Carlton Stowers

Between 1984 and 1986 four young women in Wichita, Texas were brutally killed, most stabbed to death and left in a carnage of blood, one strangled and another smothered with a pillow. There was no doubt for those trying to find the killer that these were acts of rage. Difficult to find the connection, it wasn't until 14 long years after the women were killed, that a new detective, John Little, brought a fresh perspective , and a chance discovery that led to the killer.

A liar, a substance show more abuser, and a man filled with rage, Faryion Wardrip (what a name!), randomly found women to mutilate. The murders were actions of chance, and Faryion simply found and killed whenever the opportunity arose. Some were raped, all were undeserving of the cruel fate that left their bodies discarded and mutilated.

The book focused more on the grief stricken families than the life of Wardrip. For all those years, sisters, grandmothers, fathers, mothers, and friends were haunted by the fact that the killer simply could not be found...Until, Little saw that the girls murdered lived or worked in close proximity of each other.

When caught, Faryion admitted he killed the final woman, a "friend." He thought he could get away with killing the others. When caught, he flippantly noted that there was another woman he killed. She didn't live in Wichita.

If you like to read true crime stories, this is a good book.

One can only guess at what triggered the rage that left five women dead. And, in the end, even if it is know why, it does not change the fact that the girls died young, tragically and their murders were senseless and brutal. show less

This is a wonderful book, full of depth, but quite simply written. Although the author is an ordained pastor and his ministry is a Christian one, there is scarcely a mention of either Christianity or religon in the book. Instead its a perspective on prison inmates, mostly the murderers who ended up on death row in Texas, with their crimes detailed but from the point of view of one ministering to them rather than judging them. It was interesting to see how he continually needed to reiterate show more why he felt so strongly about being the last friend and comforter on earth to these men when he was opposed to the death penalty, although he doesn't make that clear until the end. show less

Good and detailed, but it was one of those audio that really dragged on in the middle. The author did a great job covering the victims and their families in the first part of the book but got distant from them later with all the detail and life in prison and situations for the killer, to where I pretty much forgot their names when mentioned on who was who.

Always looking for little books (meaning "short" "quick" reads" ) to carry around for all those times one has to wait! Found this gem at an event at my Public Library and since it was about baseball, and short, I decided it was a great find. Have carried it around for some time, and during one of those waiting moments, I pulled it out and spent the rest of my wait time, entertained, educated, and enthralled by a wonderful story about baseball here in Texas that I had not heard of and am show more truly thrilled that now I have. Written by an Edgar Allen Poe Award, a recipient of the Violet Crown Award and a finalist for the PEN Southwest Best Literary Non-Fiction, it was expected of Carlton Stowers a well-written, knowledgeable, interesting, great read and I was not disappointed. Grab a copy to carry around for your wait moments and learn something about President Lyndon Baines Johnson you probably never knew and meet a terrific writer you must add to your list of those well worth your acquaintance. show less