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A Cold-Blooded Business: Adultery, Murder, and a Killer's Path from the Bible Belt to the Boardroom
In 1959, Olathe, Kansas was made famous by the murder of the Clutter family and Truman Capote's ground-breaking book on the crime, In Cold Blood . But fewer know that Olathe achieved notoriety again in 1982, when a member of Olathe's growing Evangelical Christian population, a gentle man named David Harmon, was bludgeoned to death while sleeping—the force of the blows crushing his face beyond recognition.
Suspicion quickly fell on David's wife, Melinda, and his best friend, Mark, student body president of the local bible college. However, the long arms of the church defended the two and no charges were pressed. The case was declared as dead as David Harmon.
Two decades later, two Olathe police officers revived the cold case making startling revelations that reopened old wounds and chasms within the Olathe community—revelations that rocked not only Olathe, but also the two well-healed towns in which Melinda and Mark resided. David's former wife and friend were now living separate, successful, law-abiding lives. Melinda lived in suburban Ohio, a devoted wife and mother of two. Mark had become a Harvard MBA, a high-paid corporate mover, a family man, and a respected community member in a wealthy suburb of New York City. Some twenty years after the brutal murder, each received the dreaded knock of justice at the door.
A Cold-Blooded Business provides fascinating character studies of Melinda and Mark, killers who seemingly returned to normalcy after one blood-splattered night of violence. A fast-moving true crime narrative, A Cold-Blooded Business is a chilling exploration into the darkest depths of the human psyche.
Suspicion quickly fell on David's wife, Melinda, and his best friend, Mark, student body president of the local bible college. However, the long arms of the church defended the two and no charges were pressed. The case was declared as dead as David Harmon.
Two decades later, two Olathe police officers revived the cold case making startling revelations that reopened old wounds and chasms within the Olathe community—revelations that rocked not only Olathe, but also the two well-healed towns in which Melinda and Mark resided. David's former wife and friend were now living separate, successful, law-abiding lives. Melinda lived in suburban Ohio, a devoted wife and mother of two. Mark had become a Harvard MBA, a high-paid corporate mover, a family man, and a respected community member in a wealthy suburb of New York City. Some twenty years after the brutal murder, each received the dreaded knock of justice at the door.
A Cold-Blooded Business provides fascinating character studies of Melinda and Mark, killers who seemingly returned to normalcy after one blood-splattered night of violence. A fast-moving true crime narrative, A Cold-Blooded Business is a chilling exploration into the darkest depths of the human psyche.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2008
93 people are currently reading
320 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
November 24, 2015
This was a twisted story of the bludgeoning murder of a young husband in Olathe, Kansas that became a cold case, and how it was eventually solved. Another reviewer is correct in that the author is wrong about the Clutter case also happening in Olathe, and it does beg the question...what else isn't accurate in the story. The town of Holcomb, KS where the Clutter crime occurred was nearly 400 miles away.
A pretty good story if accurate otherwise.
A pretty good story if accurate otherwise.
April 21, 2009
You can tell Marek Fuchs is a reporter by trade. His facts are presented in a logical yet tension-building order, his characters are true and reveal themselves mostly through their own words and actions, and events and circumstances are weighted appropriately to their impact on the story rather than their potential to produce book-selling blurbs. It is this professionalism that separates A Cold-Blooded Business from many other examples of the true-crime genre.
There is plenty of melodrama in the story itself, and Fuchs puts it all before the reader without making you wallow in it. The Church of the Nazarene could have been depicted as a near-cult for example, but it was portrayed instead as a fundamentalist sect for Christians who don't believe you have to wear wool underwear to feel closer to God yet want the protection of a semi-closed society that holds itself just sightly holier than everybody else.
The characters reflect reality, too. All three of the main players, victim David Harmon, his wife Melinda, and their eerily successful and intimate friend Mark Mangelsdorf, are real people who lean on their religion when they need it, being very careful to not look at the underpinnings of their beliefs too closely lest they learn the foundation is a bit shaky. Fuchs did an especially fine job of demonstrating how Mark turned away from the religion of the prairies to worship at the altar of the corporate boardroom with much the same calculating proficiency he used to purchase, use, and hide the murder weapon that apparently has yet to be found.
I appreciate the way this story was told without the sensationalism that pervades and overwhelms most such books. At the hands of a skilled reporter like Marek Fuchs, A Cold-Blooded Business carries you through a sordid affair without making you feel like a rubber-necker sniffing around the blood stains at a highway fatality.
There is plenty of melodrama in the story itself, and Fuchs puts it all before the reader without making you wallow in it. The Church of the Nazarene could have been depicted as a near-cult for example, but it was portrayed instead as a fundamentalist sect for Christians who don't believe you have to wear wool underwear to feel closer to God yet want the protection of a semi-closed society that holds itself just sightly holier than everybody else.
The characters reflect reality, too. All three of the main players, victim David Harmon, his wife Melinda, and their eerily successful and intimate friend Mark Mangelsdorf, are real people who lean on their religion when they need it, being very careful to not look at the underpinnings of their beliefs too closely lest they learn the foundation is a bit shaky. Fuchs did an especially fine job of demonstrating how Mark turned away from the religion of the prairies to worship at the altar of the corporate boardroom with much the same calculating proficiency he used to purchase, use, and hide the murder weapon that apparently has yet to be found.
I appreciate the way this story was told without the sensationalism that pervades and overwhelms most such books. At the hands of a skilled reporter like Marek Fuchs, A Cold-Blooded Business carries you through a sordid affair without making you feel like a rubber-necker sniffing around the blood stains at a highway fatality.
March 17, 2016
A lot of telling without showing
This book contains a compelling story, and one that could lend itself to much more analysis and detail than is given. Some of the more intriguing aspects are glossed over, such as the conspicuous absence of Melinda's father during her trial and her careful avoidance of admitting specific details. Why the author chose to vaguely refer to her linguistic acrobatics without giving examples is anyone's guess. The result is a book that feels more like a dry overview than an in-depth narrative.
This book contains a compelling story, and one that could lend itself to much more analysis and detail than is given. Some of the more intriguing aspects are glossed over, such as the conspicuous absence of Melinda's father during her trial and her careful avoidance of admitting specific details. Why the author chose to vaguely refer to her linguistic acrobatics without giving examples is anyone's guess. The result is a book that feels more like a dry overview than an in-depth narrative.
October 24, 2016
Interesting story of the resurrection of a cold case, the murder of David Harmon in Olathe, KS, in 1982. Having lived close by Olathe for the last 4+ years, I wish I had read this when I lived there, so I could go see some of the landmarks described - the Nazarene College, the courthouse, etc.... Very interesting on exactly how the case was mishandled and how the police were intimidated by powerful chich figures and did not intensely interrogate the original suspects, much to their later chagrin. Also makes you appreciate law enforcement and all their efforts and determination to bring the killers to justice. Rather curious in that that the eventual convicted killers had led very successful lives after the murder, in contrast to what one might have assumed from the ferocity and violence of the crime.
September 19, 2016
I'm always fascinated by human behavior, or misbehavior as it may be. And this book was no disappointment in that area. The writing, however, left me feeling like I was reading the Cliff's Notes version of the real book.
June 18, 2019
When Hannah Arendt traveled to Jerusalem to cover the trial of Nazi Adolf Eichmann she coined a term the banality of evil. The term referred to the ability of seemingly normal, law abiding people to commit heinous actions. I found myself thinking about that term and its implications while reading A Cold Blooded Business. The story covers the murder of a young bank worker in 1982 & the trial of the two individuals accused of the homicide some twenty years later.
Journalist Marek Fuchs covered the trials & tried to reconcile the 1982 murder with the aftermath two decades later. One of the themes Fuchs explores is the notion of putting the lion back in the cage-namely how can an individual or as in this case a pair of individuals commit one absolutely violent, heinous crime, then proceed to live spotless lives for the next two decades. While Arendt was looking at the impact of a system, Fuchs is examining the same dynamic in a couple. Can two people commit an act so vile, that in it’s aftermath they cannot even look at one another.
These are the makings of an intriguing if morally unsettling tale. Unfortunately Fuchs text reads like a newspaper report, lacking in real psychological and sociological insight.
The victim David Harmon comes across as a perfectly decent individual, who probably needed to grow up a bit or marry an entirely different type of woman. Harmon’s wife Melinda comes across as a hypocrite who latched on to men because of who they thought they were, instead of figuring out who she was…The sort who felt something was wrong if others did it, but seemed to ignore her own lapses. Their friend Mark Mangelsdorf had a fairly interesting trajectory going from Bible college to increasingly successful corporate boardrooms.
Fuchs spends a lot of the early book focusing on religion-but never really delves into how religion led to the murder in 1982. The author seems to want to blame the hothouse atmosphere of a Christian college, but the author simply doesn’t develop the dynamics of Melinda and Mangelsdorf’s bond anywhere near enough to explain their actions. Fuchs also ignored the absolute incompetence of Kansas law enforcement authorities.
Perhaps the biggest problem is unlike Arendt, Fuchs finds no easy answers. The Nazis provides an excellent framing device for her theory. Fuchs is unable to draw the usefulness out of religion and Christian colleges in 1982. Further as David Harmon’s father muses near the end of the book, simply solving the murder does not resolve the questions the crime provoked.
Journalist Marek Fuchs covered the trials & tried to reconcile the 1982 murder with the aftermath two decades later. One of the themes Fuchs explores is the notion of putting the lion back in the cage-namely how can an individual or as in this case a pair of individuals commit one absolutely violent, heinous crime, then proceed to live spotless lives for the next two decades. While Arendt was looking at the impact of a system, Fuchs is examining the same dynamic in a couple. Can two people commit an act so vile, that in it’s aftermath they cannot even look at one another.
These are the makings of an intriguing if morally unsettling tale. Unfortunately Fuchs text reads like a newspaper report, lacking in real psychological and sociological insight.
The victim David Harmon comes across as a perfectly decent individual, who probably needed to grow up a bit or marry an entirely different type of woman. Harmon’s wife Melinda comes across as a hypocrite who latched on to men because of who they thought they were, instead of figuring out who she was…The sort who felt something was wrong if others did it, but seemed to ignore her own lapses. Their friend Mark Mangelsdorf had a fairly interesting trajectory going from Bible college to increasingly successful corporate boardrooms.
Fuchs spends a lot of the early book focusing on religion-but never really delves into how religion led to the murder in 1982. The author seems to want to blame the hothouse atmosphere of a Christian college, but the author simply doesn’t develop the dynamics of Melinda and Mangelsdorf’s bond anywhere near enough to explain their actions. Fuchs also ignored the absolute incompetence of Kansas law enforcement authorities.
Perhaps the biggest problem is unlike Arendt, Fuchs finds no easy answers. The Nazis provides an excellent framing device for her theory. Fuchs is unable to draw the usefulness out of religion and Christian colleges in 1982. Further as David Harmon’s father muses near the end of the book, simply solving the murder does not resolve the questions the crime provoked.
July 10, 2021
2.5 stars. I had known of this case before and I had never understood the crime or the aftermath. Things just made little sense and this book did nothing to clarify it. I know nothing more about motive or why these people did what they did before and after than I did before but maybe nobody does. That makes it hard to get into the story. Nevertheless I felt the story was watered down and lacked enough detail. The author’s writing style was not pleasing. He jumped around a lot and the story lost cohesiveness. A lot of his writing was overly dramatic and trying to impress in my opinion. As someone else said in their review, there was a lot of tell and little show. I don’t enjoy true crime books that are written in that fashion. I did not feel like I got to know the victim or the perpetrators in any true sense. It’s also really frustrating to know how little these two people had to pay for their crimes. It just wasn’t fair. This is a story of murder that did not end in the usual manner and I think that’s what makes it so unsatisfying. Just maybe there is no more to tell. I will say however that there was no deep dive into the human psyche here. You are left with more questions than answers.
March 19, 2021
Well, the man responsible for bottled Frappuccinos bludgeoned someone to death.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2014
This is a surprising well-researched account of the not-so-exciting but gory cold-blooded murder of a husband perpetrated by his Bible-thumping wife and her "chaste" religious lover. (Apparently, kissing, necking, heavy petting, and even oral sex isn't REALLY cheating on one's spouse among the white upper echelon!) Wifey was more ashamed of flirting and inappropriate touching than she was of the prolonged, bloody beating of her husband (suspected weapon: a CROWBAR, purchased by her "Boo" right before the crime!
The interesting thing is that these two squares almost got away with the "perfect crime", but were finally brought down after more than 20 years, thanks to a new Cold Cse Squad! Of course, Wifey initially blamed the crime on the "usual two black men in masks" who just happened to show up in her bedroom in the middle of the night to kill her hubby for no apparent reason. The author does a great job giving an indepth and upbeat account of a really senseless crime. The reader can tell that even the author ain't buying it! Especially since the two "lovers" never spoke again after the crime, each going on with "life after murder" like white people do: Harvard MBA, marrying well, excelling spectacularly in business, making COO, multi-million dollar homes, trips around the world, and every day suburban tasks like taking the kiddies to soccer and piano practice. But being such religious people, each should have known that "God don't like ugly" and their indiscretion was just around the corner, waiting to pounce upon them when the time was right!
Ever since my days of "Nancy Drew", I've always been a big devotée of true crime. However, recently the books in the genre have been weak. Are we readers becoming jaded all of a sudden? This book is a rare find! Totally enjoyable with righteous retribution in the end! This, in spite of all-white juriy and an outrageously expensive legal "dream team", including the flamboyant Kennedy family lawyer Mickey Sherman! Unfortunately, the cards are stacked against the lily white defendants. Nobody will walk but, with a bit of luck and a heap of divine intervine, JUSTICE does often prevail and these cold-blooded killers could have hope of seeing their kids! A hope forever denied the victim, a father of 3 - particularly since one of his eyeballs flew across the bedroom during the savage predatory, lying-in-wait, blitz attack- an unprevoked attack premeditated for weeks! Good stuff!
The interesting thing is that these two squares almost got away with the "perfect crime", but were finally brought down after more than 20 years, thanks to a new Cold Cse Squad! Of course, Wifey initially blamed the crime on the "usual two black men in masks" who just happened to show up in her bedroom in the middle of the night to kill her hubby for no apparent reason. The author does a great job giving an indepth and upbeat account of a really senseless crime. The reader can tell that even the author ain't buying it! Especially since the two "lovers" never spoke again after the crime, each going on with "life after murder" like white people do: Harvard MBA, marrying well, excelling spectacularly in business, making COO, multi-million dollar homes, trips around the world, and every day suburban tasks like taking the kiddies to soccer and piano practice. But being such religious people, each should have known that "God don't like ugly" and their indiscretion was just around the corner, waiting to pounce upon them when the time was right!
Ever since my days of "Nancy Drew", I've always been a big devotée of true crime. However, recently the books in the genre have been weak. Are we readers becoming jaded all of a sudden? This book is a rare find! Totally enjoyable with righteous retribution in the end! This, in spite of all-white juriy and an outrageously expensive legal "dream team", including the flamboyant Kennedy family lawyer Mickey Sherman! Unfortunately, the cards are stacked against the lily white defendants. Nobody will walk but, with a bit of luck and a heap of divine intervine, JUSTICE does often prevail and these cold-blooded killers could have hope of seeing their kids! A hope forever denied the victim, a father of 3 - particularly since one of his eyeballs flew across the bedroom during the savage predatory, lying-in-wait, blitz attack- an unprevoked attack premeditated for weeks! Good stuff!
April 21, 2009
This is about the murder of David Harmon which you may have seen on 48 Hours Mystery. He was brutally bludgeoned to death in his own bed. His wife Melinda and their mutual friend Mark were immediately suspected, but due to lousy investigation techniques they were not charged. Although it was suspected that the two suspects were having an affair, they fell out of contact with each other almost immediately. More than two decades later the cold case is picked up and charges were finally filed. That's actually when the story gets a little weird. Melinda does everything but confess, and then makes a deal AFTER she is convicted to obtain a lighter sentence in exchange for her testimony against Mark. Mark is also given a deal in exchange for a guilty plea, but oddly he is not made to tell what happened in his own words as part of that deal. The 48 Hours Mystery story portrayed his guilty plea as some sort of conscience change on Mark's part. But this book explains it more as a business deal which begs the question as to whether or not he really did commit murder.
Either way, the crime itself doesn't make much sense. Their religion discourages divorce, so presumably the two committed the murder to allow their relationship to proceed. But why would two people feel such passion about this that they would do such a thing, and then immediately stop all contact with each other thereafter? How can they continue to pretend they aren't really guilty given there are absolutely no other viable suspects in two decades? Or could there really be other suspects? This author didn't make up the story, but his telling doesn't really raise the many questions begging for answers. He just sticks to the facts, and I felt like there was more investigative information he should have included. It was almost as if the interview he had in person with Mark and his wife just prior to the guilty plea swayed his objectivity for the rest of the book.
From the title of the book, I feel that the writer intended to frame the murder in some larger picture. But it is simply long winded, and not truly desciptive of the book we get here.
Either way, the crime itself doesn't make much sense. Their religion discourages divorce, so presumably the two committed the murder to allow their relationship to proceed. But why would two people feel such passion about this that they would do such a thing, and then immediately stop all contact with each other thereafter? How can they continue to pretend they aren't really guilty given there are absolutely no other viable suspects in two decades? Or could there really be other suspects? This author didn't make up the story, but his telling doesn't really raise the many questions begging for answers. He just sticks to the facts, and I felt like there was more investigative information he should have included. It was almost as if the interview he had in person with Mark and his wife just prior to the guilty plea swayed his objectivity for the rest of the book.
From the title of the book, I feel that the writer intended to frame the murder in some larger picture. But it is simply long winded, and not truly desciptive of the book we get here.
August 27, 2017
I finished this book within 24 hours. The story is super close to home, as it takes place in Olathe, KS. I did not love the style of writing--I found it wordy and confusing. What's frustrating is you really only get the author's opinion of what happened, as both suspects claimed their innocence until they decided on a "business deal" to plead guilty to lesser their sentences. Super bizarre story. Melinda seemed flighty and annoying, but also sounds like she felt real regret. Mike, on the other hand, seems like a real JERK, and such a sketchy guy.
The story was of special interest to me, as the there were ties to my husband's college and childhood church. I read some parts aloud to him, and he was disappointed with some things as they were inaccurate (history of the college and church--nothing imperative to the story, but still a miss).
Really want to follow up and try to track down info on where these two are today.
The story was of special interest to me, as the there were ties to my husband's college and childhood church. I read some parts aloud to him, and he was disappointed with some things as they were inaccurate (history of the college and church--nothing imperative to the story, but still a miss).
Really want to follow up and try to track down info on where these two are today.
August 24, 2009
This book is a recap of all the news articles about this murder. It was an OK read, but I felt like I was re-reading the news stories that were written as the trial went on. There are a lot of repetitive bits that made me feel the author needed to fill a few more pages, so he repeated some comments several times, somewhat for the shock factor I think. The book also needed an editor, or at least a different editor. There were several places where I felt like I was reading a newspaper article instead of part of a story in a book. Overall, it was OK, but not something I'd recommend as a good read.
May 4, 2017
Seeing a recent rerun of 48 Hours reminded me that the perpetrators of this senseless murder should be eligible for patole. After googling their names, I found they both had been released from prison after serving short sentences. I decided to reread the book again for details I had forgotten. The second reading reminded me of how horrendously cruel and savage the murder of David Harmon was and no matter how 'upstanding' and successful the murderers had become in the years before they were arrested, they caused heartache and grief for so very many people and for no plausible reason. The book is well written, to the point and was a fast read.
January 20, 2017
Another reviewer remarked that this seemed like a Cliff's Notes version of the story. I can certainly see why they felt that way; despite a surprising amount of detail here and there, it did seem rushed. Too bad, because it's a fascinating case. A senseless crime, the salient point was made at the end by the victim's father: 'You can solve a mystery without having answered any of the questions it posed.'
January 14, 2018
I especially love to read true crime books that I lived through in the same town. This is one of those books. Not only was I living in Olathe Kansas at the time it took place, I was attending Mid-America Nazarene College at the time. I didn't personally know Mark but saw him on campus. Book follows what I remember happened at the time.
November 10, 2020
(NOTE: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book or a B. 3 stars means a very good book or a B+. 4 stars means an outstanding book or an A {only about 5% of the books I read merit 4 stars}. 5 stars means an all time favorite or an A+ {Only one of 400 or 500 books rates this!).
Awful story (not how it's written but what happened).
Awful story (not how it's written but what happened).
July 16, 2018
True Crime
An interesting book which tells the story of a in twenty year old unsolved murder. It was unsolved, yet everyone believed they knew who had committed the killing. This is the tale of how the presumption murderers were brought to justice.
An interesting book which tells the story of a in twenty year old unsolved murder. It was unsolved, yet everyone believed they knew who had committed the killing. This is the tale of how the presumption murderers were brought to justice.
February 12, 2017
Not gripping
I like true crime stories. This one left me wondering why they did it? The main characters were strangers to me even at the end of the book.
I like true crime stories. This one left me wondering why they did it? The main characters were strangers to me even at the end of the book.
January 5, 2018
Well written outline of a senseless crime.
The author did a great job of defining the crime. The dangers of brainwashing from organized religions are all over this book.
The author did a great job of defining the crime. The dangers of brainwashing from organized religions are all over this book.
December 7, 2019
As trashy true crime books go, I like this guy's writing style, and he was able to get a pretty revealing interview of one of the key players in the murder.
September 24, 2020
Very intriguing
Unbelievable story of murder for love to live a life apart. Crazy thoughts make people do crazy things. Well written and a true page turner
Unbelievable story of murder for love to live a life apart. Crazy thoughts make people do crazy things. Well written and a true page turner
March 1, 2021
Hmm...not sure about this this one. Fuchs doesn't seem to get to the bottom of the triggers or motivation of why this murder happened, but speculates that "widowhood" was preferable to divorce in this puritanical, Evangelical community--at least to Mark and Melinda.
Melinda comes off as a racist, two-faced hypocrite. She was sick of her husband, in love with his best friend, and ready to accuse black people for the murder of her husband that she helped plan with his killer. This woman was more than ready to snitch on adulterers in her church to raise her own standing, but one wonders if all that finger pointing was out of jealousy. Other people were doing what she wanted to get away with--and it was eating her up inside. This spoiled daddy's girl thought she could do whatever she wanted b/c her dad was a big deal in the church and had raised an entitled, racist brat. Although I'm not sympathetic to Melinda in any way, I found it kind of odd that Fuchs kept mentioning how terrible this killer had aged. I looked this woman up and she just looks like a regular middle-aged woman who hasn't dyed her hair. Huh. Okay.
Mark comes off as a sociopath who knows how to keep his game face on, but has flashes of impulsive rage. In Mark's case, just b/c this guy got busy making money--and wasn't caught doing anything else illegal--doesn't convince me that his first murder was his last. Mark is a bright, ruthless, competitive steamroller. If something got in his way--he'd roll over it or end it. People, religions, morality all seem expendable if it wasn't in his 5 year plan. He's repulsive. Also, by going along with the "black people did it" cover story he hatched up with Melinda--he's a racist a-hole as well.
The fact that these two showed so little real remorse, got such sweet-heart deals, and were treated so decently is disgusting. Their class, whiteness, "Christianity," and social support networks protected them--and even when it was time to serve time--I think they got off tremendously easily.
I feel sad for David. This man was a good guy by all accounts and he had the terrible luck of being betrayed by a shitty wife and best friend. His parents seemed like a couple of angels as well and what happened to their son was savage and unthinkable.
Rounding up to a 3, but more like a 2.5
Melinda comes off as a racist, two-faced hypocrite. She was sick of her husband, in love with his best friend, and ready to accuse black people for the murder of her husband that she helped plan with his killer. This woman was more than ready to snitch on adulterers in her church to raise her own standing, but one wonders if all that finger pointing was out of jealousy. Other people were doing what she wanted to get away with--and it was eating her up inside. This spoiled daddy's girl thought she could do whatever she wanted b/c her dad was a big deal in the church and had raised an entitled, racist brat. Although I'm not sympathetic to Melinda in any way, I found it kind of odd that Fuchs kept mentioning how terrible this killer had aged. I looked this woman up and she just looks like a regular middle-aged woman who hasn't dyed her hair. Huh. Okay.
Mark comes off as a sociopath who knows how to keep his game face on, but has flashes of impulsive rage. In Mark's case, just b/c this guy got busy making money--and wasn't caught doing anything else illegal--doesn't convince me that his first murder was his last. Mark is a bright, ruthless, competitive steamroller. If something got in his way--he'd roll over it or end it. People, religions, morality all seem expendable if it wasn't in his 5 year plan. He's repulsive. Also, by going along with the "black people did it" cover story he hatched up with Melinda--he's a racist a-hole as well.
The fact that these two showed so little real remorse, got such sweet-heart deals, and were treated so decently is disgusting. Their class, whiteness, "Christianity," and social support networks protected them--and even when it was time to serve time--I think they got off tremendously easily.
I feel sad for David. This man was a good guy by all accounts and he had the terrible luck of being betrayed by a shitty wife and best friend. His parents seemed like a couple of angels as well and what happened to their son was savage and unthinkable.
Rounding up to a 3, but more like a 2.5
July 5, 2023
I am an ex-Nazarene, so I was of course fascinated to read about a murder that occurred in the city at the very heart of Nazarene officialdom in locations that I am quite familiar with. While a fascinating look into what has likely gone deep into church history archives to never be acknowledged, I did find the writing style to be rather unengaging, although I found the commentary about the Olathe-area farmers finding the incoming Nazarene crowd "too religious" quite funny.
Additionally, Fuchs gets details about the Nazarene church hierarchy wrong and I found myself to be a little confused (having been on the inside myself). The error in question is that Melinda Lambert's father, Dr. Lambert, is said to have "become the general superintendent of Zone Two, as it was known in church parlance" and "would soon become its central figure". I immediately thought, wow, the daughter of a GS was involved in a murder? But upon looking it up (on Wikipedia & in Lambert's obituary), it became apparent to me that Dr. Lambert rose no higher than a district superintendent. I then became very confused about why Dr. Lambert was even in Kansas City for the purported length of time, as a DS might report to Kansas City on occasion but would typically remain in the district they are assigned to to administer their church allotments.
The crime itself is also very strange as the motive seems to have been incredibly temporary, discarded almost immediately afterward and not spoken of by the perpetrators again. I suppose we understand about the ability of the brain to compartmentalize, but it was still very strange. I leave this story feeling like there is more here that wasn't told, but I do wonder how much was simply lost to the attempt to sweep everything under the rug in the interest of propriety and moral grandstanding.
Additionally, Fuchs gets details about the Nazarene church hierarchy wrong and I found myself to be a little confused (having been on the inside myself). The error in question is that Melinda Lambert's father, Dr. Lambert, is said to have "become the general superintendent of Zone Two, as it was known in church parlance" and "would soon become its central figure". I immediately thought, wow, the daughter of a GS was involved in a murder? But upon looking it up (on Wikipedia & in Lambert's obituary), it became apparent to me that Dr. Lambert rose no higher than a district superintendent. I then became very confused about why Dr. Lambert was even in Kansas City for the purported length of time, as a DS might report to Kansas City on occasion but would typically remain in the district they are assigned to to administer their church allotments.
The crime itself is also very strange as the motive seems to have been incredibly temporary, discarded almost immediately afterward and not spoken of by the perpetrators again. I suppose we understand about the ability of the brain to compartmentalize, but it was still very strange. I leave this story feeling like there is more here that wasn't told, but I do wonder how much was simply lost to the attempt to sweep everything under the rug in the interest of propriety and moral grandstanding.
March 2, 2022
Most stores of true crime cases will include descriptions while still remaining somewhat "vague" to certain aspects.
The author provided a number of detailed descriptions, including the state of David, which I found to show a very "reporter1'-like side to the writing.
The story and facts were presented matter-of-factly, in a straight forward sense, and a very linear breakdown of the events throughout the leadup to the murder, as well as the 20 years following and how the suspects had progressed during those years into their current lives.
I certainly felt for the family of David, and what they lost, while watching the accused essentially "run off" without any repercussions for 20 years.
Though I was glad to see some form of justice for him in the end, despite being at the mercy of plea bargains and political games.
The author provided a number of detailed descriptions, including the state of David, which I found to show a very "reporter1'-like side to the writing.
The story and facts were presented matter-of-factly, in a straight forward sense, and a very linear breakdown of the events throughout the leadup to the murder, as well as the 20 years following and how the suspects had progressed during those years into their current lives.
I certainly felt for the family of David, and what they lost, while watching the accused essentially "run off" without any repercussions for 20 years.
Though I was glad to see some form of justice for him in the end, despite being at the mercy of plea bargains and political games.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2022
I love the true crime genre and I found this telling of a cold blooded murder interesting and compelling without being overly graphic. It is always mind boggling to see evangelical Christians who are able to excuse themselves from any sense of guilt and responsibility after their sins come to light. The talking around the truth, the denials, the self pity and hubris of people who profess to know right from wrong, who say they believe in the Bible and it’s teachings always seem to catch us by surprise yet somehow doesn’t. This particular couple, who quietly went their separate ways after they murdered to be together, makes you look differently at zealots and over achievers when they pretty much get away with a poorly planned but ruthless murder because of their church standing behind them regardless of the truth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2022
This was a decently written book about a murder that was gotten away with for decades. I would probably give this one more like a 3.5ish, but alas we cannot do that.
A young man is murdered, his wife tells the cops "what happened", a close friend consoles her, and eventually the case goes cold.
The wife has familial ties in the dominating religion of the area, so how does that protect her, and how does everything take so long to come to light?
A young man is murdered, his wife tells the cops "what happened", a close friend consoles her, and eventually the case goes cold.
The wife has familial ties in the dominating religion of the area, so how does that protect her, and how does everything take so long to come to light?
December 20, 2023
A man commits a brutal murder of his lover's husband... He succeeds at Harvard and in business... A cold case investigation leads to the couple's capture and imprisonment, but apparently for former student body president Mark Mangelsdorf, no remorse or reflection.
May 15, 2018
Perfectly (large or tall) physical specimens dealing with the the archbishop's daughter, playing intellectual love-hookey ending in violence. For a church community run like a moral spy ring, MDMA should have improved the triangle's sexual satisfaction as well as preventing homicide of the cuckold.
June 13, 2020
I don’t know if it was because I was familiar with the case, or if it was just tedious reading, but it took me forever to get through the story. The ending is also kind of a let down, not really what you’re looking for in a true crime book.
March 15, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this true crime book. It is a heart-breaking story in more ways than one. It is also questionable how well justice has been served. However, the writing and narration were well done. I hope Marek Fuchs is writing more books.
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