"Doc": The Rape of the Town of Lovell

For twenty-five years, the trusted family doctor in a small Wyoming town had been raping and molesting the women and children who most relied on him.



Mostly Mormons, the naive victims sometimes realized on their wedding nights the truth about what had happened in Dr. Story's office.



In riveting detail, veteran crime writer Jack Olsen tells the searing story of a small group of courageous women who decided to bring a doctor to justice -- and unearthed a legacy of pain and anger that would divide their families, their neighbors, and an entire town.

Lovell is a small town in Wyoming whose population is about 50% Mormon; Mormon women are traditionally expected to serve men unquestioningly. Thus, for 25 years John Story, who established his medical practice in Lovell in 1958, was able to molest dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of local women, conducting prolonged pelvic examinations for mere sinus infections and headaches. The examinations customarily concluded with sexual intercourse. Many of the women, incredibly naive about such matters, and virtually reverential toward the doctor, did not realize what was happening to them--and did not resist. The doctor, a pillar of the Baptist Church, enjoyed enormous prestige. This masterful book by the author of Son , as much a searching sociological study as a true-crime narrative, tells what happened in Lovell when these happenings came to light: the community lost its bearings and the doctor was convicted of rape.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In 1983, Lovell, a town in Wyoming, was rocked by accusations that Dr. John Story, one of its leading citizens, had been sexually abusing his women patients for over 25 years. During the ensuing medical board hearing, criminal trial, and media publicity--including a segment on 60 Minutes --local support was divided between the victims and Story, who claimed that he was the object of a religious conspiracy (most of the women were Mormons). This is an intense, bizarre tale which could have been luridly told, but Olsen ( Son: A Psychopath and His Victims, LJ 11/15/83) shows great compassion for the women; he uses their own accounts in court and from interviews to tell what went on during the doctor's examinations. A disturbing, extremely well-written book, this will leave the reader feeling almost as involved in events as the Lovell citizens. Very highly recommended.
- Sally G. Waters, Stetson Law Lib., St. Petersburg, Fla.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.