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Terror in the Adirondacks: The True Story of Serial Killer Robert F. Garrow
In the summer of 1973, a serial killer's rampage in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State changed the region forever. Innocent visitors and campers were brutally knifed to death, terrifying thousands of residents and vacationers. A peaceful part of America was lost, as people armed themselves and locked their doors, living and sleeping in fear. It was a reign of terror the likes of which the mountains had never seen. And it was all the vile handiwork of one very troubled, dangerous Robert Francis Garrow. But there is much more to Garrow's story than a series of murders. Before he was captured, there was the longest manhunt in Adirondack history, and one of the longest the state has ever seen. There was a bizarre trial, with horrifying revelations that shocked the senses of citizens from coast to coast. There was also Robert Garrow's unfortunate, unbelievable childhood, including horrific beatings, bestiality, bloodshed, and more. There was his secret life of crime as an adult, his frequent improbable escapes from the law, his years in maximum-security prisons, and his incredible manipulation of legal, medical, and correctional professionals right up to the state level. The case also spawned a nationwide debate about legal ethics, and eventually became the testing ground for one of the basic tenets of the American legal system. Today, it is discussed in virtually every college course addressing legal ethics and client confidentiality. Garrow was a serial rapist and serial killer, but his number of victims may never be known. He admitted to several such crimes, but there may be many others forever relegated to cold case files from central New York north to the Canadian border. It's an incredible story, and it's all here. For the first time ever, Robert F. Garrow's story from birth to grave. Not a pretty part of Adirondack history, but a part of it nonetheless. 216 Pages. Paperback. 2009.
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 10, 2017
I remember this time so vividly. I was so scared as a young teen during this summer. My grandparents were living in Wells, NY and my grandfather was sick. My mom and I were going up to Wells every few days to bring them groceries, medicine and what ever else needed. I remember the road blocks and police everywhere. I was so scared to even get out of the car and go into my grandparents house.
Was so interesting to read this book, as someone who remembers the time so well.
Was so interesting to read this book, as someone who remembers the time so well.
September 10, 2012
Hard to say you would "really like" this book. Interesting book about a local serial killer back in the 70's. A crazy time around here caused by a very sick, scary individual.
June 14, 2021
Pretty cool that I got the author's signature [second book with the author's signature written on it.] but right away it was clear this book wasn't as well written as Priviledged information.
The author begins with why he got interested in the case and his connection to the case. A "camper" who was effected by the rampage in terms of fear of human beings [not animals, not insects, not dangerous terrain] along the wilderness. Like someone always sitting right next to the nearest theater/fire exit when ever they go to the movies. Fearful of a possible mass schooting inside the room, all thanks to James Holmes.
The book adds a lot more context to the case.
The author also gives us details into the climate of the manhunt for the killer in this giant wilderness full of insects and branches swinging at you as you try and get through them. I'm shocked no one had heat exhaustion. Walking around in the woods in extreme heat, your body covered by clothing to protect you from the elements.
We also learn of course about the impact the manhunt had on the community and how the community responded and I couldn't help but think of covid and jaws in respect to several businesses disliking the "lockdown" of the adirondacks to catch Garrow.
I also couldn't help but think of the Richard Alan Davis/Polly Klaas case.
Richard Alan Davis was a "career criminal" who had just been released for his second attempted kidnapping. He got out, stalked, kidnapped, and strangled Polly Klaas. The good thing is that Davis didn't wear a mask during the abduction, didn't wear gloves. His car also got stuck in the mud during the abduction with Polly with him. Investigators lifted a palm print, Polly's friends gave one of the most accurate police sketches in history, and police responded to his presence because he got stuck on someone's private property. In fact the police helped him get his car unstuck. The owner who called the police later found evidence of Polly's clothing on her property. Later a psychic claimed "oh yeah, I solved that case. I solved the Polly klaas case" and later "helped" with the East area rapist case, claiming "he won't kill" and of course we know he became the original night stalker and all of her information was clearly based on news paper and television. This psychic said the super accurate sketch was inaccurate "it wasn't at all him." Davis was caught due to witnesses, police, and the help of mud. Polly's body was only found because Davis was told they have his palm print and he confessed and literally went to the scene and pointed to where her body was. She didn't lead to Davis's capture and she didn't lead to the recovery of Polly Klaas's body. Of course her father Mark Klaas has been enraged by her and warns loved ones not to fall prey to these vampires. "Maybe this is something she added to her résumé for the next SUCKER FAMILY that comes along with a missing kid." "not only did it never happen in our case but it's never happened in ANY case. No psychic detective has ever recovered a missing child. You will find no cop in American who will tell you that the case was finally broken through the prediction of a psychic detective!"
People were so angry, his case resulted in California's 3 strikes law which went overboard resulting in people getting life sentences for "stealing a donut" "stealing a bicycle" Any trivial crime you can think of. A lot of those people being homeless people who stole a bicycle of a piece of pizza because they were homeless.
I love this quote from one of the angry citizens about Davis
"How could this maggot have slid through the system this many times without somebody sayin 'wait a minute, pal."
Garrow was on parole for child sexual abuse after kidnapping two girls. He had been in prison previously for raping a teenage girl, and he had abducted a couple oh and I love how when they searched Garrow's car afterwards they found a baggie containing "A dangerous drug"....this was 1973. The beginning of the war on drugs and of course Nixon's aid/right hand man admitted "did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did." After all, Nixon had them do scientific research on the effects of marijuana and they said "yeah, it's really not that dangerous at all. No reason to make it illegal." Nixon of course disregarded this fact and came up with a jewish conspiracy, going on a rant [which was recorded on tape] where he asked "why is it" that all these scientists were against making these drugs illegal? "what is wrong with them?" and claiming it was because they were jews. His aid also admitted they made marijuana illegal as an excuse to arrest Nixon's political enemies and minorities. This is also why the penalty for simply touching or being present in a room where marijuana was kept/used would get you an insane penalty of 30 years. A vietnam vet's drug bust made the black and white news. He said he found it ironic that he would "come back" from "serving my country" and be arrested for selling a small "quarter lint" amount of marijuana and be facing 30 years in prison. Probably was true that the baggie "party favors" did belong to the victimized couple. The couple apparently decided to not file charges and the judge told Garrow he was a "good man" and he was the real victim. That the charges were false.
Which reminds me of a joke between two youtubers about how absurd this is.
Youtuber pretending to be anti drug enforcer: Had to let that crazed pedophile go, BUT we got all the dope heads. Got em all! The real scourage of society.
Podcaster also pretending: Screwed a hundreds kids but you know what, he didn't screw em over by givin em pot!
Youtuber: Yeah, at least he wasn't smokin no weed.
Podcaster: It's not like those kids are gonna remember what he did to em. It's not gonna damage their memory like that pot.
And of course we have countless examples of that. Such as Joe Arpaio. Who was so "tough on crime" that he forced prisoners to eat muldy green baloney sandwhiches and wear pink clothing to humiliate them. He made a career out of arresting people for drugs especially pot. He actually wanted to put roadblocks all around the entire county "to do random stops. To search people for drugs" but a civil rights lawyer stopped him "it had to be explained to him, very slowly that he couldn't do that. That it would be unconstitional."
Come to find out he had concentrated the entire police force to harassing his political enemies, his anti drug traffiking task force, and help out his political buddies with cases like a jewlery theft, and fraud cases. The rape task force was withered down to nothing, only 2 or 3 people working rape cases. Stacks and stacks of case files completely ignored. In some cases they KNEW who the rapists/sexual abuser was. KNEW where they lived, had the DNA tested and it came back as positive, but due to the backlog and the lack of resources the case sat on a shelf. In one case where this happened the victim's family thought she must be lying and her uncle continued to rape her only getting caught and arrested after she became pregnant at age 14. As the lawyer for the girl and her family said "she was told that the 'highest priority' was in Fountain Hills [jewlery store]." The news reporter replied "Higher then child sex crimes" and the lawyer agreed "Higher then child sex crimes. The highest. The highest priority." That is just one case. There were hundreds and hundreds of cases.
Of course Donald Trump gave this scumbag a pardon and of course this scumbag gave a fake apology saying "I apologize to any victims out there that were effected. IF THERE WERE ANY victims."
Of course in Garrow's laywer's book he states he thought Garrow was innocent of kidnapping and abusing the two girls and got him paroled.
Of course I couldn't help but laugh at Garrow. I was glad the book has photos but once again no photos of the victims. I laughed at the multiple photos of Garrow in a wheel chair trying to cover his face from photographers. He just seems so pathetic to me. I find a few serial killers incredibly humousing and pathetic and laughable. Where I can't help but start laughing at them. Garrow, Gacy, and Clark. Clark for his infamous "b*llshitter" mannerisms and talking. Even his high school classmates would say "hey, let's go listen to Clark b*llsh*t around." Where Clark just wants to hear him self talk. Gacy for his complete and utter arrogance and laughable defense and claims of innocence. His terrible remarks about the victims and their families. Saying they "killed them selves" because some of them would put the rope around their own necks.
"When they paint this image that I was this monster who like, went out and picked up these ALTAR BOYS and swatted em like flies. I say this is absolutely ludicrus."
As true crime author put this comedy show:
"He claimed he was a victim of circumstance and clearly innocent. Now that was boulder dash. He was guilty as sin." "and through out the interview you can see the interviewer looking more and more astounded by Gacy's relaxation. Didn't look nervous. He looked perfectly composed. Relaxed. If anything a little angry 'Why am I being put through this? IT'S NOT FAIR. I, I WAS - IT WAS PURE ACCIDENT, I NEVER DID IT."
As a criminologist said "Gacy never took responsiblity for his actions and he would always blame others. He would blame his victims and in some cases he blamed his victim's parents. He would turn around and say 'Well, it's not fault. I'm completely not responsible for any of this.'"
Pathetic.
And his total lack of caring. His "don't dirty my floors and mess with my alcohol cabinet." while the investigators collect the dead bodies under his floor. His response to investigators taking memorabilia ie his PDM logo pens, saying "that's stolen property." Even during his second confession to his lawyers "Get rid of him. Toss him down in the crawlspace. You see, once they were in the ground they weren't my responsiblity."
With Garrow....just this pathetic shell of a man in a wheel chair. Photos of him trying to cover his face, photos and videos of him giving an interview while in his hospital bed and not seeming to realize the signifance of the situation. Although he did seem to show caring when begging for his lawyer to stay with him. Of course I can't help but picture and laugh with the imagine in my head of him in the wheel chair during the trial, backstage with his lawyers and one of his lawyers tells him to follow his lead and he's like "uh...okay" and then as soon as he's on the witness stand the lawyer asks him to reveal his sickening life story to shock the jury. Of course Garrow along with his main lawyer were completely caught off guard and Garrow was clearly reluctant to respond. "Didn't you do X?" Garrow "uh...um" His main lawyer yelled at the second lawyer "YOU ENFLAMED THE JURY!" and punched him.
This book does cover Garrow's childhood and over all life story, but far more detailed then the other book. Making his childhood and homebackground far more clear. The author also goes a great job putting it together and describing it. So the author does a great job detailing Garrow's court testimony. The never ever out right blames Nixon's war on drugs for not only getting Garrow off the hook for an attempted kidnapping [which would of led to rape and murder] but Garrow being told by the Judge that he was an innocent man, a model ex con and parolee, and letting Garrow free was correcting an "injustice" to Garrow, but does point out the obvious. The bag of "a dangerous drug" is what got Garrow free on that case. Thanks Nixon. A bag of marijuana got a serial rapist/killer free to rape and kill again. We also get Garrow confessing and admitting to the sexual abuse of the two girls. Which his lawyer said he thought he was innocent of.
So Garrow's court testimony is far more detailed in this book then his lawyer's book Privledged information.
As for the photos. A couple photos of Garrow. A few of him in the wheelchair trying to cover his face. A few photos taken of the manhunt. Again, no photos of the victims or the lawyers or the main investigators.
The escape at Fishkill has more detail as well as the consequences afterwards. Gives more detail into Garrow's son who snuck the gun in a KFC bucket.
The author at the end clearly agrees that the lawyers did the correct thing in not revealing where the bodies were due to client priviledge. At the same time he does bring up another issue....Armani knew Garrow was faking in disablity and didn't tell the police. In fact the author points out Armani contradicts him self. His immediate reaction is "shock" when he learned Garrow had escaped but 6 years later in his book he admits Garrow not only told him he was faking but proved it by doing exercises in front of him. The author says there was no ethical "client privileged" preventing him from telling the authorities about it. Let alone the fact that it could lead to other crimes which makes the "client privledge" void and of course we know why he was faking. So he could get to Fishkill and escape. I would point out that Armani at some point stopped even being his lawyer. In fact Garrow got another lawyer and at the same time sued Armani and Belge who worked with Armani. So there was zero reason not to tell anyone.
This book also really shows the total manipulation of Robert Garrow. So does Privledged information and we got the lawyer's account of how maniplative Garrow was, but Terror goes a bit more into how he did it and how far it extended and the aftermath/review of how he was able to manipulate and of course part of his manipulation was very simple "Ask 100 doctors to examine me for disability" and I'll get at least 30 or 40 of em to say I am disabled. Which of course is a common manipulation tactic. Playing the numbers like any great con man/serial killer. This also includes how Garrow acted as a predator because before kidnapping and killing some of his victims he had tried and failed at least 3 times previously to get new victims. Very common.
My favorite example of that is a con man preacher who admitted he sat down with several other preachers who would give him advice [share] on how to con people. Share "trade secrets".
He said "this preacher would get on the radio and this radio is going over 40 states; you've got thousands of people listening. He'd get on there and say 'I know there is a little old lady listening to the sound of my voice tonight and god told me to tell you that you got 20 dollars put away in a cookie car and god told me, he told me to tell you to send me that 20 dollars. Put it in the mail and send it to me and god will bless you. God will bless you with rewards you've only dreamed of' then he comes back to me and says that if your on radio and got thousands of people listening; chances are that there are at least 200 little old ladies who got 20 dollars put away in a cookie jar. So if a couple hundred go and get it then you've just made 500 just like that."
Over all. Not a great book, not a bad book. I really enjoyed the childhood section of the book. I liked the new details and the authors translation of the facts.
The author begins with why he got interested in the case and his connection to the case. A "camper" who was effected by the rampage in terms of fear of human beings [not animals, not insects, not dangerous terrain] along the wilderness. Like someone always sitting right next to the nearest theater/fire exit when ever they go to the movies. Fearful of a possible mass schooting inside the room, all thanks to James Holmes.
The book adds a lot more context to the case.
The author also gives us details into the climate of the manhunt for the killer in this giant wilderness full of insects and branches swinging at you as you try and get through them. I'm shocked no one had heat exhaustion. Walking around in the woods in extreme heat, your body covered by clothing to protect you from the elements.
We also learn of course about the impact the manhunt had on the community and how the community responded and I couldn't help but think of covid and jaws in respect to several businesses disliking the "lockdown" of the adirondacks to catch Garrow.
I also couldn't help but think of the Richard Alan Davis/Polly Klaas case.
Richard Alan Davis was a "career criminal" who had just been released for his second attempted kidnapping. He got out, stalked, kidnapped, and strangled Polly Klaas. The good thing is that Davis didn't wear a mask during the abduction, didn't wear gloves. His car also got stuck in the mud during the abduction with Polly with him. Investigators lifted a palm print, Polly's friends gave one of the most accurate police sketches in history, and police responded to his presence because he got stuck on someone's private property. In fact the police helped him get his car unstuck. The owner who called the police later found evidence of Polly's clothing on her property. Later a psychic claimed "oh yeah, I solved that case. I solved the Polly klaas case" and later "helped" with the East area rapist case, claiming "he won't kill" and of course we know he became the original night stalker and all of her information was clearly based on news paper and television. This psychic said the super accurate sketch was inaccurate "it wasn't at all him." Davis was caught due to witnesses, police, and the help of mud. Polly's body was only found because Davis was told they have his palm print and he confessed and literally went to the scene and pointed to where her body was. She didn't lead to Davis's capture and she didn't lead to the recovery of Polly Klaas's body. Of course her father Mark Klaas has been enraged by her and warns loved ones not to fall prey to these vampires. "Maybe this is something she added to her résumé for the next SUCKER FAMILY that comes along with a missing kid." "not only did it never happen in our case but it's never happened in ANY case. No psychic detective has ever recovered a missing child. You will find no cop in American who will tell you that the case was finally broken through the prediction of a psychic detective!"
People were so angry, his case resulted in California's 3 strikes law which went overboard resulting in people getting life sentences for "stealing a donut" "stealing a bicycle" Any trivial crime you can think of. A lot of those people being homeless people who stole a bicycle of a piece of pizza because they were homeless.
I love this quote from one of the angry citizens about Davis
"How could this maggot have slid through the system this many times without somebody sayin 'wait a minute, pal."
Garrow was on parole for child sexual abuse after kidnapping two girls. He had been in prison previously for raping a teenage girl, and he had abducted a couple oh and I love how when they searched Garrow's car afterwards they found a baggie containing "A dangerous drug"....this was 1973. The beginning of the war on drugs and of course Nixon's aid/right hand man admitted "did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did." After all, Nixon had them do scientific research on the effects of marijuana and they said "yeah, it's really not that dangerous at all. No reason to make it illegal." Nixon of course disregarded this fact and came up with a jewish conspiracy, going on a rant [which was recorded on tape] where he asked "why is it" that all these scientists were against making these drugs illegal? "what is wrong with them?" and claiming it was because they were jews. His aid also admitted they made marijuana illegal as an excuse to arrest Nixon's political enemies and minorities. This is also why the penalty for simply touching or being present in a room where marijuana was kept/used would get you an insane penalty of 30 years. A vietnam vet's drug bust made the black and white news. He said he found it ironic that he would "come back" from "serving my country" and be arrested for selling a small "quarter lint" amount of marijuana and be facing 30 years in prison. Probably was true that the baggie "party favors" did belong to the victimized couple. The couple apparently decided to not file charges and the judge told Garrow he was a "good man" and he was the real victim. That the charges were false.
Which reminds me of a joke between two youtubers about how absurd this is.
Youtuber pretending to be anti drug enforcer: Had to let that crazed pedophile go, BUT we got all the dope heads. Got em all! The real scourage of society.
Podcaster also pretending: Screwed a hundreds kids but you know what, he didn't screw em over by givin em pot!
Youtuber: Yeah, at least he wasn't smokin no weed.
Podcaster: It's not like those kids are gonna remember what he did to em. It's not gonna damage their memory like that pot.
And of course we have countless examples of that. Such as Joe Arpaio. Who was so "tough on crime" that he forced prisoners to eat muldy green baloney sandwhiches and wear pink clothing to humiliate them. He made a career out of arresting people for drugs especially pot. He actually wanted to put roadblocks all around the entire county "to do random stops. To search people for drugs" but a civil rights lawyer stopped him "it had to be explained to him, very slowly that he couldn't do that. That it would be unconstitional."
Come to find out he had concentrated the entire police force to harassing his political enemies, his anti drug traffiking task force, and help out his political buddies with cases like a jewlery theft, and fraud cases. The rape task force was withered down to nothing, only 2 or 3 people working rape cases. Stacks and stacks of case files completely ignored. In some cases they KNEW who the rapists/sexual abuser was. KNEW where they lived, had the DNA tested and it came back as positive, but due to the backlog and the lack of resources the case sat on a shelf. In one case where this happened the victim's family thought she must be lying and her uncle continued to rape her only getting caught and arrested after she became pregnant at age 14. As the lawyer for the girl and her family said "she was told that the 'highest priority' was in Fountain Hills [jewlery store]." The news reporter replied "Higher then child sex crimes" and the lawyer agreed "Higher then child sex crimes. The highest. The highest priority." That is just one case. There were hundreds and hundreds of cases.
Of course Donald Trump gave this scumbag a pardon and of course this scumbag gave a fake apology saying "I apologize to any victims out there that were effected. IF THERE WERE ANY victims."
Of course in Garrow's laywer's book he states he thought Garrow was innocent of kidnapping and abusing the two girls and got him paroled.
Of course I couldn't help but laugh at Garrow. I was glad the book has photos but once again no photos of the victims. I laughed at the multiple photos of Garrow in a wheel chair trying to cover his face from photographers. He just seems so pathetic to me. I find a few serial killers incredibly humousing and pathetic and laughable. Where I can't help but start laughing at them. Garrow, Gacy, and Clark. Clark for his infamous "b*llshitter" mannerisms and talking. Even his high school classmates would say "hey, let's go listen to Clark b*llsh*t around." Where Clark just wants to hear him self talk. Gacy for his complete and utter arrogance and laughable defense and claims of innocence. His terrible remarks about the victims and their families. Saying they "killed them selves" because some of them would put the rope around their own necks.
"When they paint this image that I was this monster who like, went out and picked up these ALTAR BOYS and swatted em like flies. I say this is absolutely ludicrus."
As true crime author put this comedy show:
"He claimed he was a victim of circumstance and clearly innocent. Now that was boulder dash. He was guilty as sin." "and through out the interview you can see the interviewer looking more and more astounded by Gacy's relaxation. Didn't look nervous. He looked perfectly composed. Relaxed. If anything a little angry 'Why am I being put through this? IT'S NOT FAIR. I, I WAS - IT WAS PURE ACCIDENT, I NEVER DID IT."
As a criminologist said "Gacy never took responsiblity for his actions and he would always blame others. He would blame his victims and in some cases he blamed his victim's parents. He would turn around and say 'Well, it's not fault. I'm completely not responsible for any of this.'"
Pathetic.
And his total lack of caring. His "don't dirty my floors and mess with my alcohol cabinet." while the investigators collect the dead bodies under his floor. His response to investigators taking memorabilia ie his PDM logo pens, saying "that's stolen property." Even during his second confession to his lawyers "Get rid of him. Toss him down in the crawlspace. You see, once they were in the ground they weren't my responsiblity."
With Garrow....just this pathetic shell of a man in a wheel chair. Photos of him trying to cover his face, photos and videos of him giving an interview while in his hospital bed and not seeming to realize the signifance of the situation. Although he did seem to show caring when begging for his lawyer to stay with him. Of course I can't help but picture and laugh with the imagine in my head of him in the wheel chair during the trial, backstage with his lawyers and one of his lawyers tells him to follow his lead and he's like "uh...okay" and then as soon as he's on the witness stand the lawyer asks him to reveal his sickening life story to shock the jury. Of course Garrow along with his main lawyer were completely caught off guard and Garrow was clearly reluctant to respond. "Didn't you do X?" Garrow "uh...um" His main lawyer yelled at the second lawyer "YOU ENFLAMED THE JURY!" and punched him.
This book does cover Garrow's childhood and over all life story, but far more detailed then the other book. Making his childhood and homebackground far more clear. The author also goes a great job putting it together and describing it. So the author does a great job detailing Garrow's court testimony. The never ever out right blames Nixon's war on drugs for not only getting Garrow off the hook for an attempted kidnapping [which would of led to rape and murder] but Garrow being told by the Judge that he was an innocent man, a model ex con and parolee, and letting Garrow free was correcting an "injustice" to Garrow, but does point out the obvious. The bag of "a dangerous drug" is what got Garrow free on that case. Thanks Nixon. A bag of marijuana got a serial rapist/killer free to rape and kill again. We also get Garrow confessing and admitting to the sexual abuse of the two girls. Which his lawyer said he thought he was innocent of.
So Garrow's court testimony is far more detailed in this book then his lawyer's book Privledged information.
As for the photos. A couple photos of Garrow. A few of him in the wheelchair trying to cover his face. A few photos taken of the manhunt. Again, no photos of the victims or the lawyers or the main investigators.
The escape at Fishkill has more detail as well as the consequences afterwards. Gives more detail into Garrow's son who snuck the gun in a KFC bucket.
The author at the end clearly agrees that the lawyers did the correct thing in not revealing where the bodies were due to client priviledge. At the same time he does bring up another issue....Armani knew Garrow was faking in disablity and didn't tell the police. In fact the author points out Armani contradicts him self. His immediate reaction is "shock" when he learned Garrow had escaped but 6 years later in his book he admits Garrow not only told him he was faking but proved it by doing exercises in front of him. The author says there was no ethical "client privileged" preventing him from telling the authorities about it. Let alone the fact that it could lead to other crimes which makes the "client privledge" void and of course we know why he was faking. So he could get to Fishkill and escape. I would point out that Armani at some point stopped even being his lawyer. In fact Garrow got another lawyer and at the same time sued Armani and Belge who worked with Armani. So there was zero reason not to tell anyone.
This book also really shows the total manipulation of Robert Garrow. So does Privledged information and we got the lawyer's account of how maniplative Garrow was, but Terror goes a bit more into how he did it and how far it extended and the aftermath/review of how he was able to manipulate and of course part of his manipulation was very simple "Ask 100 doctors to examine me for disability" and I'll get at least 30 or 40 of em to say I am disabled. Which of course is a common manipulation tactic. Playing the numbers like any great con man/serial killer. This also includes how Garrow acted as a predator because before kidnapping and killing some of his victims he had tried and failed at least 3 times previously to get new victims. Very common.
My favorite example of that is a con man preacher who admitted he sat down with several other preachers who would give him advice [share] on how to con people. Share "trade secrets".
He said "this preacher would get on the radio and this radio is going over 40 states; you've got thousands of people listening. He'd get on there and say 'I know there is a little old lady listening to the sound of my voice tonight and god told me to tell you that you got 20 dollars put away in a cookie car and god told me, he told me to tell you to send me that 20 dollars. Put it in the mail and send it to me and god will bless you. God will bless you with rewards you've only dreamed of' then he comes back to me and says that if your on radio and got thousands of people listening; chances are that there are at least 200 little old ladies who got 20 dollars put away in a cookie jar. So if a couple hundred go and get it then you've just made 500 just like that."
Over all. Not a great book, not a bad book. I really enjoyed the childhood section of the book. I liked the new details and the authors translation of the facts.
May 21, 2016
This is a great book for those interested in true crime. It relates the convoluted life and crimes of Robert F. Garrow, who was a serial killer and rapist who terrorized upstate New York in the 1960's and 1970's.
The account focuses on a particular event that occurred in the summer of 1973, when Garrow kidnaps several campers in the southern Adirondacks. He murders one of them and, on the verge of being caught, disappears into the dense and rugged forest. Thus begins the largest manhunt in the states history. (It may have been overshadowed by the Dannemora prison escape of 2015.)
When finally captured, he begins to admit to a number of killings and rapes that were unsolved for years.
But, was he truthful? It's a question that would baffle his lawyers, doctors and the public.
The book is made up of three sections: the exhausting search, the trial and the legal aftermath. An example of the many issues that rose during the trial was the fact that his attorneys had knowledge of several of his earlier victims...and, citing lawyer/client privilege, held the information from the police and the families.
It would be simple to end the story with his incarceration in Dannemora, but it didn't end there. Garrow manipulates the "system" have gets a transfer to a less secure facility in Fishkill, NY.
Then, the impossible happens...he escapes!
I'll say no more...I'm not a spoiler.
The story of his childhood is enough to turn your stomach and make you cringe.
The writing style is straight forward and engaging. My one complaint would be the author's overuse of cliches and a few cases of badly mixed metaphors.
Lovers of true crime...this is a book full of fascinating details.
One personal note: I was a hiker and camper in those very forests in the early 70's. As I followed the story, I began to rethink my desire for solitude in the north country...and how safe one really is...deep in the forest and away from "civilization".
The account focuses on a particular event that occurred in the summer of 1973, when Garrow kidnaps several campers in the southern Adirondacks. He murders one of them and, on the verge of being caught, disappears into the dense and rugged forest. Thus begins the largest manhunt in the states history. (It may have been overshadowed by the Dannemora prison escape of 2015.)
When finally captured, he begins to admit to a number of killings and rapes that were unsolved for years.
But, was he truthful? It's a question that would baffle his lawyers, doctors and the public.
The book is made up of three sections: the exhausting search, the trial and the legal aftermath. An example of the many issues that rose during the trial was the fact that his attorneys had knowledge of several of his earlier victims...and, citing lawyer/client privilege, held the information from the police and the families.
It would be simple to end the story with his incarceration in Dannemora, but it didn't end there. Garrow manipulates the "system" have gets a transfer to a less secure facility in Fishkill, NY.
Then, the impossible happens...he escapes!
I'll say no more...I'm not a spoiler.
The story of his childhood is enough to turn your stomach and make you cringe.
The writing style is straight forward and engaging. My one complaint would be the author's overuse of cliches and a few cases of badly mixed metaphors.
Lovers of true crime...this is a book full of fascinating details.
One personal note: I was a hiker and camper in those very forests in the early 70's. As I followed the story, I began to rethink my desire for solitude in the north country...and how safe one really is...deep in the forest and away from "civilization".
October 20, 2022
A compelling read for me as I just became a 46er this past summer— and I started hiking the ADK’s as a teenager around the time that Garrow was on the loose.
November 4, 2013
In the 1970s, my family had a summer cabin (with no phone or indoor plumbing) in Northville NY and we spent every summer there. I loved it & to this day the Adirondack Mountains are my favorite place in the world. My mother was alone with 2 little kids and pregnant with a third when the manhunt for Garrow was on. Our car was searched during the manhunt at one of the roadblocks. I can't remember this and Mom was scared shitless but didn't say anything to me (I was 8). I would've freaked.
The writing is not eloquent but this story needs no fancy embellishment. The author is telling the story in a straight forward and just-the-facts manner.
The writing is not eloquent but this story needs no fancy embellishment. The author is telling the story in a straight forward and just-the-facts manner.
April 2, 2014
"Terror in the Adirondacks" by Lawrence P. Gooley, is the true story of a serial killer. I realy enjoyed this book because of the vivid detail and wild story. This book told the story of Robert Garrow who killed 3 people and raped numerous people. This story also grabbed me because some of the things he did seemed like it was in your own backyard. Overall this book is very good an d captivates you quickly.
October 21, 2010
Very exciting at first. Got a little dry toward the end. Interesting ethics debate, although the politics of the situation were lost on me.
July 10, 2017
This is the detailed true story of a depraved individual. My family were frequent visitors to this area of the Adirondacks when these crimes were going on. I remember the manhunt. There were lots of details I didn't know or didn't remember about all of it until I read this book. I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 only because it wasn't particularly well written. I had trouble following it sometimes because the author kept switching back and forth between using first names and last names to refer to people. There were many involved. All in all, I didn't expect it to be literature and got exactly what I was looking for out of it. It was a real page turner.
December 25, 2020
A handful of true crime books I’ve read are hard to follow and boring. But this one? Not only does it state the facts in a clear timeline with little injections from the editor but it continuously kept me wanting to read more. I was duly unaware one of America’s most notorious serial killers resided and committed crimes fifty years ago just north of where I live now. My parents lived through these years of terror; it’s been interesting listening to their perspective in tandem with this book.
January 3, 2019
I was hoping for something more than what the author gave. The author lost my interest half way through the book. I felt the book was not written by an experienced author. On a positive note, the first half of the book is very detailed and accurate. I grew up in the same area that most of these crimes occurred. Scared time for all involved.
February 14, 2020
Fascinating look at the crimes of Robert Francis Garrow. The first few chapters were easy to fly through with the more immediate details of his crimes but, as with most true crime books, the court and legal chapters were a bit harder to get through ; Long chapters with no breaks didn’t help. But, all in all I enjoyed learning about this lesser known serial killer.
August 2, 2018
I was not as invested as I could have been...
This is close to home and I know some of the people in this...
I will try this book again later in life, but it is worth the read if you are interesting in crime or NY history.
This is close to home and I know some of the people in this...
I will try this book again later in life, but it is worth the read if you are interesting in crime or NY history.
April 28, 2022
This was a very interesting true crime novel. I actually bought this book when I was in the Adirondacks and I enjoyed reading it there and being nearby/familiar with the places mentioned. However, it was also a very disturbing book and was hard to read at times.
March 1, 2020
Heard about this POS on a True Crime podcast. Was good to read the whole story. Very well written and a quick read
November 10, 2020
Hmmm.... what to say. Very disturbing story, but well written and thoroughly researched. I was particularly interested as I’m familiar with many of the areas involved.
July 2, 2021
Completely terrifying!
January 4, 2022
It's hard to believe this story happened not far from me...I really enjoyed the flow of this book and the information provided.
August 17, 2024
An interesting look at a notorious local criminal.
June 24, 2014
The book "Terror in the Adirondacks" by Lawrence P. Gooley is a book about a serial killer, Robert Garrow. He traveled all through the Adirondacks killing and rapeing people. I thought this book was great because this happened in places that I knew and everyday places that you would never even know someone like him had been in. You would enjoy this book if you like mystery and books on the Adirondacks. This is one of the few books that I didn't want to stop reading, I hope you read and enjoy the book
October 6, 2010
This was a very interesting book. I am familiar with the area, so it was a little disconcerting to think of all the horrific events happening in such a relatively crime free area. I wish the author had discussed the ethics the lawyers faced in more detail, but I guess there are other books for that topic.
August 10, 2016
Incredibly relatable to current Dannemora escapees!!!!
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