I read Assassin’s Lullaby by Mark Rubinstein in one sitting and it cost me a night’s sleep. It isn’t just the pace, the adventure, or the action. It is the interwoven thoughts of a contract killer who is no longer fully emotionally detached and has been in denial for a while. And now, with this […]
Remembering Charles Lee Snowden
On May 17, 1986 Charles Lee Snowden was found dead in Pensacola, Florida. Depending on his date of birth, he was 32 or 33 years old. Snowden was found laying facedown on either a parking lot at 500 Belmont Street (as per Crimestoppers in the Pensacola News Journal of Dec 7, 1986) or in an […]
The Harvest Man by Alex Grecian
You don’t need to read the three books in the Yard series that precede The Harvest Man by Alex Grecian however, this one is more difficult to read than the previous one, The Devil’s Workshop. In The Devil’s Workshop, Inspector Walter Day and his Sergeant Nevil Hammersmith are tortured to the point of death by […]
Guilty Verdict for Patricia Louise Smith
On April 1, 2022, the trial against Alexander Christopher Ewing started for the 1984 rape-murder of Patricia Louise Smith. On April 5, the state and the defense rested their cases. Closing arguments were set for Wednesday afternoon after which the case was in the hands of the jury. On Thursday, April 7, 2022 Ewing was […]
Murder by Milkshake from Eve Lazarus
Author Eve Lazarus explores the case of Esther Luond Castellani and the devastating effect it had on daughter Jeannine. The book describes the lives of Esther and husband Rene Castellani, their financial struggles, their jobs, Esther’s death, and Rene’s trial. The Case The first time that Esther started to feel sick was around October 1964. […]
Jerry Dwight Laymon 1945 – 1971
Jerry Dwight Laymon was found dead Nov 24, 1971 near New Orleans, Louisiana. He had two gunshot wounds to his head. His car was missing as well as the cash from his wallet. Laymon was a geophysicist who worked for Mobile Oil. He had been transferred by the company from Los Angeles in April 1971. […]
All That Remains by Sue Black
All That Remains by Sue Black came out a few years ago and has won numerous awards. The book cover suggests a factual, maybe even clinical assessment of what remains when we die. However, the book combines deeply personal reflections on death including the deaths of loved ones, with the cold, hard process of decomposition. […]
Michella Welch: Guilty Verdict
Gary Charles Hartman has been found guilty in the 1986 rape-murder of Michella Welch. Hartman was around 30 years old when he attacked Welch (12) who got “separated from her sisters while they were visiting a North Tacoma park.” Her body was found in a ravine. She had been sexually assaulted and was beaten to […]
Verdict Suzanne Arlene Bombardier: Guilty
On March 15, 2022 a jury found Mitchell Lynn Bacom guilty in the 1980 murder of Suzanne Arlene “Suzie” Bombardier. On Feb 8, 2018, Bacom had plead not guilty. He faces life without parole. The sentencing date has not been set. As soon as I get more details I will update this post and the […]
Little Miss Nobody Identified
Little Miss Nobody has been identified using modern DNA technology. Her name is Sharon Lee Gallegos, local police announced. According to CBS, the authorities said that Sharon Lee Gallegos “was abducted by a man and a woman while she was playing with other children in an alley behind her grandmother’s house in Alamogordo, New Mexico.” […]
Norvel Robert Nelson III: remains found
On March 10, 2022 the remains of Norvel Robert “Bobby” Nelson III were found on a private property in northern Washington County, said the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Bobby had been missing since January 2012 under suspicious circumstances. I wrote about that here. “The sheriff’s office stated no further information is being released at this […]
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
I learned about this book from one of my friends’ book clubs. I heard the words apothecary, London, poison, possible female serial killer, so naturally, I was interested. The book cover had praising references about this debut novel with words like ‘convincingly’ and ‘clever.’ So, naturally, I bought the book. I finished reading it this […]
Guilty Plea: Murder of Melissa Millan
The defense for William Leverett presented a guilty plea deal for the 2014 murder of Melissa Millan in Hartford Superior Court on March 8, 2022. “Leverett’s plea bargain calls for the 35-year prison sentence to be followed by seven years of strict special parole, according to prosecutor Vicki Melchiorre.” Since his arrest in 2018, Leverett […]
Marquon Tyree Green (Jan 20, 1979 – Aug 27, 2000)
Marquon Tyree Green (Jan 20, 1979 – Aug 27, 2000) died from several gunshot wounds on August 27, 2000. Green was in Spring Valley Park, Missouri, attending a rapper’s concert. Another person was shot in the leg. At least two people started shooting. Whether Green and the other victim were intended targets, is unclear. Despite […]
Trial for Suzanne Arlene Bombardier
Covid19 has pushed back a lot of trials and court dates in several cases that I am following. I am happy to confirm that a jury has been sworn in to judge the evidence in the 1980 murder of Suzanne Arlene “Suzie” Bombardier. As soon as I have more details I will add them here […]
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
What can you write about this book by Agatha Christie that is so famous and popular, so well discussed by everyone online who either loves or hates it, what is the use of giving you my two cents? There are no insights that have not already been touched upon online and the plot is so […]
Sophie Sergie Verdict: Guilty
Despite several setbacks and delays due to Covid19, the trial in the 1993 rape-murder of Sophie Sergie finally took place in the beginning of this year. I did not post daily updates but here is the verdict and my summary: Steven Downs faced first degree murder and first degree sexual assault. The jury found him guilty. […]
The Bone Jar by S W Kane
To read something new, to discover a new author, it is all worth not sleeping decently for two days. The Bone Jar by S W Kane is a debut novel of such power that it was shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger Award. The Story Deserted buildings have their own charm and it isn’t […]
Charles Preston Paramore (July 2, 1951 – Jan 11, 1966)
Charles Preston Paramore was 14 years old when he became the victim of a hit-and-run. He was on his newspaper route in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The newspapers have little information about this case. According to the Paramore family, his father found him and was with him when he died. The driver did not just hit […]
Forensics by Val McDermid
Full title: Forensics, what bugs, burns, prints, DNA, and more tell us about crime. This book by Val McDermid is from 2014 however, it is still relevant today. Old unsolved cases are discussed again in the news as we have the improvements in forensic sciences. Of course, TV shows, movies, podcasts, and the mainstream media […]