True Murder: The Most Shocking Killers

Gary Michael Hilton once sold his movie idea to Hollywood. The straight-to-video Deadly Run was about a man who captures women only to set them free on his very private and secluded Georgia land so that he can hunt and kill them.In 2007 (at least, that's the earliest investigators have been able to prove), he brought Hollywood to life when he began using state parks as his own personal hunting grounds.Convicted of murder and sentenced to death-it would seem the case was not closed. Rosen was commissioned by the Atlanta Journal Constitution to write a front page piece for their Sunday section on the real time-line of Meredith Emerson's murder which is covered in his book Trails of Death. Rosen was denied information and now realizes the timeline in the book is wrong. Emerson should probably still be alive. The truth never came out and Rosen is pursuing the story. TRAILS OF DEATH UPDATE-Fred Rosen.  

Aileen Wuornos, a hitchhiking prostitute, shot, killed, and robbed seven men in remote Florida locations. Arrested in 1991, Wuornos insisted she had acted in self-defense, but the jury condemned her to death and she was executed in 2002.An abused runaway who turned to prostitution to survive, Wuornos has become iconic of vengeful women who lash out at the nearest target. She has also become a touchstone for women’s, prostitutes' and prisoners’ rights advocates. Her story became the basis for the 2003 movie Monster, for which Charlize Theron won an Academy Award. Dear Dawn is Wuornos’s autobiography culled from her ten-year death row correspondence with beloved childhood friend Dawn Botkins. Authorized for publication by Wuornos and edited under the guidance of Botkins, the letters not only offer Wuornos’s riveting reflections on the murders, legal battles, and media coverage, but go further, revealing her fears and obsessions, her humor and empathy, and her gradual disintegration as her execution approached. DEAR DAWN-Daphne Gottlieb

 In the horrifying annals of American crime, infamous names of brutal killers such as Bundy, Dahmer, Gacy, and Berkowitz are writ large in the imaginations of a public both horrified and hypnotized by their monstrous, murderous acts. But for every celebrity psychopath who’s gotten ink for spilling blood, there’s a bevy of all-but-forgotten homicidal fiends studding the bloody margins of U.S. history. Spurred by profit, passion, paranoia, or perverse pleasure, these killers—the Witch of Staten Island, the Smutty Nose Butcher, the Bluebeard of Quiet Dell, and many others—span three centuries and a host of harrowing murder methods.These demonic denizens may be long gone to the gallows—but this insidiously irresistible slice of gothic Americana will ensure that they’ll no longer be forgotten. PSYCHO U.S.A.-Harold Schecter 

  In late October 2009, Cleveland Police detectives arrived at the home of Anthony Sowell, an ex-Marine and registered sex offender—to arrest him on week-old rape charges. But this was no ordinary house, nor would it be a routine arrest. For even though Sowell was not at home, officers knew immediately something was horribly wrong. After initially finding two rotting corpses inside the home, their investigation would lead them to discover the bodies of eleven women. This is the shocking account of Sowell’s legacy of depravity and cold-blooded murder. His mannered and well-spoken veneer masked a monster who felt no mercy for those he butchered. His twisted existence spent among the decaying bodies of his victims and how he picked his victims from the fringes of society—lost souls with criminal records or drug habits that would make them less likely to arouse alarm if they simply disappeared. But that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be avenged… NOBODY'S WOMEN-THE CRIMES AND VICTIMS OF ANTHONY SOWELL, THE CLEVELAND SERIAL KILLER-Steve Miller

  There are more than 60 serial murderers in Canadian history. For too long awareness of serial murder in Canada has been confined to West Coast child killer Clifford Olson and the "Schoolgirl Murderers" Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, along with one of the most prolific serial kllers in history Robert Pickton. Unlike America, Canada has been viewed as a nation untouched by the shadow of serial murder.  Then came Colonel Russell Williams and his bizarre homicides and serial home invasions, which were sensational news worldwide on the Internet, television and in newspapers and magazines. The reason for Canada's serial killer blackout is clear: until now such information has never been compiled and presented in a single concise work. Cold North Killers is a wake-up call. This detailed and haunting account of Canada's worst monsters analyzes their crimes, childhoods, and inevitable downfalls. COLD NORTH KILLERS-CANADIAN SERIAL MURDERS-Lee Mellor

  J. Tony Serra is the epitome of counter-cultural hero. He has spent his life defending society's marginalized citizens in the courtroom. His role in the Chol Soo Lee case was depicted in the film True Believer and he has gained national prominence for his closing argument techniques. He is a life-long tax resister who has spent time in federal prison in protest of what he percieves to be an unjust political and legal system. Tony Serra has been a criminal defense attorney for over 45 years. He has been involved with numerous high profile cases including the Black Panthers and the Hell's Angels. He is the reciepient of numerous awards including an ACLU Civil Liberties Award and Lawyer of the Year from the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association.Recently he was incarcerated for federal taxes he decided not to offer a federal government he considers hostile to the poor, immigrants, Native Americans, and folks who enjoy a bit of inner transportation by means of forbidden substances. WALKING THE CIRCLE-PRISON CHRONICLES-J. Tony Serra

Murder in the Mountains: The Muriel Baldridge Story revisits the slaying of Muriel Baldridge, the 17-year old high school cheerleader who was found beaten to death on the morning of June 28, 1949 in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. After a decades-long investigation that featured an amazing array of twists and turns, including a sensational trial and a controversial verdict, the case remains unsolved. To this day Muriel's murder is considered "the most bizarre and confusing case in the annuals of Eastern Kentucky crime." MURDER IN THE MOUNTAINS-Michael Crisp

  Raynella Dossett Leath said she came home one morning in 2003 and found her husband’s body in bed—covered in blood, a Colt .38 by his side. But authorities were suspicious of Raynella’s story. Why would her husband of ten years suddenly commit suicide? And if he had taken his own life, why did it appear that three shots were fired?   David Leath was not the first of Raynella’s husbands to turn up dead. After digging into Raynella’s past, police unearthed bizarre, gruesome details surrounding the death of her first husband, who was seemingly trampled by his own cattle. Which led investigators to wonder: Could Raynella have staged his death, too?   To those who knew her, Raynella was a loving mother of two, a good neighbor and friend, a nurse who always reached out a helping hand. Was this woman capable of killing both her husbands? And if so: Why did she do it—out of greed, jealousy or revenge? This is the story about what dark secrets were lurking inside HER DEADLY WEB-Diane Fanning

 To his parishioners, minister Matt Baker seemed a pious and good man. To his wife, Kari, he was a devoted husband and caring father. Always sunny and vivacious, Kari never questioned their frequent relocations from one small Texas Baptist church to another. Even when tragedy struck, Kari remained strong—until one day, inexplicably, she took her own life.To friends and family, Kari's suicide made no sense—and they struggled with questions they couldn't answer. Why couldn't Matt hold a job with any one church? Why did he cut off all contact with Kari's devastated parents soon after her death? And who was the blond companion he began appearing with just days after the funeral? But it would take a team of investigators and dogged determination to bring Matt Baker's dark secrets to light—revealing a shocking history of lies, infidelity, cruelty, and sexual obsession that may have led a serial predator cloaked in God's word to commit murder.

Chelsea King was a popular high school senior, an outstanding achiever determined to make a difference. Amber Dubois loved books and poured her heart into the animals she cared for. Treasured by their families and friends, both girls disappeared in San Diego County, just eight miles and one year apart. The community's desperate search led authorities to John Albert Gardner III, a brutal predator hiding in plain sight. Now Pulitzer-nominated author Caitlin Rother delivers an incisive, heartbreaking true-life thriller that touches our deepest fears. LOST GIRLS-Caitlin Rother

  In February 1975, 9 year-old Marcia Trimble left her house in Nashville to deliver Girl Scout cookies in the neighborhood. She never returned. After a massive but fruitless search, her body was discovered on Easter Sunday. Outrage and horror gripped the community of Nashville, but the murder investigation was frustrated at every turn. The case went cold for three decades until it was finally solved. In January 1997, Herbert Blitzstein was found murdered in the living room of his Las Vegas townhouse. A notorious mob insider, "Fat Herbie" had pursued loan sharking and other rackets for decades. Now, Blitzstein had been dispatched gangland style—by three bullets to the back of the head—in what appeared to be a classic contract killing. But the details of who killed him and why turned out to be much more complicated, and the real motives and circumstances remain murky to this day. These are just two examples of the riveting stories assembled by bestselling criminologist R. Barri Flowers in this unparalleled collection of some of the top true-crime writers in the world. There are seventeen contributors including Amanda Lamb, Burl Barer, R. Barri Flowers, Cathy Scott, Patricia Springer, Harold Schechter and Katherine Ramsland. Spanning murder cases from the beginning of the twentieth century to today-MASTERS OF TRUE CRIME-CHILLING STORIES OF MURDER AND THE MACABRE-Edited by R. Barri Flowers

By the time Richard Trenton Chase graduated high school, everyone knew he was strange. But no one had any idea how bizarre he'd become, or what dark impulses were flowing through his troubled brain. The transformation from the outwardly strange young man to the diabolical killer he ultimately became, was gradual and would not become known until it was too late. First it was the killing of small animals and birds, and the drinking of their blood. However, when these sacrifices failed to satiate his needs, Richard Chase would seek out the highest form of life, and the city of Sacramento, California would react in horror to the hideous murders and mutilations committed by his hands. For those living in the quiet neighborhoods where the murders occurred, it was nothing less than a time of terror until the fiend was captured.Vampire: The Richard Chase Murders, including 23 photos, is an in-depth look into the life and disturbed mind of a killer, his family, and his many victims, the living as well as the dead. Discover what it was like for the police, and what a difficult job they had finding a killer they knew wouldn't stop until he was apprehended. It was a race against time, in a series of murders that would stun even the most hardened investigators. It is the story of a city under siege, held captive by the man whose appetite for blood could not be satisfied. VAMPIRE-THE RICHARD CHASE MURDERS-Kevin M. Sullivan  

David Mahler, a 43-year-old east coast lawyer, came to Hollywood for the celebrity lifestyle, the movie industry, and the women. At his seven-level home in the Hollywood Hills, Mahler rubbed elbows with the seedy elements of the entertainment world: wannabe rock stars, drug kingpins, and adult film stars—one of whom introduced him to Kristin Baldwin, a pretty, upbeat blonde. One night, during a violent argument in his bedroom, a vicious, drug-crazed Mahler grabbed a gun. A shot rang out—and Kristin was never seen alive again. 

Laurie Show was as compassionate as she was hard-working. The outgoing high-school junior worked part-time to pay for the home she and her divorced mother shared. Yet she always had time to tutor friends struggling in school. And she befriended a dejected classmate after his traumatic breakup with his pregnant long-time girlfriend Michelle Lambert.But soon things spiraled into jealous obsession, stalking, and a brutal attack that left Laurie murdered in her own bedroom. And once Michelle started telling one lie too many, the ensuing investigation shattered a peaceful community. Noted crime writer Lyn Riddle also brings you the latest updates on Michelle Lambert, her accomplices, and those involved in this unforgettable case. OVERKILL-Lyn Riddle

  On the morning of April 8, 2006, residents of the hamlet of Shedden, Ontario, woke up to the news that the bloodied bodies of eight bikers from the Bandidos gang had been found dead on a local farm. The massacre made headlines around the world, and the shocking news brought a grim light to an otherwise quiet corner of the province. Six Bandidos would eventually be convicted of the first-degree murder of their biker brothers. Like other outlaw bikers, Bandidos portray themselves as motorcycle enthusiasts who are systematically misunderstood and abused by the police, as well as feared by the public. We now know the Bandidos were anything but simple motorcycle enthusiasts. However, unlike such biker gangs as the Hell's Angels, who run sophisticated operations, the Bandidos were highly disorganized, prone to petty infighting and even engaged in sabotaging fellow members. This is the story of how the Bandidos self-destructed over one very dark night. As gripping as any crime novel, The Bandido Massacre takes us inside a crumbling brotherhood bent on betrayal and self-obliteration. THE BANDIDO MASSACRE-Peter Edwards