The Valley of the Shadow of Death
A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
In this gripping memoir, perfect for true crime fans, former San Francisco 49er Kermit Alexander recounts his thirty-year-journey to redemption after the brutal and senseless murder of his family in South Central Los Angeles. “A deeply moving story of one man’s pain and hard-won peace” (Booklist, starred review).
With vivid detail, former NFL All Pro and president of the NFL Players Association Kermit Alexander tells, for the first time, the full story of the senseless murders that took the lives of his mother, sister, and nephews.
Part murder mystery, part redemption tale, and a fascinating history of Los Angeles, The Valley of the Shadow of Death begins when Kermit’s father moves the family from Louisiana to Los Angeles. After his storied career with the San Francisco 49ers, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles, Kermit returned to LA and lived a short drive from his beloved mother.
But the inexplicable slaughter in 1984 of Kermit’s family changed his life. He recounts the hours leading up to the massacre, and the tragic aftermath as he loses himself in the LA underworld trying to find answers. He describes his journey through the “wilderness” of despair—the years of isolation living out of his car, broke, depressed, and ill. Kermit opens up about his darkest hours and what it took to turn his life around, rebuild his family, and ultimately find peace.
Ominous and intense, powerful and uplifting, The Valley of the Shadow of Death is a testament to the value of family and the resiliency of the human spirit.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this unconventional memoir, Alexander a former All-Pro cornerback in the National Football League during the late 1960s and early 1970s reveals the chilling details surrounding the cold-blooded murders of his mother, sister, and two nephews in August 1984. These gang-related killings set the community of South Central Los Angeles on edge and formed divisions within the previously close-knit Alexander family. The author eventually took to the streets of L.A.'s underworld, a vigilante on the hunt for the killer. With extensive input from San Francisco State University criminal justice professors Gerould and Snipes, Alexander weaves a compelling narrative that rivals a first-rate thriller. Relevant, concise histories of L.A. gang warfare and capital punishment add context, and Alexander recounts the killers' trials with unexpected detachment. He inserts stories from his athletic career but only to advance the primary narrative. The book ends on a high note: with the killers finally behind bars, Alexander, now 74, has rebuilt his life in California with a new wife and five adopted children from Haiti.
Customer Reviews
Great book
Easy to read and interesting from the beginning to the end.
Way too wordy
What started out as an engrossing, mysterious story quickly bogged down with more information and detail until it became tedious.