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Used Book ~ The Cases That Haunt Us by author Mark Olshaker, John Douglas
The Cases That Haunt Us
Author: Mark Olshaker, John Douglas
Book Information
Publisher: Pocket
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Rating: 32

ISBN-13: 9780671017064 - ISBN-10: 0671017063
Publication Date: 12/1/2001
Pages: 512

Book Description:
America's foremost expert on criminal profiling provides his uniquely gripping analysis of seven of the most notorious murder cases in the history of crime -- from the Whitechapel murders to JonBenet Ramsey -- often contradicting conventional wisdom and legal decisions.

Jack the Ripper. Lizzie Borden. The Zodiac Killer. Certain homicide cases maintain an undeniable, almost mystical hold on the public imagination. They touch a nerve deep within us because of the personalities involved, their senseless depravity, the nagging doubts about whether justice was done, or because, in some instances, no suspect has ever been identified or caught.

In The Cases That Haunt Us, twenty-five-year-FBI-veteran John Douglas, profiling pioneer and master of modern criminal investigative analysis, and author and filmmaker Mark Olshaker, the team behind the bestselling Mindhunter series, explore the tantalizing mysteries that both their legions of fans and law enforcement professionals ask about most. Among the questions they tackle:

Was Jack the Ripper actually the Duke of Clarence, eldest grandson of Queen Victoria, or perhaps a practicing medical doctor? And did highly placed individuals within Scotland Yard have a good idea of the Ripper's identity, which they never revealed? Douglas and Olshaker create a detailed profile of the killer, and reveal their chief suspect.

Was Lizzie Borden truly innocent of the murder of her father and stepmother as the Fall River, Massachusetts, jury decided, or was she the one who took the ax and delivered those infamous "whacks"? Through a minute-by-minute behavioral analysis of the crime, the authors come to a convincing conclusion.

Did Bruno Richard Hauptmann single-handedly kidnap the baby son of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, the most famous couple in the world, or was he an innocent man caught up and ultimately executed in a relentless rush to judgment in the "crime of the century"?

What kind of person could kill six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey on Christmas night in her own home? Douglas was called in on the case shortly after the horrifying murder, and his conclusions are hard-hitting and controversial. Why, in the face of the majority of public, media, and law enforcement opinion, including former FBI colleagues, does Douglas believe that John and Patricia Ramsey did not murder their daughter? And what is the forensic and behavioral evidence he brings to bear to make his claim?

Taking a fresh and penetrating look at each case, the authors reexamine and reinterpret accepted facts and victimology using modern profiling and the techniques of criminal analysis developed by Douglas within the FBI. This book deconstructs the evidence and widely held beliefs surrounding each case and rebuilds them -- with fascinating and haunting results.

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Genres:
Other Versions of this Book: Paperback, Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Hardcover


Top Member Reviews

L. G. wrote on 12/13/2005...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

As usual, John Douglas does a wonderful analysis of famous unsolved cases. This one is excellent.

Lori B. (pdocgirl) from ADAMSTOWN, MD wrote on 10/6/2006...

1 member(s) found this review helpful.

This book was one of my more interesting texts for my degree in forensic psychology. Douglas's theories don't always agree with the popular thinking, but his logic makes sense once you understand the method. It's interesting reading, until you get to the Ramsey case where his bias gets in the way of following his own method. Some knowledge of the facts of the historical cases helps with the understanding, but the book is definitely written for the popular press. If you like CSI-type stuff you'll probably like this book, although his first book, Mindhunter, was better.


Rate These Member Reviews

Sandra W. wrote on 3/28/2008...


True crime book about some of the cases that most people have read about in the newspapers or magazines and/or have seen on television. The cases presented kept me reading, but there are so many takes on the Jonbenet Ramsey case that one more is not that interesting to me at this point. Overall, though, I found it very good reading.

Kelly N. wrote on 6/3/2007...


I enjoyed this book, even with the subject matter being what it is, the book was well-written by someone who actually knows what really happened.

Cheryl (Toni) J. (toni) from HILLSBOROUGH, NC wrote on 4/18/2007...


Fascinating true crime book. The authors are very good at giving their perspectives. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Jodie B. (Jolybi72) from ROCKFORD, MI wrote on 9/19/2006...


Includes cases about, Lizzie Bordon, Jack the ripper, JonBenet Ramsy, The Zodiac Killer and more.

J T. (alwaysfrog) from BELLEVUE, NE wrote on 7/27/2006...


An in depth look at Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, The Lindburgh Kidnappingm Thhe Zodiac Zillings, The JonBenet Murder and other by an FBI profiler - Gribbibg!

Kathleen D. from STEUBENVILLE, OH wrote on 6/30/2006...


Very interesting and thoughtful. By the first FBI profiler.

Christine W. from LACONIA, IN wrote on 3/21/2006...


This is an interesting book if you want to know about different cases that have happened through out the years.

Bobbie L. (nascargal) from GRAND RAPIDS, MI wrote on 12/26/2005...


This is a very interesting true crime book.

Amelia S. from CHARLOTTE, NC wrote on 10/17/2005...


The authors--Douglas worked for the FBI for 25 years--tackle famous cases including Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, the Zodiac killer, and JonBenet Ramsey's murder. This is not sleazy or sensationalistic crime writing; the book is down-to-earth and very convincing of various parties' guilt or innocence. Highly recommended. Now I'd like to see Douglas tackle Scott Peterson and Darlie Routier.

K E M. (Rampallion) from EVANSTON, IL wrote on 9/27/2005...


Excellent accounts of the following cases, some solved and some unsolved:

Jack the Ripper
Lizzie Borden
The Zodiac Killer
The Black Dahlia
The Lindbergh Baby
Lawrencia "Bambi" Bembenek
The Boston Strangler
JonBenet Ramsey

I had no idea that Lizzie Borden may have been a kleptomaniac. The insights on the Ramsey case are especially good. Don't skip the "Perspectives" section at the end--the authors have some terrific suggestions on how to equip law enforcement agencies so they can solve these types of cases.