Gone Forever

by Diane Fanning

Susan McFarland was a vivacious, successful mother of three young sons. On November 25, 2002, she disappeared. Three days later, her car was found, keys in the ignition. Later that day, her husband reported her missing — and a desperate search began.
Her friends and family hoped against hope that Susan was not gone forever. But investigators became increasingly suspicious of Richard McFarland. When the charred, decomposed body of Susan McFarland was finally discovered at an overgrown farmstead outside of San Antonio, a new hunt began — for justice.
McFarland maintained his innocence, and investigators only had circumstantial evidence against him. While headlines screamed out new details in the case, and police tried to gather more evidence, a blockbuster trial was about to begin. Then, Richard McFarland finally spoke... and a terrifying, chilling truth came out...

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, True Story

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2006

Reviews

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn’t planned on reading this book, but felt compelled to after listening to an episode of True Crime Brewery on this case. I haven’t really read much true crime outside of Ann Rule so her works are really all I have to compare this to. Overall it was okay. The writing was a little ragged and some of the things she chose to write about ended up going nowhere, but I felt like it was a decent retelling of the facts. I will say that this book has revived my interest in this genre and I think I’ll be adding more to my TBR.

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I normally wouldn't read a book like "Gone Forever", but this was an unusual situation. One of the central characters in this "True Story", Rick McFarland was my fraternity brother at Southwest Missouri State.

It's a very sad story about a marriage gone incredibly bad and ending in murder. While the story is compelling, the book isn't that well written. I thought it was quite humorous that the author made it a point of not using the couples son's real first names in the story, yet there was a picture of a the victim's head stone that reads "Loving Mother of...." and the boys real names. Duh!

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

another frustrating true crime chronicle from Diane Fanning. Frustrating because of the numerous typoes and occasionally clunky writing of Ms. Fanning, and frustrating because of the obvious mental illness suffered by the husband/killer and people's inactions. It's easy to play armchair therapist when reading these types of books, but dammit, the guy parked in other people's yards, chopped down their trees, dressed up like a little boy when his parents came to visit. No one said boo, and then later he kills his wife and burns her body.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars.

Above average true crime that benefitted from the fact that the woman kept a journal at various points before she was killed. Interesting, too, that a woman so smart and accomplished in all other ways is so snowed by a complete and total loser of a man.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the book, but my opinion may be a little shaded by the fact that I live in San Antonio and followed the news coverage of this crime. Yes, they were a disfunctional family. Sadly there are way too many of those.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually wait to review what I read until I'm finished but that's proving harder and harder what with old age and all. So I'll comment on a few things as I go.
Number one, this is a very frustrating story to read. I can't figure out why women are so eager to settle for far less than they deserve. It angers me that because a woman is willing to do this for herself, she also makes her children have to settle.
It's not my intention to speak ill of the dead but at the same time I've never been real good about keeping my opinion to myself. So here goes...
Sue apparently knew Rick was taking at least one of her sons off of his meds (for behavioral problems) without the doctors consent. This is mentioned three times by page 59. Why is she allowing this? Granted, she works, works hard, while he's a bum, but no one allowed that to happen except her. And if I put myself in her place, I'd stop letting my husband be in charge of the medicine for my children. I'd make sure they have it each dose. No one else. Why didn't she?
I don't understand why women can so easily let go of everything they believe in, just to keep a man. There isn't a man on this entire earth that is worth that to me. I'll never understand it. I'll stay by myself for the rest of my natural life rather than be someone else's footstool.

I'm going to keep on reading but it's not too easy. And like another review said, Fanning went through great pains in the text to keep the boys real names from being divulged but then the reader sees a picture (one of those "haunting" 8 pages of photos that include a cat, the guy at the morgue, some trees and a driveway) of Sue's tombstone with the boys real names etched on it. Huh?
There are a few minor mistakes also, nothing too big yet besides the boys names.
I hope it goes fast - not because of how Fanning writes - just because I'm sick that these boys had to grow up without their mother because she wouldn't leave her husband. We need to start putting our children first - before our husbands, wives, mistresses, and all the rest.
I'm going to keep the rest of this short if possible. There are a few typos and that sort of thing - not too many but a few.
The first page of Chapter 2 has this "...photographs taken of her with other important Texas personalities like both Presidents Bush and Barbara Bush..." Was Barb President and I wasn't aware? This is so obvious it screams that it should have been caught. That sort of way obvious typo bothers me.
On page 146 neighbors of the victim, Sue, are looking at the vehicle they believed Rick McFarland transferred his wife's body in. The police officers were standing there and were asked by the neighbor women is they'd looked underneath the car for dirt and weeds and the like. The officers hadn't. That fact alone is very scary. The fact that these women who know nothing more than they've learned watching crime shows on t.v. had to remind the police of what to do and then they acted on this themselves. That's very strange. The same women, at the same time, also found a thumbprint, in blood, on the outside of the car that apparently the police had missed. If they even searched in the first place.
Another strange thing is that apparently a producer for America's Most Wanted met McFarland at a local Texaco gas station one morning around the time of his wife's disappearance. The producer was approached by McFarland who introduced himself as "Ballew". "Ballew" asked the producer if he wanted him to take him to the airport and then return his car to his home. Huh? There's nothing more on this strange, strange little tidbit. How did "Ballew" know where the producer was going? Is the producer always a moron or only that morning? I have so many questions....
I also thought it weird that Sue's family didn't step up to take the boys but I'm not going to judge them as I don't know their story. It seems odd that none of them could do it out of her entire extended family but I don't know....
The writing is good, Fanning is a good author. I've read at least four or five of her books so far and I'm never disappointed in them. I'll say this - have some peace and quiet when you read this because you're mind will be going a mile a minute. It's frustrating as hell that Sue didn't leave and that she put up with this for so long. I do believe however that because her husband hadn't been violent in the usual way that she thought she and her boys were safe. I think she thought she could hang in there longer for them. I wish she hadn't.
The actions of this one man will shock any reader. It's flabbergasting and nothing less. He has to be the worlds strangest person by a long shot. The only way he could have left a better trail leading back to him is if he'd left the blood on himself, went to the police station with a huge sign around his neck saying he did it, jumped up and down for awhile to get everyone's attention and then left a trail of blood droplets back to wherever he was going. That's the only way it'd have been easier to know he did it. He's either the more stupid person on the planet or he's borderline genius because it could have turned into an insanity plea. I'm guessing stupid.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good book. I thought for sure there was a picture of 1 particular incident in the book, but there wasn't. She literally paints an excellent picture with her words.

This guy (the murderer) has one of the creepiest personalities I've ever read about. I was hoping they'd tell of a diagnosis in the book, but they don't.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a very well written book, some typos, lots of confusion over people who were suddenly named and not given a description of who they were or how they fit in the story. Also very funny that the author did not use the boys real names to protect their identity, made a notation at the bottom to that effect, and then included a picture of the mother's headstone with the boys real names. !!!

[Alisi ☆ wants to read too many books ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I made myself a promise to lay off the true crime novels for a while (they're so depressing) but I lasted only a day or two.

Honestly, though, I can't figure out why he killed her -- or rather, why she didn't kill her first. Or, hell, why no one else murdered him first. If I was one of the neighbors than he'd've been a marked man the day he went on my property and cut down my tree.

I don't understand why some parents are so blind. I get it when it's something that is out of a person's normal behavior but to this guy, no one was safe. Even his own parents. He stole his own father's SSN and charged nearly 80k in shit over the coarse of a year, and naturally when he says it was Susan, than they readily believe it.

[Ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but I have read better. There were some typo/editing mistakes that make me wonder who did the editing. The story was good though...have read several true crime stories and this one was well written except for the typos. I found that I was believing the husband had don it long before I came to the end of the book. He did some things that just did not seem right for a man trying to prove himself not guilty.

[Pamfitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I live in San Antonio and followed the new stories. I even know where the house is - not far from mine. This is a very tragic story. I hope and pray that Susan is at rest and that those precious boys are part of a wonderful family and are enjoying the family they so desperately needed.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't the most interesting true crime I've read, but what *was* interesting was reading about all of the husband's odd behavior leading up to his wife's disappearance.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like reading true crime and probably read too many of them, but this story is really good. The author did a very good job researching the dynamics of the family. It is a very sad story as true crime is but this one especially so because of the three boys involved. My favorite parts of these books is the police involvement. I like to know how they resolve the crime.

[Jeannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's the story of a family that fell through the cracks. Everyone noticed but didn't seem to think it was their business to report the odd behaviour and parenting methods of this monster man father. I wish the author had been able to give more detail on his family, who I think are just as creepy as he is, but she did explain that they refused to give any history of his childhood.

Reading this book really gave me the creeps, I hope I never have to deal with a neighbor such as this but if I do I know I would have to intervene. I understand they were all scared of him but why weren't they thinking of the children? It seemed to me they all just swept it under the rug.
As for Susan, a few of the reviews have slammed her for being a horrible mother but I disagree. If you read the whole book the afterword explained about women who stay in relationships such as this. We all know one or two of them and wonder why? As she explains, Susan was caught in the eye of the storm, she didn't or couldn't accept the reality of her life. That didn't make her a horrible mother, it means she was a victim caught in the horror her life had become. I don't believe in slamming a dead victim, she doesn't deserve that. My heart goes out to her family and to her sons.

Have also seen references to the fact that the childrens names were changed to protect them and yet there is a photo of her headstone showing their names, but the ending of the book explains that the boys have all been adopted with new names so I saw no harm in the photo.

I found this to a be a fast paced, easy to read true crime story not bogged down by page after page of boring court testimony. I don't think the state should have accepted his plea, I feel he got off with a very light sentence for all the damage this monster done to not only his family but Susan's as well. He damaged everyone he came into contact with and I'm sure many still have nightmares due to that. I dread the day he comes up for parole and my hope is that he is recognized as the monster he truly is and spends the rest of his life behind bars.

[Revea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a slow reader and it only took me 4 days to read this book even with having no extra time to read. I made time for this book. It is a true crime and I couldn't put it down.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay.

[Anne Washington · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure I should say how good this book is, it's really a very sad book

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first and only time that I read this book was in August 2024. The story is interesting, but the writing is stilted and doesn't flow smoothly. Do not recommend this book.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was curious about this true crime story as it took place in San Antonio and I live on the outskirts of this city. Susan McFarland was a wife, mother of three energetic boys and had a good job. She had many friends, seemed to enjoy life, and was a good person. However, her husband was a loafer who didn't want to work, was always up to different schemes to try and obtain money, and made others feel very uncomfortable. Susan was patient with him for a long time, but even her patience was getting the most of her, particularly when he wasn't being a reliable father to her sons. She finally decided to file for divorce. When she decided to work with a local attorney to draft papers and work out a plan, her husband found out that she was planning to divorce him, and then she suddenly disappeared. Her husband claimed she had suddenly gone out of town, but others found it hard to believe that she would leave her boys and go away without telling anyone. Suspicion rose and her husband Richard McFarland was soon suspected of murdering her.

[Kathy Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This true story is a good example of how you never know what is going on in a family and domestic abuse can escalate to murder even when the victim is surrounded by friends and family and seems to be in control of the situation.

The murder here happened in late 2002 and was considered a missing person case for several weeks. Susan McFarland was a seemingly happy and successful woman, the doting mother of three young boys until suddenly she vanished. Her husband, Rick McFarland was always considered a bit quirky but no one really suspected him of violence. In what appears to be a case of premeditated murder, Rick McFarland was reckless and clumsy, so it is surprising how long it took the authorities to hone in on him.

As distasteful as accounts of true crime can be, this book is a page-turner that keeps the reader curious about the next thing that happens. A few grammatical errors and a preachy Afterword blemish an otherwise well written book.

[Ceeceereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the account of the early 2000s case of missing mother Susan McFarland. The case was interesting and frustrating, in how senseless and sad it was. I felt the author’s passion for telling this story about a woman and mother, missing from the family home. A mother that would never be without her kids, gone without a trace. The gentle weaving together of a tragic and insidious tale, the oddball husband at the centre. The author painted a very complete picture. I found all of the small details of their family life and the difficulties Susan faced with having Rick as a husband very intriguing and could feel how frustrating this must have been for her, then to be killed by the very man she is carefully planning to leave. The author did a good job of pulling all components of the story together and the psychological glimpse into Rick’s mind and behaviours, particularly through the lenses of friends, family and neighbours was very strange and insightful.

[Arthur Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Susan McFarland was my co-worker. She was very outgoing and friendly. I met her husband once and he struck me as eccentric and socially awkward. I never dreamed he would murder his own wife. I had no idea that her positive exterior was masking serious dysfunction at home.

As for the book, it provided a lot of information but it seemed more like a collection of newspaper articles than a story with forward momentum. A lot of the conversation recollections didn’t seem to add much to the narrative.

I wondered what happened to Susan’s 3 sons and was saddened that no family members stepped up to adopt them. I pray they’re doing well.

As a Christian, I was struck by Richard McFarland’s confusing faith claims that didn’t sync with his horrific actions. That said, I know that God can save the worst man but that even the best of us falls so short of His holy standard. I’m thankful that He bestows grace upon any of us, because none of us deserve it.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan McFarland was a loving mother, successful business woman and wife. Her life was tragically taken on November 24, 2002. Her husband, Rick, didn’t report her missing for 3 days because he knew where she was. He had bludgeoned her to death and then drove out to an abandoned farm to burn her body. For weeks, he claimed he was innocent, but then her remains were found. With the evidence the police were able to collect, Rick was finally charged with her murder, bringing some sense of closure to this horrid crime.

What a tragic story. Susan’s life was taken way too soon and her children’s lives were forever changed. The way that the author set up the story was truely focused on Susan and giving her life story. You felt that you really got to know everything about her. There was definitely a lot wrong with Rick and we questioned what, if anything, he was ever diagnosed with. While it was great that the end results had him in jail for 40 years, it was horrific that it took him so long to come out with the truth.

On the Cat Scale:
😺😺😺😺

[Jimmy Chaillot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually when husbands kill their wives there are 3 main reasons. 1 they are having an affair with another person and don’t want to go through with a divorce. 2. They are a beater who either goes too far or they just want to be done with the object they think they married or 3. There is a huge life insurance policy which they can cash in. It’s usually one or a combination of 2(there is one where it’s all three but it’s rare)

However this one is the one where none of those is the case. He is just a completely useless person socially, parent wise, emotionally and financially. I liked this book because it had her journal entries which gave you a look on how frustrated she was as we all would be.

It’s short so it’s a weekend or travel book but well worth the time.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and sad story (I wonder where those kids are now) but written in such a melodramatic over-the-top way that at times I burst out laughing. "Their hearts shattered like glass Christmas ornaments that had fallen off the tree!" And so on. But I like reading true crime and since Ann Rule died have yet to find a good replacement. I'm going to try Fanning's book about the girlfriend who drowned her boyfriend in the Hudson River next anyway.

[Gloria Hargrave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad story

I don't know why I like true crime book,but I do. This one is a tragic story about a family destroyed by mental illness, or was it simply unrestrained emotions? What ever, one person was murdered and three little boys were left homeless and without mother of father.

[Pegeen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disjointed writing, but at least avoids the “ poor pitiful victim” approach to what is a real woman, with loves, ambitions and frailties like any other adult person. Husband obviously suffered from mental health issues — did the church and “neighborly” perfectionist culture add to not getting out and getting father help?

[Dawn M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

Interesting, yet sad tale of a truly mismatched couple. I have read this twice, and it was just as good a read the second time around.

[Sandy James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good true crime story. I think Ms. Fanning took a few liberties in her narrative, but I enjoyed the story.

[Cindy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written book, skipped around and sometimes hard to follow along