Bücher von Pete Dove

In fact, for all the apparent thrills of the wedding, the year 2000 was one of enormous tragedy for Marsha Brantley. The newly wed lost both of her parents during those twelve months, both succumbing to cancer within a few weeks of each other. The sense of isolation that comes from losing one parent can impact on a person for years; to lose both so close together, in such painful circumstances, is hard to imagine. Further, Marsha had neither brothers nor sisters. Donnie apart, she had no-one with whom to share her grief. A spouse or partner can be a huge strength in times of bereavement; they can offer sympathy and support, a shoulder to lean on. But they are not from the same family. They do not have the stories to share, the joint experiences which can help siblings through such a crisis. It was, Marsha told friends at the time, the hardest point of her life.Yes, Marsha had cousins and aunts, extended family spread over the breadth and depth of the United States. But they were not close to her. Indeed, when she went missing in 2009 it was between six months and a year before most of these relations learned that she had disappeared...What happened to Marsha Brantley?

His reign of terror lasted from the summer of 1984 to August of 1985 when he was finally captured. During this time, Richard Ramirez terrorized the people of Los Angeles before making his way to the San Francisco Bay Area, getting the nickname of the "Night Stalker" because of his propensity to invade homes well past midnight. Claiming to be a Satanist, Ramirez brutalized his victims beyond human comprehension. Now featured in such programs as True Crime and Mindhunter, Ramirez's case begs the question, was he a born psychopath or a "made" one? How did he get away with his crimes for so long and what prompted the sudden shift in his behavior?

Jerry Michael Williams had headed to the Lake for a spot of December duck hunting. Mike, as everybody called him, didn't come home again. The conclusion to draw was clear. The thirty-one-year-old had slipped, fallen into the chilly waters and drowned before falling prey to one or more of those large alligators that waited, barely visible, in the waters. The year 2000 was coming to a close, and the real estate appraiser would not be home for the New Year. It was December 16th, the sixth anniversary of his marriage to wife Denise, and the two had an eighteen-month-old daughter, Anslee, who would be forced to spend Christmas - and every day after - without her daddy.But investigators could see a clear and likely answer to the conundrum of what had happened to Mike. His boat had been quickly found. It was moored - or more likely it had drifted - into a small cove towards the western edge of the lake. It had been little used that day. The tank remained full of gasoline although the engine was not running.A forty-four-day search ensued. It revealed nothing. What happened to him?

Martha Marek was a black widow before her time, seeing murder as a means of collecting insurance money. She murdered her husband, daughter, and elderly relative all of whom had benefits that would be bequeathed to her after their deaths. After she killed one of her roommates, the state sentenced her to death by way of guillotine...But what inspired her murders? Her own husband had initially coached Martha on how to defraud insurers...by chopping off his own leg so they could collect over $30,000 in accident insurance. That amount would not be enough for Martha, who now had dollar signs in her eyes, an axe in one hand and a bottle of poison in the other...A truly gruesome True Crime tale...

Jolly Thomas is a serial killer. Allegedly. But her case appears to be so confused that it offers few answers to our questions. She has confessed to murdering six members of her family over a 14-year period. Even while she was poisoning them with cyanide to her family, her community, and her friends she appeared to be a cheerful, happy, upstanding woman. Jolly was a pious and friendly person who seemed to be possessed of a strong moral fibre. She was the kind of woman we would all love to have as a part of our family or as a neighbour. Which only goes to show that appearances can be extremely deceptive.Because the 47-year-old mother, who lived in the south western State of Kerala in India, is alleged to have murdered her relatives by lacing their food with the poison. However, despite confessing to the crimes, many of her friends and relatives believe that she is the victim here - an innocent one at that. They cannot come to terms with the fact that such a cheerful and respected member of the community could be a mass murderess. They believe that she has been framed by the authorities. While, from the opposite side of the fence, the police are sure that they are dealing with a psychopath.

On February 19th of 2005, Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone disappeared after leaving a restaurant in Philadelphia. Danielle has been separated from her husband while Richard was her "on-again, off-again" boyfriend. Danielle had a young son while Richard had a teenage daughter. Richard had exchanged threats with Danielle's ex-husband before while Danielle herself wanted "space" from both of them. The FBI entered the investigation in 2008 and the case remains unsolved. But what happened that night? Was this a murder-for-hire? If so, by whom?

Some crimes are so vile that they stick in the mind. Attacks on children, assaults on the elderly. Skylar Deleon's murder of a middle-aged couple fits into this category. It is one of the coldest, most mindlessly cruel killings in the history of the US. Skylar Deleon considered his victims' lives in the way most of us regard the wrapper off a chocolate bar. It does a job, but when the luscious center it protects has provided its short-term thrill, it is thrown away, disregarded. Not with any purpose, or any intent, but just because it is no longer needed.Skylar Deleon and his small crew of cronies murdered Jackie and Thomas Hawks by tying them to the anchor of their yacht, then pushing that heavy anchor over the side, dragging them to an inevitable death by drowning. His motive was pure greed...even if it meant killing...again and again...

The charges pursued against Adele Craven turned into, at the time, one of the longest running and most expensive criminal cases in Cincinnati history. It is still a crime surrounded by uncertainty, despite confessions from three people. Adele's involvement is held in doubt in many quarters.Imagine she was not involved - the horror, the insanity of going through firstly the death of a spouse, followed by years of stress and tension. Ultimately facing the prospect of life in prison, or worse, the possibility of parole deep on the horizon while the most important people in your life, your children, grow up apart from you.But if she was responsible for murder, and that is what the courts decided in the end, then how callous to take a father away from those children, to risk their upbringing, their security because of passion and dollars. In this case, the love of money really would be the route of all evil.

From the side angle of his most recent mugshot, Harvey the Hammer still looks like the murderer he is. Flat of nose, shaven headed, protruding chin on his jowly, hanging face, this now old man still retains the features of a childhood nightmare.But from front on, we see his eyes. They are overhung by flabby eyebrows, and sitting deep inside their sockets, seem dark and broody. There is a half-smile on his face. Not a smirk, not a smile of smugness, but a smile of acquiescence. The face lacks symmetry. One eye sits higher than the other, the nose is twisted to one side, no doubt the result of one or more of the many fracas that have littered his life. The lines dripping from his nose are of different lengths, the wobbling flesh they hold back a dull, dusky pink.But it is the eyes which call you. Another of the monikers attached to this vicious rapist and killer is the 'Want Ad Murderer', because he would sometimes find his victims through ads placed in the local press. They are eyes full of want. Not desire, note, but need. From this front on view Harvey Carignan changes. He is the cuddly great grandfather who would envelope our kids in hugs and slobbery kisses. He is the man who knows he has little time left and is scared by that thought. Maybe even a man with regrets. We might feel for him. Almost...Until you find out what he did...

Patrick Mackay had killed at least eleven people in his short life, including a four year old child, a nanny, an elderly priest and an 89 year old woman. Today, the killer has been in prison for forty four years. That makes him the longest serving inmate currently serving time in a British jail. He is slightly ahead of the notorious Michael Peters. While, that is not a name which may be familiar to all true crime aficionados, his alternative identity - Charles Bronson - will. (Peters even spent a spell known as Charles Salvador in recognition of the artist, Salvador Dali, whose work he admired). Other long servers include, until he died recently, Moors murderer Ian Brady, and Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe.But given that Mackay killed many more people than either Brady or Bronson - in fact he is one of Britain's most prolific serial killers - how it is possible that he is not better known?

To commit murder is an act beyond the comprehension of most people. But to do so, and then obliterate the memory of the victim seems a step further down in the basement of human activity. This is what happened to Holly Maddux, a pretty, popular thirty year old from Tyler,Texas. Although it soon became apparent who her killer was, it would be twenty four years before he was finally brought to justice, and made to pay penance for his crime.In that time his actions laughed in the faces of the forces of justice, and in doing so, mocked the memory of his victim.

Roger Fain is reaching that age when most Americans are thinking of retirement. He is sixty five in 2019, and should be looking forward to a life of leisurely commitments, perhaps time with the grand kids, or enjoying his interests and hobbies.But, instead, the future Fain can see consists of four concrete walls, unpleasant smells and the ever present threat of violence. It is very unlikely that he will set foot in the free world again; instead an old age inside the prison system beckons, which will surely hold him until, unmissed and forgotten, he passes on and his place is taken by the next felon in the unending cycle of US crime.It is hard not to spend time reflecting on how Roger Fain might feel as he approaches this milestone in his life. Does he regret his past misdemeanors, holding some form of guilt for what he has done? According to Dan Anderson, ex husband of one of the woman alleged, but not proven, to have been a victim of Fain's crimes, he does not.

Rory Conde didn't begin his serial killing career until later in life. He was an unusual killer in that he would dress his victims up to preserve their dignity. In one instance, Conde dressed his victim, loaded him into his car and drove him to an upmarket area off the Tamiami Trail in Florida. There, he threw the body out, leaving it to be found in the open close to the road. Something he would repeat five more times as his killing spree gathered pace. He made no attempt to hide the bodies, yet appeared to hold the sense of propriety to ensure his victims' decency.His next victim followed very shortly after. On October 8th, 1994 he picked up prostitute Elisa Martinez. When her body was also found, dressed and strangled, once more just off the Tamiami Trail, police began to wonder whether they had a copycat killer on their hands, or a serial killer. Within another six weeks they were further perplexed when the strangled body of the next prostitute was found in a similar place. This time, however, the killer had gone further.What possessed Rory Conde to commit these horrible crimes and how was he caught?

Toni Lee Sharpless stares out from the picture her mother holds. At the time it was taken, Toni was in her late twenties. She is dressed all in white, the uniform of a nurse topped off with a neat squared cap. Her smile is genuine, her teeth at least as bright as the uniform she wears. Her eyes, too, glow. By contrast, her mother looks strained. Also smartly attired, her short grey hair and glasses make Donna Knebel look business like. But the neatness of her appearance fails to hide the stresses and strains her face displays. This is not surprising. Her daughter has been missing for eleven years. 'You can't imagine it until you go through it. It's like a void, a big hole you're falling into and can never touch any sides or reach the bottom,' she said, referring to the unimaginably difficult decade she has just lived through.Toni was a young woman who had her fair share of troubles. They were not her own fault. But she had found the strength to make the courageous and impressive effort needed to put her life back on track. It seems, though, that everything went wrong once more when she decided to let her hair down after a long spell on the wagon. Then, something took place that led to her disappearance. As to what happened in the early hours of August 23rd, 2009 - well, nobody is completely sure. The possibility remains that they never will be.

Some problems become more troublesome the longer they are left. The aching molar which remains untended; the lawn which is left uncut. The same might be said of the case of Ray Gricar. Although, of course, the disappearance and possible death of a man, one with a high local profile, is much more serious than sore teeth or an unkempt yard.Gricar was last seen on Friday April 15th 2005. It was a glorious day - one of the first of the year in which Spring had lightened the sky and warmed the air. Gricar had awoken at the normal time. He was living with his girlfriend, Patty Fornicola, in his comfortable Bellefonte, Pennsylvania home. What happened to Ray Gricar?

Bruce Cleland was smitten when he first saw Rebecca Salcedo. The sexy Latina cook was mixing up spices at the local swap meet and he couldn't believe his eyes. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen...But in him, she only saw dollar signs. The two would marry and Bruce would shower his high-maintenance bride with extravagant gifts and vacations, even including a breast augmentation. Salcedo, on the other hand, would cheat on her dutiful husband with men...and women...Salcedo soon grew tired of Bruce's devotion and wanted out...but not without some compensation. Forging his signature as well as tallying up his assets, she figured she could get over one million dollars upon his death...but could she get away with murder?

David Berkowitz, aka the Son of Sam, plead guilty to eight separate attacks that terrorized New York City in the hot summer of 1976. His weapon of choice was a .44 caliber revolver which he used to kill the six and wound seven others. The attacks put the entire city on alert and Berkowitz managed to elude New York's finest for over a month as he taunted them with letters. After his arrest, he confessed to the crimes but maintained he was under orders from a demon named "Sam". He would later admit that this excuse was indeed a hoax but the questions remained....What possessed David Berkowitz to commit these atrocities?

On December 28th, 2010, Billie Dunn had an early shift at her place of work. The job was not great, but it provided an income - something people do not sniff away in towns like Colorado City. She had a twelve hour shift ahead, so her daughter Hailey would be alone for most of the day. However, with father Clint living just opposite and slightly down the road, Billie was confident that Hailey would be fine, and would probably visit her father for some of the long hours ahead.Nobody is sure what took place that chilly December day, yet by the time Billie had completed her shift, and returned home, Hailey was gone. But Billie's live in boyfriend, Shaun Adkins, was at home. He had a clear explanation for the young girl's whereabouts. She had gone to a friend's house where she would spend the night.Except that she never turned up.

It was September 14th 2015 when Jack Taylor, a 25 year old gay man was found dead in St Margaret's church in East London. 'If that's where Jack's been found, someone's put him there,' said Jack's sister, Jen. 'The Police could have put a stop to it, and Jack would still have been here.'Three previous murders had been committed in 2014. In each case, a body was found within a short distance of the others - sometimes in the exact same spot. Yet police assumed there was no connection between the crimes. It was only after the discovery of Jack's body that investigators realised they had a serial killer on their hands. Earlier that month, Jack made contact with the man who would go on to poison him on the gay dating site, Grindr. That person was Stephen Port, a forty year old Chef who lived in Barking, East London.

It was a beautiful sunny Wednesday morning on May 31st, 2000 and the talented and young Jill Behrman decided to take advantage of the weather and go for a satisfying morning ride. At nineteen years old, Jill was an avid cyclist and enjoyed keeping fit. She had a few hours to spare as her work was only to start later on in the day, around 12pm, so she hauled out her bike, put on her gear and hit the road...When she did not return, her family notified authorities. When her bicycle was found on a field north of town, it was assumed that she had become a crime victim and an extensive search for her was initiated...What happened to Jill Behrman??

A collection of True Crime stories on the most unlikely of serial killers...even police officers are included here with the likes of Antoinette Frank... Who do you trust? A doctor. A teacher. A police officer? There is something bizarrely discomforting about crime committed by those in authority. It should not really be so surprising, though, that even those in positions of power still err; after all, behind the suit, or the white coat or the badge is a human being. One with the same passions, strengths and weaknesses as anybody else.But, somehow, we expect more from these people. And so, we feel a greater let down when they act in ways that disappoint. Add to that, when one of their victims is little more than a child, and the other a cop, any lingering sympathy that might exist for the culprit is swept away as was the case with Antoinette Frank.

Juan Corona terrorized ranchers in the Sacramento Valley for years, evading capture because of the selection of his victims...people who would not be missed.

HE STARTED WITH HIS WIFE...'Michelle was extremely loyal, ' said her close friend, Debbie Knight, 'she was giving, she was caring, she was dedicated. An amazing woman.'Lisa Emmons concurred. 'Michelle was fun so smart and organized, 'It had been a long time since her many friends had seen the successful executive, or even heard from her. In Michelle's case, a long time being more than a couple of days. That was unusual, in fact so strange that these friends began to worry. In the end, tensions rose, and Debbie decided that she had to visit. The increasingly alarmed messages that she had left on Michelle's answer phone had not been answered, and the probability that something bad had happened to her friend could be ignored no longer. Even so, none of these concerned women could have had the slightest idea of the extremes of violence they would discover all done by the hands of the unassuming Charlie Brandt. This story and more are featured in this anthology of True Crime.

Has The Claremont Killer Been Brought To Justice? Sometime in 2020, when the warm Australian winter is turning to searing summer, Bradley Robert Edwards will discover whether or not he has been found guilty of the homicide of two, perhaps even three, of the Claremont murder victims. These were the young women who, in a spate of assaults in the mid 1990s, lost their lives in sexually motivated attacks. The quietly spoken, outwardly calm middle aged man, pillar of society and apparently upright citizen has already admitted to a number of offences relating to other young women who were victims of sex attacks, but whether the judge in this case, Justice Steven Hall, finds the former technician guilty of murder as well remains to be seen. Whatever, the peaceful community of Perth knows that the upcoming trial will dominate headlines in the months to come.

Truth stranger than fiction? We've all heard the phrase. Actually, it's a bit of a falsehood. Invention acting as truth. Reality always wins out in the end. Doesn't it? But, in the case of Valerie McDaniel, truth runs even the most bizarre fiction close.Had Valerie survived her darkest days of 2017, she may well now be serving time behind bars. Certainly, prosecutors in Houston, Texas, have little doubt about that. Then again, it is the prosecutors' job to believe in the guilt of those they are employed to accuse. It would be hard, for all but those completely lacking in any moral compass, to attempt to put somebody they believe to be innocent away in prison. Wouldn't it?We shall never know the absolute truth regarding whether or not veterinarian Valerie McDaniel did actually commit a crime, because her trial never took place. Nor shall we know, with certainty, whether there were any mitigating circumstances to be taken into account when judging any wrongdoing she did undertake. We can though, tell her story. We should do so fairly and in a balanced way that allows the reader to make up their own minds in this unusual case. Because Valerie's story is important. She leaves behind a young child, a daughter, who will grow up without her mother. If, one day, that daughter decides to investigate for herself what happened to her mother, it is essential that she can access information untainted by both opinion and interest. This is a tale of two parts. The first, and overwhelmingly longer one, tells of a woman whose life, career and family seemed successful and happy. The second covers just a few weeks, and sees the personality of the protagonist apparently change, making decisions that caused her to throw away that career, that reputation, that loving daughter and, finally, her life itself.Did a once respected veterinarian suddenly decide to become the head of a murder for hire scheme? This is the story of Valerie McDaniel.