Masks of Sanity: Jerry Bledsoe’s Classic True Crime Sagas
Overview:
Jerry Bledsoe’s series of critically acclaimed true crime sagas, originally published in the late 1980s and 90s, have been made into various movies (including Before He Wakes and Honor Thy Mother) and now television shows (Bitter Blood has inspired a new episode of Killer Couples on the Oxygen Network), but until recently, the books have been hard to find in print, and unavailable in ebook. After coming across four of Bledsoe’s titles last year, however, Diversion Books decided to bring the books back into publication with a series of re-releases in ebook. Now, at long last, three of Bledsoe’s best titles with be available in print on July 28th, alongside the bestselling Bitter Blood in ebook.
Before He Wakes, Blood Games, and Death Sentence deal with some of the most chilling domestic murders in the history of crime, and delve into the twisted minds of the murderers who wore masks of sanity that fooled even those closest to them. The books will be available on Amazon, B&N, and other online retailers.
Before He Wakes:
Barbara Stager appeared to be a devoted mother, loving wife, and dedicated church leader in her Durham, North Carolina, community. When she “accidentally” shot her husband, popular high school coach Russ, the police were inclined to believe her—until they found out ten years earlier her first husband had died in a strangely similar way. Detective Rick Buchanan’s relentless investigations into Stager’s life revealed a stunning vortex of compulsive lying, obsessive spending, and sexual promiscuity.
With every shocking new discovery, more of Barbara’s impeccable image unraveled. But the greatest shock—a damning piece of evidence Russ Stager left behind—revealed the nightmare truth about Barbara. New York Times bestselling author Jerry Bledsoe takes us deep into one of the most spellbinding cases of double life, lethal lust, and almost perfect murder.
Purchase Link for Before He Wakes
Blood Games:
Wealthy Lieth von Stein lay dead and his wife Bonnie near death in their North Carolina home after a vicious assault with knife and baseball bat as they slept. The crime seemed totally baffling until police followed a trail that led to the charming von Stein stepson, Chris Pritchard, and his brilliant, drug-using, Dungeons-&-Dragons playing friends at N.C. State University. Blood Games is the shattering true story of degraded young minds—and a son’s gruesome greed turned horrifyingly real. Jerry Bledsoe masterfully reconstructs the bloody crime and its aftermath, as he takes us on a riveting journey into the secret twisted hearts of three young murderers.
Death Sentence:
When North Carolina farmer Stuart Taylor died after a sudden illness, his 46-year-old fiancée Velma Barfield, was overcome with grief. Taylor’s family grieved with her—until the autopsy revealed traces of arsenic poisoning. Turned over to the authorities by her own son, Velma stunned her family with more revelations. This wasn’t the first time the born-again Christian and devout Sunday school teacher had committed cold-blooded murder. Tried by the “world’s deadliest prosecutor,” and sentenced to death, Velma turned her life around and gained worldwide attention.
With chilling precision, New York Times bestselling author Bledsoe probes Velma’s stark descent into madness. From her harrowing childhood to the shocking crimes that incited a national debate over the death penalty, to the dark, final moments of her execution—broadcast live on CNN—Velma Barfield’s riveting life of crime and punishment, revenge and redemption is true crime reporting at its most gripping and profound.
Bitter Blood (Only available in ebook):
The first bodies found were those of a feisty millionaire widow and her daughter in their posh Louisville, Kentucky, home. Months later, another wealthy widow and her prominent son and daughter-in-law were found savagely slain in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Mystified police first suspected a professional in the bizarre gangland-style killings that shattered the quiet tranquility of two well-to-do southern communities. But soon a suspicion grew that turned their focus to family. The Sharps. The Newsoms. The Lynches. The only link between the three families was a beautiful and aristocratic young mother named Susie Sharp Newsom Lynch. Could this former child “princess” and fraternity sweetheart have committed such barbarous crimes? And what about her gun-loving first cousin and lover, Fritz Klenner, son of a nationally renowned doctor?
In this powerful and riveting tale of three families connected by marriage and murder … of obsessive love and bitter custody battles, Jerry Bledsoe recounts the shocking events that ultimately took nine lives, building to a truly horrifying climax that will leave you stunned.
Purchase Link for Bitter Blood
Bio:
Jerry Bledsoe has won numerous awards for his newspaper work, including two Ernie Pyle Memorial Awards and two National Headliner Awards. From 1972-1975, he was a contributing editor at Esquire Magazine. His work also has appeared in New York Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Good Housekeeping and numerous other newspapers and magazines. He is the author of 20 books, four of which were turned into films.
Most recently, his book Bitter Blood was the basis for an episode of Killer Couples on the Oxygen Network. You can watch the Oxygen interview here.
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This crimes are being committed by Raymond Austin Ramone Austin Dee Chatman Jesse Chatman Jessica Chatman Shea Motorcyles Dianne Chatman Deirdra Austin Jamberlyn Voss Terri Martin Claude Smith III Alandrous Williams Joshua Austin Humphrey Moore Sr Humphrey Moore Jr his girlfriend a light complexion woman who height 5 8 weight 150 lbs Sue Chatman Yolanda Kinchelow Indianapolis Indiana Erick Chatman Anthony Chatman Cassandra Bozeman Newark NJ Linda Evans RN Germantown Tn Tony Bozeman Travis Bozeman Anthony McGhee Verna Smith Joseph Smith Louise Cato Regina Louellen Frenchie Louellen Kyle Louellen Shereta Royal Dave Wilburn Ira Morgan Ira Chatman all of Memphis Tn Shelby County Tn Brandon Chatman Lillie Bell Chatman Barbara Presley Patricia Anderson Tasha Presley Tiffany Presley Kiesha Presley who are members of Racial Biased Hate Motivated Organized Supremacist group known as the family are committing bank Fraud anf murder infants murders infants rapes infants and children molestatation. Fueled by hate motivated 100 killings bet in LA by Street gangs. The named individuals are Members of a documented Racial Biased Hate Motivated Organized led by Vanessa Taylor Chatman Raymond Austin Mark Austin Sheila Austin and familiy Memphis Tennessee Charles Kinchelow Jr Indianapolis Indiana Ira Chatman and family Memphis Tennessee Georgia Denton and family Memphis Tennessee Frances Taylor and Gwendolyn Regina Taylor Memphis Tennessee who have formed allies with street gangs Latin Kings, East 40th street Boyz and Gangster Disciples overheard by Mark Austin the orchestrators brother. He and Charles Kinchelow Jr are the associates contact with the gang members to facilitates and commit these crimes.
Single Women Victims are the target victims and experience brutal and life threatening serial assault to the head and brain internal her body as a result of continued life bodily terrorist threats to whip her to the brain for reporting a crime of bankruptcy and mortgage fraud, and interstate stalked while she has been held hostage to life and bodily terrorist threats and intimidation threats to in fear of her life , held from medical care and humble down to tolerate the brutal and life threatening. The victims assault caused blunt force trauma injuries with laceration and deep cuts to the brain both women Laura Kempton Portsmouth New Hampshire and Tia Christian Orange county Ca and two murders of African American men in Memphis Tennessee potential witnesses to the fraud scheme . The term itself is used to refer to the precursory trauma, from which there is further development of more specific types of trauma, such as concussions, abrasions, lacerations, and/or bone fracturing. Blunt trauma is contrasted with penetrating trauma, in which an object such as a bullet enters the body. These individuals are responsible for women being assault and beaten and women homicides crimes and brutal assault with terrorist threats and extortion to their properties and values women, silencing the women and forcing them to fraudulent file federal bankrupcties on their properties and businesses chapter 7 and chapters 13 for several years. The victim currently is living a slow death in addition because she is being assault or “assaulted to the brain from internal her body until death”