The Forest City Killer
A Serial Murderer, a Cold-Case Sleuth, and a Search for Justice
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4.0 • 15 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Dig deep into the unsolved murder of Jackie English and join the hunt for a serial killer
Fifty years ago, a serial killer prowled the quiet city of London, Ontario, marking it as his hunting grounds. As young women and boys were abducted, raped, and murdered, residents of the area held their loved ones closer and closer, terrified of the monster — or monsters — stalking the streets. Homicide detective Dennis Alsop began hunting the killer in the 1960s, and he didn’t stop searching until his death 40 years later. For decades, detectives, actual and armchair, and the victims’ families and friends continued to ask questions: Who was the Forest City Killer? Was there more than one person, or did a depraved individual commit all of these crimes on his own?
Combing through the files Detective Alsop left behind, researcher Vanessa Brown reopens the cases, revealing previously unpublished witness statements, details of evidence, and astonishing revelations. And through her investigation, Vanessa posits the unthinkable: is it possible that the Forest City Killer is still alive and, like the notorious Golden State Killer, a simple DNA test could bring him to justice?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In 1969, in the town of London, Ontario, the bludgeoned body of 15-year-old Jackie English was found in Big Otter Creek, and Det. Dennis Alsop spent the next 40 years hunting for her killer until his death. In this moving account, Brown (The Grand Old Lady: A History of Hotel London) gains access to Alsop's files, reexamines the still open case, and interviews the surviving witnesses and suspects. What she finds is that the so-called Forest City Killer may have been active before English's death and continued into the '70s, and can be connected to several suspicious fires that claimed the lives of witnesses and friends of English. Alsop eventually links seven homicides, but was the Forest City Killer one man or two? After five years of research, Brown thinks there may have been two men who were "like-minded murderers": David Bodemer, who confessed and was sentenced to life in prison for the non-capital murder of one of the seven victims, and Glen Fryer, who was acquitted on a charge of attacking a witness to one of the murders. Both men are currently alive. Brown thinks it's possible that through message boards and true crime sites further facts may come to light, but the Forest City Killer case is still unsolved. Brown's smooth prose is a plus. True crime fans who don't need conclusive answers will be well satisfied.
Customer Reviews
A real page turner with an accurate and compelling narrative!
For anyone who is interested in the true crime genre, I highly recommend this book. It is one the best non-fictions I have ever read. Being from London, Ontario I am grateful that Vanessa did her thorough research to bring so much intriguing information on to pages.
Not only do you get a vast story and solid narrative regarding the unsolved murders in London, you also get to be part of the personal relationships with the victims and their families through Vanessa’s writing.
A solid 10/10, you will give this masterpiece multiple readings, read on!
Hopefully the end is near
I read Murder City as well and it’s great to see ppl involved in their theory and time wanting to help families rest on their losses. Recommended for local Londoners and others that want real info on these horrible losses