Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Love Me to Death by Steve Jackson


Started: 4/4/06
Finished: 4/5/06
Pages: 302
Year: 2002
Genre: true crime
Grade: B+
Blurb (from back cover): "Those were the words of William Lee "Cody" Neal, 43, to Angela Fite on July 5, 1998, after luring the pretty 28-year-old to the Denver, Colorado townhouse he'd turned into a den of torture and slaughter. With twisted pleasure, he showed her two dead female bodies on the floor and a third, live one-naked, gagged and bound, and spread-eagled on a mattress.
"Neal, who called himself "WIld Bill Cody," was seductive and skillful at separating love-struck women from their money, and ultimately, their lives, 43-year-old divorcee Rebecca Holberton let Neal move into her townhouse and "loaned" him $70,000. On June 30, 1998, he repaid her by crushing her skull with an ax and wrapping her in plastic. On Friday, July 3, he brought another girlfriend, Candace Walters, 48, to the townhouse, clubbing her to death and desecrating the body. On Sunday, yet another acquaintance, Suzanne Scott, 21, watched helplessly as Angela Fite was murdered by Neal, who then sodomized and raped his bound captive.
"Apprehended by police, Neal, who proclaimed himself better than Ted Bundy, insisted on representing himself at the trial. Though the evidence against him was overwhelming, it was the testimony of Suzanne, who had survived Neal's unspeakable torture, that finally put this monster on Colorado's death row."
Opinion: Fairly interesting true crime story. Had lots of court involvement which was interesting since Neal represented himself. A good read that kept my attention during a long commute.

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