A tragic and riveting true crime story of teenage obsession, torture, the 1992 murder of a twelve-year-old Indiana girl, and its aftermath.Twelve-year-old Shanda Sharer carefully selected what she would wear on her first day at Hazelwood Junior High in New Albany, Indiana. She wanted everything to be perfect. Yet two days later model student Shanda was in detention for fighting with another girl. Within a week, Shanda and tough, swaggering Amanda were best friends. Slowly, Shanda began to change, and her worried parents transferred her to another school. But the girls’ relationship didn’t end, sparking homicidal jealousy in another girlfriend. Then, one night, after a rock concert, a clique of four teenage girls did the unimaginable: they drove to Shanda’s home, lured her into their car and committed horrific crimes. Afterwards they drove to McDonald’s for breakfast.Little Lost Angel chronicles this shocking story—along with the investigation and the sensational murder trial involving satanism and child molestation—in its entirety. This is the definitive account of a crime so hideous and tragic that it provoked international attention, and sent an alarming and important message to every family in America.“What is frightening . . . is just how close to normal [these girls] may actually be.” —Jim Adams, Louisville Courier-Journal

After a search of over twenty years, one of America's most elusive serial killers was finally apprehended. Now, read the true story of one man's attempt to get inside se mind of the Green River KillerJuly 15, 1982: 3 woman's strangled body was filed, caught on the pilings of Washington state's Green River. Before long, the "Green River Killer" would be suspected in at least forty-nine more homicides, with no end in sight. Then the authorities received an unbelievable letter from the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy -- then on Florida's death row -- offering to help catch the Green River Killer. But he would only talk to one man: Robert Keppel, the former homicide detective who had helped track Bundy's cross-county killing spree.Now these conversations are revealed, in which Bundy speculates about the motive and methods of the Green River Killer -- and reveals his own twisted secrets as well. Now, as never before, we look into the face of evil...and into the heart of a killer.

A true crime essay examining the bizarre case of a nineteenth-century German teen, his unusual origins, and his unsolved murder.Kept in a dungeon for his entire childhood, Kaspar Hauser appeared in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1828 at age sixteen, barely able to walk or talk. When he was killed in 1833, his true identity and the motives for his unsolved murder became the subjects of intense speculation. This provocative essay sheds new light on this mystery and delves into fundamental questions about the long-term effects of child abuse.Previously published as Lost PrincePraise for The Wild Child“A valuable introduction to a timeless and fascinating mystery involving child abuse and murder. . . . Masson’s examination will introduce many American readers to one of the great case studies of extreme cruelty and deprivation, and of the remarkable human capacity for adaptability.” —Kirkus Reviews“A stunning piece of detective work.” —Publishers Weekly

The true story of James Howard Snook, Theora Hix, and one of the most shocking crimes of the 1920s.   In the sweltering summer of 1929, the people of Columbus, Ohio, were enthralled by the story of Dr. James Howard Snook—an Ohio State University veterinary professor and Olympic gold medal-winning pistol shooter who was put on trial for the murder of his twenty-four-year-old lover, a medical student.   This riveting account reveals how Snook was captured and interrogated, including his gory confession of Theora Hix’s death. During the trial, the details of the illicit love affair were so salacious that newspapers could only hint about what really led to the coed’s murder and the professor’s ultimate punishment. This is the first full account of this astonishing story, from scandalous beginning to tragic end.

“The story of how [Dennis Priven] got away with murder . . . a fascinating diorama of life in the Peace Corps in the 1970s, on the edge of the world.” —The New York Times Book ReviewIn 1975, a new group of Peace Corps volunteers landed on the island nation of Tonga. Among them was Deborah Gardner—a beautiful twenty-three-year-old who, in the following year, would be stabbed twenty-two times and left for dead inside her hut.Another volunteer turned himself in to the Tongan police, and many of the other Americans were sure he had committed the crime. But with the aid of the State Department, he returned home a free man. Although the story was kept quiet in the United States, Deb Gardner’s death and the outlandish aftermath took on legendary proportions in Tonga.Now journalist Philip Weiss “shines daylight on the facts of this ugly case with the fervor of an avenging angel” (Chicago Tribune), exposing a gripping tale of love, violence, and clashing ideals. With bravura reporting and vivid, novelistic prose, Weiss transforms a Polynesian legend into a singular artifact of American history and a profoundly moving human story.“This meticulously deconstructed tale of a Peace Corps volunteer murdering another in Tonga and basically getting away with it has to be one of the most exotic true-crime books of recent years, and one of the saddest.” —The Washington Post“[A] compelling and disturbing exposé . . . even novice true crime readers will find this a gripping and deeply sad story that will do little to bolster faith in the U.S. government’s ethical priorities.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)