The Serial Killer Letters: A Penetrating Look Inside the Minds of Murderers

by Jennifer Furio

For over three years Jennifer Furio, a young mother of two and a Sunday School teacher from Bellingham, Washington, corresponded with some of the most infamous serial killers of our time. While Furio did not intend to write a book when she first started writing to over 50 incarcerated and convicted killers, the responses she received from them were so fascinating and illuminating, she realized that she could not keep them to herself. She saw that these highly candid first-hand accounts revealed more about the inner workings of the minds of these criminals than anything she could say herself. Without question the first book about serial killers that is written by serial killers, this volume offers an entirely unique perspective on this most complex criminal and gives us a rare and intimate look into the minds of men responsible for some of the most heinous serial killings in recent history. This is the first time material of this kind has ever been made available. Each chapter, one for each killer, begins with a brief background and then the letters Furio received are transcribed and reproduced, exactly as they were written--unedited and uncensored. Admittedly, some of this is very chilling and disturbing reading. There are detailed descriptions of the atrocious crimes they committed (or vehemently claim they didn't commit), the depraved and sad lives they lived, their childhoods, their wives, their victims, their sexual preferences. Also included are many rare, never-before-seen crime scene and family photographs, artwork, reproductions of many of the actual letters and poems and other interesting documents. The book includes letters from Randall Woodfield, aka the I-5 killer, Robin Gecht and Edward Spreitzer of the Chicago Rippers, the prophetically named David Gore, Henry Lee Lucas, Harvy Carignan, Lawrence Bittaker, Roy Norris, Harrison T. Graham of Philadelphia, Jeff Libby, Douglas Clark and Bill Suff. The first book to provide case studies of this kind of criminal in the form of personal letters, The Serial Killer Letters is a major and pioneering addition to the psychological literature on serial killers and their crimes. By offering the actual words of the killers themselves, this book offers readers the opportunity to come to their own conclusions about what kind of people these men really are, what makes them tick and what turned them into human killing machines in the first place. In addition to true crime buffs, a wide variety of disciplines and professionals, including psychologists, criminologists, profilers, forensic psychologists, police and corrections personnel, will be grateful to have this unique opportunity to get an inside look at these most complex individuals.

Genres: True Crime, Crime, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 1998

Reviews

[Kayleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book however I thought it was annoying that only one killer admitted and wrote about what he had done. I also would have like to have read what Jenny responded to letters, if she was going to publish their letters I think she should have published hers. The anonymous letters at the end were the same thing that had been written by all of the other killers. The majority of the killers wrote they were innocent. If they were so innocent then why are they in jail? Overall interesting but I would have liked to know more.

[C.M. Chafin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This project was an interesting concept and I noticed some of the letters I had read before from being quoted in other books. However, I feel like it lacked any real balanced reporting and the use of really dramatic adjectives was off-putting.

I wouldn’t have believed all the letters were truly written by the people if some didn’t come with photos of the originals. I do think it’s possible some liberties were taken a few times though.

Overall I feel like it makes sense this was her first book knowing about her future stances on prison reform/restorative justice. I do think based on how some of the men were writing she did play psychological games with them in order to get certain types of letters to publish. I did not like that she published ones that clearly told her not to and kept them named, I can only imagine it’s from a lawyer-standpoint that she was able to do this but it seemed to go against what she supposedly stands for.

Getting to see these letters does exhibit a really interesting view of watching stories change, watching them get angry or indifferent, and overall hearing it in their own words. The main thing this study was missing is including her own letters. Even if she only included the first one for each, it would have added a lot and eliminated some confusion on why she spoke to and about them all so differently.

[emoty_live · Rating 1 out of 5]

Das Buch ist 1998 erschienen. Die Autorin hat dazu mehrere Mörder in Gefängnissen angeschrieben, und um Kontakt gebeten, um ihr Buch schreiben zu können. Für sie war es Recherche, wie Mörder so ticken. Doch für die Insassen war es mehr. Die Meisten dachten, sie hätten eine Brieffreundschaft zu der Autorin. Nicht immer hat die Autorin klar und deutlich gesagt, dass die Briefe der Insassen in Buchdruck gehen werden. Einige schrieben sogar, dass sie mit ihren Briefen nicht im Buch abgedruckt werden wollen. Kurzerhand ließ die Autorin dann den Namen und persönliche Daten weg und druckte die Briefe dennoch anonym. Das geht für mich gar nicht.
Im Buch sind leider nur die Briefe der Insassen abgedruckt. Was Frau Furio ihnen zurück geschrieben hat, weiß man nicht, kann aber anhand der Reaktionen der Insassen einiges ableiten. Die Autorin hat parallel zu 15 Mördern Kontakt gehabt (1996-1997), und vielen schrieb sie nicht regelmäßig, teilweise gab es mehrere Monate Pause. Dazu muss man aber auch sagen, dass ein Brief vom ersten Abschicken per Post bis er dann tatsächlich beim Häftling durch die Kontrolle des Gefängnisses ankam, auch vier Wochen vergingen. Dennoch stieß es einigen Insassen sauer auf, dass die Autorin erst sehr vertraulich wirkte, auch sagte, sie können ihr alle Fragen stellen, die sie zu ihrer Person haben, dann reagierte sie jedoch nicht darauf und meldete sich monatelang nicht.
Man muss bedenken, dass die Insassen teilweise Jahrzehnte im Gefängnis sind, wegen einer Jahrzehnte langen Gefängnisstrafe oder auch auf der Warteliste zur Todesstrafe stehen. Sie haben nicht viel soziale Kontakte, haben nicht viel am Tag zu tun. Und so werden solche Briefe und gedachten Freundschaften oft zum Lebensmittelpunkt der Insassen.
Ich finde, die Autorin hat dies nicht bedacht und zog sich aus jeder moralischen Verantwortung den Häftlingen gegenüber. Ja, sie haben grausame Taten vollbracht, aber sie verdienen dennoch ein Minimum an Respekt und Würde.
Es gibt 13 namentlich genannte Insassen, deren Briefe gedruckt wurden, und 2 anonyme. Das Buch erschien 1998, aber auch heute noch kann man alle Namen der Insassen googeln und herausfinden, was sie aktuell machen: sind sie noch im Gefängnis? Exekutiert worden? Eines natürlichen Todes gestorben?
Durch die Vielzahl an Häftlingen, kann man keinen so richtig kennenlernen. Teilweise gab es nur etwa 10 Seiten über einen Insassen. Viel zu kurz und letztendlich zu viel Masse an Information aufs gesamte Buch gesehen, das auch nur 307 Seiten hat.
Mir hätte es besser gefallen, wenn sich die Autorin mit 3 oder 4 Gefangenen auseinander gesetzt , und man mehr Einblicke auch in deren Gefühls- und Gedankenwelt bekommen hätte.
So bin ich irgendwie durch das Buch gehetzt, eine Info (wer ist wann geboren, wer hat wann was gemacht und wieviel etc.) nach der anderen, ohne die Chance zu haben, die Insassen wirklich kennen zu lernen. Man erhält aber auch keine Infos, wie es nach dem Buchdruck mit der Autorin und den Insassen weiterging? Hatten sie über das Buch hinaus noch weiter Kontakt? Oder endete dieser so abrupt wie das Buch an sich?
Das Buch und die Vorgehensweise der Autorin, um an Informationen für ihr Werk zu kommen, finde ich mehr als fragwürdig. Das hätte man anders lösen können.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very interesting. It's a compilation of different letters from serial killers that were on death row. This woman wrote letters to them and then published them. No editing, just straight forward. Wanted to have them for her kids. It was very eye opening.

[Joely · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want an unvarnished look into the delusional minds of serial killers, this book is a winner. They're all disgusting and lie in various ways to abdicate responsibility for their actions, but it can be kinda fun to read about their side of the story.

[Tiffany Intessimone · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is an interesting book. But you have to wonder WHY the woman who wrote it, did so.

[Andrew Stegall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bill Suff speaks about me in a reply to her. I have letters from him speaking of her. Over all this book has little value

[Lisa Totten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really wish the letters she wrote were included.

[Krisi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I personally did not care for this author as a supposed intellect, writer, 'researcher,' none of it!

[Daniela · Rating 5 out of 5]

The very first book that Chad bought for me

[Jennifer McGuire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I throughly enjoyed an inside look at communication with the killers. The part with the breast in the baggy will probably haunt me for the rest of my life.

[Cedella O’Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you ever read a true crime book read this one

[Crista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is definitely not for the faint of heart. There are points where the letters are extremely descriptive, and disturbing. I found myself having to stop at times, just to give myself a mental "break" from the intensity of the content. Some portions are illegible due to poor handwriting printed in very small size. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the inner workings of the mind of a serial killer. It is a unique perspective and is not watered down in any way. Proceed with caution.

[Clarissa Cochran · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am on 208 and this book just got insane!

[WinterGirl83 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what an insight. Amazing book. Incredibly explicit in detail but well worth a read. Could not put this down.

[Desiree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit strange how she only wrote to men... Other then that was a pretty good book.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disturbing.