The Cases That Haunt Us

Violent. Provocative. Shocking.

Call them what you will...but don't call them open and shut.

Did Lizzie Borden murder her own father and stepmother? Was Jack the Ripper actually the Duke of Clarence? Who killed JonBenet Ramsey? America's foremost expert on criminal profiling and twenty-five-year FBI veteran John Douglas, along with author and filmmaker Mark Olshaker, explores those tantalizing questions and more in this mesmerizing work of detection. With uniquely gripping analysis, the authors reexamine and reinterpret the accepted facts, evidence, and victimology of the most notorious murder cases in the history of crime, including the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the Zodiac Killer, and the Whitechapel murders. Utilizing techniques developed by Douglas himself, they give detailed profiles and reveal chief suspects in pursuit of what really happened in each case. The Cases That Haunt Us not only offers convincing and controversial conclusions, it deconstructs the evidence and widely held beliefs surrounding each case and rebuilds them -- with fascinating, surprising, and haunting results.

Amazon.com Review
Confident in his opinions and systematic in his examination of high-profile whodunits, FBI veteran John Douglas proves his worth once again as one of the world's best psychological detectives. You may think you've read all there is about Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, and the Lindbergh kidnapping, but Douglas has a few surprise conclusions in his modern analysis of these gripping crimes. By applying criminal personality profiling techniques he developed while stalking more current killers, Douglas provides a fresh, sage outlook on some disturbing history. He also sheds new light on San Francisco's Zodiac Killer, the Black Dahlia murder, Bambi Bembenek, the Boston Strangler, and the continuing mystery of who killed 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey. Douglas sometimes reveals his chief suspect; other times he simply narrows down who the killer is not. In the JonBenét mystery (in which Douglas was hired by the Ramseys to find the killer), he presents a convincing case for why he believes the girl's parents are not guilty of murder. Douglas is founder of the FBI's Serial Killer Profiling Unit. His method of solving a crime by entering the mind of the killer inspired Thomas Harris's book The Silence of the Lambs. In this dissection of our most sensational crimes, Douglas proves that reality can be more horrifying than fiction. --Jodi Mailander Farrell

---

All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Vindication, 2008-07-11
An excellent book. There is nobody writing today who is more insightful on the subject of profiling and catching murderers.

I notice most people who gave him one-star reviews were those who didn't believe his opinion that the Ramseys were innocent. I used to think they were guilty, but the news was just released that DNA from an intruder was found inside and outside JonBenet's underwear and they are working on a genetic profile of the real killer. Vindication for the author's unpopular opinion on this topic.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Interesting insights., 2008-03-10
Most of the cases detailed in this book are old cases that are either unsolved or with convictions that have some degree of doubt attached to them.
The insights from John Douglas as a profiler are very interesting.

The "Jack the Ripper" case is one of the most notorious of all time.
Mr.Douglas explains why he would eliminate some the known,hypothetical suspects and settles on a probable suspect.

He argues for the guilt of Lizzie Borden and I think that he's correct on that case.

His assessment of the Lindbergh kidnapping is intriguing. "More than one individual took part in the crime that night"-page 180. Hauptmann was no doubt heavily involved but the case for the "dual intruder theory" makes sense.

The "Black Dahlia" case was another savage murder and he lists two very strong possible suspects.

I can understand how he arrived at his conclusion in the JonBenet Ramsey case. That case was hamstrung from the start with crime scene contamination and the well-known animosity between the police and DA's office. The presence of foreign DNA enforces the theory of an intruder.
John Douglas will get slammed for his supporting of the Ramseys. Considering the victim and the unsolved status of that case,it's going to be an infamous topic for years to come.

As a fan of true crime genre books I liked this book.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

old crime case studies, 2008-03-08
Detailed book, lots of speculation, pretty interesting, but has many old cases, such as the Lizzie Borden murder, the Lindberg kidnapping, etc.
Not as insightful as his other books, nor as interesting.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Great read for anyone, especially Psych majors, 2008-01-04
John Douglas is a great investigator and actually does most of the writing in this book. His writing style is surprisingly well polished and entertaining. If you studied Psychology (as I did) this book is a must read if you have any interest in the criminal or forensic side. His analysis of the Jon Benet Ramsey case is very controversial but it is the high light of this book. It forced me to do a complete 180 and I believe that his conclusions are right on the mark. I know someone that worked at the FBI while he was there and his reputation is genuine though not superhuman. In real life, the Behavioral Sciences Unit can't contribute on many occassions because there isn't enough initial data. If there isn't much to go on from the beginning or if its a random act they aren't able to construct a viable profile. That said, Douglas has almost single handedly created a new field that has provided immense value and his is a brilliant person. This is a book for people that don't mind immersing themselves in something for several days until its done.


2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Worth buying, 2007-09-16
This book is interesting, worth buying, and informative. I liked the varied accounts of interesting well known cases. It provided insight into the Jon Benet Ramsey case, among others. I would recommend this book to anyone. John Douglas is a good author.

Price is accurate as of the date/time indicated. Prices and product availability are subject to change. Any price displayed on the Amazon website at the time of purchase will govern the sale of this product.