Review of Frozen Tears The Fort Leonard Wood MP Murders
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- Tomah
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Review of Frozen Tears The Fort Leonard Wood MP Murders
On January 13, 1977, an incident shook Pulaski County, Missouri to its core. Juanita Deckard, a teenager who had gone on a double date with three of her friends the night before, was the only member of the group to survive a terrifying encounter with an officer from the Fort Leonard Wood military base. The officer, Johnny Lee Thornton, had taken advantage of his position to sexually assault and murder his victims. By a stroke of fortune, Deckard wasn't fatally wounded and managed to call for help after an arduous walk through the snow. Thus began a perplexing case that would leave its marks on the community for decades to come.
Frozen Tears: The Fort Leonard Wood MP Murders, written by J. B. King and co-authored by Sandra Miller Linhart, gives a detailed account of Thornton's crimes and the subsequent investigation and trial. King worked as a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper at the time of the murders; indeed, he was the first one to contact Juanita Deckard. The book owes its depth to not only the author's involvement and professional experience but also his extensive research, including interviews, court transcripts, notes, articles, reports, and countless other documents.
True crime fans likely won't find room for disappointment thanks to the book's extensive coverage of every aspect of the case. King spares no effort describing investigation plans and pieces of evidence, complementing this information with maps, diagrams, and photographs. The trial portions are equally rich in detail, providing some engaging real-life legal drama. This approach highlights many important behind-the-scenes challenges that often go unnoticed by the public: investigating sites under unfavorable weather conditions, coordinating different groups, dealing with jurisdictional conflicts, etc.
Perhaps the book's most remarkable feature, however, is how it masterfully intersperses the human element between technical discussions. The author never forgets about the real lives impacted by the crimes, showcasing interviews with family members and noting the short-term and long-term effects on the community.
There are, unfortunately, quite a few typographical errors, mostly involving missing or extraneous punctuation marks. These issues aren't glaring or frequent enough to bother most people, but they stain an otherwise phenomenal book and warrant another proofreading round. Speaking of things I disliked, another (very minor) point is that the author's discussion of jurisdiction should've come much earlier since it would've helped readers understand many decisions and complications during the investigation and prosecution.
Frozen Tears: The Fort Leonard Wood MP Murders is a true labor of love that oozes dedication and compassion, serving as the go-to source for learning about the case and as a textbook example of true crime done right. Due to the editing issues, however, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. I wouldn't recommend the book if you're looking for an exciting mystery story and technical details and legal discussions bore you.
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Frozen Tears The Fort Leonard Wood MP Murders
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