True Murder: The Most Shocking Killers

The FBI’s pioneer of criminal profiling, former special agent John Douglas, has studied and interviewed many of America’s most notorious killers—including Charles Manson, ”Son of Sam Killer” David Berkowitz and ”BTK Strangler” Dennis Rader—trained FBI agents and investigators around the world, and helped educate the country about these deadly predators and how they operate, and has become a legend in popular culture, fictionalized in The Silence of the Lambs and the hit television shows Criminal Minds and Mindhunter.Twenty years after his famous memoir, the man who literally wrote the book on FBI criminal profiling opens his case files once again. In this riveting work of true crime, he spotlights four of the most diabolical criminals he’s confronted, interviewed and learned from. Going deep into each man’s life and crimes, he outlines the factors that led them to murder and how he used his interrogation skills to expose their means, motives, and true evil. Like the hit Netflix show, The Killer Across the Table is centered around Douglas’ unique interrogation and profiling process. With his longtime collaborator Mark Olshaker, Douglas recounts the chilling encounters with these four killers as he experienced them—revealing for the first time his profile methods in detail. A glimpse into the mind of a man who has pierced the heart of human darkness, The Killer Across the Table unlocks the ultimate mystery of depravity and the techniques and approaches that have countered evil in the name of justice. THE KILLER ACROSS THE TABLE: Unlocking the Secrets of Serial Killers and Predators with The FBI's Original MINDHUNTER-Co-author Mark Olshaker

A deeply-reported, riveting account of a cold case murder in Los Angeles, unsolved until DNA evidence implicated a shocking suspect – a female detective within the LAPD’s own ranks.On February 24, 1986, 29-year-old newlywed Sherri Rasmussen was murdered in the home she shared with her husband, John. The crime scene suggested a ferocious struggle, and police initially assumed it was a burglary gone awry. Before her death, Sherri had confided to her parents that an ex-girlfriend of John’s, a Los Angeles police officer, had threatened her. The Rasmussens urged the LAPD to investigate the ex-girlfriend, but the original detectives only pursued burglary suspects, and the case went cold.DNA analysis did not exist when Sherri was murdered. Decades later, a swab from a bite mark on Sherri’s arm revealed her killer was in fact female, not male. A DNA match led to the arrest and conviction of veteran LAPD Detective Stephanie Lazarus, John’s onetime girlfriend.The Lazarus Files delivers the visceral experience of being inside a real-life murder mystery. McGough reconstructs the lives of Sherri, John and Stephanie; the love triangle that led to Sherri’s murder; and the homicide investigation that followed. Was Stephanie protected by her fellow officers? What did the LAPD know, and when did they know it? Are there other LAPD cold cases with a police connection that remain unsolved? THE LAZARUS FILES: A Cold Case Investigation-Matthew McGough

In Death on the River, bestselling true crime author Diane Fanning recounts a tragic kayak accident that left one man dead—and his fiancée arrested for his murder.A DREAM GETAWAY. A REAL-LIFE NIGHTMARE...It seemed like the perfect romantic afternoon: a kayaking trip for two on the Hudson River. But it ended in tragedy when beautiful, blonde Angelika Graswald called 911 to report that her fiancé, the handsome and athletic Vincent Viafore, had fallen into the choppy frigid waters. Authorities assumed it was an accident. But when the bereft bride-to-be posted videos of herself doing cartwheels on social media—shortly before Vincent’s body was found—suspicions of murder rose to the surface…After hours of questioning, Angelika made several shocking admissions. She said she felt “trapped” and fed up with Vincent’s “demanding” sexual lifestyle: the nightlife, the strip clubs, the threeways. “I wanted him dead,” she had said, even though she insisted that she didn’t kill him. But as more lurid details emerged—including a $250,000 life insurance policy—a killer question remained: Did Angelika remove the plug of her fiancé’s boat…and knock away his paddle as he sank? DEATH ON THE RIVER: A Fiancee's Dark Secrets and a Kayak Trip Turned Deadly-Diane Fanning.

A SHOCKING 1989 QUADRUPLE FAMILY MURDER AND THE LITTLE GIRL LEFT BEHIND TO TELL THE STORY.As a child, I was known as "Jessica Pelley." When I was nine, I went to a sleepover at a friend's house for the weekend. While I was away, my entire family was murdered. I would spend the next 30 years fighting, crawling, and clawing my way through the darkness. This wasn't just a national news headline, a cold case, or a true crime show. It was my family. And my life. I was the broken little girl left behind to tell this story. I am now "Jessi," in the pages of this unapologetic memoir, set free. I AM JESSICA: A Survivor's Powerful Story of Healing and Hope-Jessi Toronjo and Jamie Collins.

In January 1889, as London constables hunted for Jack the Ripper and theaters around the world presented theatrical renditions of the Jekyll and Hyde story, Jackson, Michigan, Police Captain Jack Boyle searched for the murderer of Mary Latimer. This book follows Captain Boyle to the bordellos of gaslight-era Detroit—populated by madams, pimps, prostitutes and gamblers. It describes the investigation that led him to a pharmacist that prowled the streets, akin to a real-life Jekyll and Hyde. Ultimately, the book delves into the mind of Robert Irving Latimer, known as the most dangerous prisoner in Michigan and the man who inspired talk about resurrecting the state’s long-dead death penalty. PARDONABLE MATRICIDE: Robert Irving Latimer, from Michigan's "Most Dangerous Inmate" to Free Man-Tobin T. Buhk

Would you kill for love? True-crime master Ron Franscell tells the grisly story of Alice and Gerald Uden, a loving couple who murdered at least four people, and live happily ever after--while cops try for decades to piece together a petrifying tale of murder and secrets. The appalling details are made even more vivid by the author's familiarity with the Wyoming times and places that formed the backdrop of his national bestseller The Darkest Night.In 1974, Alice, a desperate young mother in a gritty Wyoming boomtown, kills her husband and dumps his body where it will never be found, then slips away and starts a new life. But when her new man's ex-wife and two kids start demanding more of him, Alice delivers an ultimatum: Fix the problem or lose her forever. With Alice's help, Gerald "fixes" the problem in an extraordinarily ghastly way . . . and they live happily ever after. That is, until 2013,almost forty years later, when somebody finds a dead man's skeleton in a place where Alice thought he'd never be found. This page-turner by bestselling true-crime author Ron Franscell revisits a shocking cold case that was finally solved just when the murderers thought they'd never be caught. ALICE & GERALD: A Homicidal Love Story-Ron Franscell.

A true-crime, coming-of-age story with a tragic twist: a New York editor’s quest to uncover the truth about the brutal murder of her wild and seductive friend in a “riveting…and thoughtful examination of how we grow up and apart.As girls growing up in rural New Jersey in the late 1980s, Ashley and Carolyn had everything in common: two outsiders who loved spending afternoons exploring the woods. Only when the girls attended different high schools did they begin to grow apart. While Carolyn struggled to fit in, Ashley quickly became a hot girl: popular, extroverted, and sexually precocious.After high school, Carolyn entered college in New York City and Ashley ended up in Los Angeles, where she quit school to work as a stripper and an escort, dating actors and older men, and experimenting with drugs. The last time Ashley visited New York, Carolyn was shocked by how they had grown apart. One year later, Ashley was stabbed to death at age twenty-two in her Hollywood home. Carolyn would discover she was the victim of serial killer Michael T. Gargiulo.“Original and engaging, The Hot One is the story of Carolyn’s emotional quest to find out what really happened to her oldest friend. It’s a journey that takes her through the hills of Hollywood, into courtrooms in Los Angeles, to strip clubs in Las Vegas, and back to her own childhood memories as she tries to unravel why she and Ashley became so different. How did Ashley end up the overtly sexual risk-taker—the hot one—while Carolyn was seen as the smart one, the observer? Carolyn’s “memoir will shock and fascinate readers as she explores the power of female friendships and pays tribute to the ones that stay with you long after they’re gone. THE HOT ONE: A Memoir of Friendship, Sex and Murder-Carolyn Murnick

It was in Manchester, England in 1965, when the police were called to a possible crime scene at the residence of Ian Brady and girlfriend Myra Hindley. What they found in the upstairs spare bedroom were the remains of 17-year-old Edward Evans, who had been cut into pieces with an axe. After an investigation and search, the police found two suitcases that were full of graphic pictures and a videotape of a young 10-year-old girl, Lesley Ann Downey who had been missing for months. The pictures showed Leslie tied up and tortured. The tape recorded the assault, and when heard at the police station, made people cry and some even vomit.The mysteries about to unfold shocked not only the UK, but also the entire world. Soon they would become known as the ‘Moors Murders’ − one of the most infamous serial murder cases to come out of Britain.This book by journalist Alan R. Warren not only reviews the real facts and evidence, describes what REALLY happened behind the closed doors of Brady and Hindley, but also includes actual letters from Ian Brady from the last few years of his life. These give us a unique insight into the mind of Brady; his loves, his hates, and his beliefs in the world of today!After reviewing several documentaries and reading many of the books already published, I realized that there were many things left unsaid about this case. Even though Myra claimed innocence by not being there when the rapes and murders happened, I suggest that not only was she there, but she was intimately involved; in both the murders and the rapes. THE MOORS MURDERS: Ian Brady and Myra Hindley Serial Killers (British Criminals Volume 3)-Alan R. Warren

This is a study of the brutal torture and murder of the author's brother and his longtime girlfriend 40 years ago. In July 1978, two bodies were found in the sea off the coast of Guatemala and proved to be the remains of Chris Farmer and Peta Frampton, respectively a medical graduate and a law graduate, aged 25 and 24, from Greater Manchester. They had been beaten, tortured, and killed, their bodies weighted down and dumped in the sea from the yacht on which they had been crewing. For nearly 40 years, no one was charged with these savage murders, even though the name of the yacht, the Justin B., and its owner, an American named Silas Boston, were known.But this is also the story of how Chris' sister, Penny Farmer, and her family tracked down the killer and assembled the evidence against him until eventually, in December 2016, Boston was arrested in the United States and charged with two counts of maritime murder. He pleaded not guilty, but among the evidence that Chris Farmer's family, aided by police forces in both the UK and the United States, as well as the FBI, had so patiently collected, was the eyewitness testimony of one of Boston's two sons who, aged 13 and 12, had been present when the murders took place.Regrettably, Boston will now never face justice, for he effectively took his own life in prison in April 2017. But for the families of Chris and Peta, they have at least the satisfaction of knowing that, through their own efforts over many years, their killer did not escape being made to face his crimes. DEAD IN THE WATER: Bringing Down My Brother's Killer After His 39 Years on the Run-Penny Farmer

Murderers. Homicidal Maniacs. Serial Killers. The police who put them behind bars. A mother kills her children one by one. A teenage girl runs away from home for Spring Break and never returns. Rumor has it; the alligators devoured her body after a gang rape. A loving couple starts killing prostitutes on Sunset Strip. How many hookers will have to die? A man electrocutes his wife. Was it murder or a sexual fetish that went wrong?For the first time ever, 12 of Rod Kackley's shocking true crime stories, previously published as ebooks and short stories, have been compiled into a single book. Read the incredible, gripping, horrific tales of people who killed at random, murdered the ones they loved, and another led by the Devil; along with the true stories of the police who took them off the streets of London, Los Angeles, Georgia, Vienna, Florida, and Kalamazoo. Each story chronicles the vilest, bloodiest and most heinous homicides committed by serial killers, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, fathers-in-law; and maybe the people you see every day. You will never look at your neighbors the same way again. Murder! 12 Shocking True Crime Stories-Rod Kackley.

Ever wondered who murdered JonBenét Ramsey, or who terrorized San Francisco as the Zodiac Killer? Puzzled over the notorious Black Dahlia murder, or the mysterious Long Island Serial Killer case?This true crime book makes you the detective, investigating some of the most infamous unsolved cases of the 20th and 21st centuries. Crime scenes, crucial evidence, witnesses, and persons of interest are clearly and concisely presented, along with essential details and clues, so you can judge for yourself: who could have done it?Unsolved Murders also profiles the psychology of the killer, discusses the background and life of the unfortunate victim (or victims), and explores how these horrific crimes impacted the victim's family and friends. From domestic tragedies to serial killers with a love for the macabre, this book will have you returning to the cases again and again. Can you unlock the secrets of these unsolved crimes where others have failed? UNSOLVED MURDERS: True Crime Cases Uncovered-Amber Hunt.

This is not a typical story of Internet stalking. It is an unusual case of friendship and deception so pitiless and unyielding that it opened a door to Hell into the author’s life. This is an unforgettable story for today’s digital world driven by social media in all of its permutations and cruelest forms. The story begins with Susan Fensten’s online search for her father’s family, a search that soon turns into a two-year frightening odyssey of internet stalking and threats when a posting on a genealogy message board brings her into contact with what she thinks are distant cousins, but what turns out to be a sociopath. Through email correspondence with her new “family”, evidence of mental illness, dark family secrets, a struggle over wealth and bizarre criminal histories emerge. She quickly becomes the focus of sexual obsession and suspicion, and her life is completely turned upside down. She soon becomes the target of dozens of frightening characters including real verifiable convicted sex offenders in an elaborate cyber-hoax that includes threats of kidnapping, murder, rape, torture and cannibalism. Remarkable in its complexity, this story of Internet stalking is also a sinister and shocking journal of madness. Described by the FBI as a case “in a category by itself,” This book is a story about the Internet, the search for family, a friendship and a journey into the underbelly of American crime that raises questions about safety online and pushes the boundaries of our perceptions of what is real and what is not. YOU HAVE A VERY SOFT VOICE, SUSAN: A Shocking True Story of Internet Stalking-Susan Fensten

In today’s world where meeting people for the purpose of having sex with a simple click on your phone, a new type of gay sex called ‘Party N Play’ or ‘Chemsex’ has become all the rage in the mainstream. Several young gay men were being found dead, appearing to have overdosed on the favorite sex drugs used at these chemsex parties, in a city church yard in east London. Was this what the metro police claimed it was, “a sex drug overdose," or was there something more going on here?It would soon be discovered that a popular 41-year-old, Stephen Port, who had appeared on ‘Celebrity Chef UK’ would be arrested and charged with four of the young men’s murders by overdosing them with GBH, ’The Date Rape Drug,’ enough to kill the men, and then raping them and leaving their bodies out in a church yard.Since the conviction of Celebrity Chef UK, Stephen Port, the police are now reviewing 58 other mysterious deaths by overdose where the body was found dead in the same area of London. There are now 17 police officers under investigation for not investigating the crimes because of their homophobia.Included are several of the personal letters convicted serial killer Stephen Port sent to his friend and pen pal Cody Lachey which reveals what he claims happened to each of the victims and what really happened in these Chemsex parties. You will also find out some of Port’s personal details that you wouldn’t expect to hear. THE GRINDR SERIAL KILLER: Stephen Port-Alan R. Warren

This is a true life and death mystery. A case that dates back to November 1970. A time before cell phones, CCTV cameras, Tightened border security, DNA...Although this strange and haunting cold case occurred in Bergen, Norway, in theory, it could be solved by anyone, from anywhere in the world. Because no-one knows where the woman came from.The woman appeared from nowhere - she travelled around with many false identities - and she died in a remote valley in what looked like a classic case of suicide - but then she apparently set herself on fire!She was smart, stylish, sophisticated and she left behind several puzzling clues, but after almost 50 years, they still remain unsolved. ISDAL WOMAN: Life and Death. Norway's Biggest Mystery-Lauren Robinson.

Was a monstrous killer brought to justice or an innocent mother condemned?On an April night in 1989, Jo Ann Parks survived a house fire that claimed the lives of her three small children. Though the fire at first seemed a tragic accident, investigators soon reported finding evidence proving that Parks had sabotaged wiring, set several fires herself, and even barricaded her four-year-old son inside a closet to prevent his escape. Though she insisted she did nothing wrong, Jo Ann Parks received a life sentence without parole based on the power of forensic fire science that convincingly proved her guilt.But more than a quarter century later, a revolution in the science of fire has exposed many of the incontrovertible truths of 1989 as guesswork in disguise. The California Innocence Project is challenging Parks's conviction and the so-called science behind it, claiming that false assumptions and outright bias convicted an innocent mother of a crime that never actually happened.If Parks is exonerated, she could well be the "Patient Zero" in an epidemic of overturned guilty verdicts--but only if she wins. Can prosecutors dredge up enough evidence and roadblocks to make sure Jo Ann Parks dies in prison? No matter how her last-ditch effort for freedom turns out, the scenes of betrayal, ruin, and hope will leave readers longing for justice we can trust. BURNED: A Story of Murder and the Crime That Wasn't-Edward Humes