Crime Expert BURL BARER. Edgar Award Winner and NYT Bestselling Authortag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-1463282012-01-24T00:12:40-08:00Edgar Award winning author, investigative journalists, famous broadcaster, television star, and well known in movie theaters world wide. (Because he puts his feet on the seat in front of him).
TypePadLas Vegas Gangs, Decapitation, Deception and Media Manipulation tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341ec3da53ef016300081497970d2012-01-24T00:12:40-08:002012-01-24T00:12:40-08:00I am an investigative journalist who writes books about what I investigate. I also spill the beans here on this blog. The first rule (according to me) is ascertain the facts. Not opinion, just raw data. When the Governor of...Burl Barer
I am an investigative journalist who writes books about what I investigate. I also spill the beans here on this blog. The first rule (according to me) is ascertain the facts. Not opinion, just raw data. When the Governor of Arizona was talking about all the crime in the border towns, and the decapitated bodies, people talked about it as if it were true -- it wasn't true at all, and the truth was easily available. All it would take is a most a telephone call to Arizona law enforcement and ask, "is this true?" or go to the Department of Justice or FBI web sites and look at the hard data crime statistics. The border towns in Arizona have lower crime rates than five cities in Ohio and are among the safest towns in America, but you wouldn't know it if you didn't LOOK IT UP. Of course it turned out that the Arizona politician had financial interest in private prisons...but that's another story.
How about gang violence and the need for more cops to protect us from them damn gangs? Las Vegas had some real anti-gang panic attacks in the 1980's. The cops insisted the needed more manpower to fight this dreaded invasion of latino gangs! It was a hot topic in Las Vegas and the cops told the press that there was a 400% increase in gang activity -- through this campaign of "concern" and "fear" of this "evil" enemy, a study revealed that in 1989 almost 90% of Las Vegas residents believed that Las Vegas had a serious gang problem. The gang tast force went from two to sixteen members. The Governor put forth anti-gang legislation and law enforcement was praised for erradicating the gang problem.
The truth? There never was a significant minority gang problem in Las Vegas. LOOK IT UP. The violent crimes linked to gangs stayed a consistently low 3% before during and after the gang "crises," and drug crimes linked to gangs also stayed low and consistent at 4%. No big increase, no big decrease. Panic over bullshit with the media again complicit in misleading the public.
Here is another very short and simple example: most people believe crime is on the increase, and has been increasing over the years. The truth, however, is that crime in America has been on a 35 year decline.
One more: people believe most acts of violent terrorism on American soil are by so-called Islamic Terrorists. The truth? Those nut cases commit about 6% of terrorist acts. The Jewish Defense League gets 'credit" for 7%. Most violent acts are committed by ecoterrorists, hate groups such as Christian Identiy Movement, and the largest amount--- Puerto Rican separatists. LOOK IT UP.
Surrounded by greatness -- what a line up of True Crime talent!tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341ec3da53ef016760702b90970b2012-01-12T19:58:10-08:002012-01-12T19:58:10-08:00I love Saturdays because I get to "play radio" with Magic Matt Alan and the gang at Outlaw Radio USA..I do True Crime Uncensored live from Matt's Lighten Up Lounge 2pm PT/4pm CT/5pm ET/10pm UK time, and then stick around...Burl Barer
I love Saturdays because I get to "play radio" with Magic Matt Alan and the gang at Outlaw Radio USA..I do True Crime Uncensored live from Matt's Lighten Up Lounge 2pm PT/4pm CT/5pm ET/10pm UK time, and then stick around for Matt's show. My co-hosts are Howard Lapides (Celebrity Rehab/Dr. Drew's Life Changers) and "fact checker" Mark Boyer. This Saturday my guest is Amanda Lamb, famed broadcast journalist and author....and the hits just keep on coming! Look at the line up :
January 21st -- Cilia McCain
McCain, a writer who grew up on army bases, takes aim at the military and the ways soldiers bring the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq home with them. Her best-seller, MURDER IN BAKER COMPANY, recounts the murder of 25-year-old Army Specialist Richard T. Davis by four fellow members of the army's Third Infantry.
This is the same case that inspired the movie, "In the Valley of Elah."
January 28th --Diana Britt Franklin
**** TWO INCREDIBLE TRUE-CRIME TALES BY AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR, DIANA BRITT FRANKLIN ****
"Diana Britt Franklin has done a remarkable job of researching the life, death, and crimes of one of America's most dangerous femme fatales, Anna Marie Hahn, whose deceptively delicate blonde beauty, home cooking and 'loving care' led at least a half dozen Ohioans to their graves. Franklin is at her best when she describes justice in the 1930's, allowing readers to virtually transcend the passage of time. As she describes Anna's sensational death penalty trial, it's easy to feel that seventy years have slipped away and you are there. True crime readers will want to read The Good-Bye Door." Ann Rule - author of Heart Full of Lies, Worth More Dead and Green River, Running Red.
"Riveting - in the Truman Capote style!" Philip Lorito - Amazon.com
"You may read a thousand true crime thrillers (but) you'll never forget this one! ***** Five stars!" Irena Chalmers - Amazon.com
"Gold Medal Killer plunges readers into the heart of a shocking 1929 scandal involving a respected Ohio State University professor and Olympic champion whose lurid affair with a coed leads to her brutal murder and his execution in the electric chair. As she did
so effectively in her award-winning book, The Good-bye Door, author Diana Britt Franklin has again struck gold with a meticulously researched, riveting true account of a crime that rocked the nation." Richard W. Carson - author of Murder In The Thumb
"How could a university professor go from the Olympic podium to the electric chair? That journey, as recounted in Gold Medal Killer, is so remarkable, so unexpected, that decades later the story still has the power to shock the reader. Mesmerizing!" Laura James - trial attorney and crime historian
"Was Ohio State’ s Dr. Snook guilty of the bloody murder of Theora Hix? Of this I have no doubt. However, it is the circumstances of her death and the conflicting accounts of the actions and intentions of this puzzling man that lie at the center of the most important question raised by this case and by this fascinating book. Should Dr. Snook have died in Ohio’s electric chair? You be the judge for a change." Judge Teresa L. Liston - Franklin County Municipal Court, ret.
FEBRUARY 4TH -- Katherine Ramsland
Katherine Ramsland began her career as a writer with Prism of the Night: A Biography of Anne Rice. She had a bestseller with The Vampire Companion. Since then, she has published 40 books and over 1,000 articles, reviews and short stories. From ghosts to vampires to serial killers, she has taken on a variety of dark subjects. She holds graduate degrees in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, criminal justice, and philosophy. Currently, she teaches forensic psychology and criminal justice at DeSales University. Her books include The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds, The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation, Inside the Minds of Serial Killers, Inside the Minds of Sexual Predators, and Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers. Her background in forensic studies positioned her to assist former FBI profiler John Douglas on his book, The Cases that Haunt Us, and to co-write a book with former FBI profiler, Gregg McCrary, The Unknown Darkness, as well as The Real Life of a Forensic Scientist with Henry C. Lee and A Voice for the Dead with James Starrs. She speaks internationally about forensic psychology, forensic science, and serial murder, and has appeared on numerous documentaries, as well as such programs as The Today Show, 20/20, 48 Hours, NPR, Coast to Coast, Montel Williams, Larry King Live and E! True Hollywood. Her biggest thrill, of course, is being a guest on True Crime Uncensored.
February 11th - Stevie Cameron, famed Canadian investigative journalist!
Covering the case of one of North America’s most prolific serial killer gave Stevie Cameron access not only to the story as it unfolded over many years in two British Columbia courthouses, but also to information unknown to the police – and not in the transcripts of their interviews with Pickton – such as from Pickton’s long-time best friend, Lisa Yelds, and from several women who survived terrifying encounters with him. You will now learn what was behind law enforcement’s refusal to believe that a serial killer was at work.
Stevie Cameron first began following the story of missing women in 1998, when the odd newspaper piece appeared chronicling the disappearances of drug-addicted sex trade workers from Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside. It was February 2002 before Robert William Pickton was arrested, and 2008 before he was found guilty, on six counts of second-degree murder. These counts were appealed and in 2010, the Supreme Court of Canada rendered its conclusion. The guilty verdict was upheld, and finally this unprecedented tale of true crime can be told.
LISTEN LIVE via Outlaw Radio, or on Itunes or with the Outlaw Radio app for smart phones!
Look! It's Burl Barer and Mark Boyer at Outlaw Radio!
January 21st -- Cilia McCain
McCain, a writer who grew up on army bases, takes aim at the military and the ways soldiers bring the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq home with them. Her best-seller, MURDER IN BAKER COMPANY, recounts the murder of 25-year-old Army Specialist Richard T. Davis by four fellow members of the army's Third Infantry.
This is the same case that inspired the movie, "In the Valley of Elah."
January 28th --Diana Britt Franklin
**** TWO INCREDIBLE TRUE-CRIME TALES BY AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR, DIANA BRITT FRANKLIN ****
"Diana Britt Franklin has done a remarkable job of researching the life, death, and crimes of one of America's most dangerous femme fatales, Anna Marie Hahn, whose deceptively delicate blonde beauty, home cooking and 'loving care' led at least a half dozen Ohioans to their graves. Franklin is at her best when she describes justice in the 1930's, allowing readers to virtually transcend the passage of time. As she describes Anna's sensational death penalty trial, it's easy to feel that seventy years have slipped away and you are there. True crime readers will want to read The Good-Bye Door." Ann Rule - author of Heart Full of Lies, Worth More Dead and Green River, Running Red.
"Riveting - in the Truman Capote style!" Philip Lorito - Amazon.com
"You may read a thousand true crime thrillers (but) you'll never forget this one! ***** Five stars!" Irena Chalmers - Amazon.com
"Gold Medal Killer plunges readers into the heart of a shocking 1929 scandal involving a respected Ohio State University professor and Olympic champion whose lurid affair with a coed leads to her brutal murder and his execution in the electric chair. As she did
so effectively in her award-winning book, The Good-bye Door, author Diana Britt Franklin has again struck gold with a meticulously researched, riveting true account of a crime that rocked the nation." Richard W. Carson - author of Murder In The Thumb
"How could a university professor go from the Olympic podium to the electric chair? That journey, as recounted in Gold Medal Killer, is so remarkable, so unexpected, that decades later the story still has the power to shock the reader. Mesmerizing!" Laura James - trial attorney and crime historian
"Was Ohio State’ s Dr. Snook guilty of the bloody murder of Theora Hix? Of this I have no doubt. However, it is the circumstances of her death and the conflicting accounts of the actions and intentions of this puzzling man that lie at the center of the most important question raised by this case and by this fascinating book. Should Dr. Snook have died in Ohio’s electric chair? You be the judge for a change." Judge Teresa L. Liston - Franklin County Municipal Court, ret.
FEBRUARY 4TH -- Katherine Ramsland
Katherine Ramsland began her career as a writer with Prism of the Night: A Biography of Anne Rice. She had a bestseller with The Vampire Companion. Since then, she has published 40 books and over 1,000 articles, reviews and short stories. From ghosts to vampires to serial killers, she has taken on a variety of dark subjects. She holds graduate degrees in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, criminal justice, and philosophy. Currently, she teaches forensic psychology and criminal justice at DeSales University. Her books include The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds, The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation, Inside the Minds of Serial Killers, Inside the Minds of Sexual Predators, and Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers. Her background in forensic studies positioned her to assist former FBI profiler John Douglas on his book, The Cases that Haunt Us, and to co-write a book with former FBI profiler, Gregg McCrary, The Unknown Darkness, as well as The Real Life of a Forensic Scientist with Henry C. Lee and A Voice for the Dead with James Starrs. She speaks internationally about forensic psychology, forensic science, and serial murder, and has appeared on numerous documentaries, as well as such programs as The Today Show, 20/20, 48 Hours, NPR, Coast to Coast, Montel Williams, Larry King Live and E! True Hollywood. Her biggest thrill, of course, is being a guest on True Crime Uncensored.
February 11th - Stevie Cameron, famed Canadian investigative journalist!
Covering the case of one of North America’s most prolific serial killer gave Stevie Cameron access not only to the story as it unfolded over many years in two British Columbia courthouses, but also to information unknown to the police – and not in the transcripts of their interviews with Pickton – such as from Pickton’s long-time best friend, Lisa Yelds, and from several women who survived terrifying encounters with him. You will now learn what was behind law enforcement’s refusal to believe that a serial killer was at work.
Stevie Cameron first began following the story of missing women in 1998, when the odd newspaper piece appeared chronicling the disappearances of drug-addicted sex trade workers from Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside. It was February 2002 before Robert William Pickton was arrested, and 2008 before he was found guilty, on six counts of second-degree murder. These counts were appealed and in 2010, the Supreme Court of Canada rendered its conclusion. The guilty verdict was upheld, and finally this unprecedented tale of true crime can be told.
LISTEN LIVE via Outlaw Radio, or on Itunes or with the Outlaw Radio app for smart phones!
Look! It's Burl Barer and Mark Boyer at Outlaw Radio!
Hanukah and Islam: The fight for Freedom of Religion.tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341ec3da53ef0154389c0fa9970c2011-12-20T19:31:03-08:002011-12-20T19:31:03-08:00One of the key messages of the upcoming holiday of Hanukah is the importance of religious freedom. The Maccabbees were inspired to take up arms against the Syrian Greek empire largely because Jewish religious practices were banned and the empire...Burl Barer
One of the key messages of the upcoming holiday of Hanukah is the importance of religious freedom. The Maccabbees were inspired to take up arms against the Syrian Greek empire largely because Jewish religious practices were banned and the empire demanded that its subjects adopt Greek religion instead. Throughout the centuries, Jews have never insisted that others follow our religious path; instead, we have advocated for everyone’s right to follow his or her own tradition without interference, including religious law.
In the case of the Islamophobia that is still running rampant in our country, and particularly the attack on Muslim legal traditions, it is clearer than ever that anti-Muslim sentiment and anti-Jewish sentiment often run hand in hand. The struggle to reject anti-Muslim bias is our Jewish struggle as well, which is why organizations like the Anti-Defamation League have come out against attempts to outlaw shaariah as well as opposing efforts to prevent the construction of mosques and to prevent Muslims from practicing their religion.
Hanukah’s message of religious freedom is universal; it cannot apply only to ourselves. When we light the candles of Hanukah, we must also embrace the struggle to bring the light of religious freedom to all people in our state, in our country, and throughout the world.
--- Message from the Rabbi of the Germantown Jewish Center in Philadelphia.
The Mob Returns to Las Vegas: Now you can Rent-A-Wiseguytag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341ec3da53ef015394244ca7970b2011-12-07T02:58:55-08:002011-12-07T02:58:55-08:00Have you ever played cards with a real Mob hit man? Gone bar-hopping in a limo with a bank robber? Smoked a cigar and swapped stories with a man whose testimony helped put some of the most dangerous men in...Burl Barer
Have you ever played cards with a real Mob hit man? Gone bar-hopping in a limo with a bank robber? Smoked a cigar and swapped stories with a man whose testimony helped put some of the most dangerous men in American organized crime behind bars? Most people haven't. But a new business opening in Las Vegas is making it possible for those scenarios and more to be realized by those seeking a truly unique experience in Sin City.
This novel approach is being offered by Real Wiseguys, a newly formed Las Vegas-based company. They are providing marriage-minded couples looking for a different kind of wedding an alternative to having an Elvis impersonator unite them in matrimony. Instead, they can be Married By The Mob.
That's right, former mobsters now ordained as ministers, will actually perform the wedding ceremony. Real Wiseguys is offering a variety of packages that feature having a wiseguy or two attend a pre-wedding bachelor party and/or the reception after the wedding. Additional events that can be booked include wiseguy-attended poker and cigar parties.
Real Wiseguys events are done for entertainment and fun. A portion of the proceeds from each event will be donated to local Las Vegas charities, or to a charity specified by the client.
For security reasons, Real Wiseguys will have no direct contact or relationship with the former Wiseguys or law enforcement personnel that participate in the activities or events provided. Appearances of former mobsters and lawmen are arranged through BEAR Media Consultants, LLC, an independent contractor.
Want to rent a mobster? Want a wiseguy to take someone for a ride ... a real ride in a nice limo? Call 702 454-8217
Burl on TV:DEADLY WOMEN "MOM SAID KILL"/ SNAPPED "FATAL BEAUTY"/Dog Whisperertag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341ec3da53ef0162fcecf2f9970d2011-11-26T01:52:24-08:002011-11-26T01:52:24-08:00 It's that time of the year again -- the time of the year when Burl Barer shows up on your television more often than Santa Clause riding a Norelco razor.Burl Barer
It's that time of the year again -- the time of the year when Burl Barer shows up on your television more often than Santa Clause riding a Norelco razor. Why now? Because the big shows are running re-runs and specials...and marathons....and that means ID's DEADLY WOMEN is re-running BLOOD LINES where I appear commenting on the re-enactment of the Barbara Opel case -- you know, the one where mom promises the kid a dirt bike in exchange for murder.
Mom Said Kill is the book I wrote about the Opel Case, and in both the paperback and the ebook, the kid still doesn't get the dirt bike!
Meanwhile, Oxygen Network is running SNAPPED with the Rhonda Glover Episode in which I appear wearing the same red tie I wore on DEADLY WOMEN. The Rhonda Glover case is, of course, the basis of my latest true crime book, FATAL BEAUTY. This wonder of modern factual literature, spanning not only the case in specific, but how our justice system handles the delusional yet deadly in general, will either having you praising my remarkable research and writing abilities, or bitching and moaning that I reveal right away who pulled the trigger, and there was no surprise ending. Sorry about that. True Crime books are usually written after the conviction, but there are still many mysteries to solve.
Wait...there's more...I'm also showing up on National Geographic! No, not as a topless African woman or a lion eating a zebra, but on the Dog Whisperer. I did two Dog Whisperer shows with Cesar Milan, and they re-run them all the time, especially this time of year...something heart warming about me making Cesar crack up laughing that folks enjoy.
So, if you see a tall dark handsome lipless Jewish Baha'i with a red tie or a white American Pit Bull Terrier show up on your TV, it's just the legendary Burl Barer making dog gone sure you have a homicidal holiday season!
Wow! Read this letter regarding my book, HEAD SHOT -- coming again in 2012tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341ec3da53ef0162fcbfbdd8970d2011-11-22T14:04:00-08:002011-11-22T14:04:00-08:00Hello Mr. Barer~ I am a true crime reader from way back. And I just spent two solid days cuddled up on my bed unable to peel myself away from Head Shot until the very last page. And now I'm...Burl Barer
Hello Mr. Barer~
I am a true crime reader from way back. And I just spent two solid days cuddled up on my bed unable to peel myself away from Head Shot until the very last page. And now I'm reading it over again. I am hinged...and UN-hinged by it. What an engrossing and beautifully executed writing of this horrendously gruesome and profoundly sad story. It was a week or so ago, that one of the kids we grew up with in the neighborhood stopped by for hours of coffee and chit chat. And somewhere along the way we got to talking about the long ago story of the St. Pierres and the murders that blew us all away here. You just didn't here about this kinda stuff in our town, let alone it being kids you grew up with!! After our guest left, I found myself Googling the St. Pierres and to my utter astonishment, I discover your book--I couldn't believe it! I ordered it immediately. This isn't just tucking into the usual good true crime paperback--this one touches me personally. I knew Chris St. Pierre, and fairly well. I attended 6 years at Stewart Jr. High and Lincoln High Schools with him. It was at Stewart that we shared several classes and became buddies. Until reading this book, I had completely forgotten about his heart condition and surgery, and then as I read the memories came flooding back of that cute kid and him telling me about his heart and showing me his scars. And I also remember just loving his thick luxurious head of hair which at the base of his neck he had a small patch of blond, almost like a weird little hair birthmark, and couldn't resist playing with it and teasing him--he sat directly in front of me in Geography class. We had to be pulled in line quite often for talking in class. When they say this was a good kid--he was! Even as a 7th grader at the young age of 13 he possessed a magnetic personality and a dry, ironic wit that could send me into fits of laughter. And he remained to be just a sweetheart of a guy all through school to graduation. Which of course then I lost contact with him. Then in June1984, I will never forget my best girlfriend Kathy (who knew Chris from kindergarten on up, lived just up the street from the St. Pierres) calling me at about 11:30 at night with the shocking news on the front page of the Tribune. I remember literally having to stop her as she was reading and relaying the horrible details of what they had done so I could take a breath and try to absorb what she was telling me. I remember saying "Stop it!! NO WAY!! How can this be??--NOT Chris!!" It was so mind boggling and heartbreaking for all of us who grew up with him to find out this was his fate. And the shocking nature of what they were involved in right at our back door was beyond comprehension!! I lived, and still live, only blocks from that house. Pacific Ave. is a main hub in this city and an oft traveled route for us. And I kid you not...there isnot a time we pass by Erickson's and that house to this day that my mind does not go to the eerie and frightening visions of what went on there. It's never faded. Same thing when we have to go into Fife and pass over the Puyallup River Bridges that I don't think of what happened to John Achord.
Upon receiving the book and of course going straight to the pictures, I wasn't ready to see my worst imaginings of twenty four years appear before my eyes!! And reading the book on what acutally transpired was just bone chilling. By the time I finished I was just filled with an utter and profound sadness. As gruesome as it all is, in the end it is just an absolutely tragic tale. And learning the slick moves made between the prosecuter and Andrew Webb is just revolting, making the story even more profound. As far as Paul St. Pierre, your story rings true. There are tales told to this day by the kids from the old neighborhood of how screwed up Paul always seemed to be. Tales of things he may have done or not have done that twist and turn of which nobody will ever know the real truth. Tales of how blood thirsty he seemed and the joy he seemed to take in bragging about his guns and murder. One of our closest friends (who was Paul's best friend during their Stewart Jr. High years) was drinking with him one night at Ray & Genes Tavern and then over at the house not long after the shooting at IGA, and he tells how Paul was just going on and on and on about it and couldn't let go of it, and it just freaked our friend out to no end. He says he made an excuse and a hasty exit and never went back. You can see the eeriness on him to this day when he recalls that night. And then to learn what transpired just weeks later makes it all the more so.
Thank you for giving us such a comprehensive well put together story of this tragic and frightening tale. It is riveting. I will be sure to be checking out some of your other titles in the near future.
Sincerely, Stacey Anderson
HEAD SHOT - the updated edition is now available for advance order from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Booksamillion, Alibris, and your favorite local or online book seller.
Thank you, Stacey. It wasn't an easy book to write and research for many reasons -- the subject matter, the complexities of the trials, and the dynamics within the Webb family itself all made for unique challenges. Knowing that I "got it right" means a great deal to me.
Praise for HEAD SHOT. An excellent review of my forthcoming re-release.tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341ec3da53ef015436c2bbb1970c2011-11-10T00:55:27-08:002011-11-10T00:55:27-08:00 Burl Barer writes with accuracy, a settled grace, and imagery that gave this reader several nightmares!Burl Barer
A murder Mystery and good fiction are often parallel to a true crime of some nature. Burl Barer writes with accuracy, a settled grace, and imagery that gave this reader several nightmares!
Sarah Weinman wrote, "Crime fiction spends a great deal of time sorting through the chaos to find some order, a sense of resolution for the often inexplicable madness of murder. Real crimes, however, don't work that way. Evidence is misfiled, suspects evade arrest on technicalities, and investigations stretch out for years before an end comes in sight - if at all.
True crime is a messier affair, but in the hands of these writers, the true specter of violence and mayhem, science and psychology is elevated to literary art."
Mr. Barer's genius writing skills is not only evident in Head Shot but his ability to captivate a reader with the truth of crime shocks and leaves the reader with a deeper understanding of criminal nature and the dogma of the crime itself.
As the book is described, Paul St. Pierre was an alcoholic, psychopath, and has an urge to kill. His younger brother, Chris, committed unspeakable acts to "fit in" with the group. This includes the holding of a young girl hostage. Paul's childhood friend, Andrew K. Webb, took drugs, talked to skulls, and yearned to eat human flesh. With a menu of alcohol and Drugs the world of crime cover-ups and friend against friend and brother against brother begins.
Andrew was attacked by a friend of Damon Wells and two men were murdered by the St. Pierre brothers. Andrew K. Webb was the third party involved and was the motive force behind the first of the murders. Victim John Achord, age 22, was killed by the trio and had his head cut-off and placed it in a bucket of cement and placed in the Puyallup River. Chris St. Pierre stated that Paul St. Pierre killed John Achord by shooting him in the head with a .45 automatic. Damon Wells body was stuffed in a mummy-style sleeping bag.
During the trial, Dr. Lacsina found that Achord was stabbed to death. Paul's confinement and isolation in prison is quoted as to have driven Paul mad. Yet, the circumstance of Paul's death in prison is highly questionable. Paul died from supposedly shoving feces filled toilet paper down his own throat while under guard in supervised holding. I found the story very accurate with the courtroom legalistic talk.
It is important for the reader to know that in the courtroom it is not all that exciting and full of drama. It was difficult to completely understand the legal jargon at times for me. However, Burl does a great job explaining several important justice and injustice of the courtroom. Nevertheless, I tend to wonder if this book has any connection to Burl's book Headlock. For example, there is a character named Travis Webb .if I remember correctly. Moreover, as stated before all fiction has a hint of truth in it.
HEAD SHOT is recommended for some if you would like to understand a bit of the justice system in action and true crime with all the gore and ugliness. I do warn the readers that the pictures in the book are very graphic and should not be view by children or adults that may not be able to handle the images. The most frightening aspect to this reader is that Andrew Webb has been paroled since 2007.
Burl Barer says: The connection to HEADLOCK is that Travis Webb appears in both books, although HEADLOCK is a private eye mystery starring ME! I deserve to be the hero at least once. Travis Webb is the nephew of Andrew Webb. Travis is also an brilliant and creative writer, an accomplished journalist, true crime researcher, and famed in the international rave scene. He is the one who told me about the case featured in HEAD SHOT. Travis also appears as commentator in Mom Said Kill and Fatal Beauty.
tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341ec3da53ef015436c2ac36970c2011-11-10T00:33:28-08:002011-11-10T00:33:28-08:00I just read the best review ever of my book HEAD SHOT, scheduled for re-release April 2012. I'm posting it to my website. http://burlbare.netBurl Barer
I just read the best review ever of my book HEAD SHOT, scheduled for re-release April 2012. I'm posting it to my website.
It would be a crime to overlook THE DEAD MAN series!tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341ec3da53ef01543662b099970c2011-10-24T16:52:55-07:002011-10-24T16:52:55-07:00Fabulous interview with my talented nephew, Lee Goldberg (he takes after me, obviously), on Amazon's Kindle Daily Post Blog site today about The Dead Man series. While you read it, know that I am writing the first draft of my...Burl Barer
Fabulous interview with my talented nephew, Lee Goldberg (he takes after me, obviously), on Amazon's Kindle Daily Post Blog site today about The Dead Man series. While you read it, know that I am writing the first draft of my contribution to this spine-tingling thrill packed adventure series -- the first "episodes" in this series of page-turners are so damn good, I'm under more pressure than a deep sea diver to reach the same level of bug-eyed gut wrenching nail biting suspence and action.
Thankfully, I have Lee Goldberg and Bill Rabkin to guide me through the process. I'm lucky to be part of The Dead Man crew of writers, and you will LOVE this, really! Read the Kindle Daily Post and get The Dead Man!
Involuntary Treatment -- a goldmine for rehabs and treatment centers.tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341ec3da53ef014e8c54a038970d2011-10-17T17:25:07-07:002011-10-17T17:25:07-07:00The ease with which people can be forced into treatment has been a financial goldmine for treatment centers, private mental hospitals, and lawyers specializing in helping families have their children committed.Burl Barer
The ease with which people can be forced into treatment has been a financial goldmine for treatment centers, private mental hospitals, and lawyers specializing in helping families have their children committed.
Addiction Recovery Legal Services, a well respected law firm in Florida,, assists “families to obtain and enforce confidential, court ordered drug and alcohol intervention, assessment, stabilization, and treatment before an individual suffers the significant and dangerous affects of substance abuse and addiction.” Yes, court ordered treatment before you suffer any dangerous effects.
“A hearing is set before the court after a Petition for Involuntary Assessment and Stabilization is filed,” explains Addiction Recovery Legal Services. “That petition is basically saying, `Judge, I want you to have this person assessed and stabilized.' Following this hearing the individual is held for up to 5 days for medical stabilization and assessment. Also, a recommendation is made to the court”
A Petition for Treatment must be filed with the court, and a second hearing held for the court to review the assessment and recommendation. Based upon that recommendation, the judge can then order a 60-day treatment period, with a possible 90-day extension if needed.
If “the addict” exits treatment in violation of the judge's order, the family's lawyer goes back to the court and demands that “the addict” answer why they didn't comply with treatment.
“If the addict refuses,” states the attorneys at Addiction Legal Recovery Services, “we have them held in civil contempt of court for not following the treatment order and ordered to return to treatment or be incarcerated. This why the Marchman Act works - it carries real consequences.” The consequence of not complying with involuntary treatment is involuntary incarceration.
You will notice that the person is designated as “the addict” despite the person never having been diagnosed with the disease of addiction. On the basis of nothing more than assumption at least, or medical diagnosis without a license at worst, the court is going to compel treatment for a condition that may or may not exist.
Doesn't the person being forced into treatment have rights? Well, yes and no. People accused of crimes who cannot afford an attorney are supposedly provided a public defender. Some cities, such as Lynwood, Washington, only require the court appointed attorney to be on premises for people who plead guilty. If you plead not guilty, your court appointed attorney isn't even there.
“Families walk in there thinking they're trying to get someone help, and suddenly their loved one has an attorney who's trying to get the case dismissed,” acknowledges a law firm specializing in involuntary treatment. “We're going to get the person into treatment, and if they leave, we're going to get them back."
This “preemptive” approach to enforced treatment for financial gain was previously proven successful in the expansion of schizophrenia treatment, primarily involuntarily, to those who had no need of anti-psychosis medications. As documented by Richard Gosden and Sharon Beder, authors of “'Pharmaceutical Industry Agenda Setting in Mental Health Policies,” published in Ethical Human Sciences and Services (1991), the market for drugs treating schizophrenia was limited to prescription medications treating people who suffered from psychosis.
The way to expand the market was to promote the concept of a “pre-psychotic” phase of schizophrenia which requires preventative treatment before the person manifested any signs of psychosis. “To further expand the market they also decided to wage campaigns to weaken civil liberties protections,” noted the researchers, “and thereby increase the number of people who could be treated involuntarily.”
Those companies wishing to expand the market for their drugs launched an integrated multiphase campaign. One aspect was funding selected psychiatric researchers to promote the doubtful belief that schizophrenia must be detected and treated in a pre-psychotic stage to avoid brain deterioration. (Gosden, 2001, pp. 224-247). Another key element was a public relations strategy funded by drug company Eli Lilly. Represented as an “anti-stigma” campaign, it advocates for the elimination of prejudice against schizophrenics as long as “they are taking their medication.”
Adding another dimension to the market expansion strategy were “scare tactic” news stories containing wild hyperbole about the life threatening danger of untreated schizophrenics. The public was now getting messages such as this one from the Treatment Advocacy Center: "Violent episodes by individuals with untreated schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have risen dramatically, now accounting for an estimated 1,000 homicides annually in the United States"
The intention of these combined efforts was to weaken civil liberties protections in mental health laws in order to increase the number of people eligible for involuntary treatment. Associating violence with schizophrenia is irresponsible, and portraying it as something that must be prevented in advance is simply a blatant falsehood. In truth, there are number one factor predicting violence in some with schizophrenia is an established previous history of violence.
The bottom line was the bottom line, and the advocates of involuntary treatment were well organized and well funded. The Treatment Advocacy Center, dedicated to associating schizophrenia with violence, and calling for the urgent need of forced treatment, said that people must be compelled to have treatment “before individuals become a danger to themselves or others, particularly for individuals who lack awareness of their illness-a common side-effect of these devastating disorders.”
What “hinders treatment,” in their view, are federal and state laws protecting patients' rights, and basic civil liberties. This well-coordinated campaign to expand the market for treatment and drug sales is ongoing and remarkably successful. The Wall Street Journal, following the progress of this campaign, described the market for schizophrenia drugs as a "fast-growing, $5 billion-a-year market" in which Eli Lilly’s Zyprexa has already gained a $2.35 billion share and is "on course to surpass $2.5 billion this year". (Hensley and Burton, 2001).
It doesn't require extensive research to recognize this same approach working with excellent financial rewards, and corresponding human damage, in the realm of alcohol and drug treatment.
Perhaps we should have court ordered treatment for water skiers, horseback riders, and amateur boxers, all of whom have more deaths and injuries per year than non alcoholic drug users.
This entire issue raises all manner of ethical problems, in addition to legal ones, and is especially troubling for mental health professionals who know the difference between emergency involuntary admission for the obviously mentally deranged, and the coerced admission of perfectly sane people into treatment centers because someone doesn't approve of their drinking or drug use.
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