When the Husband is the Suspect - Hardcover

Bailey, F. Lee; Rabe, Jean

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0765316137 ISBN 13: 9780765316134

Publisher: Forge Books, 2008

Synopsis

From the bestselling author of The Defense Never Rests, a look at the modern spate of spousal homicides.

 

This book provides an overview of several of the most famous homicidal husband cases of recent years, including:

- Sam Sheppard, who inspired the TV series and movie The Fugitive

- Jeffrey McDonald, who became the subject of the bestseller Fatal Vision

- Mister Perfect, Brad Cunningham, who was convicted of bludgeoning his wife to death

- Michael Peterson, who was the subject of the IFC documentary series The Staircase and a Lifetime movie original starring Treat Williams

- OJ Simpson, whose dream team of lawyers defended the former pro-football player and movie star of the brutal murder of his ex-wife as the entire nation watched

-  Claus von Bulow, immortalized in the book and movie Reversal of Fortune

-  Robert Blake, former TV star, who was suspected of engineering the death of his conwoman wife

-  Scott Peterson, a philandering sociopathic husband who almost escaped arrest for the murder of his wife and unborn child.

-  Lambert "Bart" Knol, who claimed he suffered from "substance-induced persistent amnesia" when he was accused of killing his wife of 38 years

 

These cases and others are presented in an objective manner by a knowledgeable voice that recognizes that suspicion, and sometimes even conviction, are not always synonymous with guilt.

About this title

About the Author

F. Lee Bailey is a distinguished trial lawyer, author, and lecturer. His phenomenally successful career as a trial lawyer has been highlighted by such sensational cases as those of Dr. Sam Sheppard, Dr. Carl Coppolino, the Boston Strangler, Patty Hearst, and OJ Simpson. Of the murder trials that Bailey has handled, the conviction rate for his clients has been an amazingly low 4 percent. Among his previous books is the national bestseller, The Defense Never Rests. He is based in Boston, Massachusetts, and Miami, Florida.


 

Jean Rabe was a police blotter reporter before she began to write books. She resides in Kenosha, WI.

Reviews

Readers expecting that Bailey-one of the best-known criminal defense attorneys of the last half-century-would provide insight into spousal homicide will be disappointed by this book, which adds nothing fresh to our understanding of the 20 cases discussed. The case studies (including some of the most prominent examples of accused wife-killers, such as O.J. Simpson, Robert Blake, Sam Sheppard, Scott Peterson, Claus Von Bülow and Jeffrey MacDonald) are presented in chronological order, but the chapters jump around in time, becoming confusing and sometimes repetitive. Bailey's commentaries at the end of each chapter often digress to general criminal-justice issues rather than focusing on novel interpretations of the evidence. The chapter on Simpson (Bailey was a member of his defense Dream Team) is a tease-the author begins his comments by noting that "a proper delineation of what would need to be said" in Simpson's defense "is best left for another day." And the account neglects defense lawyer Barry Scheck's contributions to the football star's acquittal with his discrediting of the DNA evidence. Facts referred to in the commentary do not always appear in the main text, and the choice of breadth over depth leaves readers feeling short-changed.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bailey, one of the most recognized and flamboyant defense counsels of our time, here discusses 20 cases of murderous husbands, including Sam Sheppard, O. J. Simpson, and Claus von Bulow. Rather than scientific examination of incriminating factors or sociopathological analysis, however, he basically chats up details of these high-profile murders. Coauthor Rabe, a successful fantasy novelist, summarizes and details significant attributes of each case in rat-a-tat Dragnet style. Then Bailey weighs in on the meaning of the details and with lawyerly insights. His pearls are italicized, though since Rabe refers to him in the third person, there would seem to be no further need to distinguish his rap from hers. Anyway, he’s forthright, cutting through niceties and damning both investigators and attorneys. His takes on Robert Blake and Jeffrey MacDonald raise interesting questions, to say the least, and his appraisal of footballer Rae Carruth is a celebration of how not to commit and prosecute a murder. Sadly, Phil Spector is not limned, though Scott Peterson is, most rewardingly. --Mike Tribby

Edition details

• Publisher: Forge Books
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0765316137
• ISBN 13: 9780765316134
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272