Family, Friends and Neighbors: Stories of Murder and Betrayal

by Richard Estep
Family, Friends and Neighbors

[Richard Estep] covers many obscure cases, at least to me, he also includes many well-known cases, such as Ronnie Defeo (The Amityville Horror), the Menendez brothers, and Casey Anthony. Though it may be tough to relive these stories, it is very comforting to know how the accused killers ended up. No matter what, these crimes are inexcusable. What is fascinating is how the accused try to hide what they did, often blaming it on either other family members or non-existent attackers. Family, Friends, and Neighbors: Stories of Murder and Betrayal is a great book, whether you have long been interested in true crime or if it is something you are just getting into.

Basement of the Bizarre

This collection brings together 35 tales of murder and is a bonanza for true-crime aficionados. … the vast majority of these grizzly crimes take place in the United States during the last 100 years. … Inconsistencies in alibis, irregularities in evidence, and controversies over conviction are explored, as are possible motives. … This ready reference will come in handy for public libraries that support wanna-be detectives and crime stoppers.

Booklist

Your true crime fanatic will love it.

Indianapolis Recorder

In his latest exploration into the realm of true crime, Estep (The Serial Killer Next Door) delves beyond the sensationalism surrounding infamous serial killers. He draws readers’ attention to a chilling reality: murder is more likely to be perpetrated by someone known to the victim, rather than a stranger. ... Estep meticulously dissects the alarming phenomenon of familicide, a gruesome subset of violent crimes often fueled by abuse and power dynamics within relationships. ... He skillfully uncovers patterns and motives ... There is a common thread of desperation and the quest for escape in the motives behind these crimes. … A good introductory exploration into the minds of killers who defy conventional stereotypes.

Library Journal

Okay, if you are faint of heart, this book is probably not for you. … Family, Friends, and Neighbors has one chilling story after another. After the first page, I couldn't put this book down. If you love being creeped out, then this is the book for you!

Unexplained-Mysteries.com

Intimacy and trust go hand-in-hand, but what happens when that trust is misplaced?

What happens when insurance payouts become too enticing? Or when desperation and poverty become too much? Or when resentment over a childhood trauma overwhelms? The chilling stories of brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, companions and confidants motivated by money, social status, and revenge and those who mistakenly trusted them are collected in this fright-filled book.

Discover the dark secrets that lurk behind closed doors in this gripping true-crime collection. You’ll read the stories, investigates the facts, learn the motives behind the killers who murder the people nearest and dearest to them, including murdering to escape a marriage, dire desperation turned lethal, a violent veer away from reality, and other less comprehensible motivations, including …
  • The captivating downfall of prestigious attorney and community figure, Alex Murdaugh, whose addiction spiraled into a web of deceit, fraud, and murder.
  • The troubled existence of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who was dominated by her mother's twisted obsession with illness, and the drastic measures taken to reclaim her life.
  • The heartbreaking story of Michael and Robert Bever, brothers driven to commit unspeakable acts due to a lifetime of torment inflicted by their own parents
  • The romance author Nancy Crampton Brophy, whose own life becomes a macabre plot line.
  • The gruesome case of Heather Mack and her boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, who were entangled in a web of greed and trust funds that led to a grisly discovery inside a suitcase.
  • The shocking crimes committed by Lyle and Erik Menendez, whose privileged lives culminated in the massacre of their own parents, forever shocking the nation.
  • The infamous ax-wielding figure, Lizzie Borden, whose father and stepmother conveniently died, leaving her their inheritance.
  • The troubled Florida teen Tyler Hadley and his wild house party that went on while his parents' bodies bled in the master bedroom.
  • The bank vice-president-turned-embezzler Steven Sueppel, whose mounting debts compelled him to commit a desperate act of murder.
  • And dozens of other intimate murders and webs of deceit!
  • About Richard Estep

    Richard Estep Richard Estep is the author of twenty books, most of them in the field of paranormal non-fiction, including The Haunting of Asylum 49: Chilling Tales of Aggressive Spirits, Phantom Doctors, and the Secret of Room 666. He is a regular columnist for Haunted Magazine and has also written for the Journal of Emergency Medical Services. His lifelong fascination for ghosts has led him to investigate haunted locations around the world for the past 25 years. Richard appears regularly on the TV shows Haunted Case Files, Haunted Hospitals, Paranormal 911, and Paranormal Night Shift. British by birth, Richard now makes his home in Colorado, a few miles north of Denver, where he serves as a paramedic and lives with his wife and a menagerie of adopted animals.

    Hometown: Longmont, Colorado

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