Mark Fuhrman (1952–2026)

Surely Mark Fuhrman knew that analyzing the JFK assasination would bring him a great deal of naysayers and boobirds. But he did just that, with "A Simple Act of Murder". Despite the massive volume of text previously written and the sheer number of pictures, reenactments, scientific studies, etc., Mr. Fuhrman's tome is a relatively slim 240 pages - - not nearly as awe inspiring or threatening as Gerald Posner's "Case Closed".

Fuhrman attacks the questions head on. First, was Lee Harvey Oswald show more involved? If so, did he act alone or was he part of a larger conspiracy?

Furhman's analysis and research is very convincing, although serious conspiracy theorists aren't likely to change their tunes from one book. Background information on Jack Ruby is a lacking (for instance, Fuhrman does not delve into Ruby's connections with organized crime) but his research into the Magic Bullet and wound patterns, and whether Oswald could have fired all three shots is thorough and well thought out, if a bit heavy at times.

End result? Furhman provides an excellent case for the Kennedy assasination being the result of a single unhinged individual, desperate for acknowledgment, and not the work of a huge government cover up. Will this be the final word on the case? Probably not. But still an interesting and worthwhile read. show less

"Mark Fuhrman? Oh, THAT Mark Fuhrman." Since Fuhrman's name became a byword for racism and corruption in the wake of the OJ Simpson murder trial, people might be forgiven for regarding this insider's account of the investigation and trial with a certain scepticism. However, I would urge anyone interested in the trial - and indeed in the state of modern justice - to read this book.

At one level it is a detailed list of charges against the LAPD, whose incompetent handling of the scene of the show more crime allowed evidence to be contaminated or destroyed (what happened to the bloody thumbprint clearly visible in a police photo?) and whose cringing respect for OJ led them to botch the crucial first interrogation. Fuhrman is clear and authoritative on police procedure, so much so that it's hard to see him as anything other than what he has always claimed he was - a hard-working professional who knew the rule-book backwards and played strictly by it.

Which brings us onto the second, and sadder, issue that this book raises. In order for OJ to be freed, his defence team had to trash the career and reputation of a hard-working detective. Nobody would argue that Fuhrman was an angel (his own narrative acknowledges he wasn't going to win "Peacemaker of the Year" awards in his department) but he wasn't a racist. The "racist" slur came about as the result of the defence team taking some of Mark Fuhrman's creative writing dictation out of context. (That's right: words given to a racist character became deliberately confused with Fuhrman's own beliefs.) Imagine that, and then imagine a legal case of yours foundering, not because of the facts, but because of your private life.

This is the deeper message of MURDER IN BRENTWOOD: modern justice isn't about the facts, it's about how much mud will stick to the scapegoated party. Even if you already think you know this, read this book and be chilled at how easily it happened to Fuhrman. How easily it could happen to you or me. show less

I expected so much more from Mark Fuhrman. His Monday quarterbacking of how Terry Schiavo became hospitalized was highly speculative and obviously political. He admits there was no physical evidence of an attack but postulates that it could have still happened. This book was disappointing and a pure work of baseless babble.

This is the first book I've read on the JFK assassination and I'm glad it was this one! I liked Fuhrman's writing and the perspective he offers. I even looked the video up on YouTube because I've only ever seen bits and pieces of it even though it's not very long. Even on there people had some wild ideas in their comments! I personally don't think there was a conspiracy, however I would like to look into many of the books mentioned in the bibliography and see all this from other perspectives.