Synopsis
On June 25, 1965, Carol McCamish Casey was brutally murdered in the rural Bullitt County, Kentucky, home of her lover, Paul Vincent Bugali. Twenty-four hours later, Bugali, and Carol's husband, Patrick Sean Casey, were the primary suspects. Nine months later, the homicide was still unsolved and the Casey murder list of suspects had expanded to include two homosexual, four bisexual, and several heterosexual males, including a defrocked Catholic priest. It also included a Mr. X; his sexual orientation was unknown. On July 1, 1977, Jewel Anne Lott, a fifty-four-year-old Hickman, Kentucky widow, became the seventh female victim of the SPN Killer of Kentucky-the title that investigators labeled the psychopathic serial killer in 1969, after he murdered the third woman, Pat Manakis. Remarkably, all the victims were anatomically similar; only their eyes and hair colors demonstrated notable differences. All tested positive to recent semen residue although there was no evidence indicating rape or rough sexual intercourse had taken place. All but one, the widow, were still married and murdered within fifty miles of Louisville. All the women had been killed in a most macabre manner, and the horrid nature of their bodies suggested they had undergone a tortuous last few minutes of life. All were left with a written, tell-tale reason for their murder-The Note. The location where the killer left this fingerprint-like evidence on each body was grotesque enough to evoke vomiting episodes in several of the most hardened criminal investigators. Ironically, all seven women had been romantically involved with Paul Vincent Bugali during the twelve-year killing spree. Twenty minutes after the last homicide, the elusive serial killer was apprehended by the most unlikely lawman in the small river port town of Hickman, Kentucky.
About the Author
As deep and complex as his novels, Dr. J. John Portera is a study in contrasts. After practicing cosmetic dentistry for three decades he retired to temporarily live on a horse ranch. He says "the hard, manual labor was like receiving a good dose of a long overdue medicine". In the early evenings he was a physical fitness trainer while during the late night hours, he began carving exotic hardwoods. His dental experience with wax carvings and gold casting procedures provided a natural progression from hardwood carvings to the production of bronze sculptures. Ultimately his collegiate desire to become a writer, originally thwarted by the need to support a family, surfaced again. His first two books, written while he was still practicing dentistry, were non-fiction. His first novel, Conspirators of Revenge, a psychological thriller/murder mystery released by Author House in late 2005, quickly rose to the top one percent of sales there. His next novel, The Note, another mystery/ psychological thriller will be released in 2007 (www.jjohnportera.com).When asked why he became a sculptor/writer, Portera responded: "Sculpting is actually not far removed from dentistry. As for writing, I am simply using the skills I developed during my graduate studies in English at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). I have always been able to captivate my listeners with my storytelling and now I simply transfer that talent to the written word." Between writing commitments, Dr. Portera travels the southeastern USA discussing his sculptures and books. Gifted with the charm and charisma of a true southern gentleman and with a depth of knowledge on subjects ranging from medicine to motorcycles, he has proven to be an exceptional public speaker; so much so, there can be little doubt that speaking engagements will play a major part in his future..
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
