A Matter of Judgment:
The Shocking 'Catch Me Killer' Case
by Joseph A. Varon Hardcover, 342 pages
Published by Lifetime Books
Publication date: September 1995

Synopsis: Gerald Gallego was the son of a convicted killer. Charlene Williams was the daughter of an affluent California family. Somehow, Williams fell under Gallego's spell, and in her fanatical desire to please him, became his willing accomplice in ten gruesome murders. HC: Primus Press.

Synopsis: To the rest of the world, Judias Buenoano was an American success story--a savvy businesswoman who pulled herself up from a childhood of dire poverty. To the men in her life, she was a charming seductress--turned calculating killer who grew richer with each of their agonizing deaths. Includes exclusive update. Photographs. Optioned by Viacom. HC: Lyle Stuart.

Synopsis: Kelly, a consultant to the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council and author of The Gemini Man, presents a true story of avarice, fraud, political infighting, and the hysteria that swept a city for 18 months. Thanks to the release of once-sealed documents, the most famous slayings in America--the Boston stranglings--can finally be solved. Photos.

Brent's notes: An impossible murder is the intellectual equivalent to the motiveless crime. It is an oxy-moron from start to finish. I think this title was designed to sell books to the the super-market-aisle-gawking-globe readers who pretend to be shocked by the sensationalism of these same types of titles on the front pages of tabloids. Or maybe I'm just being too sensitive about the whole thing.

Synopsis: Cannibalism is perhaps the most shocking of all crimes. In this searing work, Moira Martingale traces the history of cannibal killers, from 16th-century Scottish cannibal Sawney Bean to modern-day criminals such as Jeffrey Dahmer and Edward Gein--the role model for Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.

Synopsis: A new approach to crime, Cat and Mouse is not so much a story about the killings of women from 1989 to 1991 by William Lester Suff (a.k.a. the Riverside Prostitute Strangler), than it is a search for the story behind what makes a serial killer. Told through the eyes of the author, who spent months studying Billy Suff, Cat and Mouse is absolutely riveting, utterly terrifying.

Synopsis: From a top journalist--the author of Soviet Sources--comes a riveting true-crime story of the Soviet Union's most savage serial killer. Here is the chilling story of the manhunt for the killer of more than 50 people . . . with the exclusive cooperation of the Russian detective who cracked the case. HC: Pantheon.

Brent's notes: Okay, I'm going to admit it - I actually have this book. Why? Because this is the kind of case that you want to keep informed about. It's too cultural and foundational to ignore... and there are going to be copycats. And it's the kind of case that gets referenced incorrectly a lot so I just like to be informed. And this is the text I do it with. Nice comprehensive world history of Jack. But I wouldn't say I'm a ripperologist; ouch - that sounds painful.

Synopsis: Sugden's painstaking research has uncovered much new and hitherto neglected material, including a new Ripper sighting, a possible earlier assault, and a potential American connection. More than a century after the crimes, The Complete History of Jack the Ripper is a must for all Ripperologists and true-crime aficionados.

Synopsis: This book tells the inside story of the 12-year murder spree and eventual conviction of the Russian known as Citizen Ch, considered the most monstrous serial killer the world has ever known. Suspected of the sadistic sex murders of at least 52 people, Chikatilo was finally caught in 1990. This is the only book on Chikatilo to come directly out of Russia. Photographs.

Synopsis: Though doctors struggle to save them, babies are dying in the pediatric ward of a Texas hospital. A secret internal investigation reveals the sickening explanation: Genene Jones, a nurse on the 3-11 shift, is a cold-blooded killer. This true-life thriller reveals how Jones was able to work again--and kill again.

Synopsis: From the national best-selling author of Deviant and Deranged comes the shocking true story of America's first serial killer. In a booming suburb of Chicago, as Jack the Ripper terrorized London, H.H. Holmes was inhabiting a secret world of blood lust that would forever define him as the most demonic criminal of his day.

Synopsis: The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Perfect Victim returns with another true-crime thriller. Dorothea Puente ran a boarding house on F street in Sacramento, taking in the city's homeless. But when corpses were dug up in her garden, it became clear the "kind-hearted" landlady was, in fact, a psychotic killer.

Synopsis: The weird, nightmarish tale of Ed Gein rocked America in the 1950s. His story is one of murder, grave robbing, mutilation, necrophilia and cannibalism. Gein, a Wisconsin woodsman, turned his lonely farmhouse into a slaughterhouse for humans. Woods not only documents the life and crimes of Ed Gein but also examines the psychology that drove him to commit his atrocities. Photos.

Synopsis: Smith, a prize-winning reporter for The Seattle Times, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in investigative reporting for his coverage of the Green River Killer case. Now he reveals the shocking true story of serial wife killer Randy Roth, the alluring, handsome man who was caught after his fourth wife "accidentally" drowned. Photos.

Synopsis: Emmy Award-winning journalist Kolarik recreates Larry Eyler's odyssey from the gay leather bars of Indianapolis and Chicago to his killing spree of at least 23 young men to his release on a technicality left him free to kill again. Exclusive update includes Eyler's confession. Photographs. Optioned for a TV miniseries. HC: Chicago Review Press.

Synopsis: Terrorized by an unknown serial killer, the students at the University of Florida lived in fear. He struck with the speed and force of a savage predator, torturing, raping and carving up each of his five victims. Kyzuk takes readers behind the scenes of the most sickening killings of this century--crimes so heinous they left a community shaken to its core. HC: Donald Fine.

The publisher, www.loompanics.com, 12/18/96: "Entry after entry, Hunting Humans shows evil ingenuity that defies imagination." -The Village Voice- "...an excellent addition to the library of the true crime buff. It will leave you spellbound!" -True Detective- More than 500 detailed case histories of serial killers from the 20th Century. This disturbing book describes their lives and their exploits without any varnish or pufferly - the chilling details speak for themselves. More than 60% of the killers described here have never been mentioned before. This huge book is an unforgettable chronicle of the world's most deranged homicidal maniacs. 1990, 8 1/2 x 11, 353pp, illustrated, hard cover. disc.

Brent's notes: I spoke with Steve Egger regarding this new book and he explained that the concept of linkage blindness is explored more thoroughly in this work than previously.

Synopsis: The New York Times best-selling author of The Search for the Green River Killer presents startling revelations in the puzzling case in which 11 women were murdered in New Bedford, Massachusetts. This is the inside story of the horribly botched investigation in the case of "the Highway Killer." 8-page insert. Original.

Synopsis: New York City policeman Eric Napoletano seemed to attract tragedy. First, his girlfriend was murdered. Later, his mother-in-law was shot to death and his second wife disappeared. Now, in the gripping Mama's Boy, Richard T. Pienciak tells the true-crime tale of the investigation to prove Napoletano a murderer and how the police were foiled at every turn by Napoletano's devious best friend--his mother.

Synopsis: In a perfect follow-up to the highly successful Mammoth Book of Murder, noted true-crime writers lead readers step-by-step through the famous crimes of women killers--from Agrippina's use of poison in ancient Rome to the notorious Lizzie Borden. This unusual collection provides insight into various societies and periods that produced some of the most ruthless killers ever.

Synopsis: The Milwaukee Journal reporter who broke the Dahmer story spans the entire case, describing the dramatic scene when police first entered Dahmer's apartment; the fascinating science of forensics and how it was used to identify 16 victims; Dahmer's childhood; the personal stories of the victims' families; and much more. 16 pages of photographs.

Synopsis: Ten years after the horrific spree that left 13 people dead and the city of L.A. paralyzed with fear, Richard Ramirez's name is synonymous with Satanism, torture, and sadistic murder. Here, based on 100 hours of personal interviews with Ramirez on California's Death Row, is the definitive account of America's most feared serial killer.

Synopsis: Who are they? What forces shape their twisted minds? From Jeffrey Dahmer to California's Zodiac killer, the deviant minds of America's serial killers are exposed like never before in this riveting work. Authors Fox and Levin offer a rare, close-up and shocking look into the killers' motivations, fantasies, and cold-blooded rage.

Synopsis: For the first time, the conversations between Keppel and Bundy are revealed--conversations in which Bundy speculates about the motive and methods of the Green River Killer and, finally, reveals his own secrets. Such as, how Bundy selected, stalked and charmed his victims; what drove him to kill; and what powerful compulsion made him continue to kill. Photos. Original.

Brent's notes: I own this book myself. Dr. Norris has a PhD. in Psychology and consults. His "profile of a serial killer" in the back of the book is broken down into patterns he seems to have borrowed from Hare's psychopathy checklist and Douglas' work from NCAVC studies. He seems also to be a little confused about how to mix the two into a profiling brew. But he has some worthwhile ruminations so I'd buy the book and use it as a grindstone. Remember also that he is a neurologist, subsequently he looks at someone's neurotransmitter levels everytime they have to go to the bathroom in hopes of finding a synaptic correlation.

Norris' solutions to the problem of the serial killers in society in general (which is a huge problem since serial killer are individuals with individual dynamics) is to say, as though he is applying for a grant, we need more time to study the problem. He's right of course. But we've been studying the problem for the past 50 years and we've gotten nowhere so far.

The publisher, Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.: Through extensive research and interviews with five notorious serial killers, author Joel Norris demonstrates that serial killers have specific biological and genetic makeups that can be identified as early as five years of age. A compelling read for both the curious layman and the concerned professional.

Synopsis: The F.B.I. has estimated that there may be as many as 500 serial killers at large in this country, yet until now no one has made such a bold challenge to existing theories about the nature of the phenomenon. Norris also provides remedies to control its growth.

Brent's notes: I have been admonished by Dr. Egger to note that it is in this text that he first coined the term "linkage blindness." I used the term a number of times in my online paper regarding the profiling of serial rapists, Behavior Evidence.

Book News, Inc., 12/01/90: Using case studies of serial murders, the contributors provide a micro-analysis of the phenomenon, the current law enforcement responses, and the future of serial murder research and investigation. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Brent's notes: This book is not so good. It's very commercial and poorly written. But Holmes gets referred to a lot so it's important to be familiar with this work. Additionally, Holmes' redeems himself later with Profiling Violent Crimes, 2nd Ed. That work is a must read and is in our profiling section. This work is a lot of generalized nonsense that sounds like it was reprinted from bad newspaper articles rather being the result of serious academic research. And I'd have no such expectation if Holmes weren't a serious academic.

Brent's notes: This book is actually a useful compilation of serial killers. If you read the cases and ignore the uninsightful moralizing and editorializing by Hickey, you might find this book useful. It is not study, but merely a compilation of available public information on certain high profile offenders.

Synopsis: This comprehensive perspective of serial murders in the U.S. provides a thorough analysis of the lives of offenders through the examination of individual cases, typology construction, and models for understanding many of their homicidal routes. The extensive detail gives insight into individual offenders and explores the factors common to over 200 serial killers. 25 illustrations.

Synopsis: In this chilling portrait of a serial killer, a crime expert takes readers inside the mind of Caroll Edward "Eddie" Cole. From hundreds of first-hand interviews with Cole before his execution, Newton follows the development of a person who killed Geraldo, and is the author of FBI Most Wanted. Original.

Synopsis: When a brutal rape and murder threatened to become just another statistic, pioneering detective Joe Horgas used DNA testing for the first time--and forever altered the equation between cop and criminal. Gripping and unforgettable, Stalking Justice tells this amazing story. Photos.

Synopsis: Former FBI agent Dan Mitrione follows the dark, twisted path of man with all the cunning, sexy good looks and deadly charm of a Ted Bundy, exposing a killer's secret bloody past that shocked even the most jaded detectives. Richard Grissom, a handsome one-time college student, kidnapped and killed four young women in Wichita, Kansas, before being apprehended by the police. This is the terrifying true story photo insert. Previously issued as an Addicus Books trade paper.

Synopsis: Most people know Elliot Ness as the unimpeachable FBI agent who led a special Justice Department squad known as the Untouchables in a war against Al Capone. In Torso, Nickel explores Ness's later career, the search for one of America's first serial killers. 20 photos.