Blood of the Scribe

Conner Conley: Teenage murder suspect Andrew Conley felt like fictional TV character "Dexter"

2009-12-08T09:22:00.001-06:00

Conner Conley: Teenage murder suspect Andrew Conley felt like fictional TV character "Dexter"

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Fort Hood Massacre: Major Nidal Malik Hasan receives 32 additional charges of attempted murder

2009-12-03T07:21:00.001-06:00

Fort Hood Massacre: Major Nidal Malik Hasan receives 32 additional charges of attempted murder

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Shaniya Davis: Father Bradley Lockhart talks about daughter, Shaq, and child trafficking (video)

2009-12-02T08:17:00.001-06:00

Shaniya Davis: Father Bradley Lockhart talks about daughter, Shaq, and child trafficking (video)

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Lakewood Police Massacre: Friends and family members of dead cop killer Maurice Clemmons arrested

2009-12-02T06:43:00.001-06:00

Lakewood Police Massacre: Friends and family members of dead cop killer Maurice Clemmons arrested

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Lakewood Police Massacre: Suspect Maurice Clemmons paroled by Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee

2009-11-30T09:51:00.002-06:00

Lakewood Police Massacre: Suspect Maurice Clemmons pardoned by Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee

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Lakewood Police Massacre: Suspect Maurice Clemmons may be dead

2009-11-30T07:57:00.001-06:00

Lakewood Police Massacre: Suspect Maurice Clemmons may be dead

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Fort Hood Massacre: NY Mayor Bloomberg cites lax gun laws as obstacles in Hasan probe

2009-11-27T08:09:00.001-06:00

Fort Hood Massacre: NY Mayor Bloomberg cites lax gun laws as obstacles in Hasan probe

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Shaniya Davis: NBA star Shaquille O'Neal pays for 5-year-old murder victim's funeral

2009-11-26T08:54:00.001-06:00

Shaniya Davis: NBA star Shaquille O'Neal pays for 5-year-old murder victim's funeral

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Alyssa Bustamante: Suspected killer's Jackass-style videos rear their ugly heads

2009-11-26T06:21:00.001-06:00

Alyssa Bustamante: Suspected killer's Jackass-style videos rear their ugly heads

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Alyssa Bustamante: "Murder is a very serious thing" friend declares in video interview

2009-11-25T11:20:00.001-06:00

Alyssa Bustamante: "Murder is a very serious thing" friend declares in video interview

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Shaniya Davis: Mother Antoinette Davis transferred while father Brad Lockhart discusses murder

2009-11-25T06:39:00.001-06:00

Shaniya Davis: Mother Antoinette Davis transferred while father Brad Lockhart discusses murder

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Fort Hood Massacre: Nidal Malik Hasan's status changed to pretrial detainee

2009-11-22T11:33:00.001-06:00

Fort Hood Massacre: Nidal Malik Hasan's status changed to pretrial detainee

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Coroner identifies body as that of Dale Hudson, true crime author and former In Cold Blogger

2009-08-16T15:12:00.001-05:00

We are deeply saddened by the news today of the discovery of the body our friend, fellow true crime author, and In Cold Blogger, Dale Hudson.

I will report more as it comes through, but for now, all of us here at In Cold Blog want to extend our deepest condolences to Dale's wife, his children, his friends and family.

He was truly a sweet, kind man. A rarity in this business these days.

Coroner identifies body as that of missing Horry County man SCNow

True Crime Author Dale Hudson Gone Missing

2009-08-15T19:10:00.001-05:00

My friend and fellow true crime author, Dale Hudson, has gone missing. Dale is also a former contributor at my main blog, In Cold Blog.

If you have any idea where he is, please contact the Horry County Police Department at (843) 248-1520.

Local author reported missing, police find his vehicle abandoned in woods - Breaking News - The Sun News

John Waters Book Excerpt on Manson Girl Leslie Van Houten

2009-08-03T09:41:00.006-05:00

Check out this interesting excerpt from filmmaker/author John Waters's upcoming 2010 book, ROLE MODELS, via today's Huffington Post. The former cult moviemaker talks about his fascination with the followers of Charles Manson and his attempt to interview Manson girl Leslie Van Houten (pictured left).

This is the first post in a five-part series.

True Crime Comes to New York @ the NY INT'L LATINO FILM FESTIVAL - 7/30/09-8/1/09

2009-07-26T16:00:00.006-05:00

If you happen to be in the Big Apple next week, be sure to pop into one of the many great films featured in this year's New York International Latino Film Festival.

Below you will find times, locations, and trailers for the featured true crime films (all are full-length documentaries).

If you are a horror film fan, be sure to find out what horror films will be playing at the festival at my other blog, Festivals of Horror here.

Ticket and film badge info is here.

FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES

ASSAULT IN THE RING - Thursday, July 30 @ 9:00pm - Clearview Cinemas Chelsea (CCS) - Screen 8

DANCE AROUND THE POOL - Thursday, July 30 @ 12:30pm - CCS - Screen 7; Saturday, August 1 @ Noon - SVA Theater (SVA) - Screen 2

JUAN MELENDEZ 6446 - Wednesday, July 29 @ 5:00pm - CCS - Screen 7; Friday, July 31 @ 2:00pm - CCS - Screen 8

THE LEAST OF THESE - Wednesday, July 29 @ 8:30pm - CCS - Screen 8

Here are the trailers:

I could not find a trailer for JUAN MELENDEZ 6446, however, there is a good one on the film festival's website here.

Support true crime films!

Michael H. Stone on The Diane Rehm Show

2009-07-24T22:06:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm back!!

Be sure to check out this radio interview with Dr. Michael Stone on The Diane Rehm Show talking about his book The Anatomy of Evil.

Unfortunately, there is no embed.

Michael H. Stone: The Anatomy of Evil

Yogurt shop murder defendants released on bond

2009-06-25T04:43:00.001-05:00

Here's a detailed article on the temporary release of two defendants featured in Corey Mitchell's best-selling true crime book, MURDERED INNOCENTS.

Yogurt shop murder defendants released on bond

Yogurt Shop Murder Re-Trial Set

2009-06-24T07:22:00.001-05:00

Case featured in my best-selling true crime book, MURDERED INNOCENTS.

Yogurt Shop Murder Re-Trial Set

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Coffee & Crime - 1/12/09

2009-01-12T05:50:00.000-06:00

by Corey Mitchell

***Russia, the new breeding ground for serial killers? According to the Russian newspaper RNA Novosti, there have been over 500 murders that have occurred at the hands of serial killers in the last three years alone recorded in Russia. Nyet!

***James D. Watts, Jr. of the Tulsa World gives us a heads-up on author William Bernhardt's novel, Nemesis: The Final Case of Eliot Ness, based on the last, destitute days of famous crime fighter Eliot Ness. Bernhardt apparently writes about three three scary subjects in the book: loneliness, serial killers, and Cleveland.

*** According to Andrea Vogt in a special for the Seattle P.I., Amanda Knox (pictured left) is set to go to trial for the murder of Meredith Kercher this coming Friday in Perugia, Italy. Nothing against Kercher, but I am curious just how much coverage this case would garner if the alleged killer were not attractive.

***Looks as if author Neale Donald Walsch will be having a different sort of conversation with God. According to Motoko Rich of the New York Times, the mega-successful spiritual author pilfered a heart-warming Christmas tale for a Christian website from author Candy Chand, even going so far as to say he convinced himself he had written the piece. Ahhhh, putting the sleaze back in Christmas.

***Speaking of lying authors, check out this interesting piece by Lev Raphael over at Salon.com on a fellow, Herman Rosenblat, whom I wrote about recently in Coffee & Crime. You remember Rosenblat, right? The guy who wrote his fake Holocaust memoirs and even pitched it on Oprah. Not to be deterred, it appears as if the author may now release his book after all, as a work of fiction, with an independent publisher.

Corey Mitchell is a best-selling author of several true crime books, founder of In Cold Blog, a contributor at MetalSucks, and is feeling pretty good about his Pittsburgh Steelers today.

Vote for PURE MURDER for Book of the Year for 2008

2009-01-11T21:46:00.002-06:00

I am honored to inform you that my most recent book, PURE MURDER, has been nominated for the Preditors & Editors Best Print/Electronic Novel in 2008.

If you would like to vote for it, please visit Preditors & Editors, click the button to the left of the book title and fill in your name and e-mail address at the bottom of the ballot.

Anything you can do to help the story of Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena reach the masses is greatly appreciated.

***DEADLINE TO VOTE: JANUARY 14***

****************

PURE MURDER has already made the Borders Group International Paperback Bestseller List alongside such classics as To Kill A Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye.

PURE MURDER is also currently on the list of books to be considered for an Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime Book of 2008.

PURE MURDER was named one of the four Best Metal Books of 2008 at MetalSucks.

French Lawyer/Author Robert Badinter Speaks Out Against Death Penalty

2008-10-11T12:10:00.008-05:00

My favorite talk radio program, The Leonard Lopate Show, hosted 80-year-old French lawyer and author Robert Badinter (pictured left) this past Monday.

Badinter, a stringent anti-penalty advocate, spoke about how the death penalty was eliminated in France, as well as his 2000 French book that has been translated into English and recently released as Abolition: One Man's Battle Against the Death Penalty.

You can hear the conversation here:

Here is the direct link if you are not able to see the embedded player.

You can purchase Badinter's book here:

Bart Whitaker, Subject of Corey Mitchell's Next Book, on Oprah Tomorrow

2008-10-05T17:07:00.001-05:00

by Corey Mitchell

Bart Whitaker (pictured left with his brother Kevin) will appear on Oprah tomorrow (Monday, 10/6). Whitaker, currently on death row for the murder-for-hire of his mother Tricia, and brother Kevin, is the subject of my next book.

Bart is also the subject of another book, Murder by Family, written by Bart's father, Kent Whitaker, who was also shot in the melee back in December 2003. Kent's book focuses on the aftermath of the murders and how Kent forgave Bart for hiring two friends to murder his family.

As with all of my books, I plan on turning over every stone to look into Bart's background, as well as those of several of his friends who were involved in the murders. It is a truly fascinating story with numerous twists and turns, that includes hints of dark humor, overriding tragedy, and an examination of murder in seemingly one of the safest places on the planet.

I am looking forward to Kent's appearance on Oprah. I presume they will focus on Kent's ability to forgive his son for the murders of his wife and youngest son.

Visit the Oprah website to see a short commercial of the episode and chat about the case on her message board.

Mysterious Death of Dorothy Kilgallen to Hit Book, Screen

2008-10-04T16:58:00.004-05:00

According to Variety, Hollywood producer John Davis has snapped up the rights to Good Night, Dorothy Kilgallen by Paul Alexander. Davis has a first look deal with Fox Pictures. The book, only in proposal form at this time, was sold to St. Martins Press for publication.

Dorothy Kilgallen (pictured left) was a successful reporter who covered several high profile stories on Hollywood as well as the Sam Sheppard murder case.

She was also friends with President John F. Kennedy.

Alexander's book will purportedly focus on Kilgallen's research into the murder of her friend, Kennedy, her writing of a book on his murder, and her mysterious death soon after she submitted her proposal to her publisher.

Alexander will pen a fictionalized version of the story for the screen. The article does not explicitly state if the book will be a novel or non-fiction.

If you want to know more about Dorothy Kilgallen, check out this well-written article by Sara Jordan in Midwest Today.

American Lightning Redux: ChrSciMon Likes Story, Not Book

2008-10-04T12:07:00.007-05:00

One week ago I wrote about a scathing review of Howard Blum's Hollywood true crime book, American Lightning, that appeared in the Washington Post.

Unfortunately for Blum, the Christian Science Monitor's Randy Dotinga's recent review was not much better. It least it was a bit nicer toward the author -- well, maybe less harsh would be the better phrase.

Dotinga raves about the actual story of the bombing of the Los Angeles Times building, but holds back on distributing praise Blum's way. He writes of the book that it "succeeds in spite of its flaws. Blum’s prose is a bit too breathless at times, and the lack of detailed sourcing makes it difficult to trust his descriptions of the thoughts crossing the minds of the characters."

Dotinga does commend Blum for "painting vivid portraits" of two of the three leads in the story. This is the only praise offered up for the entire book.

If you are still interested in purchasing the book, feel free to do so below:

US News and World Report Reviews New Book on Leopold and Loeb

2008-09-29T20:21:00.006-05:00

John Aloysius Farrell, a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report, kinda sorta reviewed the newest book on the Leopold and Loeb murder case, For The Thrill of It, by Simon Baatz.

Farrell's review is more or less a rehash of the 1924 murder of 14-year-old Bobby Franks by teenage killer Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, often called the "Crime of the Century." (Sure seems to be a lot of those, eh?)

Farrell does, however, interject a few points about the actual book in question. He does mention that Hal Higdon's book on the case is "breezier," "better," and that Baatz omitted some key research about the case. On the other hand, Farrell states that Baatz's research is "impressive."

Inexplicably, Farrell ends his review by claiming that Baatz has engaged in "revisionist" history in regard to Leopold and Loeb's attorney, Clarence Darrow.

Of course, Farrell is writing on a book about Darrow, so that might explain his rather unusual and unexplained criticism.

If you would like to purchase Simon Battz's For the Thrill of It, you can do so below:

UPTIGHT NINNY BRIGADE ALERT!! Dexter Season 3 Premiere Tonight

2008-09-28T10:50:00.004-05:00

The best show on television returns tonight...DEXTER!

Season 3 of the Showtime series about serial killer Dexter Morgan (played by Michael C. Hall - pictured left) returns in its full gory...er, glory.

If you have never watched Dexter, do yourself a favor and tune in tonight. It is smart, funny, serious, goofy, grim, and touching. It is everything the Uptight Ninny Brigade can't handle.

That, in and of itself, is reason enough to watch Dexter.

Here is a brief interview with Michael C. Hall talking about tonight's episode:

If you want to get caught up on Seasons 1 and 2 of Dexter, you can purchase the DVDs below:

WaPo Not Too Kind to American Lightning

2008-09-27T13:51:00.004-05:00

Washington Post book reviewer Jonathan Yardley's review of Howard Blum's American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, The Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century is that it is less than worthy of much praise.

Okay, I'll be more forthcoming -- Yardley viciously slams Blum's look at the 1910 Los Angeles Times explosion. He describes the book as "dreadful,"a thoroughgoing dud from first page to last," a piece of "hack journalism," "written badly," "entirely fails," "contrived, plodding, self-infatuated," "cliched," "writing so overheatedly that the reader's eyes are scorched," "hyperbolic," "Blum is hell-bent on achieving Significance," "nothing in Blum's telling of it to warrant frittering away any reader's time," and, finally, "one long slog."

Ouch!

If you are still interested in checking out American Lightning, you can order it below:

PURE MURDER #1 on Amazon; BGI Bestseller

2008-08-13T12:41:00.004-05:00

I just received great news from my editor-in-chief at Kensington, Michaela Hamilton, that my latest release, Pure Murder, just made the Borders Group Incorporated (BGI) best seller list for mass market paperbacks for sales in all Borders bookstores and Walden bookstores.

According to Michaela, this is quite an honor and a rare feat for a true crime book (specifically, she stated that "it almost never happens"). The list includes mmps from all genres and tallies novels as well as non-fiction titles among its totals. That put me directly alongside such stellar classics as Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye which, of course, blows my mind.

Needless to say, I am very happy about the great news.

Pure Murder also hit #1 on Amazon for books on the subject of rape. I have been in the top 3 for months alongside my good friend and fellow In Cold Blogger Ron Franscell with the paperback release of his book Fall, re-titled The Darkest Night (any Batman play there by St. Martins, Ron?) and Alice Sebold's rape memoir, Lucky. Pure Murder reached #1 last week and subsequently ran out of stock at Amazon.

Thank you to everyone who has purchased a copy of Pure Murder or who intends to do so in the future. I could not do what I do without your support.

True Crime author Peter Moskos on The Leonard Lopate Show

2008-07-23T11:37:00.005-05:00

Be sure to check out the interview below with Cop in the Hood author Peter Moskos on my favorite radio program The Leonard Lopate Show.

According to his website, Cop in the Hood:

is an explosive insider’s story of what it is really like to be a police officer on the front lines of the war on drugs. Harvard-trained sociologist Peter Moskos became a cop in Baltimore’s roughest neighborhood —the Eastern District, also the location for the critically acclaimed HBO drama The Wire. He provides an unforgettable window into this world that outsiders never see. Those who read it will never view the badge the same way.

Peter Moskos' website
Peter Moskos' blog
Be sure to pick up a copy of Cop in the Hood below:

True Crime author T.J. English to appear on The Daily Show tonight

2008-07-23T10:43:00.006-05:00

For the first time in my eight-year true crime writing career, I am officially jealous of another author. T.J. English, author of Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba and Then Lost It to the Revolution, will be the featured guest tonight on my favorite television show, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Damn you, English! **shakes fist** (If you watch the show, you know what I mean by that -- don't everyone have a cow.)

Truthfully, congrats to T.J. English. I hope you represent the genre well.

You can purchase Havana Nocture below:

Publisher's Weekly Not Too Impressed with Matthew Randazzo's book on Wrestler Chris Benoit

2008-07-21T14:05:00.006-05:00

Publisher's Weekly recently reviewed Matthew Randazzo V's new book, Ring of Hell: The Story of Chris Benoit and the Fall of the Pro Wrestling Industry, and were not very impressed...at least with the true crime portion of the story.

PW basically summarized the Benoit story, then concluded its review with "Randazzo’s broad biographical strokes (he saves details for pivotal matches) and wide focus on the industry’s evolution make Benoit little more than a minor character in his own story. Wrestling fans will savor the industry gossip, but those interested in the how and why of Benoit’s tragic murder-suicide will be disappointed."

Be sure to check out an article posted by Randazzo at one of my other blogs, In Cold Blog, here.

You can order Ring of Hell below:

Catherine Keener Nominated for Emmy for An American Crime

2008-07-19T15:39:00.007-05:00

One of my favorite actresses of all time, Catherine Keener (pictured right), has been tagged for a Best Actress Emmy nod this week for her terrifying role as Gertrude Baniszewski in a film I have written about quite frequently here at BOTS, An American Crime.

Keener takes on the thankless role of the less-than-motherly babysitter/torturer of Sylvia Likens, played by current "It" girl Ellen Page.

The case, also known as the "Indiana Torture Slaying," receives a nice summation here.

The film sat on the shelves for a couple of years and began to receive attention with the success of Page's turn in the Academy Award winning, Juno. An American Crime finally saw the light of day earlier this year with a release on Showtime.

Keener has been nominated in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Television Movie category.

You can watch the trailer for An American Crime below:

Horror Film The Strangers Real-life Inspiration in Documentary

2008-07-19T14:54:00.007-05:00

Did you see the summer horror flick, The Strangers? Me neither. But apparently, quite a few of you did.

The film's advertisements trumpeted the fact that the film was based on a true story. Since I almost never go to the theater anymore I did not invest any time in learning more about the film or its alleged inspiration.

Well, now I have learned more about the real story and, needless to say, I am looking forward to catching the feature film when it hits DVD soon.

The story of a mother, one of her daughters, her son, and her son's friend who were all murdered in a remote cabin in 1981 is also the subject of a documentary film entitled Cabin 28: The Keddie Murders.

According to the San Jose Mercury News filmmaker Josh Hamilton (pictured far right) started th is project off as an assignment he gave to his students at Westmont High School. He agreed to make his own documentary along with his students.

You can check out a trailer for Cabin 28 right here:

To watch the entire documentary for free, please visit Hamilton's website.

Petition to Move Forward with Execution of Jose Medellin

2008-07-18T14:22:00.003-05:00

[This petition was submitted to me by Melissa Pena, mother of murder victim Elizabeth Pena. - Ed.]

PETITION TO TEXAS BOARD OF PARDONS AND PAROLES

Attn: Lela Smith
Fax: (512) 406-5786

Phone: (512) 406-5852

e-mail: lela.smith@tdcj.state.tx.us

Ms. Smith will send faxed petitions and e-mails to the Board for review.

*************

On June 24, 1993, Jose Ernesto Medellin—TDCJ No. 999134—along with five fellow gang members, kidnapped, gang raped (over the course of many hours), beat, stomped and strangled Elizabeth Peña (age 16) and Jennifer Ertman (age 14). Medellin and the others then bragged about the rapes and murders of the girls to friends. Elizabeth’s and Jennifer’s bodies were left in the woods for four days in the extreme hot Texas summer before they were discovered.

Jose Medellin was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death in 1994. Over the past fifteen years, the death sentence given to him has been upheld by every court that was petitioned on his behalf. The Supreme Court of the United States has also affirmed his death sentence and rejected his legal claims. The attorneys for the condemned have now filed an Executive Clemency Petition to either reprieve or commute the sentence to life (which translates to forty years in prison).

We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to uphold Jose Medellin’s — TDCJ No. 999134 — previous capital punishment sentence for the murders of Elizabeth Peña and Jennifer Ertman. Justice demands that he be punished to the full extent of the law for such a heinous crime.

Printed Name / Signature / City, State / Comment(s)

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Joseph Wambaugh born to write The Onion Field

2008-07-18T11:10:00.008-05:00

Please check out this nine-minute interview with true crime author and novelist Joseph Wambaugh (pictured left) on NPR's series conclusion of "Crime in the City."

The highly respected best-selling author of such true crime books as The Onion Field and Fire Lover, as well as fictionalized police stories as The Choirboys and The New Centurions, Wambaugh heads back to his old police precinct, the Hollenbeck Division in L.A., to speak to the young officers. Wambaugh regales the squad with tales from his police days and talks about how he interviews cops for his novels as well.

As for his true crime books, Wambaugh insists that he was "put on this planet to write The Onion Field," the classic story of the kidnapping of two police officers and one who was murdered.

You can read the interview here, but I recommend listening to the interview which does include a few extra, funny tidbits.

Also, enjoy this 30-second intro to the 1973 television series Police Story that Wambaugh created.

You can order The Onion Field below:

United Nations "Orders" Texas to Halt Execution of Jose Medellin fron Pure Murder

2008-07-17T13:19:00.004-05:00

[Ed. - This article originally appeared at my other blog, In Cold Blog earlier today.]

The big news yesterday was that the United Nations' International Court of Justice "ordered" the state of Texas to halt the execution of Mexican national/child murderer Jose "Joe" Medellin (pictured left), who is scheduled to die on August 5.

Medellin, featured in my newest book, Pure Murder, has been on death row since he was convicted in 1994 and has fought mightily to avoid the same fate he perpetrated on two teenage girls, Elizabeth Pena, 16, and Jennifer Ertman, 14, more than fifteen years ago. Medellin, who was born in Mexico and illegaly migrated to the United States when he was nine years old, has repeatedly attempted to have his case reviewed by the International Court based on a claim that, as a Mexican national, he was denied consular representation at the time of his arrest.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the International Court of Justice (AKA World Court), which is the United Nations' highest court, ordered the United States government to make an effort to force the state of Texas to stop the execution of Medellin and four other Mexican national death row inmates so the Court can further review the cases.

It all sounds stern and authoritative, however, it doesn't mean squat. The World Court has absolutely no jurisdiction over Texas.

Furthermore, the case has already gone before the United States Supreme Court with the charge to spare Medellin's life led by none other than former Texas governor and still-president George W. Bush. In March of this year, the Supreme Court ruled against the Bush administration and declared that the state of Texas could proceed with Medellin's execution.

The Bush administration was not to be deterred. According to fellow In Cold Blogger and City of Houston Mayor's Office crime victims' advocate Andy Kahan, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice intervened with current Texas governor Rick Perry on behalf of the president in an attempt to convince the governor to order a stay of execution.

Perry responded with the legal equivalent of a big, "Fuck you!"

Last night, Perry spokesman Robert Black iterated, "The world court has no standing in Texas and Texas is not bound by a ruling or edict from a foreign court." Black added, "It is easy to get caught up in discussions of international law and justice and treaties. It's very important to remember that these individuals are on death row for killing our citizens."

That sentimentality is also what I expressed during a phone interview with reporter Ned Hibberd of the Houston Fox news affiliate last night. You can watch the interview here which also features Kahan.

Kahan expects the fireworks to continue from now until August 5 when Medellin is scheduled to die.

You can order Corey Mitchell's Pure Murder below:

From Blog to Book Deal: Jill Leovy's Homicide Report Scores Publishing Deal

2008-07-16T19:24:00.004-05:00

[Ed. note - I am back for good. No more home unimprovement chores for me for awhile.]

In Cold Blog double Detective Award nominee Jill Leovy (pictured left) has turned her passion from a blog into a book deal. Leovy's exhaustive research of Los Angeles County's murder toll in 2007 for the Los Angeles Times will become the basis for a new book entitled The Homicide Report: Black Men, Murder and America’s Unseen Catastrophe.

Leovy's speciality is to dig deeper into the murder cases her paper either refused to report on or deemed unworthy. Her journalistic efforts caught the eye of publisher Spiegel & Grau. According to the website California Authors, Leovy's book will focus on a smaller section of South Los Angeles and how race factors into the murder equation.

Congratulations to Ms. Leovy.

Check out Leovy's blog, Homicide Report.

True Crime Writers as Killers

2008-06-30T17:55:00.004-05:00

[Ed. - Hello, I am back from a two-week sabbatical of office remodeling and shed building. I could not have completed the latter without the help of a six-month pregnant mother (featured in the previous post) and an honorably discharged vet with a medical disability. Thank you Loryll and Adam. You guys are great.]

Please take a gander at an interesting article from last week about true crime reporters who get a little too caught up in their work. It springs from the recent suicide of Macedonian journalist Vlado Taneski who was recently charged with murdering two elderly women whom he had written about in the newspaper for which he worked.

Now you know why I always write about cases that are closed. I don't want any UNBers out there wagging their fingers at me!

Also, here is an article from Goal.com about a newspaper that used a photograph of Croatian soccer coach Slaven Bilic as the killer instead of Taneski.

Lawsuit anyone?

Pure Murder Virtual Book Tour - Corey Mitchell Talks to Friends and Fans

2008-06-16T06:10:00.008-05:00

Sometimes times people think I must be a serial killer or misogynistic pig because of the stories I write. Luckily, there are intelligent people out there that understand that I am able to compartmentalize my work and my real life.

One such group of people are my new friends whom I call the S.A. Zoo Crew. It is comprised of some wonderful mothers, Loryll, Michelle, and Jennifer, whom I first met at the library at storytime for our kids. We have since expanded our get-togethers to include trips to the local zoo.

At first, the moms had no idea I wrote about serial killers, mass murderers, and executions. Once they found out, they did not run away screaming. Instead, they inquired about my books and began to read them on their own -- and they still talk to me!

The following conversation took place after we had "Craft Time" with our kids:

Jennifer (pictured right ): What sparked your interest in true crime?

I wanted to understand why certain people who may seem completely "normal" on the outside stray down a different path than I did. Why do people turn right when I turned left?

I am much more fascinated with killers who came from fairly typical good backgrounds that go wrong later in life. That is probably why my first true crime book, Helter Skelter, had such an impact on me. Though I was only nine years old when I read the book, I could relate to the killers, especially Charles "Tex" Watson and Leslie Van Houten. They were the perfect kids who did good in school, excelled in sports, were popular in high school. Tex played football while Leslie was Homecoming Queen at her school. They lived a life similar to the one I felt I would live (and eventually did). I was intrigued by the thought of them choosing the darker path in life instead of the successful route they had been traveling.

As I got older and re-read Helter Skelter several times, and after I had chosen the more acceptable path in life, their choices baffled me even more. Ever since then I have wanted to discover what forces are at play when making the choice to end another human being's life. A choice I could never make, with the exception of defending my family, friends, or self.

Michelle (pictured center): How do you pick your topics?

I usually have three criteria. How much do I care for the victims? How interesting is the killer or killers? Can I live with this story for the next 18 months while I work on it and then for the rest of my life as people always want to know more about each one of my books.

Though I have not always written about them, I prefer victims who are good people, but maybe have a few flaws. Elizabeth Pena from my newest book, Pure Murder, is a perfect example of that. She is a good girl who went through a few rough patches in her life only to get her act together just before she was murdered. Her relatability is evident and makes her death that much more tragic.

Loryll (pictured left): How do you get access to so much information to write your books?

Each book I write about has a trial where I am able to gather all of the court documents entered into the record. From there I am able to gather the names of all the key players involved, as well as every detailed record such as psychiatric evaluations or early medical documents about the killer. Trial transcripts are also included.

All of these documents, usually thousands and thousands of pages worth, provide me with a blueprint to tell the story. Of course, I have to breathe life into this dry information and make it interesting for the reader. That is where interviews with the key participants comes in, as well as providing additional context whether it be historical, political, emotional, and more.

Michelle: How about the photographs?

The crime scene photographs are also available at the courthouse. There will also be candid photos of the victims and sometimes the killer.

In addition, I like to go to as many pertinent locations involved in the story as I can so I can get a better feel for the vibe of the area and to best describe the surroundings. I will go to the murder sites and sit where the bodies were found, I will visit the homes of the killers to understand how their environment might have impacted their decision-making, or go to the schools were the victims attended to understand what their average daily routine may have been like. I try to hit everything from homes, to schools, to crime scenes, to hospitals, places of employment, funeral homes, cemeteries, and more. Every location tells a different story and those stories have to be included.

Of course, while I am visiting these locations I also take as many pictures from as many different angles as possible for later reference while writing. A few of those may even make it into the book. I shoot well over 1,000 photographs for each book. Thank God for digital cameras!

Loryll: How do the families of the victims respond to you?

Usually very positive. You can read how one parent, Harriett Semander, from my book Evil Eyes, felt about the interviewing process at my True Crime Book Updates blog here.

Most often, family members want their loved ones' stories to be told. They want a legacy for their child, brother, sister, mother, father to be documented. I let them know that I will do my best to write a fair and honest portrait of their family member, warts and all. I want to get at the real person who they loved, not just the angelicized version. Their loved ones are complex, multi-faceted, and unique individuals who have suffered the worst fate imaginable. I hope to include all of those perspectives to tell the most-compelling story possible.

Inevitably, there are some family members who do not want to talk to me about their loved ones and I cannot fault them one bit. I never push a family member who does not want to discuss their departed loved one's life or death. I just hope they realize that I am there to tell the truth and I hope they would want their input included.

Jennifer (an avid horror fan and true crime reader): What is your favorite horror film?

Ah, there are so many great ones to choose from. Near the top of the list would have to be Evil Dead 2, Dog Soldiers, The Exorcist, Halloween (the original), Dawn of the Dead (the original), Day of the Dead, Audition, The Oblong Box, Apocalypse Now, Carrie, and many more.

My favorite, however, is probably Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. It is grim, gruesome, brutal, unflinching, honest, and just plain evil. It is probably the best look into the mind of a serial killer and shows that these people are seemingly very normal human beings with both good and bad traits. The fact that Henry comes across as the more sane person over his friend Otis is very disturbing, but infinitely more realistic than some Hannibal Lecter nonsense.

Henry is a movie that twists your understanding of good and evil and makes you question yourself as well as those around you.

It is a very heavy movie that makes me want to take a shower immediately after I watch it.

Jennifer: With all the knowledge you've gathered over the years, do you think you could commit the ultimate crime?

No. First of all, I am too much of a square to commit any crime. Second, I feel like most of the killers I have written about made far too many mistakes to ever get away with their crimes. It's funny because my next book, which is about a young man who believed he could commit the ultimate crime of killing his entire family and get away with it, is almost a comedy of errors. He believed he was so smart, but in the end, the law caught up to him.

***********************************

Thanks to these wonderful, lovely ladies. It is always a pleausre to spend time with each of you and your wonderful kids.

Next play time is at my house!

The "Word of the Day" is: KIND

Be sure to catch Corey Mitchell's Pure Murder Virtual Book Tour tomorrow, June 17, at my friend and fellow In Cold Blogger, author and 48 Hours Mysteries producer, Paul LaRosa's The Murder Book 2008. I will discuss the usage of crime scene photos in my books.

Roman Polanski Rape and Flee Doc Wanted and Desired on HBO Tonight

2008-06-09T07:43:00.006-05:00

Tonight marks the television debut of Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired on HBO. I first wrote about this documentary on BOTS back in March when it slipped into the United States under the radar.

The film dissects Polanski's statutory rape of 13-year-old girl in Jack Nicholson's hot tub and his subsequent fugitive flight to Paris where he has remained ever since. The L.A. Times says "(i)t is not a film with easy answers," as it looks at the courtroom manipulations of a limelight-seeking judge and adds that it is "(f)ar from a tedious legal deconstruction."

Polanski claimed his relationship with the media went downhill after the murder of his 8-month pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, by followers of Charles Manson. The American press was already leery of him because of the films he made such as Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby.

Check out this interview in Filmmaker with co-writer/co-director Marina Zenovich wherein she talks about the difficulty of getting solid answers from interviewees.

I do not subscribe to HBO, so let me know if you like/loathe the film.

Paula Uruburu Talks American Eve on Leonard Lopate Show

2008-06-06T20:34:00.005-05:00

Be sure to listen to the interview below with Hofstra professor and true crime author Paula Uruburu on yesterday's edition of The Leonard Lopate Show.

Uruburu discusses her debut book, American Eve: Evelyn Nesbit, Stanford White, the Birth of the "It" Girl and the Crime of the Century.

Uruburu has garnered tons of press and nearly as many accolades for her work. It is always a wonderful thing when true crime gets the notice it deserves.

You can order American Eve here:

Amazon Goes Down...Pure Murder Goes Up...to #3!

2008-06-06T15:44:00.007-05:00

If you are a lover of books like me, then you were surprised today to see Amazon.com go down for nearly two hours today. The potential lost revenue is staggering.

A pleasant surprise, however, upon its return. My newest book, Pure Murder, was tagged with a new Category of "Rape" and has already hit #3 on the Bestseller list just three days after the official release.

I am in heady company just behind my friend and fellow In Cold Blogger Ron Franscell and The Lovely Bones author Alice Sebold and her personal memoir of rape.

This is the second time one of my books has placed at or near the top of the "Rape" chart. My 2003 book, Dead and Buried, topped out at Number 1 in this category.

You can purchase Pure Murder below:

Yet Another Horror Director Takes on True Crime: Stuart Gordon and Stuck

2008-06-06T08:35:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, I wrote about famed horror director Brian DePalma signing on to direct The Boston Stranglers. Today, it's the inimitable Stuart Gordon with the release of his latest film, Stuck.

Gordon, the director of such horror classics as Re-Animator and From Beyond, tries his hand at telling a most unusual true crime tale. It is a re-working of the 2001 hit-and-run murder of a homeless man, Gregory Biggs, committed by Chante Mallard in Fort Worth, Texas.

What made the story headline-worthy was that Mallard, a nurse, ran into Biggs who got stuck in her windshield. She then went home, parked her car in her garage, and left Biggs to die stuck in her windshield. Hence the title of the new film.

Interestingly, Mallard is black and Biggs was white. In the movie, however, they are portrayed by two white actors, Mena Suvari (American Beauty) and Stephen Rea (The Crying Game). Nothing against Suvari, but I would have much preferred seeing a larger black woman, say Niecy Nash (Reno 911), play the role of the murderer. Also, the potential for racial tension would probably make this film even more intense.

Regardless, several publications are singing the praises of this film including the San Francisco Gate which called the film "chilling" and admired its dark humor.

I nominated Stuck for Best True Crime Film of 2007 over at In Cold Blog earlier this year. The film was originally seen at numerous film festivals last year and is only now seeing a wider release -- okay, well, it's showing on two screens total.

Check out the trailer for Stuck below:

Brian DePalma to Direct The Boston Stranglers

2008-06-05T08:39:00.007-05:00

According to The Hollywood Reporter, one of my favorite horror directors, Brian DePalma, has signed on to direct The Boston Stranglers, based on the true crime book The Boston Stranglers: The Public Conviction of Albert DeSalvo and the True Story of Eleven Shocking Murders by Susan Kelly.

DePalma has delved into the world of true crime before, successfully with The Untouchables, about Eliot Ness and Al Capone, and less successfully with the recent film The Black Dahlia. He is currently working on a sequel to the former entitled The Untouchables: Capone Rising.

I have not read Kelly's book, but I believe the main gist of it was that Albert DeSalvo was not the only person killing people that were later attributed to him.

Let's hope DePalma can get back to his quality filmmaking days of films such as Carrie, Dressed to Kill, and Sisters.

You can purchase Susan Kelly's book below:

Counterterrorism Expert Fred Burton on The Leonard Lopate Show

2008-06-04T20:38:00.005-05:00

Be sure to listen to this interesting 30-minute discussion with former Diplomatic Security Service member Fred Burton as he speaks about his new book, Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent, on my favorite literary radio program, The Leonard Lopate Show.

-You can read Chapter 1 of Ghost and view an interview with Burton here and read Chapter 2 here.

Be sure to purchase the book as well:

Corey Mitchell's Virtual Book Tour for Pure Murder Kicks Off Tomorrow

2008-06-02T22:09:00.003-05:00

Corey Mitchell's Pure Murder Virtual Book Tour:

June 3 - In Cold Blog
June 4 - The Criminal Report Daily at Investigation Discovery
June 5 - True Crime Blogroll on Myspace
June 6 - MetalSucks
June 8 - Chillville
June 9 - Crime Rant
June 12 - Aphrodite Jones
June 13 - Dark Delicacies
June 14 - Corey Mitchell's True Crime Book Updates
June 15 - Bonnie's Blog of Crime
June 16 - Blood of the Scribe
June 17 - The Murder Book 2008
June 18 - CLEWS
June 19 - National Lampoon
June 20 - Corey Mitchell's MySpace

To order Pure Murder, please click below:

New Book on Chris Benoit Details Trials of Wrestling and Family Murder

2008-06-02T07:33:00.003-05:00

I stumbled across a book review posted in Wrestling Observor about the steroid-ridden wrestler Chris Benoit, who slaughtered his family nearly one year ago.

Reviewer Jonathon Snowden calls the book, Ring of Hell, written by Matthew Randazzo V, "an amazing story, well-told, and an honest look inside a brutal and backwards business."

The book covers Benoit's rise up through the pulverizing ranks of the wrestling industry to the level of superstar. It also discusses Benoit's steroid use, Napoleonic complex, and eventual familicide.

To learn more about the author, visit his website.

To purchase Ring of Hell, please order below.

In Cold Blogger Ron Franscell Awarded Gold Medal in True Crime

2008-06-01T09:03:00.004-05:00

Author Ron Franscell was awarded the Gold Medal in True Crime for his atmospheric 2007 true-crime Fall: The Rape and Murder of Innocence in a Small Town (New Horizon Press) during the Independent Publishers Book Awards in Los Angeles Friday night.

Fall is part true crime, part memoir about the monstrous 1973 abduction, rape and murder of two of the author's childhood friends in the small town where they lived, and it examines why the crime remains an open wound there 35 years later. Departing from the genre's usual reportorial style, Fall was hailed by true-crime legend Ann Rule, Helter Skelter author Vincent Bugliosi, and media critics as a direct literary descendant of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood.

St. Martin's recently released the paperback edition of Fall under the new title, The Darkest Night. The paperback has been in the Top 10 True Crime books at Amazon.com since it was published in March.

"This book, exploring the lives and horrid deaths of two friends, was difficult to write," Franscell, a veteran journalist, said after thee awards were announced. "But somewhere in their tragic stories is a beacon for the new world we occupy. From a very dark night, some light. This award belongs to them."

The Silver Medal was awarded to The Case Against Lucky Luciano, by Ellen Poulsen (Clinton Cook Publishing) and Black Gangsters of Chicago, by Ron Chepesiuk (Barricade Books).

The Bronze went to The Murder of Mary Bean and Other Stories, by Elizabeth A. De Wolfe (Kent State University Press) and Hunting the American Terrorist, by Terry Turchie and Kathleen Puckett (History Publishing Co.)

IPPY is the colloquial name given to the Independent Publishers Book Awards. This year's contest attracted 3,175 total entries, with over 2,500 entries in the national categories and over 600 entries in the regional competition.

Fall was also awarded a Gold Medal in the True Crime category at Foreword Magazine.

Congratulations to my friend, Ron. It is well deserved!

Seattle Int'l Film Festival: A Veritable Cornucopia of True Crime

2008-05-22T20:39:00.003-05:00

I would have to say, hands down, that the 2008 Seattle International Film Festival, which opens today, is the best festival for true crime features so far this year.

The amount of quality true crime documentaries, full-length features, and shorts that somehow encompass the world of true crime is outstanding and make all other film festivals pale in comparison.

Please do yourself a favor and visit the festival's website for more detailed descriptions, trailers, websites, and more.

Here are the true crime-based films I was able to glean from the extensive list of films:

DOCUMENTARIES

Alone in Four Walls

Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go

If a Body Meet a Body

Kick Me

Making the River

Mr. Big

Sunday at Five

The End

The Last Word

They Killed Sister Dorothy

Tulia, Texas

FEATURE FILMS

Savage Grace

The Wave

Please let me know if you are able to catch one of these intriguing films.

2008-05-21T19:10:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I don't subscribe to satellite radio. I have no grand reason for not doing so. I don't feel, however, as if I have missed out on anything -- that is, until today.

It seems as if this Bob Edwards guy is very good to authors on his show entitled, The Bob Edwards Show, natch.

Bob's guests today would definitely appeal to many true crime readers as well as death penalty case followers. I've cribbed the descriptions of today's show from Bob's site.

Unfortunately, there are no embeddable podcasts like my favorite show, The Leonard Lopate Show, but, you can't have everything in life.

The Bob Edwards Show
Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Since the death penalty was re-instated in 1976, only 11 women have been executed. Mary Atwell is a professor of criminal justice at Radford University. In her book, Wretched Sisters: Examining Gender and Capital Punishment, Atwell examines the stories of the 11 condemned women and what they reveal about how the death penalty is applied in this country.

Then, for fifteen years, Carroll Pickett served as the death house chaplain for the prison in Huntsville, Texas. Over that time, Pickett witnessed 95 executions, staying with the condemned inmate from cell block to grave. After each execution, Pickett made an audio tape recording his trip to the death chamber. Pickett's story is told in a new documentary called At the Death House Door. Bob talks with Pickett and with the film’s directors Steve James and Peter Gilbert.

You can purchase Mary Atwell's book below:

New Vincent Bugliosi Book Seeks to Convict George Bush for Murder

2008-05-20T17:16:00.005-05:00

Successful true crime author and Charles Manson prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi's newest book is the unambiguously titled The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder. Bugliosi claims to have laid out the blueprint for prosecutors in every state in the union to successfully prosecute the President for war crimes in Iraq.

For excerpts from the book, streaming audio, and more, please visit here.

Check out Bugliosi's video describing the book and the basis of his underlying argument against Bush:

Bugliosi's new book will be released on May 26. You can pre-order it below:

At the Death House Door Doc to Air on IFC May 29

2008-05-20T08:58:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone. Sorry for the disappearing act. I just finished the first 100 pages of my next book and have been swamped. I promise BOTS will be back in action full-time from here on out.

Be sure to tune in to IFC next Thursday (5/29) to catch the powerful anti-death penalty documentary At the Death House Door. Co-directed by Hoop Dreams documentarian Steve James, ATDHD tells the story of Pastor Carroll Pickett, the former death row chaplain in the Huntsville, Texas Walls unit. Pickett made audio recordings of his impressions after each execution he oversaw, some of which are included in the doc.

You can also view a trailer and seven clips here.

ATDHD seems to be a visual representation of Pickett's book, Within These Walls: Memoirs of a Death House Chaplain, co-written with my former In Cold Blogger Carlton Stowers. You can order the book here:

Interview with Corey Mitchell on Outlaw Radio Today at 2:00 PM (PST)

2008-05-17T06:57:00.000-05:00

Please join me today at 2:00 p.m. (PST) on Outlaw Radio when I will be interviewed by my fellow true crime author and In Cold Blogger Burl Barer.

We will be mainly talking about the upcoming release of my new book, Pure Murder. Tune in because Burl is hilarious and will keep you highly entertained.

To hear the program, simply click on LISTEN LIVE at Outlaw Radio.

PURE MURDER Audio Preview : Chapter 9 : Jose "Joe" Medellin

2008-05-11T09:07:00.001-05:00

***by Corey Mitchell***

Be sure to tune in later today (1:00 p.m. CST) to hear more from my upcoming book, Pure Murder, on BlogTalkRadio here. There will be a chat room and I will be accepting calls at 646.915.8044.

With last week's developments in regard to killer Jose "Joe" Medellin (pictured left), I will skip forward to Chapter 9 and read about his life.

For my Spanish readers, here is an interview with me on the case that appeared in Mexico media last week. If anyone can translate, I would be grateful for an English version.

I also have advance copies of Pure Murder and will be giving away three signed copies on air.

Hear the show:

Order the book:

Lindsay Lohan Dumped by Charles Manson

2008-05-09T18:03:00.004-05:00

According to Nikke Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily, actress Lindsay Lohan has been unsummarily dumped from the upcoming production of The Manson Girls.

I first reported about Lohan's involvement with this low-budget true crime flick back in March. Apparently, the dark cloud that has circled Ms. Lohan throughout 2008 has been too much to bear and other name actors are not willing to sign up to join the cast. As a result, she got the axe.

No word on who will take over her role of Nancy Pittman, one of Charles Manson's followers.

San Francisco Publisher Picks Up Rights to Mumia Abu-Jamal's Next Book

2008-05-08T13:21:00.004-05:00

Sorry it's been quiet around here the past few days. I have been dealing with press in regard to Jose Medellin's execution date having been set this past Monday. I am also working on my next book about Bart Whitaker so I have been a little swamped.

Now, on to the BOTS.

According to Publisher's Weekly, City Lights, known for its political titles, has acquired the rights to Mumia Abu-Jamal's next book, Jailhouse Lawyers: Prisoners Defending Prisoners v. the U.S.A. The book is scheduled for release in the United Kingdom in February 2009. You can pre-order it below.

For recent developments in the Abu-Jamal case, check BOTS here.

Pure Murder Killer Jose Medellin Set to Die August 5

2008-05-05T17:48:00.009-05:00

In my opinion, the most brutal and ruthless killer in my new book, Pure Murder, was Joe Medellin.

He, along with five other boys, including his 14-year-old brother, Venancio, abducted, raped and tortured, beat, crushed, and strangled two teenage girls to their deaths in Houston, Texas back in 1993.

Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16, were heading home to beat their curfew when they took a shortcut through T.C. Jester Park. They stumbled across the Medellins, Sean O'Brien, Peter Cantu, Raul Villarreal, and Efrain Perez, Jr.

When the boys finished with the girls they left their bodies out in the woods to rot in the Houston summer heat for four days.

Miraculously, the story after the murders is just as incredible. Multiple death penalties, fights outside the courtrooms, overturning of death penalties, illegal immigration issues, delayed executions, and cases heard before the Supreme Court of the United States have all taken place in the nearly fifteen years since Jennifer and Elizabeth's deaths.

Well, the case just got even weirder today.

Medellin, whose request to be removed from death row due to the Houston police department's failure to notify the Mexican consulate upon his arrest, had his argument rejected by SCOTUS this past March. Soon thereafter, the court also decided that death by lethal injection is not cruel and unusual punishment, thus, lifting the temporary nationwide moratorium on executions. Subsequently, the Texas court system wasted little time today in pronouncing Medellin's execution date for August 5.

Andy Kahan, the City of Houston's Crime Victims' Advocate, called me to let me know that the scene at Judge Caprice Cosper's courtroom was beyond absurd. He was there to support the fathers of the girls, Randy Ertman and Adolph Pena.

The three men were stunned that the equivalent of an American football team was seated next to Medellin at the defense table. In addition to Medellin's three personal attorneys, the country of Mexico had seven representatives there on his behalf as well.

But what is even more bizarre was the extra person at the table.

William "Billy" Hayes, better known as the Midnight Express guy -- you know, the one who got busted leaving Turkey with drugs who was captured, sent to a Turkish prison as an example, and repeatedly tortured -- sat near Medellin in support.

Thankfully, Judge Cosper refused to let Hayes testify on behalf of Medellin.

Just another bizarre event in one of the most unusual and tragic cases in American history.

Pure Murder will be available everywhere on June 3. Be sure to pre-order it below:

PURE MURDER Audio Preview : Chapter 3 : Raul Villarreal

2008-05-05T15:40:00.007-05:00

Please be sure to tune in at BlogTalkRadio to hear Chapter 3 of my upcoming book, Pure Murder. I read about one of the killers, Raul Villarreal (pictured left), and dissect his life and how it was very different from the stereotypical version of a murderer. I also talk about the benefits and drawbacks of interviewing killers.

You can pre-order Pure Murder below:

True Crime in the New York Times: New Book Says Mumia Abu-Jamal is Innocent

2008-05-03T10:44:00.005-05:00

A new book, The Framing of Mumia Abu-Jamal by J. Patrick O’Connor, garnered some ink in yesterday's New York Times with its assertion that Mumia Abu-Jamal did not murder police officer Daniel Faulkner back in 1982. O'Connor pins the murder on the hands of another dead man, Abu-Jamal's brother's business partner, Kenneth Freeman.

Abu-Jamal's alleged innocence has been a cause celebre for the entire twenty-five years he has been on Pennsylvania's death row. According to O'Connor, “Abu-Jamal’s trial was a monumental miscarriage of justice representing an extreme case of prosecutorial abuse and judicial bias.”

The Philly DA's office states that the allegations against Freeman are unfounded and that they prosecuted the correct man.

The Framing of Mumia Abu-Jamal was released on May 1.

Feel free to purchase O'Connor's book below:

Vincent Bugliosi's Reclaiming History Claims Best True Crime Edgar Award

2008-05-02T10:56:00.006-05:00

In what should come as no surprise, Vincent Bugliosi's 1,600 page tome Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy was selected as the winner of the 2007 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime book.

Check out the list of winners (mainly mystery authors) at Publisher's Weekly here. Last night's event was hosted by DEA producer Al Roker.

Congratulations to Mr. Bugliosi. I was honored to have my book, Strangler, shortlisted for the award as well. It was especially gratifying because I blame Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry's Helter Skelter for corrupting me at age nine and sending down the path of true crime writing.

Now, if we can convince the Mystery Writers of America to change the category to Best True Crime book, everyone would be happy.

You can purchase Reclaiming History directly below:

Former Madonna Lover was a Murderer: Unmade Men Will Tell Story

2008-05-02T08:18:00.006-05:00

FOX News recently reported that a true crime film based on a past relationship of Madonna's will begin filming this fall.

If you can get past the incredibly ridiculous and biased Foxisms in the article, you will learn that a film entitled Unmade Men will focus on Chris Paciello, a one-time boyfriend of Madonna's, who turned out to be a murderer and an associate of the Bonanno crime family.

Police Officer/True Crime Author Vince Felber Investigated Over Book

2008-04-29T06:52:00.006-05:00

According to yesterday's Akron Beacon Journal, Akron detective Vince Felber (pictured left) has been reassigned to desk duty while he is subjected to an internal affairs investigation for his co-authorship (with Keith Elliot Greenberg) of a new true crime book, Perfect Beauty.

Felber was lead detective on the homicide case of Jeff Zack, a Stow, Ohio, businessman. According to reporter Phil Trexler, Perfect Beauty is about Zack's murder and "the subsequent arrests of his lover, Cynthia George, and her other lover, John Zaffino."

Be sure and read Trexler's article as it sounds like Felber upset a lot of his co-workers in the police department.

You can order Perfect Beauty below:

Uptight Ninny Brigade Alert! The End of the World Begins Today...

2008-04-29T06:35:00.004-05:00

How long before the so-called "professionals" start crying that GTA:IV causes people to kill?

Wake up.

True Crime Author Lisa Wilson Runs for District Council Seat in Alvin, Texas

2008-04-28T07:44:00.004-05:00

My friend and fellow true crime author, Lisa Wilson (pictured left), is running for the Alvin, Texas, District D town council seat. Election day is May 10.

Wilson, a rape victim who penned the true crime account of her story in Don't Just Sit There, has sat on the town council before. This time she is running on a platform specific to the town of Alvin that focuses on mobile home ordinances. She hopes to clarify the language of the ordinances and give mobile home residents the same opportunities as traditional homeowners.

To learn more about Lisa and her ordeal, please visit her MySpace page.

You can order her book, Don't Just Sit There, below:

Part Time True Crime Authors Joseph Wambaugh and Michael Connelly Crack Wise

2008-04-28T07:11:00.008-05:00

Check out this short article in Saturday's Los Angeles Times with TC part-timers Joseph Wambaugh and Michael Connelly. The two took part in a panel at this year's L.A. Times Festival of Books talking about, what else, writing crime.

Though their discussion centered more on the mystery genre, Wambaugh tosses in a few bits of advice that are applicable to TC writing such as, "The best crime stories are not about how cops work on cases but about how cases work on cops," and "I've never written about flamboyant criminal masterminds. I write about lowlifes. But sometimes a lowlife can commit a big crime."

Also, Wambaugh comes across as one funny man in the piece.

A side note - I met my mentor and good friend, Dennis McDougal, at the L.A. Times Festival of Books back in 1999, and I have nothing but great memories of the annual event.

PURE MURDER Audio Preview : Chapter 2 : Elizabeth Pena

2008-04-27T16:26:00.008-05:00

Please tune in to BlogTalkRadio below and listen as I read Chapter 2 from my upcoming book, Pure Murder.

Chapter 2 covers the brief life of 16-year-old victim, Elizabeth Pena (pictured left). I talk about how Elizabeth, while a sweet girl, had her share of flaws and how it actually humanizes her even more and makes the reader empathize with her on a more personal level.

One Minute to Nine - Powerful Documentary Chronicles Wendy Maldonado Murder of Abusive Husband

2008-04-25T15:52:00.016-05:00

Please note that any reviews on Blood of the Scribe contain potential spoilers. Read at your own risk!

Tommy Davis's brilliant documentary One Minute to Nine lays out the case of Wendy Maldonado, 35, a mother of four boys, who murdered her husband of nearly twenty years, Aaron, 36, on May 1, 2005.

One Minute's first minute wastes no time in setting up a sense of uneasiness that permeates throughout the film. Seemingly innocuous home video footage of young boys sledding in the snow, juxtaposed with an eerily dark ambient piano-based soundtrack set the mood for an unusual trip ahead. The capper is a split-second shot of a man, presumably the boys' father, who glares into the camera lens almost as if he is looking directly through the person shooting the video.

From there, the film shifts to a leisurely paced discussion with an attractive, yet tired looking, Wendy Maldonado. At first, the viewer is unaware of her significance. Her purpose is not immediately thrust into the viewers' laps. Instead, Davis allows us to get to know who this young, pretty, likable woman is and warm up to her instantly.

This is followed by several of her family members, including three of her four boys and her mother. The whole family seems very loving toward one another. However, an undercurrent of tension is faintly apparent. Eventually, it is revealed that Wendy has murdered her abusive husband, Aaron, and it is only a matter of days before she is to be sent off to prison for ten years. She and her family are getting their affairs in order and Wendy is able to reveal the horror of what happened behind the walls of their Grants Pass, Oregon home.

Aaron Maldonado apparently was a video hound. He loved to shoot footage of his young lovely young bride and their playful teen courtship. This was followed by a teenage marriage and a pregnancy. The couple gave birth to a girl who, unfortunately, passed away after only nine days. Despite this early tragedy, the couple forged onward and had four more children, all boys. Photos of a very pregnant Wendy, baring twins, revealed the couple to be happy and in love.

According to Wendy, however, Aaron began to change. As the boys grew up, he used to pick on them quite a bit. He also became more stern with Wendy and had developed a quick temper. He also started to seem to be losing it quite a bit. Aaron professed to his wife that he dreamt of becoming a serial killer, one on par with the Ed Geins and Charles Ings of the world. He wanted to capture his prey, seclude them in a basement and torture them for as "long as it took for them to die." He then proclaimed he wanted to skin their bodies and consume their flesh.

Despite these glaring warning signs, Wendy stuck around.

Aaron's teasing of the children began to escalate, especially in regard to their oldest son, Randy, whom he began to smack around. He started beating Wendy, too. He allegedly bruised her repeatedly and even knocked out several of her teeth with his fists.

Some of the most disturbing portions of One Minute to Nine are culled from the family video footage during this time frame. A few pops to the head of his kids begins the transformation. One shot of him teaching one of his little boys, probably no more than two or three years old, how to shoot a shotgun is devastating. Finally, Aaron's desecration of a dead baby deer, illustrated with a flying kick to the head of the dead animal, and then the latter supping of its blood from its eviscerated belly, are mortifying.

Again, despite the ever-escalating warning signs, Wendy Maldonado chose to stick by Aaron's side.

One of the most harrowing scenes involves Wendy's 911 call after she murdered her husband. The fear in her voice is palpable as she believes he will rise from the dead, bashed-in head and all, and somehow manage to finally kill her and her four boys. Truly frightening and gripping material, eerily illustrated with photos of the Maldonado house and crime scene.

Throughout the first 2/3 of the film, Davis pulls a nice red herring in regard to the oldest son, Randy. References are made to him in the past tense, as if he may be dead, possibly at the hands of Aaron.

It is the reveal that Randy actually helped kill his father, however, where I lost a little bit of sympathy for Wendy Maldonado. I know the appropriate thing to say in regard to domestic abuse cases is that the abuser created an environment in which the abused feels he or she is unable to escape. Indeed, Wendy claimed that Aaron threatened her with death if she ever told the police about his misdeeds. He supposedly even threatened her that if she ever took off, he would go after her family members and kill them one by one until he found her.

For me personally, I have a very difficult time understanding how she would allow her son to participate in the brutal killing of his father, regardless of what he had done to her and the boys. I understand that there are serious problems with law enforcement in regard to domestic violence and that the authorities are not always reliable, as is evidenced in the movie, but I still have a hard time reconciling the fact that she would allow her son to participate in the murder.

That does not, however, detract from the brilliance of the filmmaking on display. It is, rather, a testament to Davis' skill that he can wring so many disparate emotions out of his viewers.

Indeed, by the end of the film, you have to ask yourself if justice has been properly served? Did her son deserve more than just six years for his part in the crime? Should Wendy be locked away for more than the 10 years she was sentenced to? Or, were they both wrongfully convicted? Should there be an expansion of the self-defense laws as posited by the judge who sympathized with her plight?

These are but a few of the powerful questions raised by Tommy Davis' excellent documentary, One Minute to Nine. Thankfully, the film allows the viewer to make up his or her own mind.

The only complaints I have about this documentary are a lack of photographic evidence of Wendy or any of the boys after the beatings Aaron inflicted upon them, excluding a couple of Wendy's bruises from the night of the murder. Also, a few interviews with some members of Aaron's side of the family, to see if they would have painted a different picture of the man, might have fleshed things out for me. Of course, these are my true crime book writing instincts coming into play and my desire to know as much as I can about a case. I do not believe it was Davis's objective to tell a familiar true-crime case, and I believe the off-the-beaten path style works.

Kudos to Mr. Davis for making an excellent, powerful, thought-provoking film.

To learn more about One Minute to Live, please visit here.

To learn more about filmmaker Tommy Davis, please visit here.

Uptight Ninny Brigade Alert! The End of the World is Near! Only 5 Days Until GTA IV!

2008-04-24T19:59:00.004-05:00

The Uptight Ninny Brigade must be holding their collective breathe -- the evil demon scourge, better known as Grand Theft Auto, comes out with a new version in only five days.

Yes, expect school shootings to increase, carmageddon to erupt, and a general hatred of parents everywhere to skyrocket through the roof with the release of Grand Theft Auto IV on April 29.

Or, realistically, expect kids (and adults) to spend more than 100 hours locked up inside having a blast playing a game of FICTION.

Of course the UNB, along with Presidential election year grandstanders, will be drooling like rabid maniacs next Tuesday.

I can't wait.

You can purchase Grand Theft Auto IV on PS3 directly below:

Gregg Olsen Talks True Crime & Dachsunds

2008-04-23T22:00:00.007-05:00

Be sure to pop over to the American Chronicle and read an interview with my friend and fellow true crime author Gregg Olsen as conducted by Christopher L. Vaughan.

Check out Gregg's takes on writing, haunted houses, and true crime blogging. Always an entertaining read.

Be sure to buy Gregg's latest novel, A Cold Dark Place.

Interview with Corey Mitchell on Sarcastic Crime

2008-04-22T20:19:00.007-05:00

Last night, I had the distinct pleasure of chatting with the lovely and intelligent Shannon Dingee-Kramer, the host of Sarcastic Crime, on BlogTalkRadio.

We spoke about everything from my time in the music business, my years in law school, how I started my career as a writer, networking, the pitfalls and epiphanies of publishing, my books, blogs, and my upcoming book, Pure Murder.

This interview is chock full of goodness, so I hope you can set aside a couple of hours in your hectic schedule and give it a listen.

Also, please support Shannon, not only by listening to Sarcastic Crime, but also by learning more about her Missing You Foundation, which assists law enforcement agencies and families in locating missing persons. Also check here.

Interview with Sarcastic Crime Tonight at 9:00 p.m. (EST)

2008-04-21T15:07:00.003-05:00

I am looking forward to chatting with Shannon Dingee-Kramer (pictured left) of Sarcastic Crime tonight on BlogTalkRadio at 9:00 p.m. (EST). We will be talking about my upcoming book, Pure Murder, my career as a true crime writer, my various true crime blogs, and more.

Be sure to tune in tonight and feel free to call in at (646) 716-9803 to ask me questions. The show will be two hours long so there should be plenty of time for us to chew the fat.

Uptight Ninny Brigade Alert! Comic Books are Evil (and on the Radio)

2008-04-21T14:43:00.004-05:00

You may recall my recent post on David Hadju and his excellent new book, The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How it Changed America.

Be sure to check out this interview from earlier today that took place on my favorite new talk radio show, The Leonard Lopate Show.

Leonard is not in today, but he had an able back-up asking Hajdu questions about the hysteria behind comic books and how the Uptight Ninny Brigade (UNB) attempted to blame comic books with everything from illiteracy to juvenile delinquency to mass murder. And how they were wrong!

Just like today's UNB.

You can purchase The Ten-Cent Plague directly below:

Also, you can visit David Hajdu's website for more information on the author and his books.

Pure Murder on BlogTalkRadio: Part I of VII

2008-04-20T17:35:00.003-05:00

For those of you who tuned in today at 3:00 p.m. to listen to me read from my upcoming book, Pure Murder, I apologize -- life with a 2-year-old is simply a whiplash existence. I was forced to move my show up two hours earlier, but I believed it worked out for the best. I was able to tweak some problems I had with the music beds and also figure out the switch- and dashboards.

If you missed it, however, do not fret. You can hear the entire vainglorious debut of Pure Murder on BlogTalkRadio directly below.

I read the Prologue and Chapter 1 from the book and talked about how I placed the reader directly into the action, the Pulp Fiction fractured story-telling style used to throw the reader off guard, and how one of the parents of the victims did not want to talk with me for months. I also looked into the life of one of the victims, Jennifer Ertman (pictured above).

This is in preparation for the release of Pure Murder, which hits bookstores everywhere on June 3. I will be reading for six more weeks leading up to the release date. My scheduled airtimes will be each Sunday at 1:00 (CST).

You can pre-order Pure Murder here:

Exploding Talking Heads: Meredith Kercher, Amanda Knox and Worthless "Professionals"

2008-04-19T16:07:00.005-05:00

It's interesting to find out that America is not the only country with an excess of blowhard, so-called crime "experts" who whore themselves out to every television show, just to get their mug on-screen and to spout off nonsensical or painfully obvious observations.

Tim Teeman of the British Times Online writes a sharp piece skewering the media and its coverage of the Meredith Kercher (pictured left)murder.

Those receiving the majority of Teeman's wrath are a program called Cutting Edge, which he derides with, "All this hyperbole about hyperbole came furnished with a soundtrack better suited to a Hammer [classic British horror film studio] film," and "a famous Italian crime journalist [they hired] to wander the streets of Perugia, unhelpfully noting that nothing could be proved or deduced."

Sounds like so many of our country's so-called "professionals" or "experts" who toss out their gas-baggery for the whole world to swallow, regardless of credentials, experience, and truthfulness.

Always be skeptical of the so-called "true crime experts" you see on television.

Self-Published True Crime Book on Davina Buff Jones Case Stirs the Pot

2008-04-19T09:50:00.005-05:00

Whenever my interest is piqued, I like to throw the spotlight on a new author, an unusual case, or a self-published book that deserves more attention. I recently stumbled across the fascinating story of police officer Davina "Dee" Buff Jones (pictured left) and wanted to share some of the sites and information with you.

Apparently, ten years ago, Officer Jones was making the rounds at Bald Head Island off the coast of North Carolina. The following morning, her body was found with a bullet hole through her head. For whatever reason, the authorities decided that Jones had staged a fake crime scene and had, in fact, committed suicide.

Jones' family denied the suicide allegations and insisted that someone had murdered their daughter. Indeed, they were able to get their hands on audio and transcripts for that night when it appeared as if Jones was confronted by three people including one person brandishing a gun.

People close to Jones have developed a website to lay out their version of what they believed happened to the 33-year-old officer.

A self-published book, Out With Three: The Murder and Betrayal of Bald Head Island Police Officer Davina Buff Jones, has been written by Elaine Buff, Dee's sister. You can purchase the book below.

Finally, the creators of the website seem to fear that something may befell them for getting the word out on Jones' alleged murder as they left this cryptic warning at the bottom of the homepage: "If anything happens to any of us hosting this site, or identified with the book, no matter how accidental it looks, we will have our proof that Dee did not commit suicide."

Here is an excellent video on the unsolved mystery of Davina Buff Jones:

Elaine Buff's AmazonConnect blog

Out with Three Blog

Makers of Underbelly Tackle Terrorism with False Witness

2008-04-17T13:07:00.006-05:00

The Australian true crime series, Underbelly (cast featured at left), which I wrote about in BOTS this past February, turned out to be a major hit Down Under. The true story of Carl Williams and Australian mafioso was a major ratings hit and has spurred its creators on to try their hand in the true crime world again.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a new two-part miniseries, False Witness, has been commissioned by Nine network and will be be produced by the Underbelly team, a production company called Screentime. Not much information has been released about False Witness other than it is based on fact and it involves international terrorism.

Now, if I could actually get to see Underbelly I would be a happy man.

Canadian Jerry Prager Upsets Townsfolk with New True Crime Book

2008-04-16T17:24:00.004-05:00

I came across an interesting article on the Guelph Mercury website about Ontario true crime author Jerry Prager (pictured left) who recently self-published the second chapter in his true crime trilogy, Legends of the Morgeti.

The website noted that Prager's second book in the series "relates to crime connections, between 1922 and 1950, in Guelph's immigrant population from the village of San Giorgio Morgeto in southern Italy, where powerful criminals known as the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta operated."

On Prager's blog, he received a comment from a reader who not happy about his books. The comment was in response to the author's announcement of the booksigning and said:
That's great. I'll be there. You son-of-a-bitch. "Maybe he deserved to die, you'd almost have to hope so." Who the hell asked you for your opinion? I'm looking forward to this. You??? See you on Saturday.
Kenneth Keating
Grandson of Sam and Concetta Sorbara

Apparently, Prager's signing went off without incident.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Prager's books, you'd better hurry. He only printed up 635 copies of Volume 1, of which only twenty remain. He only printed up 300 copies of Volume 2.

You can buy the books directly from Jerry Prager here.

Good luck with your book, Mr. Prager. We here at BOTS always support new authors and ones taking risks to spread the truth. Keep up the good work.

McMafia Author Misha Glenny On the Leonard Lopate Show

2008-04-16T15:21:00.006-05:00

McMafia author Misha Glenny was interviewed today on what is fast becoming my favorite radio talk show, The Leonard Lopate Show, on WNYC. I wrote about Glenny and McMafia this past Monday here.

Feel free to listen to the interview.

You can purchase McMafia below:

Paul Lonardo Tries His Hand at True Crime Writing

2008-04-15T05:40:00.005-05:00

I had the pleasure of meeting Paul Lonardo way back in October 2001, at my very first book signing which took place at the world's greatest horror book store, Dark Delicacies in Burbank, California. I have been a lifelong fan of any and everything horror and loved hanging out at Del and Sue Howison's incredible store. It was an honor for me to be able to schedule my first public appearance for my debut book, Hollywood Death Scenes, at Dark Delicacies.

Since I was a first-timer I was booked together with several other new authors. It was a great experience to sign books, meet Hollywood horror types like Mick Garris (The Stand, Masters of Horror) and Daniel Roebuck (River's Edge), and to meet other new authors on the scene. One of those new writers was a man about my age named Paul Lonardo.

Paul and his-then fiancee sat next to me and my late first wife, Lisa, and chatted about writing in between signing books. Paul had written his first full-length horror novel, The Apostate, and had come all the way from Rhode Island to promote it (such is the drawing power of Dark Delicacies). I found him quite affable and promised to keep in touch. Unfortunately, the unexpected death of my wife less than six months later kept me from keeping in touch with hardly anyone and I lost contact with Paul.

Much to my pleasant surprise this morning, I came across this news feature in the Wicked Local Lakeville (Massachusetts) about my former signing pal, Paul Lonardo. What makes it even more exciting is that he has now joined our world of true crime.

Paul's first true crime effort, Thrill Killers, has recently been released by New Horizon Press. According to the article, it is the story of the "brutal murders of two innocent college students - Lakeville resident Jason Burgeson and his friend Amy Shute" by five punks who had no reason to kill other than to experience the "thrill" of murder.

Paul will be appearing at the Lakeville Library on May 29 from 6-8pm and has several other appearances lined up. Be sure to check out Paul's website to learn more about the man, the perils of publishing, and the case that inspired Thrill Killers.

I wish you the best of luck, Paul. Hopefully, we will meet again.

Please feel free to order Paul's book below:

Edgar Winning True Crime Author Burl Barer Joins In Cold Blog

2008-04-14T13:31:00.005-05:00

Michelle Gray, the new editor over at In Cold Blog, was eager to announce to me that Edgar-winning true crime author Burl Barer (pictured left) has joined the award-winning true crime blog.

Barer is the author of several true crime books including Headlock, Broken Doll, and Body Count. He is also the host of a one-hour weekly show every Saturday on the Outlaw Radio Network.

Barer has a wicked sense of humor and an avid appreciation of the dark side. In other words, he is a perfect fit for ICB.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for Burl's first post at ICB and say "hello."

Burl Barer's website

You can order one of Burl Barer's greatest books below:

McMafia Gets Rave Review (and Scares the Hell out of Me)

2008-04-14T05:59:00.004-05:00

Boy, what a way to wake up. I just finished reading an excellent review of a new organized crime book called McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld by Misha Glenny (pictured left) from Saturday's Globe and Mail.

Reviewer Julian Sher calls McMafia "grim" and "bleak" and a "powerful wake-up call." The book focuses on various organized crime syndicates from around the world that have sprung up since the so-called "War on Drugs," the rise of cyber crime (and how it is being ignored by authorities), and the sex slave trade.

It all sounds very frightening yet fascinating. Just not necessarily what I was in the mood for to start off my week...Scary stuff.

Feel free to order McMafia below. You can also watch a short interview with Misha Glenny.

20 Most Horrifying Hollywood Murders Sunday, April 13 @ 5:00pm

2008-04-12T19:53:00.008-05:00

Be sure to catch me tomorrow afternoon at 5:00p.m. (EST) on yet another rebroadcast of E!'s 20 Most Horrifying Hollywood Murders.

This two-hour special program first aired back in October 2006 and featured yours truly along with other top names in the industry such as Dr. Michael Baden, Aphrodite Jones, and defense attorney Robert Shapiro.

I appear in three segments: The Amityville Murders, Rebecca Schaeffer, and O.J. Simpson.

Here is the Amityville segment with me:

Thomas H. Cook is No "Snooty" Writer

2008-04-12T13:23:00.005-05:00

Here is an interesting interview with former true crime author/current mystery writer Thomas H. Cook (pictured left). The author of two true crime books, Early Graves (1990) and Blood Echoes (1992), Cook mainly focuses on crime fiction these days.

I enjoy his take on genre tags: "I think it can be snooty to define yourself as something other than a crime writer. I’ve written mainstream fiction. But essentially I write about people in crisis, and crime is usually what propels that crisis. So the label doesn’t bother me."

Cook also is not a fan of serial killers in fiction as he believes it is like "following a shark: the shark eats this and the shark eats that. It’s extremely boring." He does, however, enjoy true crime books about serial killers, with the Green River Killer of special note.

Caitlin Rother's Twisted Triangle Leaks Early

2008-04-11T11:47:00.003-05:00

I popped into a Barnes & Noble on the west side of San Antonio that I have not been to yet and did my usual perusal of the true crime book section. Lo and behold, more than one week before its promoted release date, I spied my fellow In Cold Blogger Caitlin Rother's brand new hardcover book, Twisted Triangle: A Famous Crime Writer, a Lesbian Love Affair, and the FBI Husband's Violent Revenge, gracing the shelves.

I look forward to cracking open the cover to Caitlin's newest tome. The story of a FBI couple mired in jealousy and violence should be an excellent beach read for those of you looking for something unique and entertaining this summer.

I have not known Caitlin for very long as she joined up with ICB only last December, however, I already know I am a big fan of her as a person and as an author. I also admire the fact that she is a strong woman who understands the nature of the true crime business and refuses to be a member of the Uptight Ninny Brigade.

Best of luck with Twisted Triangle, Caitlin. I know true crime readers (and more) will enjoy your latest!

Order Caitlin Rother's book below...

Bulgarian True Crime Writer Georgi Stoev Murdered

2008-04-10T13:18:00.005-05:00

Former Bulgarian mob member and successful true crime and fiction author Georgi Stoev was assassinated by two men in the streets of Sofia this past Monday, April 7. Stoev (pictured left) survived the attack, however, he later died in a hospital during brain surgery.

Stoev's niche was exposing Bulgarian underworld mob bosses in such works as BG Godfather (The True Story of Madzho), BG Godfather-2: the Marguin, Boyko and the others, and BG Godfather-3: Lyuben Gotsev - the Real Godfather.

Speculation has run rampant that Stoev was murdered as an act of revenge by someone exposed in one of his books.

According to The Sofia Echo, the country's prosecution is questioning "alleged crime bosses Mladen Mihalev, aka Madjo, as well as Krasimir Marinov and Nikolai Marinov, aka the Margin brothers, in relation to the murder of Georgi Stoev." The news outlet added, "Madjo and the Margin brothers were among the characters in Stoev’s books, that being the reason why they would be interrogated."

Uptight Ninny Brigade Alert! Comic Books are Evil

2008-04-09T20:28:00.005-05:00

Today's cable news networks and talk radio programs are littered with so-called professionals who harp on the ills of the entertainment industry.

If one were to only use these sources for their information, you would think every person who has ever watched a horror film, played a violent videogame, or listened to a death metal download would be drooling, sex-crazed, misogynistic murderers looking for their next kill.

Guess what? The Uptight Ninny Brigade has always been around spouting off their shallow, narrow-minded tripe and blaming everything under the sun on the entertainment industry. It is the last resort of clueless, unimaginative, finger-wagging do-gooders.

For further proof that the UNB is not a recent phenomenon, please read Jason A. Zwicker's excellent and insightful review of David Hadju's book, The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare and How it Changed America, in today's issue of the Charleston City Paper.

Comic book burnings were the norm in the 1950s. Churches condemned the four-panel as the work of Satan. And, no surprise, talking head pseudo-professionals lay the scourge of juvenile delinquency at the feet of the comic book industry.

Zwicker writes of one such bloviator, "Hajdu presents [Dr. Frederich] Wertham as building his own fame by attacking what was already widely popular, especially in youth culture, going for an easy tsk-tsk, ain’t-it-such-a-shame-about-kids-these-days knee-jerk reaction from his readers."

Sounds eerily familiar.

Be sure to read Zwicker's quality review and then pick up Hadju's book.

The only way to fight against the Uptight Ninny Brigade is to continue to educate yourself as to their smoke-and-mirror tactics and reading The Ten-Cent Plague is one way of doing so. It is also imperative that you learn to never back down from those who do not understand, nor accept, that which does not fit their purview of how life should be lived.

These talking heads, like Wertham, are the real threat to America's freedoms and liberties.

True Crime @ NOLA International Human Rights Film Festival

2008-04-09T15:19:00.008-05:00

The New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival opens today with several true crime documentaries and continues through April 20. Among some of the films are:

Against the Grain - the story of an artist who used a portrait of Chairman Mao in one of his paintings and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for it. Visit the blog for the film. Saturday, April 19, 1pm – Zeitgeist. Regional Premiere.

Chicago 10 - (from the film fest description) "tells the story of the buildup and unraveling of the 1968 Chicago Conspiracy trial not as 'history,' but as an electrifying experience felt with up-to-the-moment immediacy." Thursday, April 17, 7pm – Canal Place. New Orleans Premiere.

Daughters of Gardeners - a documentary on the more than 36 million missing women in India, as well as a look at the practices of kidnapping and sexual trafficking of young girls and women. Saturday, April 12, 12:00pm, Zeitgeist. Regional Premiere.

Jena Six - a documentary on the continuing racism that exists in Louisiana. Sunday, April 20, 7:30pm - Zeitgeist. New Orleans Premiere.

The Sugar Babies - a documentary that focuses on the plight of child trafficking used for sugar production. Saturday, April 19, 4pm – Zeitgeist.

T. Don Hutto: America's Family Prison - a short documentary on a prison just north of Austin, Texas where the Department of Homeland Security has imprisoned entire families conidered to be "nefarious." Tuesday, April 15, 5pm – SUNO, and Sunday, April 20, 7:30 pm – Zeitgeist.

Taxi to the Dark Side - 2008 Academy Award winner for Best Documentary, this film explores the murder of a taxicab driver and expands outward to touch on issues of dentention and torture. Thursday, April 10, 7pm - Canal Place. New Orleans Premiere.

Untitled Video on Lynn Stewart, Her Conviction, the Law, and Poetry - short documentary on the first attorney ever convicting for "aiding terrorism in the United States. You can actually watch the entire 18-minute movie here. Saturday, April 19, 6pm - The Porch. Regional Premiere.

Vows of Silence - a documentary of a Catholic priest who is potentially a pedophile and a Vatican investigator who tracks him down in an effort to build a case against him. Monday, April 14, 7pm – Prytania. World Premiere.

Wade in the Water - a documentary that focuses on a section of New Orleans decimated by Katrina, but already damaged beforehand due to violence. The film was shot by students from the first school to re-open after the hurricane. Visit the film website here. Friday, April 18, 7pm – Prytania. New Orleans Premiere.

True Crime @ Beverly Hills Film Festival

2008-04-09T08:30:00.006-05:00

There aren't many true crime-oriented films showing at this year's Beverly Hills Film Festival, but the two that are there seem like solid entries.

Tonight, at 7:30 p.m., be sure to catch the Thunder Man: The Don Aronow Story at the Laemmle Theater located at 9036 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA.

The description of the documentary from the BHFF website:

The ‘King of Powerboats’, Don Aronow rose to fame by esigning and racing the fastest boats of his time. He had it all: looks, charm, money, women and friends in the highest places. Working with governments and drug barons alike, Don’s business rose above the criminal turmoil of Miami in the 1980’s, until his life was cut short by a violent, and very public murder. Despite trials and convictions, the motives and agencies behind this notorious case are still unclear.
Be sure to check out the website for the doc here.

Also, here is the promo reel:

The second film is D.O.P.E. (Death or Prison Eventually), a 60-minute documentary about the rise and fall of the top Southern California skateboarding culture. It is the story of some of the top skaters of the 70's with their triumphs on wheels, their downfalls due to drug addictions and crime, and their hopeful resurrection.
D.O.P.E. will be screened on Saturday, April 12 at 11:15 A.M. at Clarity Theater located at 100 N. Crescent Drive in Beverly Hills, California.

The description from the BHFF website:

DOPE is a look at four legendary world champion skateboarders, Jay Adams from Dogtown's Z Boys, Christian Hosoi, Dennis Martinez, Bruce Logan. It examines their rise to the top and their descent into the drug and crime culture and slow climb back to life. Narration is by legend Danny Trejo music, title song by P.O.D. Archival period footage along with current interviews makes this must see project.

Stop by the filmmakers' website here.

Check out the trailer here:

The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo Airs Tonight on HBO

2008-04-08T10:41:00.004-05:00

HBO airs what appears to be a brutal examination of "rape as warfare" as practiced by Congolese soldiers against women and little girls over the last ten years.

The documentary, shot by gang-rape survivor Lisa F. Jackson, provides an unflinching look at not only rape victims, but groups of actual rapists themselves.

Here is a description from HBO's website for the doc.

Shot in the war zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this documentary feature explores the shocking plight of women and girls caught in the sexual crossfire as this giant African nation enters its second decade of internal conflict.

Since 1998, a brutal war has ravaged the DRC, killing over 4 million people. Over the same time, tens of thousands of women and girls have been systematically kidnapped, raped, mutilated and tortured by soldiers - both from foreign militias and the Congolese army that is supposed to protect them.

Emmy®-winning filmmaker Lisa F. Jackson, herself a survivor of gang rape, travels deep inside the DRC to understand what is happening and why.
Her resultant film features interviews with survivors, activists, peacekeepers, physicians and, most chillingly, two groups of rapists who are soldiers of the Congolese Army.

Above all, it highlights first-person accounts of dozens of rape survivors, who recount their stories with pulverizing honesty and immediacy.

Heart-wrenching in its portrayal of the grotesque realities of life in Congo, the film also provides inspiring examples of resiliency, courage and grace, while serving as a call to action for anyone with a conscience.

There Will Be Blood DVD Released Today

2008-04-08T10:22:00.004-05:00

Paul Thomas Anderson's spellbinding epic There Will Be Blood hits shelves today in single- and double-disc formats.

While many people know the film, starring Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis, is loosely based on the life of Southern California oilman Edward Doheny, Sr., most are not familiar with the real-life murders that took place in Doheny's mansion, where the climatic bowling alley scene was shot.

I first wrote about the murders of Edward "Ned" Doheny Jr. and his secretary, Hugh Plunkett, in my first book, Hollywood Death Scenes. I later revisited the story here for my Investigation Discovery Hollywood on Trial blog.

You can view the theatrical trailer below and order the DVD if you'd like.

Exonerated Kiwi: NZ Gov't Funds True Crime TV

2008-04-07T15:22:00.003-05:00

The New Zealand government is ponying up $1.35 million to shoot a film about one of the worst cases of wrongful conviction in the country's history.

Until Proven Innocent will tell the story of David Dougherty, a young man convicted of the abduction and rape of an 11-year-old girl back in 1992.

The quick and the dirty of it all: three professionals, journalist Donna Chisholm, lawyer Murray Gibson, and scientist Arie Geursen, looked into Dougherty's case and believed he was wrongfully imprisoned. They were able to prove his innocence, however, it took a number of years before his actual release from prison. It took even longer for the court of public opinion to side with him, even after being released, when another man was arrested in 2002.

For a more detailed look at Dougherty's fascinating ordeal please visit here. Discussion of his case begins halfway down the page.

Until Proven Innocent is scheduled to air on New Zealand's Television One on Sunday Theatre in the first half of 2009.

True Crime @ Tribeca Film Festival

2008-04-06T13:48:00.011-05:00

In the coming months I will take a look at numerous film festivals across the world and hone in on the true crime/based on true crime offerings.

Most viewers will never hear of some of these films, so I hope I will be able to shine a spotlight on many that would often go under the radar.

For now, I will let you know what pertinent films will be playing at various festivals and hopefully you will be able to catch one or more if they are shown in your neck of the woods.

The first BOTS True Crime Film Festival Spotlight is on Robert Deniro's brainchild, the Tribeca Film Festival, which takes place April 23-May 4.

Below is a list of true crime-related films or documentaries with descriptions from the Tribeca site:

An Omar Broa dway Film - Using a contraband video camera inside the notorious gang unit at Newark's Northern State Prison, a jailed Bloods member puts his life on the line to document guards' corruption and excessive force. His groundbreaking footage exposes the violent and unseen world behind bars.

Watch trailer:

This Is Not A Robbery - One morning, J.L. "Red" Rountree woke, ate breakfast, went for a drive, and robbed a bank. He was 87. This is the unusual story of how this devoted family man and law abiding senior citizen became one of the country's most notorious serial bank robbers.
Film website

Milosevic on Trial - Defending himself against widely credited charges of genocide before an international court in The Hague, Serbia's former ruler proved frustratingly difficult to convict, as this riveting look at Milosevic and the chief prosecuting attorney attests.
Film website

Secrecy - In the years following September 11, the black redaction stripe has become a familiar sight to most Americans. Secrecy probes the roots of the United States' culture of classification-and its consequences.

Watch IndieWire Video on Secrecy:

Watch Trailer

Film Website

Of course, check the Tribeca Film Festival website for showtimes and venues.

Reuters Picks Up My Decapitated Screenwriter Post

2008-04-05T19:57:00.009-06:00

In February, I posted a story on Keven Graff (pictured left), a drifter who decapitated a 91-year-old Hollywood blacklisted screenwriter, Robert Lees (pictured right), and also murdered Lees' backyard neighbor, 69-year-old Dr. Morley Engelson.

I just received word today from In Cold Blog editor Michelle Gray that my story has been picked up by Reuters news distribution service.

The post first appeared at my Hollywood on Trial blog at Investigation Discovery, part of the Discovery Channel. I then posted a teaser at In Cold Blog soon thereafter. More than a month later, Reuters has opted to run the story through its vast distribution network.

Thanks to Michelle Gray and Gregg Olsen for making this happen.

Strangler Prosecutor Kelly Siegler Seeks Harris County D.A.

2008-04-05T11:43:00.007-06:00

Kelly Siegler, the Harris County prosecutor who successfully convicted serial killer Anthony Allen Shore, and was prominently featured in my latest book, Strangler, is vying for the position of Harris County District Attorney this Tuesday in a Republican runoff.

Siegler, who has won several high-profile cases, will also be featured in my upcoming book, Pure Murder, on the murders of Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman by six teenage boys in Houston, Texas.

Siegler gained nationwide attention for her work in the Susan Wright case back in 2004. Wright, a former stripper, was convicted of stabbing her husband nearly 200 times. Siegler's courtroom tactics garnered her coverage on several cable news network programs.

In addition, Siegler was also approached by Hollywood executives who wanted to create a television series based on her life and her courtroom prowess.

As a former law school graduate, I know how boring most attorneys really are. If you have read most of my books, I don't waste the readers' time with long, detailed biographies on lawyers because, frankly, they are not very interesting. That changed with Strangler and Kelly Siegler. I was fascinated by her small town charm, her rapier-like wit, and her commitment to working for the victims. Subsequently, she is the first and only attorney prominently featured in any of my books.

Though I am diametrically opposed politcially to Kelly, I would not hesitate to endorse her for the position of District Attorney of Harris County. She will not only serve the victims of crime in Harris County well, she will serve the citizens with dignity and grace -- with a touch of good ol' ribald southern Texas charm.

The winner of the Tuesday runoff will face Democratic challenger, former Houston police chief C.O. Bradford (whom I have also written about), in November for the District Attorney's position.

CrimeRanters are Really Pod People!

2008-04-04T14:12:00.005-06:00

Be sure to check out my friends and true crime authors Gregg Olsen and M. William Phelps (both pictured left in reverse order) on a cool podcast hosted by Mafia author Dennis Griffin on BlogTalkRadio.

Hear about the "i-dear" behind CrimeRant and many more interesting topics like "garbage in true crime" and whether the Ranters will put an end to their popular blog.

Just be aware that the volume levels are all over the board and you will have to crank it to hear the host and Gregg.

It Was 40 Years Ago Today...

2008-04-04T13:34:00.006-06:00

May the dream finally come to fruition...

Gregg Olsen Booksigning Tour Schedule

2008-04-03T22:06:00.009-06:00

I hope you enjoyed yesterday's Progressive Interview with author Gregg Olsen (pictured left) for the release of his new novel, A Cold Dark Place. If you missed it, check here.

I also happened to stumble across Gregg's booksigning schedule over at his AmazonConnect page. Be sure to go out and visit the man and say "Hi."

A Cold Dark Place Tour Itinerary:

April 5, 6-8:30 p.m. A Book for All Seasons, Leavenwoth, Washington.

April 9, 6:30 p.m., Powell’s Books at Cedar Crossing, Beaverton, Oregon.

April 19, 2-4 p.m., Silverdale, Wash., Barnes and Noble.

April 25, Port Book and News, Port Angeles, Washington. Details TBD.

April 26, noon, Seattle Mystery Bookshop.

May 31, 4 p.m., Book Expo America, Los Angeles, California, booksigning.

Canuck True Crime: Class Project Book on Sisters Who Drowned Mom

2008-04-03T21:44:00.006-06:00

Here is an interesting article in the Toronto, Canada newspaper The Mississaugua News, about a horrid Canadian true crime case.

A recently released book, The Class Project: How to Kill a Mother, by Toronto Star reporter Bob Mitchell (pictured left; no relation), tells the story of two Canadian teenage sisters who murdered their mother.

The girls, dubbed "The Bathtub Sisters," apparently plotted out their mother's demise over several months prior to her execution. They were also very open about their plans with several friends and left quite a visible internet trail of their preparation and subsequent braggings about the misdeed.

The Mississaugua News says The Class Project "provides chilling insight to an unforgettable story," and also that the book is being shopped to the Lifetime Movie Network in the United States for a possible adapatation.

You can order Mitchell's book now:

Juice, Weasels, and Cooked Bones

2008-04-03T16:33:00.004-06:00

The New York Post's gossip columnist Cindy Adams has a funny take on the most recent O.J. Simpson book, Busted! The Inside Story of the World of Sports Memorabilia, OJ Simpson and the Vegas Arrests, by Thomas Riccio. The author is a former convict and even took part in the raid with police. He also audiotaped it for historical purposes.

Adams says Busted "...should cook the bones of unguilty Orenthal James Simpson." She also refers to the book, sarcastically, as a "Nice little pleasant springtime read."

If you are so inclined, you can purchase the book below.