Fred Jablin was the type of college professor that any
student would have liked to have had. He was cutting edge in
his field, and had a great sense of humor. More than a
professor, he was a devoted single father. Since his divorce
from his ex-wife, Piper, he had fought long and hard to
maintain a semblance of normality for his children.
Unfortunately, after having lost the custody battle, Piper
was obsessed with getting her children back, creating the
very opposite. She was an intensely disturbed woman, whose
chosen profession was law. Unable to hold down a job, the
only stability in her life was her sister, Tina. Their
dysfunctional closeness only served to fuel the fire of
hatred the two had for Piper's ex -- husband, Fred.
The day before Halloween, Fred Jablin went out to get the
paper. Instead, he got murdered in cold blood in his
driveway, while his children slept above him in their rooms.
Neighbors, hearing the shots, called the police. Hours
later the journey would begin to find his murderer. The
investigation would go across state lines, take in numerous
witnesses, and delve into very dark arenas of minds that
held revenge as a rightful opportunity to get what they wanted.
Two dysfunctional sisters, a family torn apart, friends
divided, children left scarred, and a man whose life was cut
short by someone having no remorse for their actions -- this
book has it all. The really frightening thing is that it is
real, and Ms. Casey takes the time to meticulously document
it for us. Her writing is exceptional. She has the ability
to take a very complex situation and keep the reader
informed and wanting more at every turn. It was as though
you were part of the jury. The verdict is in - A must read
for anyone interested in true crime.
The day before Halloween 2004 was the last day on Earth
for respected, well-liked college professor Fred Jablin.
That morning, a neighbor discovered his body lying in a pool
of blood in the driveway of Jablin's Virginia home. Police
immediately turned their attentions to the victim's ex-wife,
Piper, a petite, pretty Texas lawyer who had lost a bitter
custody battle and would do anything to get her kids back.
But Piper was in Houston, one thousand miles away, at the
time of the slaying and couldn't possibly have been the
killer . . . could she?
So began an
investigation into one of the most bizarre cases Virginia
and Texas law enforcement agencies had ever encountered: a
twisted conspiracy of lies, rage, paranoia, manipulation,
and savage murder that would ensnare an entire
family—including two lethally close look-alike sisters—and
reveal the shocking depravities possible when a dangerously
disordered mind slips into madness.