When Elizabeth Andes was found murdered in her Ohio apartment in 1978, police and prosecutors decided within hours it was an open-and-shut case. Two juries disagreed. The Cincinnati Enquirer investigates: Was the right guy charged, or did the killer walk free?
Amber Hunt is an award-winning journalist who works for the Cincinnati Enquirer as an investigative reporter. She's the co-creator and host of the podcast "Accused: The Unsolved Murder of Elizabeth Andes," which reached No. 1 on iTunes' U.S. and U.K. charts. She previously covered crime for the Detroit Free Press and the Dakotas for The Associated Press and was a 2011 Knight-Wallace Fellow at the University of Michigan. She’s written three true-crime books: Dead but Not Forgotten, All-American Murder and See How Much You Love Me, and is co-author of The Kennedy Wives: Triumph and Tragedy in America’s Most Public Family with longtime friend David Batcher.
Amber is a past recipient of the Al Nakkula Award for Police Reporting, the only national award dedicated to crime coverage. She has appeared on NBC’s Dateline and A&E’s Crime Stories, among other TV shows. She lives in Ohio.
I found this to be a fascinating true crime book based on a podcast about the cold case murder of Elizabeth Andes that was being reinvestigated by journalists Amber Hunt and Amanda Rossman. Andes was 23 and just days after graduating from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when she was found murdered in her apartment on December 28th, 1978. Her boyfriend, Bob Young, had come home and found her in the darkened apartment under an overturned dresser. She was bloody and had no pulse. The phone had been disconnected in anticipation of moving, so he ran to other apartments trying to find someone home. With it being a holiday break most students were away, and he had to run to another building before he found someone to use a phone to call police.
The police were quickly suspicious of boyfriend Bob, and after taking him in for questioning, despite his cooperation, allowing police to take hair samples, prints, etc. and repeated statements without asking for a lawyer, and even consenting to going to another town to take two polygraphs, they started coming down on him with suspicions and accusing him. After 15 hours of questioning, they got him to break and “confess”. Once he had some time to think alone quietly, he realized what a mistake he’d made, and he quickly recanted the confession and stuck to his claim of innocence thereafter. Once he was finally allowed to speak with his parents again, they got him a lawyer.
The police never looked at anyone else, despite there being several very good suspects, even after Bob Young was acquitted in a criminal trial, and again later in a civil trial brought by the parents of Beth Andes on the advice of their lawyer.
The case just lay dormant for nearly 40 years until these two journalists took a look into it after the family of Beth Andes kept trying to get the police interested repeatedly with no result. Why they pursued this story:
There are a lot of investigations out there – some with podcasts even – examining whether people were wrongly convicted of terrible crimes. This isn’t one of those. This is an investigation of the aftermath of an innocent verdict. How law enforcement -- so sure that they had the right man despite two juries saying they didn’t – gave up looking for the person who strangled and stabbed Elizabeth Andes, a young woman in a college town. It wasn’t that there weren’t other people to look at. There were plenty. But no one bothered.
Thirty-seven years later, we did. If you have information you’d like to share with the Oxford Police Department about the death of Elizabeth Andes, call the department’s tip line at 513-524-5268 or email: crimetips@cityofoxford.org. To reach out to The Enquirer about this project, email accused@enquirer.com.
My thanks for the advance electronic copy that was provided by NetGalley, authors Amber Hunt & Amanda Rossman for my fair review.
Sorry but I have to pull the plug on this one. I was not aware this was just a podcast in script form. Amber I wouldn’t listen to and im not going to read. She fully got on my nerves. She abused her position with the Vidocq society as far as im xoncerned. This just was not for me at all.
This states that I’ve read this. I have zero memory of that since I have to write a review I’m reading it again. I can tell y’all now though that is a podcast in book form and I find that repulsive
I loved the Accused podcast that discussed the (subtitle) "unsolved murder of Elizabeth Andes." This book is essentially a transcript of the nine episodes that make up season #1 of the podcast. If you have listened to the podcast, this is nothing new except a nice introduction by Amber, and some comments in the epilogue. It's terrific, just not new. What may be new to those who (like me) had only LISTENED to this spellbinding story are photos (of characters, evidence, etc.), copies of police reports, crime scene diagrams, and other tidbits. I don't know if these will be included in the print version of the book -- they aren't in the digital advance copy I received.
Reading this prompted me to explore the website at www.reporteramber.com. If you click on the "Accused Podcast" link, it has EVERYTHING -- including transcripts of each episode! So, if you've explored the website/listened to the podcast, you likely don't need this book. But for anyone who hasn't, it's a great story. I'm was only going to give it three stars as I initially thought it was not at all clear from the information I got (including a look at the cover) that this was just a transcript. I was expecting more detail from Amber about the year-long investigation, etc. But then I noticed the big gold circle on the cover: "the complete transcripts from the popular podcast," (DUH)
I love the story and the presentation of information. True crime fans will LOVE this. Four stars.
Sadly, this book had a lot of potential for being a great true crime read. The author chose a format that left the book confusing and it just had a sloppy feel to it. I felt like there were aspects of reading a transcript of a podcast that had no rhyme or reason to it and it lost me immediately. I found myself doing a lot of skimming just to get through the book.
Thank you to Diversion and Netgalley for the opportunity to review.
Thank you Netgalley for an Ecopy of the book in exchange for an honest review*
I love following true crime stories and cases for ultimately, real life mysteries are far better than the fictional ones. After reading a brief summary of 'Accused: The Unsolved Murder of Elizabeth Andes by Amber Hunt and Amanda Rossmann' both authors who are journalists with the The Cincinnati Enquirer, I knew I had to read this book which looks into a case that's been left to turn cold for close to 40 yrs now.
The book is not only based on exhaustive examination of available court and police papers but also gives readers a comprehensive picture of the socio criminal backdrop that existed in the late 70s with a burst of serial killings and hikes in crime rates across the US. But even as the focus is on pursuing leads that the police has not even considered till date, what strikes me is the very humane manner in which the friends of the deceased have been dealt with by the two journalists. The authors have gone to great lengths to lay bare the sequence of events and in doing so, highlighted gaps that the police have not taken into account in their investigations. I would definitely recommend this book for true crime readers. If you are a fan of The making of a Murderer, the documentary TV series you will surely take to this one.
I really, really struggled with this book. This saddens me as I was looking forward to it. After, having recently read Sadie in the format of a podcast, I was interested in the fact that this book was a podcast as well. Yet, in this case, it did not work. It read kind of clunky. Plus, I was really pissed off by the fact that the authorities were focused on just the boyfriend. Once, they had him, it was like they didn't want to hear or consider any other theories; even if the evidence was not crystal clear.
After feeling like I was stopping and going while reading this book and only getting a third of the way. Which by the way took me almost a month to get this far into the book, I was done with the book and put it down for good.
I finished this book several days ago & have been struggling with what to say. But then, I struggled with reading the book. Truthfully, this isn't a book. It's a transcript of a podcast. It's very disjointed & hard to follow. Now, outside of cozy mysteries , true crime is about the only other genre I read on a regular basis. Most true crime books, & TV shows for that matter, follow a formula. This jumped all over the place & I found it extremely difficult to keep track of who everybody was. There was really no flow, which made it a difficult read. And nobody seemed capable of talking in complete or coherent sentences. I was very disappointed because I was unfamiliar with this case. The authors said they wanted to get the case , & Beth Andes ( the victim) name out there. In that they succeeded. They espoused a lot of theories, but I don't believe anything new was uncovered. It also succeeded in showing how both police & prosecutors can have tunnel vision, hone in on a suspect & not consider other options, even after 2 juries said they had it wrong. As a true crime buff & supporter of the Innocence Project, I'm well aware of this. But, I think the book is an important read for those who might not know about false confessions & other injustices. Overall, a disappointing read that I honestly can't recommend I received a free advanced copy of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review..
Journalist Amber Hunt, who works for the Cincinnati Enquirer, investigates the real-life murder of Elizabeth 'Beth' Andes.
Beth was murdered in 1978. Her boyfriend at the time, Bob Young, was charged with her murder, after confessing to it. He later retracts his confession but the police don't believe him and the case goes to court. The jury find Bob not guilty. Beth's parents also file a civil lawsuit against Bob. Again, he is found not guilty. So, the question is, who did kill Beth Andes?
Amber interviews the police, key witnesses and even Bob himself, to find the truth, but does she find it? Some still believe that Bob is the killer, but is he?
If you've listened to (or read) the podcast/book 'Serial' (the book is actually called Adnan's Story) you'll find this in a similar vein. I listened to it whilst working and was enthralled. I intended to listen to one chapter a day (there are, as of review date, nine chapters of around 45 minutes each) but got so into the story that I actually finished it in a couple of days. You find yourself agreeing and arguing with both Hunt and the interviewees and I'll guarantee you will all have your theory on the killer.
A great audiobook and worth listening to. If you like it, look out for Accused 2, coming soon.
Elizabeth Andes was murdered in Ohio in 1978. This book is written from the transcripts from a “True Crime” podcast. The police originally believed they’d solved the case almost immediately. It didn’t turn out that way, and the man originally charged was released.
Now, many years later, two Cincinnati reporters re-examine the murder and uncover new information that showed the police may have ignored useful information. Will Elizabeth’s murder ever be solved? Or was it solved with no justice served?
Such a sad story for Elizabeth, and her family and friends. While I found the book interesting, in the end there is still a dead young woman. It doesn’t make me feel any better about her death. The book provides the facts of the case, and the outcome of where it stands some 40 years later. It also leaves you with possible clues to who may have been the actual killer. Actual pictures and news articles also appear in the book.
It was told with empathy, and I feel it may be comforting to those that actually knew her. She is not forgotten, and more people in the world will now know who she was. A tribute to one lost so young. Authors who don’t plan to give up until the truth is told.
Thank you to authors, Amber Hunt, and Amanda Rossmann, Netgalley, and Diversion Books.
"When Elizabeth Andes was found bound, stabbed, and strangled in her Ohio apartment in 1978, police and prosecutors decided within hours it was an open-and-shut case."
I received #Accused free from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The book is comprised of transcripts from a podcast the authors did based on the murder, and includes interviews with some key players in the victim's life, as well as a few of the investigators who actually agreed to talk about the case. Unfortunately this wasn't many, as all the investigators thought they knew who had murdered Elizabeth right away. They were disgusted when not one, but TWO separate juries found the suspect not guilty. The case soon went cold. When Amber & Amanda decide to dive into the case, they realized there were multiple other potential subjects. However, none of them can ever be tested against forensic evidence, as it has all somehow managed to vanish... I enjoyed reading this one, though it is sad that Elizabeth's family may never have the answers & closure they so desperately desire (and deserve). 3.5🌟
I would like to thank EverAfter Romance Publishing for this partnership.
I love these kinds of books so when I saw the demand on netgalley I jumped at the chance.
This book is written by four hands and we see that there has been some research done with the photos, letters, evidence attached.
It tells the story of Elizabeth who was found dead: tied up and strangled in her apartment in 1978. A few days later his lover Bob is accused of the murder. Except he's going to be acquitted. This case was closed until forty years later, the two journalists reopened the investigation and will discover leads that had not been investigated at the time.
I loved this book based on a true story where the authors' work was remarkable. I immediately hooked on the captivating, moving story filled with suspense and twists and turns. Want to have it in paper format now.
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Diversion, for offering me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
True crime novels are both fascinating and haunting. This is the case with Amber Hunt's Accused: The Unsolved Murder of Elizabeth Andes. Andes' case is a cold case, the kind that has been lingering since 1978. Back in 1978, the police were convinced that they knew who the killer was: Elizabeth's boyfriend. He was questioned and eventually when to trial, where he was acquitted. The family would later serve him civilly and, again, he would be found not-guilty. Unfortunately, it would seem that the investigators were so convinced that they had the right man accused, they did not continue to work to find Elizabeth's killer.
Flash forward to Amber Hunt, a journalist that believes in changing the world by giving voices to victims that have been forgotten. Hunt investigates this unsolved case, tracks down witnesses, and brings Elizabeth's story to a popular pod-cast. The goal: perhaps someone will remember something, new evidence will be found, and Elizabeth's murder will finally be solved.
I, personally, do not listen to podcasts so I was unaware of the original podcast series that this book is based upon. Luckily a publisher decided that adapting this story to a book format would be beneficial--and it is. The chapters (representing each podcast that was conducted) delve into Elizabeth's case, asking questions that seem to have been left out of the 1978 investigation. Unfortunately, the more I read about the small-town-investigation the more I felt that Oxford police had really dropped the ball (even for 1978 standards!).
Hunt's goal is not to make the original investigation look amateur--that just happens to be the truth/outcome of some of the findings. Individuals that may have had good information were never interviewed, the police zeroed in on one suspect and never sought another, and evidence (boxes of it, including the murder weapon!) were somehow lost. It is terribly sad... because this case *could* have likely been solved if some more work was done.
The book is well researched (or, should I say, the original podcast was well researched). It is a quick read that is very engaging. I wish it would not have read as closely to a transcript as it does (it is, to be fair, a transcript of a series of podcasts) but at the same time that added to the fact that it was quick and easy to read. There is no "filler" information or clever paragraphs. It delves straight into facts.
Like most cold cases, there are more questions than answers by the time you finish the book. However, I believe that Hunt has shed a great deal of light on the case, and still hope that more information about Elizabeth's murder will be forthcoming.
Elizabeth "Beth"" Andes had just turned 23 in December 1978 when she was killed in her apartment in Oxford, Ohio. Having just graduated from Miami University almost two weeks before, Beth was in the process of packing up her apartment for an upcoming move. She called her boyfriend, Bob, at his parents' home in Fairborn around 7pm that night. After packing and hopping in the shower, Bob drove the 90 minutes to Oxford, but when he arrived at Beth's apartment at 9:30 that night, he found her dead.
It's been 40 years since Beth Andes was killed, and her friends and loved ones still pray for answers. A suspect was zeroed in on within hours of the murder, but he was acquitted in a criminal trial as well as a civil trial a few years later. Oxford detectives and prosecutors believe they had the right man all along, and consider this case all but officially closed. Because of that, Beth's case remained stagnant. It doesn't even appear on the list of Ohio's cold cases. However, journalist Amber Hunt from the Cincinnati Enquirer, began looking into the case, and the more information she uncovered, the more convinced she became that the original suspect wasn't actually the killer.
The format of this book is actually a transcript of the 9 episode podcast that Hunt did on this case, titled "Accused". It proved to be extremely popular, so much so that this book was born. I was hesitant when I first started reading, because I had no idea that the book was set up in this way. It surprisingly worked really well for me. I'm an avid fan of true crime, but I'll be honest--the monotony of the same formula every time (crime, investigation, trial, aftermath) leaves me bored to tears occasionally. It was a breath of fresh air to have a different structure. In that sense, this book reminds me of Michelle McNamara's new book, I'll Be Gone in the Dark, about the Golden State Killer.
I hope that there is eventually closure in this case, even if the perpetrator ends up being deceased. Having finished the book, I have drawn my own conclusions as to who committed this brutal murder, but I'd love to know what actually happened that night. I was disappointed to see that there have been no new episodes on this particular murder. I definitely need to know if Amber has uncovered any explosive new information. I definitely think she needs to record an updated episode once the book is released.
Note: This unbiased review is based on an ARC given me by Netgalley for review purposes.
"Accused" is the transcript of the "Accused" podcast, which was the work of Amber Hunt and Amanda Rossmann for the Cincinnati Enquirer. The podcast itself was a great success, driven largely by the team's transparency about their journalistic process. (Also, Amber Hunt trying repeatedly to get one obnoxiously resistant politician to either answer a question or just give her the dignity of a "no comment" is an A++ moment in podcast history.)
In written form, the same characteristics that made "Accused" work so well as a podcast serve the text version, too--Hunt has a conversational style, a realistic world view, and an obvious passion for journalism. Within the words of the work, we can sense a bit of the roughness of first-time podcasters, which serves to remind us again of why we're listening--we're not here to be entertained, but to be informed about Beth Andes and the police and prosecutor failures that brought about left this woman's death unsolved. That's journalism, and it is no surprise that we come away from the text with a renewed respect for it (often maligned in today's age of idiocy and propaganda channels a la Fox).
What's not so great? As someone who did listen to, and love, the podcast, I was disappointed the book didn't appear to push more beyond the words of the podcast. While the inclusion of photographs from the case was appreciated, a better addition would have more new commentary from Hunt/Rossmann. Still, as the book is transparent in saying it *is* the podcast, I can't really blame it for delivering exactly what was promised.
Finally, the book, like the podcast, leaves us wanting more. I am aware that the "Accused" team has worked on the very important podcast, "Aftermath," detailing the aftermath of gun violence. I look forward to more of their fine reporting in the future.
This book is actually a print version of a podcast series and is written in that format. I had never heard of this case before and it's heartbreaking and fascinating all at the same time. In 1978 Elizabeth Andes is found stabbed and strangled in her apartment. Police immediately zeroed in on her boyfriend, Bob Young. After hours of interrogation immediately after finding her body, Bob confesses but then recants. The police are having none of it.They have their investigation tidily wrapped up and that's how it's staying. Both a criminal trial and a civil trial found Bob not guilty. Still, the police just say the juries got it wrong. Twice. When Amber starts delving into the case she finds evidence missing, items never tested, fingerprints never check and runs in to a brick wall trying to get answers. You'll feel the same frustration she did as she doggedly tries to unearth facts and is shut down at every turn. I am hoping this book will bring some pressure to the powers that be to finally do a thorough investigation and give Betty's family some closure. 4 stars #Accused #Netgalley
I am reviewing a copy of Accused through Diversion Books and Netgalley:
Elizabeth Andes was found stabbed, bound and strangled in her Ohio apartment in 1978, at the time the prosecutors proclaim its an open and shut case.
In a matter of days twenty three year old Bob Young, a football player who found his twenty three year old’s College sweetheart lifeless body on their bedroom floor and was accused of her murder. To this day prosecutors still say they have the right guy despite the fact two juries and one criminal and one civil disagreed, and Bob Young walked away a free man.
Nearly four decades after Beth’s case went cold, two reporters from Cincinnati discovered Law Enforcement ignored leads that could have brought the real killers to justice.
I struggled initially with the writing style, but it got easier when I imagined them "speaking out loud" instead of just reading the words. Its a unique way of putting a book out - the transcripts of podcasts. The first time I've encountered a book like this. Amber Hunt and Amanda Rossmann look at a murder case from December 1978 that the police just don't seem interested in trying to solve as the initial suspect was acquitted. They follow up all initial leads, re-interview witnesses and suspects, battle bureaucracy and even turn up things that the police missed back in 1978. I found their writing/investigation well-researched and the various theories and opinions they propose are believable. One can only hope that after almost 40 years, some kind of justice can finally be achieved for Elizabeth Andes and her family and loved ones.
This book details the murder of a new graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in December of 1978. The boyfriend of 23 year old Elizabeth (Beth) Andes was tried for the crime and acquitted. The book is in the format of interviews with people who were a part of Beth Andes's life and was written by two journalists with the Cincinnati Enquirer. The book takes a look at other suspects than Beth's boyfriend, Bob Young. I highly recommend this book to other true crime readers.
You can feel the fight for the truth and justice in these pages. Amber and everyone at Accused go full throttle with every episode. I hope that someday soon the family and friends of Beth find the answers that they deserve. I had listened to the podcast but reading the transcripts really helps form the timeline and get to know all the players a little better. Thank you for everything you all do to help families not only get the word out but to help them find some sort of justice.
I think the author did a good job at presenting the tunnel vision the detectives and prosecutors displayed in the case. But… I found that the transcription was very difficult to read and since the transcribed conversations made up most of the book I started getting annoyed. In many cases I had to reread the conversations several times to understand the context. I don’t think podcast conversations can be transcribed word for word without a lot of editing to ensure the proper grammar and punctuation are captured and I think that the editing in this book was lacking.
It was like I was listening to the podcast when I was reading it. Painted a very good picture of what is going on! As being a native Ohioan I wanted to learn more about this case! I’m so excited if found this book! 10/10 good read!
True life crime story about the murder of Elizabeth Andes and who could have committed the murder. I thought this was well written and it details more than the famous podcast.
I finished this book several days ago & have been struggling with what to say. But then, I struggled with reading the book. Truthfully, this isn't a book. It's a transcript of a podcast. It's very disjointed & hard to follow. Now, outside of cozy mysteries , true crime is about the only other genre I read on a regular basis. Most true crime books, & TV shows for that matter, follow a formula. This jumped all over the place & I found it extremely difficult to keep track of who everybody was. There was really no flow, which made it a difficult read. And nobody seemed capable of talking in complete or coherent sentences. I was very disappointed because I was unfamiliar with this case. The authors said they wanted to get the case , & Beth Andes ( the victim) name out there. In that they succeeded. They espoused a lot of theories, but I don't believe anything new was uncovered. It also succeeded in showing how both police & prosecutors can have tunnel vision, hone in on a suspect & not consider other options, even after 2 juries said they had it wrong. As a true crime buff & supporter of the Innocence Project, I'm well aware of this. But, I think the book is an important read for those who might not know about false confessions & other injustices. Overall, a disappointing read that I honestly can't recommend I received a free advanced copy of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review..
This true crime book was written by a Cincinnati Enquirer journalist who has written other books in this genre. The story is about Elizabeth Andes who was murdered in Ohio in 1978 and her boyfriend was accused of the murder. He went through a trial and was found not guilty. The police at that point, were so convinced that he was the true murderer that they basically closed the case and stopped further investigations. It became a cold case until the author got involved with trying to find new information which would solve the mystery. She writes the book as an interview type text which was sent out as a live podcast. The facts she discovers are interesting and gives room for thought and the possibility that maybe the police had arrested the wrong person.
This was a very interesting book. Not only did you get to read about the what was said on the podcast but also there was background information and explanations that were not in the podcast. Amer Hunt and Amanda Rossman did a great job of bring this story to the attention to the public, Being able to read the words of people that were there and involved with the case was insightful. The time that the authors invested in going back and investigating the case and looking at things that were overlooked is amazing. Definitely a good read for anyone interested in criminal justice, police work, and investigation of murders.
The author(s) really did their work. They put their whole life and soul into this case. However, it should have just remained a podcast. It doesn't work well as a book. And frankly, it was somewhat of a boring read.