaging writing style with thorough research based on contemporary accounts and interviews with people intimately familiar with the case.
   In many ways, the issues raised in the Massie Case: elitism; paternalism; isolationism and racism... foreshadowed the Hawaiian Statehood and Independence movement a quarter century later. ****Stars Philip W. Henry/ Rialto, CA



5. I read this book while working in Hawaii and found it absolutely riveting, not so much because of the true crime story (which was bizarre) but because the author captured Hawaii's "society" of the early 20th century. I must admit I was ashamed of our military's behavior at that time--and in this case--and equally appalled at the bigotry and arrogance that flourished among the Americans then living in the Islands. Overall it was a compelling story written with a view to the whole era.

5 comments about Convicts, Jailbirds, and Reform School Girls: True Life Tales of Crime and Punishment in the 1950s.

1. Convicts, Jail Birds and Reform School Girls is a wild ride through the most sensational and lurid true crime cases of the 1950s --- and a few before that. Many different crimes are covered but the outcomes are all the same: prison or death for the criminal and a deeply satisfying feeling for the reader.



2. 
   This book is like "the cycle of life" for criminals! From the youthful discretions of a juvenile delinquent destined for reform school, to a cold-blooded double homicide from a harden jail bird who's murderous actions condemns him to a meaningless and violent existence as a convict on death row; all stages and facets of the "left-hand path" are vividly detailed from this collection of detective magazine articles from the 50s.



3. "One shot, one gas bomb and all 5 of you screws die!" So boast an prisoner leading his escaping gang to freedom; only to end up in a full blown riot complete with National Guardsmen, tanks, search lights, tear gas and machine guns. This rebellious attempt at a big bust out is just one of the 30 exciting stories convicts running wild; until, that is, they are captured and put to death in the gas chamber. I recommend this book to any fan of George Raft or James Cagney movies.



4. 
   A bunch of two-fisted prison stories focusing on what hard-bitten cons do best: kill snitches and blast their way out of the stir. Once free to flex their oily muscles, they gleefully break every law of man and God until the weight of law comes crashing down, burring them six feet under. There are also some reform school debs thrown into the mix, but their delinquent and promiscuous antics seem to pale in comparison to the wanton, testosterone-fueled violence of the other stories. There is also a companion volume,Hellcats, Vixens, & Vicedolls: Women, Crime, and Kink of the Fifties , that's keeps the havoc going!



5. 
   The cons, lifers, p.c. punks, jailhouse lawyers, snitches, cellblock queens, inmates; all hustling for scraps, all scrapping for survival until that big day when freedom beckons. Whether it is in the form of a parole decree or a daring break-out, they will be free to repeat the abhorrent behavior that landed them in the clink in the first place. Like a shiv to the ribs, this book will penetrate your preconceived notions about life behind concrete walls.

5 comments about Lucky.

1. Hook: A poignant memoir written by Alice Sebold telling her story of rape, violence and how it transformed her in the person she is today.
   
   In The Lovely Bones, Sebold takes the reader on a journey of rape, death and the many shades of loss involved with both. This book is shocking, dramatic, and long lasting.
   In Sebold's second book, Lucky, she takes us behind the curtain to reveal her true story. In 1981, Sebold, an eighteen year-old coed attending Syracuse University, was raped. It was an act of violence that has become the theme to Sebold's existence still today.
   With writing that can only be described as gripping honesty, you won't be sorry you picked this book up and you won't be able to put it down!



2. The item was shipped in a timely manner, and bought at a very reasonable price! Loved the book!!!



3. This book is powerful. I think every high school student should read it, boys and girls. The topic of rape needs to be discussed and understood by young and old people alike. This book really portrays all parties in a "human" light and it's truth is what makes it so powerful. I can't say enough good things about the writing style and the ease of reading, all the while, it draws you in and keeps you interested. Fantastic book!



4. Lovely Bones led me to this book. I really didn't want to read a book about rape, but I'm glad I did because it is so much more. The story is delivered masterfully and written with skill. Read this book for the writing.



5. 
   I don't recommend this book to anyone who enjoys prose or literature. Sebold's use of a stripped down, matter-of-fact tone desensitizes her story. Though her rape was a traumatic event, I couldn't feel for her. Perhaps it was her intent not to draw out feeling to avoid pity but personally, I think it was uneffective in conveying her complete story because a memoir needs an emotional plot as well.
   
   I wanted to put down this book before I was even half way though there were still many unfinished subplots like the conviction of her rapist.
   
   I would expect this book in the children's/ preteen section if it weren't for the detailed account of the rape.

5 comments about Cries in the Desert (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. This chronicle of "Sex" Torturer David Ray and the crimes of his daughter, his girlfriend and and another "friend" was a fast, page turning read. The narrative flows easily with many descriptions of how the "gang" of evil nobodies were successfull for years in their twisted fetish and how authorities finally put the criminals in prison. Even with the disturbing content of the crimes described in the book it keeps the readers interest and provides a few surprise elements as well. Highly Recommended. UPDATE: as of the writing of my review the girlfriend and other friend of Ray still sit in the New Mexico prison system. His daughter is on probation. Ray himself died 8 months after sentencing - having served a total of only 3 years of his 238 year sentence at the age of 62.



2. I don't remember what I did with this book. I gave most of my true crime literature to a colleague who would pass it on to her daughter. I remember this case well. Maybe because I just read a book about it. Glatt gives you the basics of the crime as horrendous, terrorizing, and horrible as it was for those women. David Parker Ray was one sick creature who with his partner, Cindy Hendy, committed some of the most unthinkable, unimaginable acts towards women only. He did things that I can't write here. Let's just say that one FBI agent committed suicide while investigating this case. Need I write more, Glatt writes more about the victims and possible murder victims of Ray. He claims to be a sadistic serial killer but there are no bodies that were unearthed. He was one of the most sadistic criminals that I ever read about and a judge who cared more about due process than about putting him behind bars. Ironically, the judge died and he was replaced with a judge who didn't show the same preference to the defense as his predecessor. Ray died in 2002 only in prison for 3 years which I think is a pretty sad testament that he didn't suffer as much as his victims. Ray's tape recordings are chilling but I don't think Glatt included them in the book. They're x-rated and not for the squeamish or underage. my thoughts go the to the victims who are still living who suffered so cruelly and needlessly.



3. Fast to the point, a lot of details about the crimes. Not about history of towns and families like some books go into.



4. I read this book in just a few days. It kept me interested from beginning to end. But just a warning, it scared me to death. To think there are maniacs out there like David Ray walking the streets makes me not want to go out alone. Another book that scared me equally was "The Night Stalker" about Richard Ramirez. I never leave my doors unlocked.



5. In looking over many of the other reviews, I can not help but notice that many of the reviewers did not actually read this book. Certain negative reviews have nothing to do with the book at all. For those interested in the book, I would suggest reading the reviews of people that obviously read the book not the star rating of this book.
   
   When the story of David Parker Ray first made news headlines in 1999, there seemed to be a degree of shock in how something so extreme as this could happen. Quite literally, David Parker Ray abducted women and made them sex slaves in the trailer known as his "toy box". He was able to carry this on for so long because his victims walked the fringes of society. John Glatt makes clear that we may never know the extent of David Parker Ray's crimes. He once claimed to have killed as many as 14 people, but he is not serving over 200 years in prison for any time of murder.
   
   One of the portions of this book that I appreciated most was Glatt's history of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. While it is a great source of trivia questions, the history has faded with the passage of time.
   
   The extreme nature of David Parker Ray's crimes may make this book difficult to read for some. The author does not shy away from details. Admittedly, I would have liked to have seen Glatt go into more details in some areas of the book. Still, this is not a deep enough flaw to warrant strong crticism. As a whole, I found the book to be informative and interesting.

5 comments about Fall: The Rape and Murder of Innocence in a Small Town.

1. Hey,
   
   My name is Aaron Nolan, I'm currently serving in the united states air force in south korea. And last night while at work we began to talk about ghost stories and other paranormal events when some memories of my childhood about living in a haunted house as a child surfaced.
   
   When I was 6 years old, my sister was 4 and my brother was 12, we moved to a quiet city called Casper, Wyoming for my dad's family practice school. I remember the day well when we moved into the house, it was from appearance a nice house, it had three stories, a basement, a mid floor and an upstairs, and a nice cosy little dining room. However the house had a very eerie feeling to it, almost as if we were constantly being watched.
   
   I also remember seeing bars on the windows as we arrived, my mother and father talked about it a lot and it struck them as strange that in such a nice and safe neighborhood that houses would have bars on the windows.
   
   The first paranormal activity that I encountered, whether this was just a part of my stage of growing up perhaps more of just a curiosity was, I kept on waking up in different places then where I went to sleep. Perhaps I was sleepwalking, but often I woke up in a corner by the stairs or at the bottom of the stairs and I always felt wondered how I got there. But when I woke up I was always terrified and ran into my parents' room which was located to the right of the staircase. Did someone carry me or was I just sleepwalking? I guess I'll never know.
   
   My older brother often reported seeing a ghostly figure walking through the basement, sitting in the chair and leaving. He also was terrified of sleeping down there, however his room was located in the basement so he had no choice but to bare through it. I remember once I was in the basement playing the Legend of Zelda when I felt someone walk past me, right behind me, I didn't think anything of it but when I realized I was home alone I freaked out and ran upstairs.
   
   My grandmother also once came to visit us there. She stayed in the bedroom downstairs all alone, as my brother was sleeping upstairs to make room for her, and said that when she went to bed she heard a whimpering in the dark. She was absolutely terrified so she tried to just ignore it but then it became more intense and was more like a painful moaning.
   
   My sister had the most intense experience as far as I could tell. One night my sister who was 4 years old at the time, awoke in the night and walked to the foot of the stairs and looked down and saw a girl. She thought it was a girl she knew, our babysitter named "Christina" however she said that she had cut her hair. She said to the girl "Christina go home". She said this repeatedly but apparently the girl began to laugh. So my sister went to my mother's bedside and woke her saying "mom Christina is here and she wont go home". My mother was very tired and told her to just go back to sleep. So my sister went back out there and she said the same thing again, and she once again just laughed and made no reply. So finally my sister went to sleep and my mother asked in the morning "Jessica why did you wake me up telling me Christina wouldn't go home?" and she replied "because she was there, but she cut her hair, and she wouldn't go home, she just laughed and laughed".
   
   On another night I had probably my most frightening experience of my life. My sister and I shared a room upstairs directly across from our parents' room, and we had a bunk bed in an "L" configuration. I awoke during the middle of the night and looked to check that my sister was still sleeping there as I was weary of sleeping alone in that room anyway. I then saw a woman enter my room and open up my drawer, I thought it was my mom bringing the laundry in or something .The girl was throwing clothing out of my drawer. So I said "mom?" out loud, then the woman looked at me and I realized it wasn't my mother, she then faded away. At that point I pulled the covers over my head and peaked out when I noticed the coast appeared clear, I ran at full speed into my parents' bedroom and laid down next to their bed.
   
   There were many other strange occurrences, like once we were on vacation in orlando, and upon return we noticed that every single light in the house was on and the doors were still locked, the way we had left them. Also I noticed many items in the house would be misplaced or moved to a completely different location in the house. Occasionally the telivision in our room turned on by itself, we also regularly heard strange and unexplainable noises.
   
   I was so glad to move out of that house, however I somehow felt sorry for whoever would live there next. I wonder if they experienced the same types of things after we moved away.We were informed about a year after we moved into that house about the former residents, it turns out that the family who became victim to a well known brutal rape and murder, lived in the house that we occupied years earlier in 1973. I just recently discovered that there was a book written about it called "Fall: The Rape and Murder of Innocense in a Small Town".
   
   The two girls 11 year old Amy Burridge and her sister 18 year old Becky Burridge were both raped and thrown from a bridge, falling 110 feet to the bottom into a the North Platte River where Amy met her end and Becky somehow survived despite her near fatal injuries. The criminals were brought to justice, however from my understanding years later were released on parole, or perhaps it was that they were up for parole, I cant quite remember as it was a long time ago. Becky fell from the same spot 20 years later and died in 1992. That is actually the time when an article appeared in the paper about her, when we were also informed we were living in the Burridge's old house.
   
   I honestly haven't read this book yet, however I will be purchasing it today as it really "hits home" for me.



2. "Fall: The Rape and Murder of Innocence in a Small Town" by Ron Franscell is by far right up there with the best true crime book ever written. Set in a small town in Wyoming, two small time criminals commit what would be remembered as one of the most unspeakable crimes of Wyoming's history.
   
   On an autumn night in 1973, Casper, Wyoming is shattered by the brutal murder of 11 year old Amy Burridge and the rape and attempted murder of her 18 year old half sister - both being thrown off of a 110 foot bridge. And the story doesn't end there. Ron Franscell's writing is part memoir as he was a young teenager living in Casper at the time of this tragic event, a neighbor and friend of the two victims. With this writing, Ron wanted to come to terms with what happened and why, delving into the criminal investigation and, most importantly, into the mind of a sociopath. Fall takes the reader to the scene of the crime with eloquently written details and specifics of the case, leaving the reader feeling emotions that run the gamut. - Melanie Craven - truecrimeinsider.com



3. This is excellent. I live in Casper when it happened and was really
   outraged at the two men who could do just a thing. The book was well
   written.



4. The opening few pages of this book are as gripping as they come. Becky has been hurled down a huge cliff by her rapists. Unbelievably, she survives the fall, but seems on the brink of death. "Dragging her deadened legs out of the black water into the black night, she wormed across the sharp stones, naked below the waist, beaten and bruised, in shock" (p 4). Far above her, she can hear her would-be murderers chat. Will they realize she has survived? Will they come down to finish the job?
   
   The story of what happens to Becky and to the rapists is a true page turner. I won't reveal what eventually happens to Becky, but is utterly shocked me.
   
   Franscell is an excellent writer. Beyong the story of the true crime, he always delves into the consequences of evil. An evil that sends waves through the lives of hundreds of people, for years and years beyong the actual crime.



5. This is an excellent book. Few true crime novels manage this level of polished writing, careful and skillful storytelling and sympathy for the victims. Truly a tragic story, but so vivid and powerful I couldn't put it down.

5 comments about Chasing Justice: My Story of Freeing Myself After Two Decades on Death Row for a Crime I Didn't Commit.

1. I have read the book twice. This is a first hand account of one of the worst cases of injustice in American History. Kerry Max Cook has brilliantly written his own book about life before and after death row and the scars that he still carries with him from the experience. I highly recommend this book to all. I have already bought copies for all my friends.



2. Kerry Cook had a few scrapes with law enforcement as a teenager in a small Texas town - joyriding, kicking out the windows of a store that falsely accused him of armed robbery. Thus, police "knew" they had their man when his fingerprints were found at the scene of a grisly murder.
   
   The abuse of justice started immediately, continued for two decades, and nearly ended with Cook's execution. First it was merely physical - police slamming him into a wall, holding his head underwater in a toilet, arranged beatings by fellow prisoners, refusing showers and clothing, and sleep deprivation to force Kerry to confess. More serious abuses then occurred - withholding evidence from Kerry's attorneys, coaching witnesses to slant/fabricate testimony against Kerry, providing scientifically unfounded testimony that "aged" Kerry's prints to the time of murder, solicited false testimony from fellow inmates that Kerry had confessed - culminating to Kerry's arrival on Death Row in 1978. There Kerry was raped three times, and attempted suicide after each. Then his appeal stalled for eight years, and ultimately was denied.
   
   Finally, things started to go Kerry's way. The prisoner who initially testified Kerry confessed, decided to come clean. An FBI expert provided an affidavit stating that scientific fingerprint "aging" was not possible, information was uncovered that a pathologist had told police that the victim's librarian prior boyfriend had ordered a book describing how she had been mutilated (police ignored, and did not provide to Kerry's defense), the major Dallas newspaper printed a major expose of how Kerry had been railroaded, a foundation funded Kerry's successful re-appeal.
   
   The judge in the retrial, however, prohibited introducing most of this new evidence, the foundation funding Kerry's defense ran out of money (his attorney worked pro bono, but could not afford expert witnesses), and after a mistrial (deadlocked jury) and third trial it was back to Death Row for Kerry.
   
   Fortunately, this conviction was reversed again, and Kerry was offered a "No Contest" plea in exchange for time served. His initial decision was to refuse and go back to trial - however, Kerry accepted the deal after learning that the potential jurors generally thought he had gotten out on a technicality and that they were there to "make it right." Finally, after being freed, results of a DNA test came back, exonerating Kerry and pinning the crime on the librarian originally identified by an eyewitness who had been coerced by prosecutors to change her testimony. Yet, prosecutors continued to contest his exoneration when interviewed.
   
   Kerry, however, is not blameless in this miscarriage. Throughout the trials he lied about how his fingerprints got on the victim's door, instead of simply admitting she had invited him up there. (Kerry claims his father told him not to admit this; however, such an action makes no sense whatsoever.) Finally, while Kerry also should be commended for writing the book himself, continually referring to his parents as "momma" and "daddy" was both infantile and aggravating.
   
   Bottom Line: This book seriously questions the wisdom of the death penalty in America.



3. A first-hand account of how and why innocent men and women can spend decades on death row in the United States that should be read and discussed by both pro-death penalty proponents as well as abolitionists.
   Kerry Max Cook is a modern Dante/ Job. His story is of one who travels to hell and back, physically, spiritually, and emotionally, but who in the end has the strength to emerge as an enlightened, if wounded human being. The tortures he endures after being wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a young woman he only knew casually are simply inconceivable. Not only does he have to contend with the fear of losing his life on a daily basis, (the fear of execution, and the fear of being stabbed) but he also must survive psychologically the tragic deaths of loved ones in the outside world while he is in prison.
   The depth of police and prosecutorial misconduct Kerry describes is nothing less than infuriating, shocking. Yet, the presentation of his case is not intended to be an ideological rant against "the system." Merely by stating the facts, Kerry can convince us of the depth of the flaws.
   Besides being an eye-opening account into injustice, Kerry's book is also
   told in a way that draws us close to him, a human tale that cuts deeply into our hearts. It is a face-paced read that will keep you turning the pages, one that will haunt you and make you want to live each day of your own freedom to the fullest.



4. Read the Innocent Man and thought I could never be moved so much by a book-really a life story. Saw the movie The Exonerated and heard about Kerry's life. I started reading the book for about 2 hrs a few nights ago... Last night I actually read from 9 pm to 3 am and then got up snowy day here) and read from 8 am finishing the book. I felt I couldn't put the book down until this whole ordeal was over-like my not finishing it still had held him in a deplorable state on Death Rown. When he is handed his belongings and the 1.28 check from his Trust Fund I bawled like a baby. I never really thought this was a just world but never really considered how injust men could be. Amazing life story of a man overcoming and rising above horrendous acts of injustice!
   A Must Read!



5. Kerry Max Cook met young Linda Edwards in 1977 and was invited back to her apartment for a drink, where he left his fingerprints on the sliding glass door. Four days later, Ms. Edwards was found brutally murdered, and Cook was immediately arrested for the crime. In one of the worst examples of police and prosecutorial misconduct in American history, Kerry Max was put to trial with coached prosecutorial witnesses, bunk expert testimony about the "age" (six to twelve hours) of the fingerprint, and suppressed evidence that would have favored the defense. The state declared that Kerry Max was a repressed homosexual (at a time when homosexuality was a mental illness, and in rural Texas, no less) who raped and butchered a female out of repressed rage - a theory, incredibly, they stuck to even during re-trials two decades later, in the 1990's!
   
   Chasing Justice is the story of the framing of Kerry Max by the Texas justice system. The narrative was written in Kerry's own hand (1,200 pages at first draft) and condensed into a powerfully personal 350-page account of life on death row - desperation, abandonment, rape and sodomy, stabbings, and attempted suicide. The prose isn't depressing; rather, Kerry Max just fights on, always waiting for the next turn, building his cadre of supporters. Texas death row has been ruled in federal court to constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Kerry Max fought for a full two decades for his freedom, through three outrageous trials, with not a penny to his name. While the major Dallas newspaper was decrying the railroading of an innocent man, he was convicted again and again and again. To date, he is still not eligible for reparations from the state of Texas because he has not been officially pardoned, which would require the unanimous concurrence several bureaucratic offices unwilling to admit their culpability in the grave trespass of justice against Kerry Max Cook. (By the way, the state spent $5 - $7 million over two decades in their effort to execute Kerry Max).
   
   The reader will question - why Kerry Max? In his book, the author does not devote his energies to answering why, rather, he uses his energy to fight. From some brief research on the case, I have determined that the real culprit hired a very expensive, well-connected good ol' boy lawyer, requiring the police to find another suspect to satisfy the anger of the community. I can only begin to wonder how the Texas justice system conspired for 20 years to keep an innocent man behind bars. During each of his three trials, judges continually approved motions by the prosecutor and denied those of the defense, even to the point at which the court had contradicted itself on which evidence should be suppressed or allowed and for what reason!
   
   Kerry Max's remarkable story is a damning indictment of the death penalty and the Texas justice system. Right before the publication of his memoir, national crime show Body of Evidence: From the Case Files of Dayle Hinman featured forensic experts "solving" the Edwards murder based on false evidence from the prosecution. Even 10 years have Kerry Max's exoneration in the national eye, misinformation is still being spread by those in power. Kerry Max Cook's experiences should serve as clear warning not to blindly accept the word of authority.

5 comments about Final Truth : The Autobiography of a Serial Killer.

1. This autobiography by serial killer Pee Wee Gaskins is brought to you by the apparently easily-duped co-author, journalist Wilton Earle. Gaskins' justifications and distortions are passed along with little examination or challenge, and probably bear small resemblance to the facts.



2. This book is a good read ( i finished it in a day ) but i just have some trouble beliving some of Pee Wee's stories - he even states himself that he has told several versions of the stories -so why should i believe without doubt that this book is "the truth"? ... from reading profiling books on serial killers - you find that these killers may change up the way they kill / despose of their bodies - to make an improvement - but gaskins has 2 ways of killing people and he bounces back and forth between them -- doesn't make much sense ...
   at the end of his book he lets the readers know that he wanted to become famous - but, he and his crimes really aren't known outside of the southeast ... i'm not saying he didn't kill a lot of people, i'm not saying he didn't torture them ... i'm just having a little trouble beliving mr gaskins versions, i just get the feeling that he is admiting to more, for one last attempt to in his words "be famous" ... he even mentions that back when hurricane hugo hit the grand strand, that there were reports of bodies (remains) being found, but it was reported that those were from graveyards .... i believe that to be true because, gaskins said that he "sank" his victims, with big chains, etc., and sank their belongings, he also says that when he felt he was about to be caught he took all of the tools he used for his killings and all the chains he had left and sank that to the bottom of the marshlands in horry and georgetown counties ... when hugo came through -- this is a definate time that things would have been brought up from their watery grave ... but no reoprts of the 30 plus chains, and other tools have been documented



3. I first heard the name "Pee Wee Gaskins" in 1994. My new boss and I were traveling through the upstate part of SC to pick up a company car. We were discussings things unrelated to work and getting to know each other. When he asked if I enjoyed reading, I told him I enjoyed reading books about true crime, serial killers in particular. At that time, he told me I should get the book "Final Truth". I did.
   
   After reading the book (which I found somewhat disturbing because of the details yet refreshing for the truths told about the corruption in the "justice system") I began traveling extensively through rural SC for work. After visiting that particular part of the state, I found it quite believable that Gaskins could have commited all the murders stated in Final Truth. There are rural parts of the state where there isn't so much as a house or gas staion for literally miles.
   
   Not having actually known anyone who knew Gaskins, I took this book at face value. While it may be true that Gaskins wanted "notoriety" like Bundy or Dahmer, I actually got from the book he was telling the truth.
   
   There are a few questions I have always wanted to ask ANYONE who knew Gaskins. I have actually talked with people from Sumter, Florence and that area in general but only people who "knew of" Gaskins and his crimes.
   
   Did the police ever search the areas where he claimed to have buried his "coastal killing" victims?
   
   Has anyone ever seen any of the "artwork" that he supposedly taced, signed and sold from death row?
   
   Gaskins spoke of a "writer" that wrote a book (I'm assuming) about him which was filled with lies about his wives and children. Does anyone know what he is talikng about? The only other book I can think of that Gaskins was referring to was titled "Slaughter in Carolina". I have not read this book but am looking for it. He calims in Final Truth this libelous book or story was written by a woman and a woman wrote "Slaughter In Carolina" (I finally found this book and have written a review of it as well as scanned an image)
   
   I never got from the book that Gaskins was an abused by his mother. In fact, he claims the only abuse at home was from his step father and that was just an occasional slapping (no type of sexual rape is discussed in the book at the hands of his step father). I believe the gang rapes discussed by Gaskins at reform school and prison are probably accurate.
   
   If anyone would like to discuss this, please email me at pumpkins2002@comcast.net



4. As someone who lives in Sumter, SC I've heard a good bit about Pee Wee Gaskins. He actually used to live in a house right down the street from where I sit now. In any case, I have talked with people who are friends and who actually knew Pee Wee back when he hung around places like The Neck, (which by the way was 100% described accurately in the book..... it was a ROUGH place where the cops would NOT venture into) and they described him as a 'nice guy' but one that you would definitely not want to cross. He was known for a hot temper and my friend said that there were bodies that people would never find left from Pee Wee (I trust my friend on this one.... he was involved in a lot of things back then before he got his act together.)
   
   If you are reading this for a glimpse into a serial killer's mind then this is an excellent book. There were parts that made me cringe, especially since my best friends can remember some of the incidents (missing persons) when they took place (I was too young then). It adds a frightening touch to think that I drive by places everyday where it is rumored that he had buried bodies.
   
   For those who have 'researched' and hold the belief that Pee Wee lied about all of this and was only seeking to be more 'famous', I'd like to remind everyone that the deal was made with the author that this book would NOT come out until after his execution and that he received NO funds whatsoever (nor did his family) for releasing this book. I feel that if he only did it for 'attention' that he would have wanted it released before he died. And after talking to people whom I trust who could tell me about his personality and demeanor, I firmly believe that 90% of the book at least is true (everyone embellishes after all... so I'll leave 10% for that).
   
   All in all, a GREAT but sad look into the life and mind of this murderer.



5. I see some complaints about whether everything Donald Gaskins said is true. That is not the point however. The book really let's you get a feel for this person. Much more so in certain repects, than any other criminal I have read about. It is an autobiography with very powerful graphic content . The author, Colin Wilson suffered a psychotic breakdown as a result of listening to Gaskins and was temporarily hospitalized. The price it sells for these days is actually well worth it in my opinion.

5 comments about It's Not About the Truth: The Untold Story of the Duke Lacrosse Case and the Lives It Shattered.

1. I have, when I was a graduate student, had my own contact with administration highjinks so I was eager to read this book. What became clear is not the standard understanding that district attorney Nifong was dishonest which we already know, but the dgree to which president of Duke Broadhead behaved with a complete lack of honor or integrity. In one example in the book an administrator, who had a responsibility to protect these students, lied to them by saying that there was an administration/student priviledge and that they could tell him anything without fear that it would be repeated. This was clearly an early attempt to throw these students to the wolves as a way of showing the institution's distance from them, and was meant to get the school off the hook at the players' expense.
   Whatever settlement these students received from Duke, anything less than 8 figures was too little.



2. This is a real page turner of a book. I was familiar with the work of Don Yaeger since he used to write for Sports Illustrated. He does not disappoint! I thought I knew the story but I wasn't even close to knowing the full story. He really brings it home and you feel like you know the person he writes about.
   
   Mike Pressler, the coach who lost his job, gives a first person account of the events that took place and is fascinating. You will enjoy this book, trust me!! GO DUKE!
   
   Gerard Zemek (husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry")



3. Coach Mike Pressler knows better than most of us how it feels to be in the center of a raging inferno of politically correct rage--where truth and justice have no place.
   
   In 2006, he was abruptly fired from his job as coach of Duke University's lacrosse team after three of his players were accused by a demented black female stripper of gang rape. These charges fed perfectly into a fanatically obsessed scenario found at most universities of white male treachery, black victomhood and feminist paranoia.
   
   Duke President Richard Brodhead, his motor-mouth assistant, John Burness and board chairman, Bob Steele, quickly jumped on the politically correct bandwagon and let the public know that they were throwing the players into the raging inferno.
   
   The administration refused to look at any of the exonerating proof of innocence of the accused that was continually offered to them by the defense attorneys.
   
   The administration instead threw its support behind the psychopathic District Attorney Mike Nifong who knew early on that the rape charges were a hoax. The stripper, Crystal Mangum, had made the identical charges three years before against another group of men, but these, too, proved to be false.
   
   The raging storm against the trio of young men grew stronger when the usual anti-white racists came out of the woodwork. Like the NC Chapter of the NAACP, the New Black Panthers Party, the local Pot Bangers group, made up of left-wing faculty and students. Racial arsonists like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson flew down to Durham, NC, to scream about white racist rapists and poor defenseless black women.
   
   This reminded many of us ironically that Al Sharpton engineered an identical hoax in l986 when he spent a year pushing the notorious Tawana Brawley rape hoax in New York state. She accused a gang of white men of raping her. A grand jury said the charges were totally fabricated but in the meantime, Sharpton and Jackson had destroyed lives right and left. Brawley was never charged for her crimes. Sharpton received a slap on the wrist and has never apologized.
   
   The authors reveal how corrupt members of the Durham police department, the district attorneys office, judges and many members of the black community of the city pushed their goal of railroading the trio of boys into prison for life. To hell with the truth.
   
   The media coverage was so vicious, especially the New York Times, that it often felt as if all the news reports were being written by Mike Nifong and Al Sharpton.
   
   At Duke, a gang of 88 faculty members (or a gang of 88 bigots) took out a full-page ad praising the protestors and urging them to "turn up the volume." Many of the teachers had lacrosse players in their classes and openly taunted them into admitting their guilt. None of the teachers ever apologized for their actions. Many were actually promoted, along with black activist students who had sent threatening e-mail to Coach Pressler.
   President Brodhead was just recently lavishly praised by his board of directors for his handling of the rape hoax--and for for his unwavering support of the demented Mike Nifong.
   
   When Pressler begged the administration to wait for the truth to come out before firing him and cancelling any appearances of the lacrosse team for a whole year, Duke's Athletic director, Joe Alleva told Pressler: "It's not about the truth." In those four words, you have revealed the heart of the people heading Duke University. And of all the other criminals who passionately pursued imprisonment for life for three young men who just happened to be white.



4. Exceedingly well written book. I have not stopped talking about it. This is not just a simple story of a high profile case. It focuses on how innocent people were directly affected in their every day lives by scandalous lies. The media never revealed this side of the story. It's unimaginable how this horrific mess could've happened. You can't stop but think what you would do had this happened to you. I was paralyzed reading what these people went through. You will truly be shocked, in disbelief to no end. I commend all the people who courageously stuck by and weathered the storm with all those who were unfortuneatly (directly and indirectly) involved. How utterly defiant, inexplicably brave. It just goes to show you the truth will always prevail. "It's Not About the Truth: The Untold Story of the Duke Lacrosse Case and the Lives It Shattered", is inspirationally AMAZING!!!



5. Even though I had followed the case at the time, I still read this in two nights flat - it's that good. This is an important book, heck it's an important story, particularly for "white people". I write that with hesitation, but heck that's the truth. How come "white" has almost become a term of abuse? "White boy" certainly has. And that's just it. They only reason this tall tale, this ridiculous hoax, went this far, affected so many lives, pushed so many people to the edge of their existence (could you post a $400, 000 bond for your son, whilst your wife is having a nervous breakdown) is that these were "white boys". Thus it was open season. Read with horror as these boys, because of making one mistake, one error of judgement, inviting a stripper to perform a private function in their home, lost their coach, their season, their house (many slept in their cars), were hounded off campus or formally expelled, threatened both verbally and by mail - all this after fully cooperating with the police, turning over all the physical evidence in their house without question, voluntarily took DNA tests - and it still took months and months, hundreds of thousands of dollars, perhaps millions (the lawyer fees of the indicted three estimated at $100,000 a month), an extraordinary display of loyalty and togetherness between their teamates, their relatives and neighbors and some great lawyers (their lawyers are to me, all heroes - one, Kirk Osborn, sadly died of a heart attack during the ordeal) to finally shake off the blatantly false allegation of a mentally unstable criminal supported by a madman whose daytime job was District Attorney. So we both cheer when they are finally vindicated by then wonder - is America crazy right now or what? What is this war on "white men" by the feminists, the race hustlers, the homosexuals, the Latinos and everybody else. I remember reading a post on a blog after this arose from a white male: "All the more reason just to keep your head down, get your sh** done in the daytime, and retire for the evening behind a locked door" - this is the reality for countless "privileged white males" in many parts of America today.
   
   I couldn't recommend this book highly enough. If you have teenage sons or daughters preparing to go to college, they need to read this book.

5 comments about Dead And Buried: A Shocking Account of Rape, Torture, and Murder on the California Coast.

1. I loved reading anything by, the late, great Jack Olsen and his passing left me wondering if I would ever read another good true crime book. Enter Corey Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell writes the kind of book that you just can't put down. I won't go into details of the book, that's for you to find out. But I will say, you won't be disappointed!



2. Corey Mitchell's DEAD AND BURIED, about the life and times of rapist and murderer Rex Krebs, has been reviewed and praised so extensively that I would not normally write this review. But I want to emphasize the massive amount of research Mitchell has done on this book.
   I am a veteran reader of true crime and feel that the two areas that make or break a true crime book are the research into the backgrounds of the main players and the quality of the writing.
   First let me assure you that Mitchell can write. The writing is straightforward, intelligent, literate, and professional, and Mitchell does not feel the need to inject his own personality into the narrative.
   And Mitchell has researched the life of Rex Krebs as thoroughly as any true crime writer I've ever read. The first 230 pages, an unheard of number, is devoted to Krebs' life before he committed the crimes discussed in DEAD AND BURIED. The result is that the reader understands what caused Rex Krebs to be the person he became, presented in linear fashion, starting from the time of his birth.
   Readers who enjoy intelligent, skilled, and meticulous true crime will appreciate the hard work that went into DEAD AND BURIED and will love the result.



3. My favorite stories are crime stories. I watch CSI and all those Court shows on television. None can tell the story better then a good book and this is one of those books. Corey Mitchell is one of my favorite author's and I have read all of his work to date. This one tops my list. I can't wait for his newest book to come out. Another one I would recommend.



4. Wow! Another great book by Corey Mitchell. This one is probably my favorite and I've read all of his books. This held my attention from cover to cover!



5. Yet another hit from Corey Mitchell! The way he starts out with some of the attacks and then starts from the beginning of where everyone involved came from etc. was awesome. I again love the way he ties in other cases where applicable that people might recall. I was especially touched by the story of his deceased wife at the beginning. I had read books done after this and seen the reference to her but had no clue til I read the story. She is definately looking down on you Mr. Mitchell and smiling as you get these stories out to help others. I'd love to help make it so rapists can't get out after the first offense to do what Rex Krebbs did. Wonderful job!

5 comments about The Darkest Night: Two Sisters, a Brutal Murder, and the Loss of Innocence in a Small Town.

1. Author Ron Franscell captures a moment in time that burns itself into the reader's heart, mine and soul. He accomplishes the impossible by making a 35-year-old tragedy excruciatingly real just as though it is happening today in the reader's own home town.
   
   From his eloquent description of a jury on page 88 to his brutally honest appraisal of Wyoming's prison system on pages 267 and 268, this writer makes no apology for wearing his heart and his emotions on his sleeve. He emphasizes how both he and the town of Casper, Wyoming were forever changed in one dark night by one unforgiveable act.
   
   The proof that Ron Franscell is a master of his craft is one paragraph on page 199 where he speaks of victim Becky Thompson. He describes this courageous young woman: "She died because she had already been murdered many years before. She fell from such a height that it took nineteen years to hit the bottom. She was crushed beneath something bigger than she was." Writing just not get any better than that.
   
   There was only one disappontment in the book and that is the fact that the author does not include a readable copy of poem by artist Michael Carr that is pictured with his "urban petroglyph" on the canyon walls under the Fremont Canyon Bridge. I would like to know what it says.
   
   This book reminds me a great deal of "Justice Waits" by Joel Davis. Both authors were directly affected by the murders they wrote about and both men are superb writers.



2. I was expecting this book to be like the hundreds of other true crime books I've read. There's a formula out there and they rarely waiver. The author takes us down his own memory lane into one of the most brutal and eventually heartbreaking crimes in history. Long on story, short on numbing details, you'll learn about the terrifying night two sisters spent at the hands of brutal sociopaths and the justice system that spared their lives. The conclusion was painful to think about and difficult to imagine. Kudos to the author for writing such a lovely testiment to these two victims.



3. Possibly the best true crime book I have ever read. Kept me turning pages until the very end. Would like to read much more from this author.



4. I will never understand peoples way of thinking! Why murder someone to spend the rest of your life in prison or worse. I have a temper don't get me wrong but I have never wanted to kill anyone. I feel sorry for those girls all those years ago.



5. very sad story, very upsetting and heartbreaking. It reads well and flo's good, one section with alot of legle mumble jumble that is neither here nor there, I just wanna know if the creeps are still in jail in plain terms. But overall the writer did such an awesome job making you feel as if you were there, alot of work on his behalf.