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true crime

In the Name of the Children

A So-So Vignette Into Tracking Child Predators Author: Jeffrey L. Rinek Jeff Rinek always wanted to be part of the FBI, even as a child. To him it was a real way to get involved, to be a hero, to help people. He thrived on FBI stories growing up. But it didn’t look like it was ever meant to be. For one thing, Jeff was Jewish, and in the 70s the FBI was mostly comprised of white Christians. Not a place for a Jewish man, especially one with physical disabilities. Passing the physical tests alone was a nearly insurmountable challenge. But [...]

2023-06-24T11:31:14-07:00June 24th, 2023|Tags: , , , |

Have At It, Sister

Murderer or Battered Woman? Author: Bill Griffeth One late night in April 1991, the abuse was finally too much for Gloria Burtzlaff. She walked down the stairs, loaded the gun, walked back, said “Larry, I’m going to kill you,” and shot her husband dead. From there, the trial spooled out, but South Dakota did not allow expert witnesses to offer a diagnosis of “battered woman syndrome.” Besides, Gloria had had an affair, one that lasted years. She had options. She showed calm forethought. It was enough to put her away, but was it all really true? What is battered woman [...]

2023-06-20T16:58:54-07:00June 20th, 2023|Tags: , , , , , |

In Cold Blood

A Surprisingly Banal Representation of Murder Author: Truman Capote A sleepy Kansas town, where families safely leave their doors unlocked. Where everyone knows everyone else in town. A family – father, mother, two children, slaughtered in the night. Shot, point blank. Tied up. Robbed. All for $40.00. Truman Capote took an infamous, seemingly inexplicable crime and ushered in narrative non-fiction and the popularity of true crime books with In Cold Blood, which has since become a classic. I remember as a child watching the first movie based on this book. I recall marveling at the complexity of emotion, the way that [...]

2023-05-02T18:43:51-07:00May 2nd, 2023|Tags: , , , , , , , |
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