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Book Review of Early Graves: The Shocking True-Crime Story of the Youngest Woman Ever Sentenced to Death Row

lens avatar reviewed Murder in a small town on + 15 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


This is the true story of a couple of ne'er do wells (Alvin & Judith Neeley) that came to my hometown, holed up in a cheap motel, and then kidnapped a teen. After a week or so of abuse, they carried her to Alabama and executed her in a most vicious way.

It's not in the book, but when Alabama Governor Fob James was leaving office, he commuted Judith's sentence from death to life in prison. This prompted the Alabama legislature to enact a law that prevented commuted death sentences from being eligible for parole.

The book contains several small factual errors that I knew only because I live here. Certainly makes me wonder about the accuracy of the stuff I didn't know.

As far as being a page turner, what the author lacks in style is made up for by the heinousness of the crimes he's reporting. He does paint a clear picture of two hopeless scumbags and the tragic chemistry between them that caused innocent lives to be lost.