Innocent Blood: A True Story of Terror and Justice
by Terry Ganey
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Description
Innocent Blood is the true story of Charles Hatcher and his life of crime-a powerful, and blood-chilling glimpse into the darkness between sanity and madness. It also chronicles a justice system gone wrong. Throughout his criminal career Hatcher was able to fool dozens of psychiatrists, who repeatedly failed to identify him as a multiple murderer. Hatcher's astonishing skill was not just in his ability to murder and escape imprisonment. He became an expert at manipulating the criminal show more justice system; overall, he outwitted police, prosecutors, psychiatrists, and judges in twelve cities and eight states. Terry Ganey first covered this story as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Later, he spent four years researching the material for this book, interviewing over seventy-five people and reviewing thousands of documents, court transcripts, prison files, police reports, and mental health records. What emerges is a fascinating and horrifying portrait of a mass murderer at large in America-a murderer who could have stalked his victims in any of our towns and cities, whether urban or rural, large or small. Contains mature themes. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Love the quirkiness of this read. First time reading Pratchett, and it was enjoyable.
Throughout the book I had no clue how it was going to end, instead of making me anxious it kept me guess. It was such a weird tale of self discovery for so many characters.
Loved the way the world building was layered in, not slap you in the face dumping but also not, YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS BY NOW absent.
Looking forward to the next book.
Throughout the book I had no clue how it was going to end, instead of making me anxious it kept me guess. It was such a weird tale of self discovery for so many characters.
Loved the way the world building was layered in, not slap you in the face dumping but also not, YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS BY NOW absent.
Looking forward to the next book.
Charles Ray Hatcher, a career criminal, admitted to killing 16 people. All of the crimes took place in the Midwest and California. Charles was a man of many alias and a master manipulator. He convinced law enforcement in several states that he was mentally ill, so he was able to serve time in a hospital rather than in prison. Charles admitted killing Eric Christgen, a 4 year old boy in St. Joseph, Missouri. Another man had already been convicted of this crime. The FBI agent who was able to gain Hatcher's trust had to work long and hard to convince authorities of the convicted man's innocence, and he was eventually freed. This is the story of Hatcher's many crimes and the fight to free an innocent man.
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Author Information
3 Works 152 Members
Awards and Honors
Distinctions
Common Knowledge
- People/Characters
- Eric Scott Christgen; Edwin Christgen; Karen Carter; Joseph F. Holtslag; Ray Hazelwood; Charles Ray Hatcher (show all 17); Melvin Lee Reynolds; Lee Nation; Jerry Lee Tharrington; Gilbert Martinez; Michelle Steele; James Lewis Churchill; William James Freeman; Mike Insco; Patrick Robb; Frank Connett; Annette Steele
- Important places
- Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA; Jefferson City, Missouri, USA; Missouri State Penitentiary; San Francisco, California, USA; California, USA; Folsom State Prison, Folsom, California, USA (show all 9); San Quentin Prison, California, USA; Omaha, Nebraska, USA; Rock Island, Illinois, USA
- Epigraph
- The innocent and the just you shall not put to death, nor shall you acquit the guilty. Exodus 23:7
- Dedication
- In the Memories of Jerry Tharrington, William Freeman, Eric Christgen, James Churchill and Michelle Steele and the others.
- First words
- Eric! Eric!
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)December 7, 1984: Found hanged in his cell in the Missouri State Penitentiary.
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Politics and Government, Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 364.1523 — Society, government, & culture Social problems and social services Crime Criminal offenses Offenses against the person Homicide Murder
- LCC
- HV6534 .S18 .G36 — Social sciences Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology Crimes and offenses
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 63
- Popularity
- 492,298
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.63)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 1
