Book Summary, Say Goodbye Morna Jean
I can write a 90,000 word novel without issues, but I struggle writing the back of book summary. So I’m going to show you what I’ve written for Last Call, the 3rd book in the Jon Frederick investigator series (following Murder Book, and The I-94 Murders), and ask for your feedback. 
Last Call back of book summary:
Audrey Evans, 19, disappears in the dead of an arctic winter night, after leaving a convenience store in Brainerd, Minnesota. Investigator Jon Fredrick is not about to let Audrey end up one of the 40,000 missing women in the U.S. In Jon’s personal life, a deceptive past lover jars his intense relationship with Serena and sets in motion a pending tragedy. The already explosive situation is amped up further after Jon’s name is used to solicit a woman -- and one “last call” detonates it all. Referencing actual Minnesota crime cases, this spine-tingling thriller tests an investigator’s tender compassion and the gritty resilience of a soft spoken young woman.
God Bless Morna Jean!
I’m dedicating this week’s blog to a wonderful young single woman, Morna Jean Brennan, whose life was cut short at 22, after a night out with friends in Maplewood, Minnesota.
Morna Jean Brennen of Minneapolis, was tragically killed at the age of 22 on a cold night (November 24, 1986), in Stillwater, Minnesota. Born on Monday, August, 24, 1964 and was described as happy go lucky, funny and insightful. Morna was survived and cherished by her parents and sister. Morna had just been hired to perform design engineering and went out with friends at a Maplewood bar to celebrate. Morna and her friend Candace left the bar at midnight. As they’re walking out to the car, someone called Candace’s name, so she went back to talk. When Candace returned to the parking lot, Morna was gone. Candace waited for 45 minutes, and then left, assuming Morna caught a ride with a friend. The next morning, Morna’s purse was found in a field near the bar. Police officers searched the park and found a garbage bag of bloody curtains, a clipped bird feather, leaves from a “wandering Jew” plant and Morna’s white belt.
Investigators questioned bar patrons and came up with 3 suspects. Morna had been approached by a man the patrons referred to as “karate guy.” He had been warned by the pub owner to stop harassing a woman, and then threatened the bartender that he knew karate and could “kick his head through a window.” When interviewed, “karate guy” stated he didn’t even know the young women’s names, but then used Candace and Morna’s names later in the interview. Another suspect became immediately agitated and angry when interviewed. A third suspect, Ricky Kiger, was described as odd. He would walk about the bar picking up glasses as if he worked there, as a way to start talking to women. When they asked bar patrons, someone stated Kiger attempted to rub Morna’s back and she shrugged him off.
Days later, a man walking through a field finds a garbage bag with Morna Jean’s dismembered body. Then another garbage bag was found containing her torso. People stopped going out in the area knowing a savage killer was on the loose.
When investigators ran background checks on the suspects, they find Ricky Kiger had a prior sexual assault conviction resulting from an attack of a Rochester State Hospital mental patient on the grounds of the state hospital. Kiger had choked a 25-year-old woman unconscious, raped her and cut her throat.
Only a few days before Morna disappeared, Kiger’s ex-wife had filed a restraining order against him. Further, his current lover stated she received a call at 2:00 in the morning on the night Morna was killed, saying “I love you. I love you. I hate you.” She revealed Kiger’s blue drapes were missing in his apartment, he owned exotic birds and had a “wandering Jew” plant. Kiger’s partner showed the investigators a new pendent Rickie had given her, which the investigators knew matched the pendent Morna was wearing the night she disappeared.
Investigators pieced together the incident: In the bar, Morna had been approached by 28-year-old divorcee Rickie L. Kiger. Kiger sent Morna a drink. He asked her to dance and rubbed her shoulders. Morna discouraged his advances telling him she was not interested and to leave her alone.
Rickie Kiger was waiting in the parking lot in his vehicle when Morna left the bar. He convinced Morna to wait in his car with him for her friend since it was so cold outside. Once inside, Kiger smashed her head against the door panel knocking her out, and drove her to his home. He assaulted her, cut her throat and then dismembered her body.
After disposing of her dismembered body in trash bags in a lake near Stillwater, Kiger was eventually convicted of first degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Stillwater, Minnesota. Rickie Kiger was found dead in his prison cell on April 27, 2014 at the age of 56.
What can we learn from this?
1. Not all bad news is unnecessary. First of all, the 80’s were a weird time. People believed they were safer, even though the data shows they were far more likely to be murdered than they are today (today’s murder rates are ½ of what they were in 1980).
2. What happened wasn’t Morna’s fault—but dress for the weather. Morna hadn’t worn a coat to the bar. Would she have gotten in that car to warm up, if she had a coat?
3. Leave with friends. Again, no one is to blame but that self-centered prick Kiger. But we are better informed in 2019, and we know we live in a dangerous world.
Don’t lose heart. We are making the world better, but progress is never a straight line. Our investigative tools are so much better today. The investigation in 1986 didn’t use DNA testing, didn’t have camera footage like we have today, and didn’t have cell phones to check suspect locations at various times. Today, they could even DNA test the wandering Jew plant and prove the plant DNA found on the bloody curtains was from the plant in the Kiger’s apartment.
Thanks for listening,
Frank Queen was an incredibly talented band. Freddie Mercury had a great voice and guitarist Brian May holds a doctorate in astrophysics.
Last Call back of book summary: Audrey Evans, 19, disappears in the dead of an arctic winter night, after leaving a convenience store in Brainerd, Minnesota. Investigator Jon Fredrick is not about to let Audrey end up one of the 40,000 missing women in the U.S. In Jon’s personal life, a deceptive past lover jars his intense relationship with Serena and sets in motion a pending tragedy. The already explosive situation is amped up further after Jon’s name is used to solicit a woman -- and one “last call” detonates it all. Referencing actual Minnesota crime cases, this spine-tingling thriller tests an investigator’s tender compassion and the gritty resilience of a soft spoken young woman.
God Bless Morna Jean!
I’m dedicating this week’s blog to a wonderful young single woman, Morna Jean Brennan, whose life was cut short at 22, after a night out with friends in Maplewood, Minnesota.
Morna Jean Brennen of Minneapolis, was tragically killed at the age of 22 on a cold night (November 24, 1986), in Stillwater, Minnesota. Born on Monday, August, 24, 1964 and was described as happy go lucky, funny and insightful. Morna was survived and cherished by her parents and sister. Morna had just been hired to perform design engineering and went out with friends at a Maplewood bar to celebrate. Morna and her friend Candace left the bar at midnight. As they’re walking out to the car, someone called Candace’s name, so she went back to talk. When Candace returned to the parking lot, Morna was gone. Candace waited for 45 minutes, and then left, assuming Morna caught a ride with a friend. The next morning, Morna’s purse was found in a field near the bar. Police officers searched the park and found a garbage bag of bloody curtains, a clipped bird feather, leaves from a “wandering Jew” plant and Morna’s white belt.Investigators questioned bar patrons and came up with 3 suspects. Morna had been approached by a man the patrons referred to as “karate guy.” He had been warned by the pub owner to stop harassing a woman, and then threatened the bartender that he knew karate and could “kick his head through a window.” When interviewed, “karate guy” stated he didn’t even know the young women’s names, but then used Candace and Morna’s names later in the interview. Another suspect became immediately agitated and angry when interviewed. A third suspect, Ricky Kiger, was described as odd. He would walk about the bar picking up glasses as if he worked there, as a way to start talking to women. When they asked bar patrons, someone stated Kiger attempted to rub Morna’s back and she shrugged him off.
Days later, a man walking through a field finds a garbage bag with Morna Jean’s dismembered body. Then another garbage bag was found containing her torso. People stopped going out in the area knowing a savage killer was on the loose.
When investigators ran background checks on the suspects, they find Ricky Kiger had a prior sexual assault conviction resulting from an attack of a Rochester State Hospital mental patient on the grounds of the state hospital. Kiger had choked a 25-year-old woman unconscious, raped her and cut her throat.
Only a few days before Morna disappeared, Kiger’s ex-wife had filed a restraining order against him. Further, his current lover stated she received a call at 2:00 in the morning on the night Morna was killed, saying “I love you. I love you. I hate you.” She revealed Kiger’s blue drapes were missing in his apartment, he owned exotic birds and had a “wandering Jew” plant. Kiger’s partner showed the investigators a new pendent Rickie had given her, which the investigators knew matched the pendent Morna was wearing the night she disappeared.
Investigators pieced together the incident: In the bar, Morna had been approached by 28-year-old divorcee Rickie L. Kiger. Kiger sent Morna a drink. He asked her to dance and rubbed her shoulders. Morna discouraged his advances telling him she was not interested and to leave her alone.
Rickie Kiger was waiting in the parking lot in his vehicle when Morna left the bar. He convinced Morna to wait in his car with him for her friend since it was so cold outside. Once inside, Kiger smashed her head against the door panel knocking her out, and drove her to his home. He assaulted her, cut her throat and then dismembered her body.
After disposing of her dismembered body in trash bags in a lake near Stillwater, Kiger was eventually convicted of first degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Stillwater, Minnesota. Rickie Kiger was found dead in his prison cell on April 27, 2014 at the age of 56.
What can we learn from this?
1. Not all bad news is unnecessary. First of all, the 80’s were a weird time. People believed they were safer, even though the data shows they were far more likely to be murdered than they are today (today’s murder rates are ½ of what they were in 1980).
2. What happened wasn’t Morna’s fault—but dress for the weather. Morna hadn’t worn a coat to the bar. Would she have gotten in that car to warm up, if she had a coat?
3. Leave with friends. Again, no one is to blame but that self-centered prick Kiger. But we are better informed in 2019, and we know we live in a dangerous world.
Don’t lose heart. We are making the world better, but progress is never a straight line. Our investigative tools are so much better today. The investigation in 1986 didn’t use DNA testing, didn’t have camera footage like we have today, and didn’t have cell phones to check suspect locations at various times. Today, they could even DNA test the wandering Jew plant and prove the plant DNA found on the bloody curtains was from the plant in the Kiger’s apartment.
Thanks for listening,
Frank Queen was an incredibly talented band. Freddie Mercury had a great voice and guitarist Brian May holds a doctorate in astrophysics.
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