GENRE: Nonfiction/True Crime
SETTING: California, 1970's-1980's
PURCHASE: link
MY GRADE: A
FROM PUBLISHER: Hunting A Psychopath chronicles the ongoing search for the identity of the serial rapist and murderer known both as the East Area Rapist and Original Night Stalker. The author first lays the groundwork for how the investigation was conducted. Then using what reports are still available, plus some personal insights, he examines each assault in the order they occurred. Gradually the methods used by the EAR/ONS in first searching out his victims, then stalking them, come to light.
The EAR/ONS first surfaced in June, 1976, in Sacramento, CA. He was last heard from in May, 1986, in Irvine, CA, where he brutally murdered an eighteen year old woman. In between those years he stayed busy, assaulting fifty-three people, and murdering twelve more, while spreading a blanket of fear across central CA and parts of Southern CA. It has been over thirty years now and still he has not been brought to justice.
Perhaps this continuing interest is because those wanting to involve themselves in the investigation know it can still be brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
MY THOUGHTS: Richard was a detective on this case from the start and tells of his experience with the EAR's victims and suspects. I learned of a few men who were suspects at the time of the crimes, such as Art Pinkton, William Boren, 'Jamison', and so on. Some were cleared by DNA in the 2000's. There were chapters at the end, each dedicated to a few other suspects and I enjoyed learning about them.
Not too much info was given for each of the rapes, likely because that had been covered in a previous EAR book. I'd have liked to have read interviews with some of the victims. A couple of them have been interviewed for EAR documentaries.
It's still unknown to this day who the EAR is and still unknown if he's dead or alive. Police do have his DNA and I have no doubt that he'll be identified before too long.
Mr. Shelby's written a great, informative book on this case. Anyone who's interested in the EAR should be thrilled to read this.
Listen to what is believed to be EAR's voice here. He made this call to one of his rape victims.
Please watch the documentaries below.
MSNBC Investigates 'Deadly Behavior' episode.
E!'s THS Investigates from 2009.
I.D.'s (Investigation Discovery) Dark Minds, season 2, episode 1, from 2013.
There are several websites dedicated to his monster: Ear-ons.com, Casebook of the Bedroom Killer, The Quester Files.
There's an informative discussion board dedicated to the case, ear/ons/gsk, here. Ear-ons has a complete listing of all EAR's crimes, link.
Here's an article Michelle McNamara did on EAR for L.A. Magazine.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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