Yes. I do. I have an obsession with true crime. And while on the surface this obsession might seem morbid, my interests extend far beyond the murder(sYes. I do. I have an obsession with true crime. And while on the surface this obsession might seem morbid, my interests extend far beyond the murder(s) themselves. What really fascinates is the complex dichotomy that often exists in many of us to varying degrees. For instance, how does a God-fearing, loving husband and father, actively participate in the mass murders committed in Nazi concentration camps? Why would a parent ever kill their own child? How can a charismatic young and attractive law student commit the unthinkable and grizzly murders of approximately 3 dozen women? And finally, how do many of the cold blooded murderers (outside of the murders) live such uneventful and normal lives? Many with a wife and children and a 3 bedroom rancher in a middle class American suburb. It's just so bizarre.
The latter describes Dennis Rader, aka the BTK (bind torture kill) killer, who is responsible for brutally murdering 10 people between 1974-1991, including 4 members of one family, all so that he could live out his sadistic sexual fantasies.
Dennis was a husband, married for over 30 years before he was finally caught. He was the father of two, Kerri (the author of this book) and her older brother Brian. He was a Cub Scout leader, active member of his church. He liked the outdoors. Enjoyed fishing and hiking. Took his children camping. Was close to his family and extended family.
This is one of several books like it that I've read, the others being "A Father's Story" written by Jeffrey Dahmer's father, "Green River Serial Killer - Biography of an Unsuspecting Wife" the story of Judith Ridgway, Gary's devoted wife, and "A Mother's Reckoning" written by Sue Klebold, Dylan Klebold's (Columbine shooter's) mother.
While on one hand it's priceless for what it is, it was also disappointing. The writing itself was amateurish, which wouldn't have been so bad if she had dug deeper, opened up more about her father and their relationship, beyond benign and often boring stories such as their trip to the Grand Canyon. Other than getting a sense of how normal/boring and ordinary Dennis' life really was, thanks to the author, the reader never gets to see beneath the surface. And to be fair, maybe this is just the best she could do. I get it, but doesn't make for the most compelling read.
I can't imagine how it must feel to learn that someone you love has done something so reprehensible and so contrary to your view of them. It really must shake you to the core.
Anyway, these types of books aren't common for obvious reasons. They are rare and because they are rare have an innate value (and why I gave 3 stars instead of 1). And I will leave it at that....more
This book was written by Jose Baez, the defense lawyer in the infamous Casey Anthony murder trial. It's a rebuttal of sorts for a book called ImperfecThis book was written by Jose Baez, the defense lawyer in the infamous Casey Anthony murder trial. It's a rebuttal of sorts for a book called Imperfect Justice that was written by one of the prosecution attorneys, Jeff Ashton.
Ironically, I found this book to be more credible.
While much too long, I think Baez eventually gets to the point. Many people believed that Casey had murdered her daughter, primarily because they disliked her, primarily because she was a pathological liar, who failed to even report her daughter missing.
Had the prosecution not been so cocky, they would have seen that their motive sucked. I think we all believe that mothers are capable of killing their babies. But they don't simply do it so they can go out and party. And because the police were so convinced that Anthony had done the deed, they did not fully investigate other possibilities. They assumed that because she was a liar, she must be guilty.
It was interesting to read the case and even the evidence presented from the two sides independently, as I imagine that it sort of reflects what a jury hears. Personally, though I didn't like Casey, I do not think I would have voted to convict either.
My main complaint with this book is that it was about 150 pages longer than it should have been. I also felt at times Baez pursued possibilities that may have introduced reasonable doubt, but that not even he believed to be the truth. He also took quite a few shots at Ashton. Again, having read Ashton's book, I kind of agreed with what he said, but I felt it made him look petty and weakened his argument.
I liked that this book examined a number of murders in which husbands who were not necessarily abusive murdered their wives in cold blood.
I thought heI liked that this book examined a number of murders in which husbands who were not necessarily abusive murdered their wives in cold blood.
I thought her efforts to create a new category of predator that she refers to as erasure murders was more of a marketing technique to make the book somehow standout among its peers.
I'd always wanted to read an accounting of the Laci/Scott Peterson case so I appreciated the amount of time that went into exploring the murder. Surprisingly (or maybe not surprisingly considering my penchant for true crime, I was familiar with many of the examples she provided.
Overall a good read, primarily for the details it provides on the Peterson case. ...more
Did not enjoy this as much as other books I've read by Rule. Part of the problem is that the case remains unsolved. Rule has a habit of inserting her Did not enjoy this as much as other books I've read by Rule. Part of the problem is that the case remains unsolved. Rule has a habit of inserting her own opinions into her books, and that's okay, she's the author after all. However, with an unsolved case, her opinions left this reader wanting more.
That said, this is an interesting exploration of what happens when law enforcement flubs an investigation from the beginning. Reading this, I was often reminded of the Joe McGinniss' book Fatal Vision (great book btw) in which he tells the story of Jeffrey MacDonald, a MD and green beret who was accused and convicted of killing his family. Though, a jury convicted MacDonald, there were many errors in the investigation that tainted the process from day one, and without hard evidence...or rather tainted evidence, the possible scenario's abound. MacDonald still asserts his innocence. ...more
This is the story of a mother charged with but ultimately found not guilty of the murder of her two-year old daughter.
Written by the attorney who was This is the story of a mother charged with but ultimately found not guilty of the murder of her two-year old daughter.
Written by the attorney who was part of the prosecution team, it lays down the case against Casey and the verdict that caught many off guard.
Casey was a young and beautiful mother, living with her own parents at the time of the murder. But Casey has a problem. She lies. And lies. And lies. To make a long story short, her daughter goes missing, but for some reason she doesn't tell anybody until her mother wanting to see her granddaughter corners Casey.
Eventually the police are called and Casey weaves a complex web of lies about a rogue nanny who kidnaps who daughter, changing her story only when she's called out.
It's a fascinating look at the burden of proof. Ultimately, the jury finds her not guilty.
According to at least one of the jurors, the felt as if the prosecution was not able to show what happened to the girl. Personally, I think the prosecution showed what happened, but the true failure was not in showing why it happened. Why did Casey kill her daughter. The only motive they provided was that she was simply tired of being a mother, tied down to a toddler. Personally, I don't buy it, though I do think she did kill her daughter.
Would definitely like to read some other books about the case as there is a lot here beyond the crime. Casey herself is a fascinating case who takes habitual lying to a new level....more
As usual, a solid true crime novel by one of the best.
This particular book documents the story of a man, a handsome dentist, who not only "almost" gotAs usual, a solid true crime novel by one of the best.
This particular book documents the story of a man, a handsome dentist, who not only "almost" got away with murder once, but "almost" got away with it twice.
And once again, true life is stranger than fiction....more
I read lots of true crime books. Lots and lots of true crime books. Yet, this is the first book I've read about an unsolved crime.
The Black Dahlia refI read lots of true crime books. Lots and lots of true crime books. Yet, this is the first book I've read about an unsolved crime.
The Black Dahlia refers to a young woman named Elizabeth Short, whose mutilated body was found in a LA suburb back in the late 1940s. According to Eatwell, rampant police corruption prevented key leads in the case from being thoroughly investigated.
After a review of the evidence, some of which has still not been released, Eatwell narrows down the list of suspects to two men, one who wanted Elizabeth dead, and the other who actually did the killing.
This is the stuff of Raymond Chandler novels.
By pure coincidence I just finished reading The Red Dahlia, the second installment in the Anna Travis series written by Lynda LaPlante. The book is loosely based on the original murder and repeatedly references another book written about the murder in which the author accuses his father. Borrowed that book from the library and am anxious to read and compare. Finally, I also requested James Ellroy's fictional interpretation aptly titled The Black Dahlia....more
When it comes to true crime novels, Ann Rule rules.
Like so many true crime books, Practice to Deceive proves that real life is stranger than fiction.
WWhen it comes to true crime novels, Ann Rule rules.
Like so many true crime books, Practice to Deceive proves that real life is stranger than fiction.
What struck me most about this rather complicated tale is the amount of tragedy inflicted on one average family.
This is a story within a story within a story. Each narrative as interesting as the next.
The only thing that might have made this better is if we had a motive for murder. Yet despite one murder convinction and one plea of conspiracy, a motive remains absent.
This was relatively short for one of Rule's novels, but as always I feel as if she provides the reader with all the pertinent details.
The Green River Killer is perhaps one of the most prolific serial killers in history. Convicted of killing 48 women, he is a monster among monsters.
YeThe Green River Killer is perhaps one of the most prolific serial killers in history. Convicted of killing 48 women, he is a monster among monsters.
Yet Gary Ridgway, while considered a little strange but many who knew him, somehow managed to live a fairly mundane life. And for Judith, his third wife, Gary was her knight in shining armor, the man who would finally make her believe in happily ever afters.
This book is Judith's story and a chance to see Gary through the eyes of his loving wife.
I still can't imagine what it must have been like for Judith to find out that the man she loved, the man she climbed into bed with every night, the man who shared every aspect of her life was not simply a cold-blooded killer, but a serial killer. A man who routinely paid for sex with prostitutes, a man who strangled at least forty-eight of those young prostitutes, a man who admitted to dumping and sometimes later visiting and having sex with those bodies.
I originally read this book hoping to get more insight into Gary. On this front I was disappointed. Judith may have been married to Gary, but she didn't know the part of him that was capable of doing the horrible things he did. I'm not sure we will ever understand what motivated Gary to murder all those women.
However, I did get a chance to explore the painful process that someone goes through when they realize they have not only been living a lie but a horrendous, bone-chilling lie. When they wake up one day and their entire world, their entire universe, has been turned inside out. It was interesting to see that even once Judith finds out what Gary has done, how a part of her still loves him, loves the Gary she knew. It's definitely a process.
There is also an analysis of Gary's hand written letters, as the author uses her skills as a graphologist to try and make sense of Gary through his handwriting. I felt this to be the weakest apsect of the book as I'm not sure it did graphology justice nor did it offer any insight into Ridgway.
One thing is clear from the content of Gary's letters. He doesn't get it. He is completely void of empathy and remorse. Any sadness or regret he feels has more to do with what he lost than what he took away. Ironically, Gary finds God while in prison. How perfectly convenient....more
The Green River Killer is one of the most prolific serial killers of all time. Convicted of killing 48 women (many prostitutes) investigators believe The Green River Killer is one of the most prolific serial killers of all time. Convicted of killing 48 women (many prostitutes) investigators believe there may be more that he either couldn't remember as part of his plea deal or purposely held back.
Like many serial killers, Gary Ridgway did not stand out, once again dispelling the myth that true evil shows itself in some way. A mild, meek man with a steady job and a wife, there was nothing particularly unusual about Gary. The fact that he sometimes visited prostitutes didn't necessarily raise red flags.
Interestingly, Ridgway became a person of interest very early on in the killings (most of which occurred between 1983-1985), but was dismissed after he passed a lie detector test. Again, in 1987 investigators were interested enough that they obtained search warrants, ultimately questioning Gary and his wife Judith. In the end, he was again passed over as a serious contender.
He wouldn't be arrested until 2001 when DNA taken in 1987 and frozen was sent away for DNA testing, which was still fairly new at the time.
Rule does a good job of providing the basic unfolding of events. Much of the book is spent looking at the victims, many of which had very similar stories, troubled teen girls who ended up on the "strip" prostituting to support themselves. Though I appreciate what she was trying to do, I felt as if she spent too much time trying to bring the victims to life for the reader. I get it. These women were prostitutes, but that didn't mean that their lives didn't have value. However, the descriptions and history of the victims began to feel cumbersome as there were so many and their stories were so similar. And maybe that was her point. She wanted to give each girl her own identity. Still, I wish she would have spent more time looking at Ridgway. We get the basics, but it's more of a rough draft than a finished portrait. And maybe I'm expecting too much.
Some take home points:
Serial killers don't wear signs. They may or may not fit our preconceived notions about them. At best the FBI profilers provided profiles that got as much wrong as right.
It's possible that Ridgway chose prostitutes because he felt that they didn't deserve to live. But it is just as likely that he chose prostitutes because they were easy targets...easy to approach and entice into getting into his car and less likely to be reported missing. It makes me again wonder if as a society we'd be better off making prostitution a legitimate profession.
No one really knows what goes on inside another person's head. Ridgway's 3rd wife Judith had no idea she was married to a cold-blooded killer. She loved her husband and by all accounts it appeared as if he loved her. In fact, Ridgway's need to kill seemed to all but disappear during the years they were together. He said it was because he was no longer angry (according to him anger and resentment toward his second wife was the impetus behind most of the murders).
Ultimately, Ridgway avoided the death penalty by striking a deal with prosecutors in which he agreed to lead them to all the bodies, thus providing closure to many families who still lived with a small inkling of hope that their daughters might be alive.
The biggest tragedy as far as the investigation goes, as I see it, is that they had him so early in the process. He'd been seen driving away with one victim. The victim's boyfriend followed his truck. He ultimately lost the truck, but found it again later when he went searching the next day. Police were called and actually knocked on Ridgway's door. They basically asked him if the girl was inside and he politely said no, and that was that. Hindsight is 20/20, but time and again the investigators' ideas about the killer prevented them from seeing the man they were looking for even when they came face to face.
I have since ordered a book which was written from Judith's perspective. Imagine being happily married to a man you believe is a good person through and through only to one day have your entire world shattered when he's arrested for suspicion of not one murder but ultimately 48? And just how does a man like Ridgway manage to appear so normal?
I'd also like to read another recounting of the murders. I like Rule as a writer, but I'd like another perspective/angle on this one....more
Note that this book is almost 30 years old and thus some of the info may be dated.
In Why Kids Kill Parents, Heide shares her research on children who Note that this book is almost 30 years old and thus some of the info may be dated.
In Why Kids Kill Parents, Heide shares her research on children who kill their parents and what factors (emotional, social, physical, and psychological) were relevant.
One of the problems with studying the phenomena of parricide, particularly in children, is the fact that it doesn't happen all that often, which is a good thing. That said, Heide as well as other researchers before have identified risk factors. For example, in most of the cases Heide examined, there was easy access to a gun in the home, a history of abuse (physical, emotional, and/or sexual), a history of substance abuse by one or more parents, and a pattern of family violence.
Okay, seems reasonable.
The case studies were interesting for me, especially as I was reading it in conjunction with another book called The Criminal Mind, in which the author of that book points out that many, probably most, kids that grow up in a homes with abuse and access to guns don't kill their parents. For example, most of the killer kids had siblings, who didn't resort to parricide. This suggests that the factors mentioned above are only part of the equation. It's the old, was the kid a loner because his peer rejected them, or was he a loner because he rejected his peers?
Heide seems to believe the solution to parricide committed by children (as opposed to adults) is to identify these kids early and get them treatment. The reality seems to be that many troubled kids who are granted a second chance with the stipulation they will get treatment never get the treatment.
With youth offenders, I think there is a tendency to believe that they did what they did because they were mistreated, only many abused children do not do what they did. The offenders represented a minority. Therefore there must be something else. Maybe there are people who are (thanks to genetics) more likely to kill under any stressful circumstance.
From some of the many books I've read on the topic, I have to wonder how successful treatment really is. It's possible some brains (some people) might just be born more capable of committing crimes, murder included. Once the damage is done, is rehabilitation possible or practical? I don't know.
Had these individuals not been abused, would they have killed, ever? Again, I don't know and why I read books like this.
One part of this book that I did find interesting (unsettling, really) was the discussion of the different forms that abuse can take. Some areas were more black and white, others seemed a little grayer. For example, overt sexual abuse seems pretty cut and dry. However, what is described as covert sexual abuse is a little less clear. According to this author "a parent who sleeps in the same bed with an adolescent child of the opposite sex has typically covertly sexually abused that child." Really? Again, I don't know. By the descriptions given, I don't think I know one child who has never been abused (including my own.)...more
It is very rare that I don't finish a book. I am generally a very patient and generous reader even if a book doesn't immediately grab me.
But this booIt is very rare that I don't finish a book. I am generally a very patient and generous reader even if a book doesn't immediately grab me.
But this book disappointed on several fronts.
One, I purchased this book because a friend recently had the Amish build a produce stand for her farm. I've always been fascinated by this plainly-dressed community whose members seem happy to shun the world at large.
Both the book title and the prologue indicates that this is a book, at least in part, about the Amish. Unfortunately, the author and her family were not Amish. Her stepfather ultimately wanted to live like the Amish but only managed a somewhat perverse interpretation at best.
Two, the characters lack depth and feel more like rough outlines of people rather than complex human beings, which is especially strange since this is supposed to be based on a true story. For example, the parents are repeatedly referred to a evil monsters who beat their two daughter multiple times a day, laughing and physically taking pleasure in the abuse. Then in the next breath, the author also tells us that there were other times where things were normal. The problem is the reader doesn't really get a sense of the dichotomy as the author doesn't paint a very clear portrait with her descriptions. And this brings me to the third point.
Three, the repetition is boring. Stylistically, this book is lacking. Every chapter feels like a duplicate of the previous. Now to be fair, I only made it 20% way through the book. Still, to me, the story lacked emotion and insight, which is something I think all good memoirs should have.
So how did this book manage to get an average 4 star rating? I have no clue. Maybe I simply gave up too soon. Maybe I had too my preconceptions or unrealistic expectations. Maybe the shocking and bizarre life this woman describes is enough for other readers to overlook its shortcomings.
This woman obviously had a horrendous childhood, and I applaud her for having the courage to write a book.
Perhaps at some point, I might pick this one back up and if I do I will be sure to update my review....more
Recently read The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump in which Nixon and the Watergate scandal were mentioned frequently and thought maybe it was finally tRecently read The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump in which Nixon and the Watergate scandal were mentioned frequently and thought maybe it was finally time to read. What struck me the most was how mild the Watergate scandal seems compared to the ethical mess that is the Trump Presidency. From blatant nepotism, to major financial and ethical dilemas, to on the record and repeated lying, to possible collusion, and likely obstruction. I was also struck by the similarities between the way Nixon's administration demonized the press, essentially dubbing it "fake news," and how they used alternative facts, indignation, and flat out lies to counter the unraveling story just as the Trump team has done....more
This is a book about sexual abuse. I, fortunately, have never been a victim of abuse, sexual or otherwise, and while I know it exists, it's a topic I This is a book about sexual abuse. I, fortunately, have never been a victim of abuse, sexual or otherwise, and while I know it exists, it's a topic I have a hard time wrapping my head around.
Sophie was not only sexually abused in horrific ways, she was abused by her father, who also prostituted her out to his friends while he watched. The book tells her story, which details the abuse, and also includes her years spent in mental institutions, her use of cutting to dull the pain (an oxymoron, I know...but apparently a truth), the discovery of her sexuality, and the long-hard road that was her recovery.
I am fascinated by why we do the crazy shit we do, particularly the horrible, awful, unimaginable shit. What goes wrong in a brain (nature and nurture) that a father not only abuses his daughter, in order to fulfill some very weird perversions, but also invites his friends to join in? And what type of grown men join their friend in the sexual abuse of his daughter? Where/When/How does that conversation even begin?
And if this happens in the UK where women are treated with respect and dignity, at least in theory, what the hell is going on around the world in these countries where women are openly regarded as property, and not particularly valued property?
The discussion and exploration of cutting was informative and fascinating. I'm generally familiar with what cutting is...and of course, I've read Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects, but I hadn't really had a true sense of the dynamic until reading Sophie's account.
Needless to say, I still can't wrap my head around what happened to this girl. I still can't imagine what drives a father (biological or not) to molest his daughter. I do have a better appreciation for the healing process that needs to occur to allow the victims to go on, as well as all the bumps and barriers along the way.
I won't call this a "good" read. I will say it was a worthwhile one, though.
***This is a petty and minor criticism, but I feel as if the cover art was deceitful/misleading. Not that it matters that Sophie was older when the abuse started (perhaps it was designed to make a point). But on some level, after having read the book, and having seen several others recommended to me on Amazon as a result of my purchase, I wonder if this is a trend...putting a young toddler or child on the cover because young, toddlers/children are by virtue sweet and innocent. I don't know. It just bothers me, and I'm not sure why, but it does. I want to ask, why this picture? I wonder if putting a teen on the cover would lessen or at least dampen the awfulness on some subconscious level in the same way that the girl in a mini-skirt is somehow a little responsible for the rape. A voluptuous teen, or even a not so voluptuous teen might not seem so innocent...and that's kind of sad. I don't know. Maybe it is just me....more
If you're looking for additional answers or insight into why Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris brutally murdered and injured over 3 dozens classmates, I dIf you're looking for additional answers or insight into why Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris brutally murdered and injured over 3 dozens classmates, I doubt you'll find them here. I'm not sure we will ever completely solve the problem that is or produces a mass murderer.
However, if you're interested in the grieving process unique to the parent of a reviled killer, I doubt few books could compare.
To begin with, Klebold is a talented and articulate writer who is smart, thoughtful, and reflective and has spent years reading and researching books/journals/research, really anything that might help her to understand what happened with Dylan and why she and her husband (apparently even friends and family) were so completely clueless.
Losing a child to violence is unthinkable, but for parents like Sue Klebold the loss is three-fold. They not only lose their child, but the image they held of that child throughout his or her life is forever tainted if not completely obliterated. Finally, they lose a big part of themselves. From the moment Dylan became one of the infamous Columbine shooters, she ceased to exist as simply Sue Klebold, active community member, loving mother, and loyal wife. To too many, whether they blamed her or not, she would henceforth be known first and foremost as Dylan's mother.
And after reading this book, written 16 years after the tragedy, it is clear Dylan's death and his involvement in Columbine have both consumed, shaped, and ultimately defined her. There is no escaping his legacy. No amount of penance, activism, or community service, no number of Hail Mary's or I'm sorry's will ever redeem her because even if everyone else could forgive her for Dylan and what he did, deep down she will never forgive herself.
Though she claims the motivation for writing this book is to help others suffering from impaired "brain health," it is clearly so much more. She no sooner accepts the blame then she rejects it. Reasserts Dylan culpability and perhaps by default her own and then recants, providing explainations in the guise of understanding. This isn't a criticism. To even attempt to write this book shows a level of bravery and commitment to a noble cause that deserves recognition if only for the effort.
She doesn't know why Dylan did what he did. Her best guess, looking back, is that he suffered from mental illness, though she makes it clear, that the stigma that mentally ill people are innately more violent is untrue. Nevertheless, Dylan was suicidal and not functioning from the perspective of a healthy brain...of course, unless you're a neurobologist/neuropsychologist on the fringes of brain science, no matter how true, the theory is unsatisfying. One could argue that anyone who commits a crime of any magnitude (especially suicide) is suffering from a "sick brain," except within our current framework, that isn't very helpful. Maybe someday it will be.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying she is wrong, I'm just not sure she is right.
Whatever the reason(s), Dylan did a very terrible thing before killing himself, leaving behind a stunned and heartbroken family. If you believe Klebold's account, which I do, Dylan was a sweet, intelligent, and loving child, who grew up in a loving and supportive home with dedicated and involved parents.
She writes:
I know telling these stories here exposes me to further criticism. The thought fills me with fear, although there's no criticism of my parenting I have not already heard over the last sixteen years. I've heard that Tom and I were too lenient with Dylan, and that we were too restrictive. I've been told that our family's position on gun control caused Columbine; perhaps if Dylan had been habituated to guns, they would not have had the same mystique for him. People have asked me if we abused Dylan, if we permitted someone else to abuse him, if we ever hugged him, if we ever told him that he was loved.
Of course I look back skeptically on the decisions we made. Of course I have regrets, in particular about the clues I missed that Dylan was in danger of hurting himself and others. It is precisely because I missed them that I want to tell these stories, because whatever parenting decision Tom and I might have made, they were done thoughtfully and in good conscience, and to the best of our abilities. I tell these stories not to burnish my son's reputation, or our own as parents, But I do think it's important, especially for parents and teachers, to understand what Dylan was like.
Later she writes:
Much has been written about the need most people have, in the aftermath of a tragedy like Columbine, to assign blame. Whether it was the scale of the tragedy, or the senselessness, or a thousand other reasons I can think of, Columbine became--and remains--a lightning rod. People blamed video games, movies, music, bullying, access to guns, unarmed teachers, the absence of prayer in schools, secular humanism, psychiatric medication. Mostly, though, they blamed us.
Sue admits that had the tables been turned, she would have felt the same way, and as a result she questions and analyzes every parenting decision she ever made. I can't even imagine.
That said, just because she and her husband didn't recognize the signs didn't mean they weren't there. Sue admits that during Dylan's Junior year he was somewhat moody and withdrawn. Of course, she easily rationalizes his behavior away. After all, lots of teens are moody and withdrawn. Except there was more. Dylan, who had apparently never gotten into trouble, started having some. The most remarkable incident, when Dylan and Eric broke into a van and stole expensive equipment. Later, she learns from a teacher that Dylan has a submitted a particularly violent and disturbing paper, one that the teacher eventually shares with Dylan's counselor (in the paper, a man dressed in black kills the popular kids at school). Sue at one point asks Dylan to show her the paper, but accepts an excuse instead.
Neither Dylan's parents nor his teachers saw the paper, out of context of course, as being a sign that Dylan was capable of the violence he wrote about. And then no one knew about the suicidal thoughts he shared, often on random scraps of paper.
Both boys went through a Diversion program in which they were carefully monitored by professionals. Professionals, who when given the opportunity granted them early release, supposedly a rare thing. And although Dylan's mental health issues were never identified, Eric was seeing a psychiatrist.
Shockingly, there were other signs concerning Eric. For example, he had made a threat toward a mother of another student which she reported along with a link to his very offense and violent website. There was also evidence presented to the police that Eric was building pipe bombs. A warrant was drawn up but never taken before a judge.
Of course, hind sight is 20/20 and each individual incident taken by itself is concerning, but doesn't necessarily scream future mass murderer in the making.
Another interesting passage:
Was he evil? I've spent a lot of time wrestling with that question. In the end, I don't think he was. Most people believe suicide is choice, and violence if a choice; those things are under a person's control. Yet we know from talking to survivors of suicide attempts that their decision-making ability shifts in some way we don't well understand. In our conversation, psychologist and suicide researcher Dr. Matthew Nock at Harvard used a phrase I like very much: dysfunction in decision making. If suicide seems like the only way out of an existence so painful it has become intolerable, is that really an exercise of free will?
Of course, Dylan did not simply die by suicide. He committed murder; he killed people. We've all felt angry enough to fantasize about killing someone..."
I agree that free will is probably an illusion and that some brains probably do "work better" than other brains, and maybe at some point we will have some systematic way of measuring this "brain health" she talks about. What bothers me is her assertion (clearly she's reaching here) that "we've all felt angry enough to fantasize about killing someone..."
Ah, nope. Nada. Never. Sure, I've gotten so made I've felt like putting my fist through a wall but never, ever, ever, have I ever fantasized about hurting someone, let alone killing them. I can imagine a situation where I might hurt someone...say if my children were seriously threatened. But still. I recently read a good short story in which a character who is trying to protect her son says to the effect, I've always believed I could die for my son, but could I kill for him. It stopped me because I'm not sure I could.
Anyway, would like to end with another quote that I thought really summed up the book nicely. While the book does educate about needed vigilance when it comes to dealing with kids suffering from some sort of mental illness or even impaired brain health, this book is really about a mother learning how to preserve the image of the son she loved, while accepting the monstrous things he did.
I think often of watching Dylan do origami...I loved to make a cup of tea and sit quietly beside him...I'd always marvel at how something as straightforward as a piece of paper can be completely transformed with only a few creases, to become suddenly replete with new significance. Than I'd marvel at the finished form, the complex folds hidden and unknowable to me.
In many ways, that experience mirrored the one I would have after Columbine. I would have to turn what what I thought I knew about myself, my son, and my family inside out and around, watching as a boy became a monster, and then a boy again.
Bottom line: Good stuff for anyone who is curious about the broad human experience.
I recently finished "A Father's Story," another reflective piece written by Jeffrey Dahmer's father, in which Lionel tries to understand the reasons why his seemingly "normal" son evolves into a monster capable of the most hideous cruelties imaginable. I hate to say this is better, so instead I'll say it is more layered and ventures into greater depths.
My family doesn't quite get my affinity for the true crime genre. "Why do you like reading about murder?" my kids have asked on more than one occasionMy family doesn't quite get my affinity for the true crime genre. "Why do you like reading about murder?" my kids have asked on more than one occasion. Of course, what I explain, but what they don't quite understand, is my interest has nothing to do with the murder itself. I'm fascinated by why people do the things they do. I'm also intrigued by the ability of different parties to create completely different narratives about the same event.
Fooling others is often a conscious act that requires awareness and effort, while fooling ourselves seems virtually effortless.
In the first chapter of Deadly Little Secrets we learn a minister kills his wife. The remainder of the book is spent detailing the events leading up to the murder followed up by a description of how the killer almost gets away with his crime if only because no one wants to believe a man of God is capable of such a heinous act.
As a case study, this was a fascinating book on many levels. And unlike some true crime that simply recants the facts (the who, what, when and where), I felt Casey did a good job of exploring the why.
Each time I finish something like this I am left feeling unsettled because it occurs to me that all too often there is no such thing as THE TRUTH. The truth is whatever we want it to be. We (actually our brains) create a narrative that allows us to dismiss that which doesn't jive with our view of the world. What resonates as truth depends on our reference point.
Take this quote from the last paragraph of the book. The person speaking is the mother of the murdered woman who spent the better part of two years fighting to see the murderer was brought to justice. And even after her son-in-law is convicted, she must fight for custody of her granddaughters.
This has been the most difficult journey of our lives. Parents aren't supposed to survive their children. A wife isn't supposed to be murdered by her husband. And precious granddaughters aren't supposed to have their childhoods ripped from them. But I have witnessed God's love and grace in the most incredible way during these five years. You see love really does trump evil.
The person speaking is thanking God for his love and grace...but this is the same God who allowed her daughter to be murdered by said daughter's philandering husband. This is the same God who allowed her son-in-law to evade the law for too many years. This is the same God who allowed her grandchildren to be brainwashed by their paternal grandparents. Love really does trump evil...but Kari is dead? She loved her children and her family...actually, she professed to love her husband. How exactly did love trump evil? Because it got the last laugh? By whose litmus?
God didn't bring justice to this family. The family who refused to believe that Kari would kill herself along with those who investigated and prosecuted did. The whole thing is fascinating. Again and again events in this book demonstrated how we interpret what happens in a way that fits our ideas about the world. For example, Matt Baker killed his wife because he was evil...not because he was a sociopath who may not be capable of feeling empathy (possibly through no fault of his own). God's love and grace prevailed because, in the end, Matt Baker was convicted...not God's indifference allowed a mother to be killed and taken from her children in the first place. Matt Baker couldn't possibly of killed his wife because he was a man of God that had dedicated his life to helping others...not Matt was a sexual predator who just happened to look like a normal guy.
Another point of interest that often comes up in these types of books has to do with the fact that there are always warning signs. The people who do really bad things...they don't start off by murdering their wives. They generally escalate to murder. Matt Baker had a history of sexually assaulting women/sexually inappropriate behavior...yet few were willing to hold him accountable. After all, no one wanted to ruin this handsome young man's budding career as a minister and servant of God. Even Kari's own family excused sexually inappropriate behavior they had witnessed because no one wanted to "hurt" Kari. It's a common theme that plays out over and over again. And Kari turned a blind eye to multiple allegations about her husband's inappropriate behavior because, of course, his explanation--that these women misinterpreted his actions/words--fit her narrative that she had a loving and committed husband, who was also a man of God.
Bottom line: Good stuff for those interested in such things....more
Really enjoyed this. A great introduction to the real world of forensic science. Death's Acre details the life and career of Dr. Bill Bass, founder ofReally enjoyed this. A great introduction to the real world of forensic science. Death's Acre details the life and career of Dr. Bill Bass, founder of the famous Body Farm, a facility where the decomposition of dead bodies to provide data that will assist police officers and investigators in solving murders. ...more
So in the minority on this one. (Should note, I finally abandoned at about page 170 to pursue other reading material.)
Unfortunately, I did not like LeSo in the minority on this one. (Should note, I finally abandoned at about page 170 to pursue other reading material.)
Unfortunately, I did not like Leovy's style of story telling. She took way too long to get into the main story and much of the initial 100 pages is repetitive. I found the biographical chapters of the various detectives involved to be trite and overly scripted.
The underlying premise, that in various black communities, an ineffective policing leads to a vigilante style of justice, is interesting. This idea that black lives don't matter is a topic that I think deserves time and attention. I just wasn't feeling it in this book. I read a lot of true crime and true crime within the context of a bigger story, and this didn't measure up to my expectations. I think part of the problem is the author starts by telling us how the police and society have marginalized black men in particular, yet she then spends the first third of the book describing these great detectives who go above and beyond the call of duty to protect black men. There was a disconnect for me. I also found it odd that she went out of our way to tell us what a good boy the victim was. Black, white, good, or bad. Should we be less concerned with his murder if he were a gang member? Isn't that part of the problem? Making value judgements about someone's worth based on some personal/cultural litmus?
Anyway, Just Mercy covers a similar topic, but somehow manages to succeed where this book fails. I don't know. It just seemed to me as if Leovy was too detached from the story itself and also from the plight of the people she is writing about. Given her credentials, this is surprising, but the way I felt.
Again, in the minority here, so if you enjoy reading about social inequality, this book may well be worth your time....more
The more we understand about the genesis of violence, the harder it is to draw a clear line between guilt and innocence, sanity and insanity. We, a
The more we understand about the genesis of violence, the harder it is to draw a clear line between guilt and innocence, sanity and insanity. We, as a society of thinking and feeling human beings, struggle within ourselves to cope with competing interests and motivations: the need for protection from dangerous people, sane or insane; the desire for revenge; the knowledge of the psychobiological and environmental influences on violent behavior; and the wish to adapt evolving standards of decency and morality. Guilt was a lot easier to measure before we recognized that free will, like sanity and insanity, is a constantly fluctuating intellectual and emotional continuum and not a fixed, immutable capacity or state of mind. In response to our struggles to strike balances between what we feel we'd like to do to people who commit grotesque acts of violence no matter what their mental state, and what we think perhaps we ought to do and ought not to do, jurisdictions have swung back and forth, changing from one definition of insanity to another, then back to the first, often in response to a sensational case of the moment.
I am extremely interested in the reason we believe some of the crazy things we believe and ultimately do some of the horrible things we do. This fascination has led me to read any number of true crime books in conjuction with books that explore the biological and environmental basis for behavior.
Lewis' book seems to fall firmly in the middle of those two genres. Partly a true crime book, it is also a summary of her extensive career, which has led her to interview many famous and many not so famous killers and which often times describes even if only in general detail the cases. The book is a fascinating read if only for the questions its author raises about the nature of violence.
Lewis seems to believe that only a "crazy" person could commit the grizzly crimes her clients/patients on death row (patients like Ted Bundy and Arthur Shawcross) have committed. Unfortunately, being crazy isn't the same thing as being insane, at least not in the eyes of the US legal justice system. And therein lies the meat of her narrative. How do we deal with violent criminals in a way that acknowledges the mitigating circumstances (often mental illness consistent with a psychiatrists definition of insane even if not with the law's interpretation) that often leads to the most vile and heinous crimes, without feeling as though by doing so we've let them literally get away with murder.
There is also some interesting evidence presented for the existence of multiple personality disorder, which I know isn't universally taken seriously, but that was still worth reading as her experience.
Though I don't agree with all her arguments and feel as if she was a little too quick to arrive at certain conclusions (after all, she was generally hired to find mitigating circumstances for the purpose of having a death row sentence revoked), I still felt this was a fascinating read. Many of the questions she raises about our views of violent criminals and our inability or rather reluctance as a society to accept that freewill isn't this concrete, tangible, or well-defined human attribute is well stated. This idea that we would all be capable and even likely to become murderers given the right combination of biological and environmental conditions seems a no-brainer, yet still we execute people insisting it is a deterrent to these ghastly crimes.
Beneath all the neuropsychological meanderings is a valid and poignant discussion of the death penalty which culminates when Lewis interviews an executioner, who she quickly paints as being more like the men he helps to kill than he might realize.
As an aside, some of her clients' histories (many clients were children at the time they committed the murders and were sentenced to death) were beyond shocking and heartbreaking. The extent of abuse inflicted on these kids--physical, emotional, sexual--is sickening. The idea that these things are allowed to happen is a sad comment on our society. We spend weeks and months and years not only talking about terrorist attacks but waging war on these would be invaders...which don't get me wrong is understandable, yet we somehow forget about all the children that are tortured and terrorized by our own citizens right in front of us. I'm sure if someone tallied up the number of Americans or even humans around the world directly affected by terrorism from some extremist group and those affected by unspeakable abuse (terrorism) from their mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and trusted community leaders, the numbers wouldn't even be in the same ballpark.
Good stuff for those interested in this sort of thing....more
