If I Did It

You've probably heard about O.J. Simpson's book, If I Did It. When I learned the Goldman family had rights to it and planned to publish it, I put it on hold at the library. A few weeks ago, I was notified that the book was available. I had mixed feelings about it then, and I have mixed feelings even after reading the book.

Nevertheless, here are my thoughts about it.

The book starts with a chapter from the Goldman family. It affirms their belief that Simpson killed their son. The new subtitle of this book is Confessions of the Killer. It doesn't get much plainer than that. This chapter also explains the reason they decided to publish the book.

The options are still the same--do nothing or fight. Our attempts to enforce this judgment have never been about lining our pockets or "cashing in," or exploited Ron's death: it is our legal right. But from an emotional standpoint, it is about taking from him, it's about making him feel the impact of what he did. It's about hitting him where it hurts--his pockets, his livelihood. Some people have accused us of having vengeful motives but it is not about revenge, and we are not going to apologize for wanting him to fee a tenth of what we feel every day. We have suffered a great deal and want to see some measure of justice, in whatever form it must take.

The part of the book I found most interesting is the prologue, written by ghostwriter Pablo Fenjves. Here's his first meeting with Simpson.

I kept waiting for the attorney to ask me about my history with O.J., but he never did. Ten years, earlier, during the criminal trial, I testified for the prosecution. I had described the "plaintive wail" of Nicole's dog, and Marcia Clark used the information to try to establish a timeline for the murders.

He gestured toward the empty chair beside him, and before I'd even settled in he said, "Tell me something. What is this 'wailing dog' bullshit? You ever hear of anyone putting a man away based on the testimony of a wailing dog?"

Okay. I got the message. He remembered me from the trial, and he wanted me to know he remembered. Or maybe he didn't remember, but someone in his camp had the sense to Google me before I flew down.

I thought it was fascinating that Fenjves was part of the case. Now he would write Simpson's story. The book was written based on several taped interviews.

At one point, he said, "You know what kills me? All the goddamn people who assumed I was guilty before they'd even heard my side." He looked dead at me, waiting for a comment. We were alone in the hotel suite, and I looked at his hands. They were bigger than my head.

With six words, Fenjves get a sense of Simpson's size--and physical threat--that stays in the mind as the book continues. Along with this.

O.J. looked suddenly upset. "I don't know what the hell you want from me," he said. "I'm not going to tell you that I sliced my ex-wife's neck and watched her eyes roll up into her head."

Then there are subtler moments like this one:

Now that we were done with the worst of it, or as done as we were going to be, O.J. became suddenly more voluble. He provided details about the drive home, for example, and actually corrected me when I said I thought he'd driven through the red light at Bundy and Montana. "I didn't go to the light at Montana. Why would I have gone there? I took a left at the end of the alley and went up Gretna Green to San Vincente, and from there to Sunset."

He must have seen the look on my face. "Or that's the way I woulda gone."

And here are the final words of the prologue: "You've read the story. This is the book. Judge for yourself."

I've read the book. I believe Simpson is guilty of both murders, and my opinion didn't change as I read. It's a well-written story. Nevertheless, I wish I hadn't written it, and I'll try to explain why.

In one respect, the story told here is a familiar one. It's familiar because it was splashed in the news at the time, but it's also familiar to someone who has read a lot of true-crime books. Boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy refuses to let girl go. Simpson's contention, of course, is that he wasn't obsessed. In fact, he knew it wasn't going to work out with Nicole a few months into their latest reconciliation. Which, of course, she initiated.

There's a chapter in the book called The Two Nicoles. If you've read any true-crime, you'll know where this is going. There were two Nicoles--one was good and kind and loving. The other Nicole was the opposite. His thinking: if only she could have stayed the one Nicole, everything would have been great. I believe that perpetrators often use the two personality metaphor because that is, in effect, what they are. They have a public face, the one people see and think, "How could that person do this?" Then there's the other side, the one their victims see.

A chapter called The Night in Question is the one this book was written for. It descripes the night of the murder. "Now picture this--and keep in mind, this is hypothetical." Simpson was driven to the edge by an acquaintance named Charlie, who came to his house and told him about some party Nicole had apparently attended a few months before.

"O.J., man--I'm not the enemy here."

I turned round, fuming, and tried to count to ten. I didn't make it. By the time I got to three I realized that Charlie was right. He wasn't the enemy. Nicole was the enemy.

If you're expecting details, you don't get them. One moment, Simpson is confronting Ron Goldman, who is trying to diffuse the situation. The next, Simpson realizes he is covered in blood and makes his getaway. Charlie disappears soon thereafter.

The rest of the book takes us through the accusations, the Bronco chase, and the arrest. And that's where it ends.

I suppose I was hoping for more enlightenment, though since the book is from Simpson's POV, it's no surprise that the enlightenment just isn't there. Nor is there really indirect enlightenment, anything to be learned by reading. He doesn't provide anything new here, except negative comments about Nicole, his ex-wife and the mother of his children.

A woman who isn't alive to share her point of view.

And that's why I wish I hadn't read his story and why I wish it hadn't been published. I understand the Goldman's desire to take something away from Simpson after what he did. Ron is shown very, very briefly in this book. He plays the role of hero--someone who steps in to try and help someone else and was cut down for it.

Nicole was also a victim, and Simpson's descriptions of her in this book victimize her again.

Unholy Sacrifice

A while back, a coworker told me about the story told in Robert Scott's Unholy Sacrifice . I was intrigued enough to run out and buy it.

San Francisco Bay area stockbroker Taylor Helzer was young, handsome, and--to all outward appearances--normal. But that was before a three-day self-awareness seminar left him convinced he was a new Messiah. In the interest of funding his own church and "saving" America from Satan, Helzer began making and selling Ecstasy and convinced girlfriend Keri Furman to pose for Playboy. She eventually left him, only to be replaced by naive, gullible Dawn Godman.

Helzer, his younger brother Justin, and Dawn formed an unholy alliance called the Children of Thunder. They wanted to score big. The brothers abducted Taylor's former clients Ivan and Annette Stineman, inducing them to sign over checks totaling $100,000. The elderly couple was beaten and stabbed to death, then dismembered in a bathtub.

Selena Bishop, 22, daughter of blues great Elvin Bishop, was ensnared in the money scam--before Justin Helzer killed her with a hammer. Bishop's mother was next, shot dead along with her boyfriend by Taylor. But despite the trio's careful disposal of the evidence in the Mokelumne River, the truth came to light when a bag of body parts floated to the surface. The trials that followed would reveal every grisly detail of one of the most bizarre murder sprees in California history--bring a modern-day Manson to justice . . .

Romance is what I typically reach for, but I break up my reading now and then with a true-crime book. Unholy Sacrifice was quite interesting, if a bit gruesome at times. That's the nature of the crime, however, as you can tell from the blurb. In any case, the book kept my interest: 4 out of 5.

This book includes information from dozens of sources, which helps put together the story. Taylor's slide downward from law-abiding and religious to law-breaking and fanatic is well chronicled, even though neither Taylor nor Justin was interviewed. I still didn't quite understand how the two men went so off-track. Perhaps nothing can explain that.

And Dawn. Her perspective offers insight into the sequence of events before and during the murders, but it's still largely a mystery why she went along with the scheme.

This is the first of Robert Scott's books I've read, but I'll certainly look for others.

The Murder of Lil Miss

The Murder of Lil Miss chronicles the murder of Lisa Marie Kimmell and the subsequent investigation and trial. The author is Lisa's mother, Sheila Kimmell. I found it to be an exceptionally well-written book that offered tremendous insight about how one person's death affected an entire family: 4.5 out of 5.

Regular visitors of my blog will not be surprised to hear that this case was profiled on Unsolved Mysteries. That's how I learned about it, and it's one of the cases that really stuck with me. I always wondered if it would be solved. It was solved, but it took 16 years to get there.

Lisa disappeared during a road trip. Her car had personalized license plates that read "Lil Miss," and people searched for Lisa and her car for a week. Lisa was found murdered eight days after she disappeared. The subsequent investigation was frustrating for family members and investigators. Leads didn't pan out, and politics plagued the investigation.

The breakthrough occurred when a DNA match was made and a suspect, Dale Wayne Eaton, was identified. Lisa's car was found buried on Eaton's property. Eaton was eventually found guilty and received a death sentence.

I liked getting a more complete story about what happened and what the family went through. No family should suffer like that, and this book showed the Kimmells to be strong and admirable people.

Monster

I learned about this book because of my interest in Unsolved Mysteries. One segment on the program focused on the murders of Bobbie Oberholtzer and Annette Schnee. It was a perplexing case, so when I learned that Steve Jackson's Monster mentioned these murders, I wanted to read it. It starts slowly, but picks up after the first 100 pages: 4 out of 5.

Monster is clearly a thoroughly researched book. Jackson interviewed a number of the people involved, including Detective Scott Richardson, who doggedly investigated the case, and Deborah Snider, the girlfriend of the suspect, Tom Luther. Their contributions to the story are terrific. I was especially impressed by Richardson's commitment to the investigation. It was interesting to see how the investigation affected his family.

Snider's side of the story offers an interesting glimpse into a woman who knows she's involved with a dangerous man but can't bring herself to make a final break from him. Reading about her relationship with Luther is a bit like watching a movie and wanting to shout, "Don't open that door!" Even as the evidence points to Luther's involvement in several attacks and murders against women, Snider wants to be with the "good Tom." I didn't understand why she stayed with him, but it made for compelling reading.

One fascinating aspect of the book is that Bobbie Oberholtzer and Annette Schnee are not the focus of this book. While some investigators believe that both women were victims of Tom Luther, and Luther himself made comments suggesting his involvement, he was never tried for or convicted of their murders. Monster follows the investigation of the murder of Cher Elder.

Based on what I read, it's a very good thing that Tom Luther is in prison.

Target Tampa Trip Books in Review

I'm feeling a bit off today. I got home from work yesterday and took what I thought would be a catnap around 6:30. I didn't wake up until 1:15 this morning. I read for a while, then went back to bed about 4:00, and woke up at 10:30. As a result, I feel rather fuzzy. Hopefully I will resume normal sleeping habits tonight.

As promised, here's a review of the books I read during the Target Tampa trip.

What an Earl Wants by Shirley Karr: 3 out of 5
Traveling by plane isn't a particularly smooth experience for me, but I have gotten to the point where I can read on a flight as long as it's not during takeoff or landing. I started What an Earl Wants before the trip, but finished it on the way to Cincinnati, Ohio.

I loved this book for the first two-thirds. I'm not usually fond of stories where the heroine dresses as a man, but it worked in this story. I loved seeing the characters slowly fall in love. A certain development in the last third of the book went on too long, however, and kept the book from being completely enjoyable. I read this book for The Romance Reader; watch that site for a more detailed review. (I have to write the review first.)

This is Shirley Karr's first published book, and I will make a point of reading her next one. She's obviously talented.

Derik's Bane by MaryJanice Davidson: 3 out of 5
I read the first 100 or so pages during the trip from Cincinnati to Tampa, and finished it Thursday night in Tampa.

This is the third story in Davidson's Wyndham Werewolves series; it's also the first full-length installment. The others are short stories in the Secrets anthologies VI and VIII. Derik's Bane has funny and fun moments (those are different things, you know), but it's not much different from other stories Davidson has done.

Kiss Me, Kill Me by Ann Rule: 4 out of 5
I had read all but two of the stories in this book before the trip, but I was pleased to finally finish them on Friday. The Tampa events didn't officially start until 2:00 PM, so I had time to read in the morning.

The true-crime stories in this book are chilling accounts of people women who were killed by husbands, boyfriends, blind dates, and even strangers. As always, Rule makes the victims sympathetic and real, while examining the crime itself. In one case, I was horrified by how little prison time the perpetrator received. Yikes.

Jane's Warlord by Angela Knight: 3 out of 5
I got this one through the on-site book swap and read finished it on Saturday. Knight is certainly a steamy writer, and Jane's Warlord includes many other interesting elements, but I think there's almost too much going on here: world-building, action, and yeah, romance. I don't mean to suggest that strong books can't have all of these elements. Obviously they can. Somehow, though, Knight's balance is off. I'm not entirely convinced these two fell in love. They sure like having sex with each other, but I didn't see the strong emotional tie that says "love."

A Soldier's Christmas by Rachel Lee, Merline Lovelace, and Catherine Mann: 4 out of 5
I started this one on Sunday and finished it Monday morning. Each story in this book got better. I liked Lovelace's story more than I liked her book I read. I may try another of her full-length books. Catherine Mann's story is the stand-out--she just creates characters I enjoy.

Explosive Alliance by Catherine Mann: 4 out of 5
I started this one on the flight from Tampa to Atlanta, then finished it during the Atlanta to Salt Lake City leg of the trip.

Geez, Catherine is a good writer. I've enjoyed everything she's written so far--and I can't say that about many writers. I loved the hero and heroine of this story. Bo might be right up there with Tanner as my favorite Wingman Warrior hero.

Body Language by Suzanne Brockmann: 4 out of 5
This is one of the books I won in the silent auction at Target Tampa. I started reading it on the flight to Salt Lake City and finished it when I got home. It uses one of my favorite plots--friends who become lovers--and it was a fun read.

I'm heading to Media Play in an hour or so to pick up some books I special ordered. I also want to get Meg Cabot's newest, and anything else that grabs my attention. I have a coupon I need to use, and I definitely don't have enough books lying around (ha!).

Alyssa

Stalemate

Most true-crime stories include a trial and a verdict. That's not the case with John Philpin's Stalemate.

There's a crime--many of them, in fact: the disappearances of several young girls in California, including Amber Schwartz, Michaela Garecht, and Nikki Campbell.

There's a suspect: Tim Bindner, who has taken a strong interest in the disappearances of these (and other) girls.

There's circumstantial evidence: (1) Bindner made frequent visits to the cemetery where kidnap victim Angela Bugay is buried (interestingly, another man was arrested and convicted of Angela Bugay's murder); trained police dogs later tracked the scents from two of the missing girls to the cemetery. (2) Bindner inserted himself into the case by conducting searches for the girls and by contacting the parents. (3) A witness claims to have seen Bindner shoving a young girl into his car the same day one of the girls disappeared.

There are more things that seem suspicious, but there isn't enough evidence to charge Bindner. Stalemate is a fascinating account of the investigation. It includes interviews with Bindner as well as with the primary investigating officer and the mother of one of the victims.

Did Bindner have anything to do with the disappearances? He hasn't been convicted, but many of the things I read suggest his involvement. Tim Bindner remains a suspect.

Stalemate: 4 out of 5.

Alyssa

Blood Will Tell

Last week I finished Carlton Smith's true-crime book Blood Will Tell. Blood is very telling in this story; while Ken Fitzhugh asserts that his wife, Kristine, died accidentally after falling down the stairs, blood spatter patterns suggest that she was actually attacked in the kitchen, and the scene was staged to make the death appear accidental. One investigator states it succinctly: "There's simply too much blood."

Blood Will Tell had all of the elements for an interesting story, but Smith's treatment is not particularly compelling. It starts strongly, with a brief glimpse of Ken in prison, then a switch to the description of the crime scene. But as the story continues, much of it seems wordy and not particularly illuminating. One section provides a long family history about Ken. As I read it, though, I found myself asking how much of the information was necessary to the story. The answer: not nearly as much as Smith provides.

Things pick up with the description of the trial, but even that ends with a disappointment. It's clear from the first page that Ken is convicted, but there's nothing in the book about the verdict or the sentence. This seems like a significant oversight.

It was interesting to get Ken's perspective. True-crime books aren't always able to depict both sides, but in this case, Smith interviewed Ken. Ken claims that he is innocent, of course, but apparently the jury believed otherwise. My rating of the book: 2 out of 5.

Since this blog entry focuses on crime, I'll add that I'm terribly disappointed in the verdict in the case about the death of Ted Binion. I don't understand why the two were acquitted of murder.

Alyssa

Green River, Running Red

When I heard that Gary Ridgway had been arrested for some of the Green River killings, I remember being surprised--not by his identity (though I'd never heard of him), but by the fact that an arrest had been made. I believed that the Green River Killer (GRK) would join Jack the Ripper as an unidentified serial killer. I'm happy that I was wrong.

In Green River, Running Red, Ann Rule provides a detailed account of the investigation, the victims, and Gary Ridgway. Here are a few things I found particularly interesting:

• Ridgway was a suspect early in the investigation, but he passed a polygraph test and there wasn't enough direct evidence to charge him at that time.
• The boyfriend of one of the victims traced her to Ridgway's house, but she was no longer there. Again, there wasn't enough evidence to pursue it any further.
• Ridgway's coworkers learned that he had been questioned by police and started calling him Green River Gary. Little did they know at the time how accurate that name was.
• Ridgway's wife, Judith, knew nothing about his other life. She described him as a kind and loving husband. She was his third wife--he was divorced from the first two--and they were married for more than 10 years. She is now thinking about writing a book about her marriage to Ridgway.
• For several months, Ridgway was removed from prison and was instead housed with the Green River task force as he confessed to his crimes and helped task force members find the bodies of several missing victims.

Ridgway did not receive the death penalty. He was sentenced to 48 consecutive life sentences as part of a plea bargain that required his cooperation in finding the bodies of his victims.

Green River, Running Red receives 4 out of 5. It's an interesting read, though not as good as The Stranger Beside Me, Ann Rule's book about serial killer Ted Bundy, a man she knew personally. Rule's friendship with Bundy brings a unique aspect to the story that makes it truly exceptional.

Alyssa