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Book Review of Marrying the Hangman/379

Marrying the Hangman/379
Marrying the Hangman/379
Author: Sheila Weller
Genre: Nonfiction
Book Type: Paperback
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Forty-four-year-old Diane Whitmore Pikul, who had finally decided to divorce her abusive husband, had been strangled and bludgeoned to death by Joseph Pikul, a Wall Street securities analyst who saw murder as the easiest way to retain custody of his two children. Although he had been arrested wearing women's underwear (he later died of AIDS in prison) and although he expressed no remorse in confessing to Diane's murder, Pikul was allowed sole custody while he was free on bail. In this compelling book, journalist Weller, who covered the Pikul case for Ms. magazine, explores Diane's self-destructive youth, her tragic attempt to break away from Pikul, and the child custody and domestic violence issues that arose from her murder. Strongly recommended for all true crime collections.