Tags:murder
If You Only Knew
The true-crime story of an alcoholic Michigan millionaire and his bizarre death, by the New York Times bestselling author of I'd Kill For You.When Vonlee “Nicole” Titlow and her aunt, Billie Jean Rogers, came home from a night of gambling in a casino near Detroit, they told police they found Billie's husband unconscious on the floor of the Rogers' mansion. Just another of his alcoholic benders, they assumed. But this time, Donald Rogers didn't wake up.The investigation would reveal the sordid story behind the death of a self-made millionaire—including transgender adventures in Chicago and Denver, a tangled web of dueling addictions, a mind-boggling history of out-of-control spending, and how a gender confirmation surgery may have fueled a motive for murder. Renowned investigative journalist M. William Phelps exposes the riveting details behind one of the most astonishing real-life thrillers to date.Praise for M. William Phelps“One of America's finest true-crime writers.” —Vincent Bugliosi, New York Times bestselling author of Helter Skelter“Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers.” —Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of Tell No LiesIncludes sixteen pages of shocking photos
Dangerous Ground
The bestselling author of Targeted shares the identity of the serial killer who co-starred with him on Dark Minds and the story of their intriguing bond.In September 2011, M. William Phelps made a decision that would change reality-based television—and his own life. He asked a convicted serial killer to act as a consultant for his TV series. Under the code name “Raven,” the murderer shared his insights into the minds of other killers and helped analyze their crimes. As the series became an international sensation, Raven became Phelps's unlikely confidante, ally—and friend.In this deeply personal account, Phelps traces his own family's dark history, and takes us into the heart and soul of a serial murderer. He also chronicles the complex relationship he developed with Raven. From questions about morality to Raven's thoughts on the still-unsolved, brutal murder of Phelps's sister-in-law, the author found himself grappling with an unwanted, unexpected, unsettling connection with a cold-blooded killer.Drawing on over seven thousand pages of letters, dozens of hours of recorded conversations, personal and Skype visits, and a friendship five years in the making, Phelps sheds new light on Raven's bloody history, including details of an unknown victim, the location of a still-buried body—and a jaw-dropping admission. All this makes for an unforgettable journey into the mind of a charming, manipulative psychopath that few would dare to know—and the determined journalist who did just that.Praise for New York Times bestselling author M. William Phelps“Anything by Phelps is an eye-opening experience.” —Suspense Magazine“Phelps is the king of true crime.” —Lynda Hirsch, Creators Syndicate columnist
I'll Be Watching You
The true-crime story of Edwin Snelgrove, an American serial killer who wanted to out-kill Ted Bundy, from the New York Times bestselling author.In September 2001, Carmen Rodriguez, a beautiful thirty-two-year-old Hartford mother of four, went missing. At first police were stymied . . . until a killer's crucial mistake led investigators down a long, dark road of cold, calculated murder . . .In 1987, single mother Mary Ellen Renard was strangled, repeatedly stabbed, and left for dead in her New Jersey apartment. Her vicious assailant had already killed once . . . and would kill again. But unlike the fiend's other victims, Mary Ellen lived to tell the tale . . .Clean-cut, popular and on the fast track at a multinational computer firm, Rutgers grad Edwin “Ned” Snelgrove shocked friends and colleagues with a plea bargain for Renard's brutal attack—and the heinous 1983 murder of college girlfriend Karen Osmun. Vowing never to be caught again, Ned spent his time in prison obsessively studying the violent career of his idol Ted Bundy . . . then was released ten years early for good behavior . . .Unflinching and brilliantly researched, this is an exclusive tour into the twisted mind of an all-American killer . . . and a state attorney's tireless efforts to lock him away forever.Praise for I'll Be Watching You“Skillfully balances a victim's story against that of an arrogant serial killer as it reveals a deviant mind intent on topping the world's most dangerous criminals. Phelps has an unrelenting sense for detail that affirms his place as one of our most engaging crime journalists.” —Katherine Ramsland, New York Times – bestselling author of Confession of a Serial KillerIncludes sixteen pages of revealing photos
Lethal Guardian
The complex true-crime story of a Connecticut lawyer who had her brother-in-law killed, by the New York Times bestselling author of Perfect Poison.On a cold spring night in 1994, passing motorists discovered the bullet-riddled body of Anson “Buzz” Clinton along an interstate's exit ramp in Connecticut. Buzz, a former exotic dancer, was married to Kim Carpenter, whose family believed he was an unfit guardian for Kim's daughter, Rebecca. Kim's parents had unsuccessfully sued for custody. Kim's sister, Beth Ann Carpenter—a bright, beautiful real-estate lawyer—became convinced that only Buzz's death would ensure Rebecca's safety.Investigating detectives soon uncovered a twisted trail of murder for hire, obsession, manipulation, and secrets that would tear more than one family apart. The aftermath of this brutal crime would set investigators and prosecutors on a long and twisted path strewn with lies, treachery, and deceit that would cross the Atlantic Ocean before finally bringing justice home.Praise for Lethal Guardian“An intense roller coaster of a crime story . . . complex, with a plethora of twists and turns worthy of any great detective mystery, and yet so well-laid out, so crisply written with such detail to character and place that it reads more like a novel than your standard nonfiction crime book.” —Steve Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of MonsterIncludes sixteen pages of revealing photos
Sleep In Heavenly Peace
The New York Times–bestselling journalist and serial killer expert recounts a tragic case of infanticide—including an exclusive interview with the killer.It started with a horrifying discovery in an Arizona self-storage facility: the abandoned bodies of three infants wrapped in plastic. Dianne O’Dell, a mother of eight children, admitted the babies were hers. She claimed they’d died of natural causes; that she’d been impregnated by her father when young; that her own mother had forced her into teen prostitution. O’Dells life story ran a horrifying thread from tranquil Kauneonga Lake, New York, to the mountains of the Southwest. But would it lead a jury to grant her mercy? Or would she pay the price for committing the worst crime a mother can commit?
Kiss of the She-Devil
The true-crime story of a cheating husband, the other woman, and her plot to kill the wife, by the bestselling author of Murder, New England.When librarian Martha Gail Fulton was gunned down in a Michigan parking lot on a quiet evening, there were two obvious suspects—Gail's husband George, a former military officer . . . and George's mistress, the flashy businesswoman Donna Kay Trapani. Police were baffled to find that both had ironclad alibis. Yet evidence showed the shooter, a male, had an accomplice—a mystery woman. Now, M. William Phelps recounts the compelling real-life drama of a twisted love triangle that ended in bloody murder, and the riveting investigation that brought to light a master manipulator's trail of deadly deceit.Praise for New York Times bestselling author M. William Phelps“One of our most engaging crime journalists.” —Katherine Ramsland, New York Times – bestselling author of Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer“Phelps creates a vivid portrait.” —Publishers Weekly“One of America's finest true-crime writers.” —Vincent Bugliosi, New York Times bestselling author of Helter SkelterIncludes sixteen pages of dramatic photos
Every Move You Make
A New York State investigator matches wits with a devious serial killer in the New York Times bestselling author’s true crime thriller.Gary C. Evans was master of disguise and career criminal who had once befriended David "Son of Sam" Berkowitz. In 1989, he started weaving a web of deadly lies in Upstate New York, telling a female friend that the father of her child had deserted her. In fact, Evans had killed the man—just before striking up a ten-year romance with the woman.Evans first met Investigator James Horton in 1985 when Evans snitched on a childhood friend and crime partner—failing to mention that he'd murdered him. Then, two local jewelry dealers were killed. In 1997, another old friend of Evans, went missing. Was Evans responsible? Horton launched a nationwide manhunt to uncover the truth.For more than a decade, Evans and Horton maintained an odd relationship—part friendship, part manipulation—with Evans serving as a snitch while the tenacious investigator searched for the answers that would put him away. After Horton used Evans to obtain a confession from a local killer, Evans led Horton in a final game of cat-and-mouse that would culminate in the most shocking death of all . . .Sixteen pages of revealing photos!
Where Monsters Hide
An unexplained disappearance spirals into an unrelenting murder mystery. In October 2014, local Michigan police chief Laura Frizzo faced a perplexing missing-person case. It was not like Chris Regan, a devoted father and dependable employee, to take off without explanation. When Frizzo learned Chris was having an affair with Kelly Cochran, a married co-worker, suspicion fell on Kelly’s hulking husband, Jason. Soon after that the Cochrans abruptly moved to Indiana. Sixteen months later, Jason Cochran died from a drug overdose. Friends and family rallied around the grieving Kelly. But when the coroner ruled Jason’s death a homicide, no one reacted more bizarrely than his widow. Detectives tried to put Kelly’s past into focus. But the horrific truth was hidden under a near-perfect patchwork of lies. Veteran investigative journalist M. William Phelps expertly reveals Kelly Cochran’s staggering saga of murder, revenge, and payback. “Anything by Phelps is an eye-opening experience.” —Suspense Magazine “Phelps knows how to work it.” —Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review “Master of true crime.” —Real Crime magazine
Never See Them Again
The star of Investigation Discovery’s Dark Minds—“the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers”—takes readers inside a crime that shocked the nation (Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author). In the summer of 2003, the Houston suburb of Clear Lake, Texas, was devastated when four young residents were viciously slain. The two female victims, Tiffany Rowell and Rachael Koloroutis, were just eighteen years old—popular and beloved. But when a killer came knocking, it turned out to be someone they knew all too well. Seventeen-year-old Christine Paolilla was an awkward outsider until the girls befriended her. In this gripping true story, complete with 16 pages of dramatic photos, award-winning investigative journalist M. William Phelps delves into the heart of a baffling mystery to get to the truth of an act so brutal it could not be understood—until now. Praise for M. William Phelps “The best true-crime writer to come along in years.”—Gregg Olsen, #1 New York Times bestselling author “Phelps ratchets up the dramatic tension.”—Stephen Singular, New York Times bestselling author “One of America’s finest true-crime writers.”—Vincent Bugliosi, #1 New York Times bestselling author “Phelps creates a vivid portrait.”—Publishers Weekly “One of our most engaging crime journalists.”—Katherine Ramsland, PhD, author of Confessions of a Serial Killer
Death Trap
The true-crime story of a bitter divorcée and the murder of her ex and his new wife, by the New York Times bestselling author of Cruel Death.It started when Alan Bates and his new wife arrived at his ex's house to pick up his two daughters for a weekend visit. Then two charred bodies were found in a burned-out car on a lonely Georgia road . . . and investigators pieced together a shattering story of a vicious divorce, a spurned woman's bitter rage, and a thirst for revenge that led to cruel, unflinching murder. Updating this gripping true-life thriller with shocking new details, M. William Phelps uncovers the cold heart of an unthinkable crime.Praise for Death Trap“A chilling tale of a sociopathic wife and mother willing to sacrifice all those around her to satisfy her boundless narcissism . . . A compelling journey . . . . Fair warning: for three days I did little else but read this book.” —Harry N. MacLean, New York Times bestselling author of In Broad DaylightPerfect for readers of Anne Rule and Kathryn CaseyIncludes sixteen pages of dramatic photos
Perfect Poison: A Female Serial Killer's Deadly Medicine
The true-crime story of a Massachusetts nurse with a dark secret, by the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Left Behind.At the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Northampton, Massachusetts, Kristen Gilbert was known as a hardworking, dedicated nurse. Yet so many emergencies and sudden deaths occurred under Kristen's watch that others jokingly called her the “Angel of Death.” No one suspected the horrifying truth: that over the course of six months, Gilbert had caused the deaths of as many as forty patients. With new insight into the sociopathic mindset of nurses who kill, and the latest details on Gilbert's ongoing prison sentence, M. William Phelps exposes how one person's good intentions went so chillingly, killingly wrong . . .Praise for Perfect Poison“True crime at its best—compelling, gripping, an edge-of-the-seat thriller. Phelps packs wallops of delight with his skillful ability to narrate a suspenseful story.” —Harvey Rachlin, award-winning author of Song and System“A compelling account of terror . . . the author dedicates himself to unmasking the psychopath with facts, insight, and the other proven methods of journalistic leg work.” —Lowell Cauffiel, New York Times bestselling author of House of SecretsIncludes sixteen pages of dramatic photos
Devil's Right Hand
The Devil's Right Hand chroniclesthe legacy of death and destruction in the gunmaking Colt family during the nineteenth century, a legacy largely remembered for a lurid murder case that inspired Edgar Allan Poe’s story “The Oblong Box”—but one that encompassed much more. . . New York Times and nationally bestselling author M. William Phelps reveals an unfathomable pattern surrounding repeating arms inventor Samuel Colt—from the death of all his children, including Sam’s sea captain son’s mysterious demise aboard his yacht, to the eccentric life of his widow. But the tip of this iceberg was the 1841-42 murder case of brother John C. Colt, one of New York’s most sensational scandals. Printer Samuel Adams went to collect a debt from bookkeeper and author John Colt and was never seen alive again. Shocking revelations followed: Did John shoot Adams with one of his brother’s Colt firearms before hacking him up and packing him in an oblong box? Did Sam Colt invent the revolving pistol, or steal the idea? Part historical true-crime, part family biography and cultural history, The Devil’s Right Hand is a stirring narrative about a darkly cursed American dynasty.