4.5 Stars
To date, this is really the only reliable book on the Idaho Murders.Based on unredacted law enforcement reports, court files, (particularly the prosecution’s discovery which was turned over at plea), and unredacted crime scene photos along with interviews of sources named (defense forensic expert Dr. Brett Turvey is interviewed) and anonymous, retired FBI agent Christopher Whitcomb walks readers through the case, the players, the evidence, or lack thereof, with the benefit of his years of law enforcement expertise, explaining investigative concepts and theories along the way. The tone of the book never feels sensational nor does the author approach the subject matter for shock value. That’s not to say there isn’t shocking details to be explored.
-Posed bodies with post-mortem abuse;
-Hair not matching the accused in victims' hands and beds;
-A knife sheath with serious chain of custody issues that may or may not belong to the never located murder weapon but changes positions nonetheless;
-A lab that delivered not the accused name after DNA analysis, but the (undisclosed) name of four brothers unrelated to the accused;
-A prosecution expert who believed the accused streaked through the multi-floor college residence, dodging a beer pong table in the nude waving a knife… or two?
-A police force who took speed reenacting to a new level, madly dashing through the now conveniently torn down house to try to prove a quadruple homicide could be completed in their tight timeline. (Spoiler alert: It can’t be duplicated.)
This is a must read for not just true crime followers, but anyone who ever caught a snippet of this case on the news. Because what’s largely been reported in the mainstream media has been more fantasy than fact and more biased than accurate.
Thankfully this book doesn't emit any grifter vibes. Instead, it feels more whistleblower, bringing to light things that have been largely buried and ignored that shouldn't have been because they were critical to the integrity of the case.
Those seeking the truth can only hope that someone finally digs deep enough to unearth what really happened November 13, 2022, that a day will come when there’s more answers than questions, when integrity and justice matter more than a university’s reputation. Until that time, this book is the first to help set the story straight, or at least as untangled as any case can be when witnesses with inconsistent and contradictory narratives were never interrogated, where law enforcement made obvious and blatant mistakes, and when reasonable doubt continues to mount.
*Hardcover purchased from Barnes & Noble. All reviews written by Book-Bosomed Book Blog are honest opinions.
-Bloody crime scenes absent of a blood trail;
-A knife sheath with serious chain of custody issues that may or may not belong to the never located murder weapon but changes positions nonetheless;
-A lab that delivered not the accused name after DNA analysis, but the (undisclosed) name of four brothers unrelated to the accused;
-A prosecution expert who believed the accused streaked through the multi-floor college residence, dodging a beer pong table in the nude waving a knife… or two?
-A police force who took speed reenacting to a new level, madly dashing through the now conveniently torn down house to try to prove a quadruple homicide could be completed in their tight timeline. (Spoiler alert: It can’t be duplicated.)
“It did not happen in four minutes. The prosecution’s narrative makes no sense whatsoever….” (199). -Dr. Brett Turvey-Two in-the-house-at-the-time-of-the-murders roommates who heard nothing and everything but saw their unconscious roommate on the floor in her underwear and yet waited 8 hours to call for help while they scrolled social media and played with photos and videos.
This is a must read for not just true crime followers, but anyone who ever caught a snippet of this case on the news. Because what’s largely been reported in the mainstream media has been more fantasy than fact and more biased than accurate.
Thankfully this book doesn't emit any grifter vibes. Instead, it feels more whistleblower, bringing to light things that have been largely buried and ignored that shouldn't have been because they were critical to the integrity of the case.
“In this era of crowd-sourced inquiry, is it not our obligation to point out gaping holes in the prosecution’s narrative, and in lieu of a trial, look deeper?” (418). -Christopher WhitcombDid one stranger who seemingly never knew the King Road residents existed brutally attack, stab, beat, and strangle four victims in a multi-story unconventional layout party house on Homecoming night in less than ten minutes or was this the work of multiple perpetrators with multiple weapons and a grudge, grievance, and plan to muddy the crime scene and confuse the investigators?
Those seeking the truth can only hope that someone finally digs deep enough to unearth what really happened November 13, 2022, that a day will come when there’s more answers than questions, when integrity and justice matter more than a university’s reputation. Until that time, this book is the first to help set the story straight, or at least as untangled as any case can be when witnesses with inconsistent and contradictory narratives were never interrogated, where law enforcement made obvious and blatant mistakes, and when reasonable doubt continues to mount.
"In this case, there was no Johnnie Cochran" (423). -Christopher Whitcomb
GOODREADS
*Hardcover purchased from Barnes & Noble. All reviews written by Book-Bosomed Book Blog are honest opinions.
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