No comments about Rape And Society: Readings On The Problem Of Sexual Assault (Crime and Society Series).

3 comments about The UNMASKING MARRIED TO A RAPIST.

1. This was a good book with alot of detail,it also goes back into his childhood which tells you alot about his behavior.I could pick this book up again and read it in a couple of years and still get into it.Is what I really like about it is that alot of it comes from his own mouth and he is very honest with his feelings.The writeing is really good and don't run on and on saying the same thing over and over but a different way.I almost wish that this guy could of found a cure for his behavior,he seemed to be sorry for what he did and you could tell felt bad about his actions.Although he's not to be trusted on the pages it just drawls you into how bad he really feels.



2. I haven't always looked at this story as a five star story - especially since the drama is my own. Now, 25 years after the fact, I can say that this experience - while utterly horrible and disruptive of our lives - has made me into the woman I am today. For that I am thankful.
   
   In August of 2007 Eddie is still in prison. Diana is married, a wonderful mom, and working on her masters degree in counseling. Paul is unmarried and busy with his life. Both have had to face their past and it has not been an easy task. Both Paul and Diana are still the loves of my life. The Unmasking is "our" story. I don't regret the sharing of it - though it was very painful. You need to know, we made it! There has been life after the nightmare. God is still good. Ronda (Wyatt) Knuth



3. In THE RAPIST, Kevin Flynn has produced an intelligent and professionally written account of the marriage of Eddie and Ronda Wyatt. Eddie, a criminally delinquent teenager from Galveston, TX, who became "saved" while in prison, married Ronda after meeting her at a Christian outreach center in Dallas. Though he apparently tried hard to quell his demons, Eddie eventually resumed his lifelong profession of burglary, adding a more mature touch by including rape in his repertoire.
   Ronda, a Godly, naive, and insecure individual, was unaware of Eddie's criminal behavior and felt guiltily responsible for the obvious downturn in their marriage. I will not write more about the plot so as not to spoil the story for any potential readers.
   
   Kevin Flynn has done a good job here. The book flows well and is an easy and compelling read. The backgrounds of both Wyatts are well researched, and the primary sources of Flynn's material are interviews with Eddie and, especially, Ronda. Flynn makes extensive use of material quoted from Ronda's journals as a sort of touchstone for the narrative, and it is only here that I have any criticism of THE UNMASKING. While I have no problem with the device itself, Ronda's journal entries are, to me as a reader, all virtually the same, and they quickly become boring since basically all Ronda does is bemoan her feelings of failure as a wife and ask for God's help in becoming a better person. I don't wish to diminish the horrible trauma Ronda Wyatt suffered upon learning that she had been deceived for seven years by her rapist husband, but I found her, as presented in the book, to be a kind but not especially interesting person.
   
   Nonetheless, THE UNMASKING is quality true crime, and fans of the genre should like it.

5 comments about Predator: Rape, Madness, And Injustice In Seattle.

1. I'd expected the book to be good, but it was excellent. I highly recomend it to all true crime fans. The book gave just enough background, just enough of the trials, just enough opinions etc. It was very informative and such a compelling read. I was already familiar with the wrongful conviction of Steve Titus, and found Olsen's account to be quite accurate and compassionate.



2. I am a fan of thrillers and suspense books. Books such as this go far in proving that real life events can be far more terrifying than anything we read in fiction. Any fan of real life crime, criminal psychology or of books about our criminal /judicial system really need to read this book.

   There are two aspects to this story...more if you want to start considering the many rape victims left in Mac Smith's wake. The first aspect is Mac Smith himself. The story goes very far in explaining how personalities such as Mac Smith's are formed. Jack Olsen portrays Mac as a well-rounded individual, even a likeable person. Yet, Mac is truly twisted and sick. Extremely manipulative. It is frightening to know that this person could be out on the streets in another 4 years...

   Then there is the story of Steve Titus. This is, perhaps, the most frightening part of the whole story. It really makes you wonder how often innocent people are convicted of another's crimes. This man suffered for 8 months...through his arrest which he jokingly thought was all a mistake, a trial, a conviction, and finally numerous postponements of his sentencing before his innocence was finally proven with the assistance of a news reporter. His life was destroyed....he lost his job and eventually the woman he loved.

   This book is a truly compelling read. I read it in one day of nonstop reading. After reading this book, the next time you hear someone in jail profess their innocence, you will hesitate before you sneer and say, "Yeah...that's what they all say..."




3. If you are a fan of True Crime, then get your hands on this book. Jack Olsen is one of the best True Crime writers around. Not only will this book keep you on the edge of your seat, but it will also enrage you at the injustice put upon one man. I highly recommend this book.



4. This was a case of police creating evidence to fit crimes. As I first began to read Predator, I thought it was going to be a shallow account of mistaken identity, but as I got further into it, I was totally caught up in it. How sad that in the police's efforts to clean up a case, a man's life was ruined. Nothing can make up for the railroading of Steven Titus and how it ultimately affected his life and death. Jack Olsen succeeds in delving into the case and all the personalities involved. This is an excellent book.



5. I first read this book many years ago and the feelings of rage and injustice are still very sharp. My late father was an Army MP and then a deputy sheriff and I remember how my world was turned upside down by what happened to poor Steve Titus. And of course I always felt that the cops should have been punished somehow. Not just for what they did to him but because of all the women who landed in the crosshairs of a serial rapist who went undisturbed by a real investigation.
   Whenever I hear people gossiping about the justice system and how we coddle criminals and how lawyers are morally as corrupt as their clients, I always ask, " Do you remember the Predator case?" To date, nobody I've ever asked has ever heard of it. When I tell them, they tell me it's not true, or that Titus must have done SOMETHING!! Some will question me about being related to a victim, or being one of the attorneys. For the record, I work in a warehouse and I don't know anyone in the book.
   This book was the first in the genre I ever read, and got me hooked on true crime. I recommend it to everyone, especially as a first attempt at non-fiction.
   I also recommend 'All sHe Ever Wanted' by Aphrodite Jones (it's the book that was made into the movie 'Boys Don't Cry" with Hilary Swank; and 'The Michigan Murders' whose author I don't recall.

No comments about Consequences, the Criminal Case of David Parker Ray.

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 Sex Kill: Lust crimes that shocked a generation!.

1. SEX KILL collects some of the prior century's most horrific true stories of crime, with the period flavoring of Detective/True Crime Magazines like POLICE DRAGNET CASES and MASTER DETECTIVE.
   
   More than just police reports, these stories present with an intensity and emotion that that is unmatched even today.
   
   For any fan of books/movies like L.A. Confidential (Two-Disc Special Edition) this is one book that you have to add to your collection!



2. Sex Kill is a compilation of true stories based on the crimes of some of the most sinister (and demented) minds to exist. To paraphrase one of my favorite movies, it reads like a tale of demon's machinations - stories of murder, sadism and terror.
   
   These criminals might be called "mad dogs" - but the reality is that many of them were sane, and had the presence of mind to know right from wrong. Unfortunately for their victims, they chose the path of the latter, where concepts such a morality and decency simply do not exist.
   
   If you are a fan of True Crime, the book is a must have.



3. SEX KILL is an excellent collection of true crime stories, marked by the sadistic intent and actions of the real-life monsters that prowled our streets from decades past.
   
   All too often, we are lulled into the belief that man's inhumanity to man has grown to unprecedented levels in today's society. As SEX KILL demonstrates - the evil that lies in the hearts of men has always been there...stalking its prey...and waiting for the moment to strike.



4. I picked up SEX KILL last weekend based on the recommendation of a friend who likewise is a fan of the true crime genre. This compilation follows a format of presenting some of the most significant true crime stories circa the 1950's, from some of the best magazines of type, including Master Detective, and Police Dragnet Cases.
   
   If you are a fan of James Ellroy or Dominick Dunne, and want to immerse yourself in the flavor of the writing style of the time, this book is a must have for your collection!!!



5. When looking at this collection of true crime stories, the reader is left disturbed on a two core levels. First, with the realization that criminals like this actually exist - and I use the term "criminal" loosely...men like Ed Gein go beyond the term, with a more apt description being that of demon instead of criminal.
   
   Second, the fact that many of these real-life monsters act with complete knowledge of their actions, but believe that they are either above or beyond the law, and have the right to satisfy all of their sadistic lusts.
   
   Fortunately, to the latter point, these men of evil intent were NOT beyond the reach of the law. Pick the book up today - you will not be disappointed!

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

1. 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.



2. 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.



3. 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!



4. 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. What I loved about this book was that it was not written by a professional writer, it wasn't a lawyer's point of view, and it didn't preach to me about the death penalty. Instead, this book was a look at the justice system from a regular person's point of view. Kerry Max Cook raised questions about how the justice system works, or more appropriately, doesn't work, and not by hammering on lofty principles, but by showing the reader what actually happens, in court, out of court, and in prison. However, most importantly, he brings us inside the mind of a person facing the worst possible situation and how that affects him. I was inspired by his strength and ability to persevere through things that would have crushed nearly every human being. This book is a must-read for anyone who endeavors to understand the American criminal justice system and what it means to be accused of a crime.

No comments about House of Horrors.

4 comments about The Martinsville Seven: Race, Rape, and Capital Punishment (Constitutionalism and Democracy).

1. I think Rise did a great job but me a Martinsville resident think that someone from Martinsville should have made a book about it and it seems like everyone wants to keep it a secret but I want to know.



2. Over this book and the actual story itself there are many skeletons in the closets of Martinsville families over the tragic end of seven young lives. Seems that the victim wasn't really so innocent after all, but the lives of those men cannot be replaced, even now when we know the truth. Vengeance is mine saith the Lord, and yes, even those who falsely point fingers shall reap the rewards of doom.



3. The true story of the Martinsville Seven will soon be told and hopefully, it will become a Hollywood movie. The real victims were the Seven. Peace.



4. This was required reading for a graduate course in American history.
   
   In 1951, seven black men were convicted and executed for the brutal rape of a white woman. This case, like so many rape cases in the early 20th century in the South, saw semi-illiterate black defendants on trial for the rape of a prominent white woman. Ruby Stroud Floyd went on an errand in the "black section" of the community in her hometown of Martinsville Virginia. She was 32 years old, and a Jehovah Witness. Despite warnings, she traveled by herself at night. At 7:30 pm, she knocked on the door of one Mary Wade and her husband, a black couple. She was in obvious distress, bruised, dirty and hair tangled. Eventually, she told police that she was raped by seven black men. The police rounded up the suspects and each suspect signed an un-coerced confession. Ruby was examined by a doctor and was found to have various abrasions, scrapes and bruises on her elbows, legs, chest, back and buttocks. She had to be treated for an inflammatory mass on her pelvis caused by violent penetration of the vagina or rectum.
   
   Yet, this case differed from other notorious rape cases. First of all, it occurred in the peripheral South as opposed to the Deep South. Secondly, it occurred in 1949, at a time when attitudes toward race were changing, albeit slow, but a gradual change was taking place. The prosecutors and the state lawmakers wanted it to at least appear as if a fair had been given, and in many respects, it was a fair trial, at least more fair than previous rape trials. However, the author examines the fairness of this trial, and he maintains that despite its apparent fairness, especially when compared to other trials, it still smacked of injustice, yet in more subtle, hidden ways.
   
   The most obvious difference of this trial compared to others is the guilt of the defendants. The seven men were guilty of a heinous multiple rape. However, the author contends that the innocence or guilt of the defendants was not the issue at hand, but rather the fairness of the trial. The guilty verdict was not delivered under any mob pressure; in fact all of the trials took place in a clam atmosphere. The defendants were not tortured into giving their confessions. The defendants also had adequate counsel for their trials. Governor Tuck of Virginia stated that he wanted to prove that the South was fair to all, both black and white.
   
   And yet, despite there seemingly fair trial, the author points to many subtle injustices during the course of the trial. Jury selection was biased. Although blacks were in the jury pool, none were selected to jury. Any juror that did not advocate the death penalty if the victims were convicted was not chosen. Despite the absence of mobs, the trial was held in Martinsville, where the jurors were subjected to negative and biased attitudes towards the defendants. Despite a request for a change a venue, this request was denied. Support garnered for the defendants was always subjected to anti-communist propaganda, as were many civil rights pleas during the 1940s. The author contends that these subtle but powerful measures made this seemingly fair trial just another sham while giving it an appearance of legitimacy. After the civil war, lynching was a method of crime control and wider black oppression; it enabled whites to keep "order" over blacks. The author cites the fact that although lynchings declined after World War Two, blacks were still subjected to oppression and extralegal processes.
   
   The author also explores the phenomena of "red-baiting." Southern opponents of civil rights many times invoked communist propaganda, or "red-baiting," to counter civil rights as anti-American, because they aimed un-American utopian visions. Red-baiting was used to destroy the credibility of various civil rights organizations. Specifically, in the Martinsville cases, the defendant lawyers and the NAACP did not want to associate with agencies that were describes as having communist sympathies, such as the CRC, which was given a limited role. Anti-communist sentiment was manipulated to stymie civil rights movements. The author examines the notion of "legal lynching," or the conviction and execution of blacks in a seemingly legitimate way. And I believe this to be the author's thesis. He tries to expose the "unwritten law" that blacks in the south were subjected to, even in seemingly fair trials. The author points out that from 1908 until 1951, 45 blacks were executed for rape in the South while no whites were executed. White defendants usually received life sentences, but never the death penalty. "Justice" for Southern blacks had not changed, only its form. Gone were the lynch mobs, but the courts took their place. The author believes that lawyers learned how to enforce racism by using the new constraints and laws. And I think herein lies the lesson for the modern reader. When we see a trial, or any public occurrence, we cannot simply assume justice has been done. A true intellectual, and especially a historian, must examine all aspects and motives of any occurrence to accurately determine if the outcome was warranted, or only seemingly legit.
   
   Recommended reading for anyone interested in American history, civil rights history.

5 comments about Body Hunter.

1. The author did a tremendous job of bringing the facts on several Texas murders together into an easy to read format. A need to be read story.



2. Between December 12, 1984 and May 6, 1986, there was a string of murders in Wichita Falls and Houston, Texas. Because these murders fell in various jurisdictions, there were not linked to a serial killer but were investigated as individual cases. The story of these murders illustrates one of the worst mistakes of law enforcement in our country. If not for two detectives that refused to give up, these cases would still remain unsolved except for one. This is the story of these crimes and the man who committed them.

   On May 6, 1986, Faryion Edward Wardrip murdered Tina Kimbrew. A week later, he telephoned 911 and stated that he was going to kill himself. When officers responded, he told them that he had killed Kimbrew but it had been an accident. She had been his friend. He was traumatized over the loss.
   
   On the way to the jail, the officers asked if he had known Ellen Blau, who was killed on September 20, 1985. He admitted knowing her. Fearing that further questioning before he had a lawyer would jeopardize the case, the cops did not discuss Blau any further. Instead, they noted in their report that he knew Blau and sent a message to the investigators. They failed to act on it.

   Four days after his arrest was made public, one of his friends, Thomas Eugene Granger, telephoned the police to explain that Wardrip had a connection to four of the dead women. He had worked at the hospital with Toni Gibbs, murdered on January 19, 1985, and Terry Sims, murdered on December 21, 1984. He lived across the street from where Ellen Blau worked. Then, he moved near where Debra Taylor, murdered on March 24, 1985, was abducted. Her car was abandoned just around the corner from his house. When police did not take action, Granger called them a second time. Still, they maintained that the murders were the work of multiple killers. They ignored the tip.
   
   This book is an excellent read. It seems more like a work of fiction that truth. The writing is lively and moving. You will have trouble putting this one down. Get it and read how a serial killer managed to walk away with parole and begin a new life, even though police had plenty of tips to connect him to a series of murders.




3. I am originally from Wichita Falls, Texas, where this book takes place and remember well not only the actual murders but the shock when Wardrip was actually caught. It was interesting to read this book to see inside information. And since I'm already pretty familiar with the case, I was pleased to find out some things I hadn't already heard. However, and I guess most people wouldn't notice this kind of stuff, the lack of attention to detail irritated me to no end. Unless you're from the Wichita Falls area, you probably don't know that the funeral home is called Aulds Funeral home and not All's Funeral Home. Or you might not notice some of the geographical errors or misnamed streets. Someone not familiar with this area would probably gloss right over them. But being familiar with the area, it peeved me to no end that Springer couldn't take a little time to get her spellings straight and her roads right. It made me feel as if the book was sloppy and left me wondering what else may be wrong in it.



4. ALTHOUGH I ENJOYED THIS BOOK AND FOUND IT VERY INTERESTING, SEVERAL THINGS BOTHERED ME. FIRST OF ALL, ON THE COVER IT STATES: "BEFORE THERE WAS BTK, THERE WAS THE BODY HUNTER". THIS IS INACCURANT SICE BTK STARTED KILLING IN THE 70'S AND THE BODY HUNTER DID NOT START UNTIL THE 1980'S. SECOND OF ALL, I FOUND THE PICTURES IN THE BOOK SHOCKING AND UNNECESSARY. I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS GENTLEMAN'S REVIEW. I FOUND THE PICTURES TO BE DISRESPECTIVE OF THOSE KILLED AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE AUTHOR SHOULD BE ASHAMED FOR INCLUDING THOSE IN HER BOOK. I AM NO TRUE CRIME NOVICE, I HAVE OVER A HUNDRED TRUE CRIME BOOKS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN PICTURES LIKE THOSE IN A BOOK. ALSO THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MURDER WAS A BIT TO DETAILED. I PREFER ANN RULES METHOD OF FOCUSING MORE ON THE VICTIMS LIFE RATHER THAN ON ALL THE GRUESOME DETAILS OF THEIR DEATH. OVERALL THIS BOOK MADE ME VERY SAD FOR THE MANY PEOPLE AFFECTED. I GAVE THIS BOOK 3 STARS SINCE IT DID HOLD MY ATTENTION. HAD IT NOT INCLUDED THE HORRIFIC PICTURES, I MAY HAVE GIVEN A 4 OR A 5.
   
   SHAME ON THE AUTHOR AND SHAME ON THE PUBLISHER FOR BEING SO DISREPECTFUL!!!



5. Patricia Springer writes a very well-detailed and maybe too detailed with unforgettable pictures of the victims. There were five murdered women, Toni Gibbs, Terry Sims, Ellen Blau, Debra Taylor, and Tina Kimbrew who were all murdered between 1984-1986. The killer, Faryion Edward Wardrip only confessed to the Kimbrew murder. Unfortunately, Texas doesn't have a life without the possibility of parole which might make more juries choose the death penalty. Wardrip served 11 years in prison and 2 on parole with an ankle belt detector knowing where he was 24 hours per day. Faryion was obviously deeply troubled by his depression and his drug induced rages which consumed him. In 1996, DNA technology would be advanced enough to either exonerate or indict him on four more murders. Sadly, there were other victims besides their families. In Taylor's case, the suspicion fell on her husband, Kenneth for years. In the Gibbs case, there was a hung jury after a trial trying to convict Danny Laughlin (he died in 1993 in a car accident). Even until Danny's death, he was seen as involved in her brutal murder. The author shows the brutality of such crimes that none of the victims deserved. They were not only brutally murdered but raped and left for dead in fields where their remains were ravaged by maggots, insects, and other animals finding food. For Taylor's remains, they had to identify her through dental records and the jewelry left on her. His second victim tried to crawl out of an abandoned trolley car where she met her death from the bleeding and exposure. It was January 1985 in Wichita Falls, Texas. The first victim's murder occurred at a friend's house on December 21, 1984. Both victims were nurses. Ellen Blau had moved from Connecticut to Texas for her boyfriend. The relationship didn't last but she was unlike other victims. Blau attended private boarding schools but she managed to maintain a working class lifestyle trying to be independent with the help of her friend, Janie Bell. She also had a job working at a subshop. Wardrip's family also suffered from his crimes as well. He awaits execution in his jail cell. The book is very detailed regarding his crimes which is not for the faint at heart.