Murder in the Stacks: Penn State, Betsy Aardsma, and the Killer Who Got Away

by David DeKok

 On Nov. 28, 1969, Betsy Aardsma, a 22-year-old graduate student in English at Penn State, was stabbed to death in the stacks of Pattee Library at the university’s main campus in State College.  For more than forty years, her murder went unsolved, though detectives with the Pennsylvania State Police and local citizens worked tirelessly to find her killer. The mystery was eventually solved—after the death of the murderer. This book will reveal the story behind what has been a scary mystery for generations of Penn State students and explain why the Pennsylvania State Police failed to bring her killer to justice.More than a simple true crime story, the book weaves together the events, culture, and attitudes of the late 1960s, memorializing Betsy Aardsma and her time and place in history. 

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History, Mystery, Audiobook, Biography

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2014

Reviews

[Dotty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book yesterday, well at 2 AM, and I've been pondering what to rate it. There were times when the author seemed to repeat things already presented in other chapters which was sometimes annoying. Other times the timeline was confusing. I've been pondering if the motivation propelling me forward in the book was the writing or the content.

I was a Penn State freshman, living at home, when this murder occurred. I have nervous memories of searching for books in the dark, narrow aisles of the core stacks of Pattee. As I read this book I encountered people I knew of or had met: C Carl Jackson (library director and neighbor of my husband). Charles Ness (met while working at Schlow Library), Mary WIllard (sister of the attorney my husband first worked for), Charles Brown (know personally from years of our family being part of local legal community), Charles Hosler (watched on Weather World, early TV daily program), Del McQuaide (attorney) and the list goes on. The events happened in my town so the setting was very familiar as well. The political turmoil on campus, the backward local approach to diversity, the treatment of women and minorities...I lived this.

What is most troubling about this whole incident is the lack or forthrightness on the part of many people. The attitude of not stepping forward directly to law enforcement with information, the not following through attitude is so familiar. And indeed the author draws an occasional comparison to the Sandusky scandal.

So I'm not an impartial reviewer. I believe what propelled me through the book were the events, the setting, and the people. Someone else will have to judge the writing.

[Shellie Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Penn State student I was always intrigued with the story of Betsy Aardsma, the seemingly innocent student who was savagely murdered in the library stacks on November 28, 1969. The murder would go unsolved and no one ever saw justice in a court of law. I always though this story was bizarre and circumstances surrounding her death were so full of decades of rumors that it was hard to distinguish the truth no matter how many articles and interviews I read. I studied in the stacks more times than I can count while I was at University Park and I was only one floor below where the murder took place. I can tell you from personal experience that there is a ghostly presence in those rows of books. Thank goodness, history books were a floor below the English books so my time in Level 2 was limited. This book does an excellent job of, in my opinion, accurately naming the killer. There was very little to go on. There was very little in the way of forensic analysis in 1969 and even less when you consider the fact that library staff and witnesses thought Betsy had passed out. It was not until she arrived at the health clinic that she was pronounced dead and by that time staff members had already cleaned the crime scene. It is a shame that no one was ever charged with the crime but after reading Dekok's account of the situation, I believe him in his assessment of the killer. Although there time when I thought some of the information was irrelevant to the case, overall I enjoyed this read. It was a great read for Penn State fans or true crime fans.

[Mary Blowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a true crime story about a murder committed in Penn State Library, and the strange sequence of events that prevented the killer from being apprehended. One thing that struck me about Murder in the Stacks is the incredible amount of research that went into its writing. DeKok has spoken to everyone possible connected with this story and gleaned valuable information about the case. The killer is likely turning in his grave at the public airing of all his indiscretions, as he had a high opinion of himself and thought he deserved far more respect than he received or, in fact, was warranted.

So many parallels with my own life. I was a neighbor of Luke Kliphuis, onetime boyfriend of Betsy, around the time he found out she was murdered years after the fact. My parents collected gems & minerals and I wondered if we had owned one of the suspect’s rock collection kits that he made up in quantity and sold to museums. One of Betsy’s friends was my childhood swimming teacher. Above all this book is a warning to young women and men everywhere to be careful and aware when they are in isolated locations, no matter how safe they seem to be, and also to speak out if they feel threatened or afraid of any person.

I’d like to see DeKok write more in this style, perhaps solving some unsolved cases.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book could have been as good as Devil in the White City. It had a great story and some fascinating twists. However, it needs severe editing. The text often repeated facts. There were whole chapters on irrelevant topics that the author just seemed interested in and since he had researched them, he thought we would be, too (the history of Holland? possible Manson connection?). The timeline skipped around too much, which led to more repetition of facts and quotes. The author kept referring to himself, as if he were part of the story, which just served to take me out of the narrative abruptly. I would not recommend this, despite the fascinating topic. It was too frustrating to read.

[Dee Eisel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content Note: This novel (although not this review) contains descriptions of murder, violence, sexual crimes, and sexual crimes against children. Please take care of yourself and evaluate your desire to read accordingly.

I really liked this book, but it comes with a few caveats. First: If you like your True Crime to have actual police forensic work supporting the book's naming of a killer, this book will gravely disappoint you. Second, if you like your "and the criminal paid for his crimes" to be all neatly tied up with a bow, you will also be unhappy with this book. Third: if you for whatever reason cannot handle crimes against children, do not read this book! There is not a lot of graphic description, but what is there is probably more than sufficient to trigger some people.

However, if you're looking for an interesting-but-unproven circumstantial case, the author does a great job of working that one out. The author is convinced he is correct about the identity of Betsy Aardsma's killer. He lays out the case as if it had been proven in a court of law, and to be sure the chosen person is an unsavory piece of work. I'm not sure I would consider the murder case proven were I on a jury, but then there's not a lot of physical evidence for anyone to evaluate in this sad story.

Lovers of modern forensics work will be absolutely horrified by what happened at the crime scene. I know I was. I think it would be fair to say there was more care taken at some of Jack the Ripper's killings than there was in the case of Betsy Aardsma. (The police were not to blame here and the author makes that clear. Still, wow.) It's hard for the author to detail the work done at the crime scene, because it was so hopelessly compromised that he instead has to turn to victimology much earlier than is normal for a true crime book.

That's for the best, because Betsy Aardsma really comes to life for me in the pages of this book. It's hard for an author to recount a victim fairly in most cases. Victims' rights advocates will find much more to like in this book than many: the victim is never allowed to be forgotten, and there are more victims than Betsy here to be remembered.

The second part of the book is a bit of a slog. The author's choice for the killer is an awful person, and I found myself putting down the book periodically to get a break from the sheer nastiness. (Hence my content note above.) Because there is no clean, clear wrap-up, there is a chance that a reader may feel unsatisfied with the book's ending. I personally thought that the ending's lack of resolution made perfect sense, since the case is not resolved, but others' milage may vary.

I don't know that I'll reread this book, but I'm glad I read it at all.

[Chris Demer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially, I was not sure this would be my kind of book-I like my mysteries solved!

However, it is a fascinating recounting of a murder in the stacks of the Library at Penn State in 1969, and speculation about who committed it and why it has gone officially unsolved all these years later.

A young graduate student was apparently stabbed in the heart in the library, while other students nearby heard practically nothing-no screams or calls for help. When a man ran past some other students and said "Someone should help that girl"-then promptly left, Betsy Aardsma was found on the floor. As there was very little blood, it was not clear at first that she was dead. It was thought that she may have fainted or has a seizure. Unfortunately, she was taken to the university clinic where it was determined that she was dead of a stab wound. In the meantime, the crime scene was considerable disturbed by onlookers as well as the university security.

There were many problems that arose, preventing the timely solution of the tragic mystery.

-destruction of the crime scene
-minimal evidence at the scene
-nothing in the history or social life of the young woman that would indicate why she would have been the victim of murder
-no suspects among her acquaintances, room mate, friends, etc
-stonewalling by the university authorities in providing information that could have been helpful for fear of damaging the reputation of the school (sound familiar?)
-the assignment of way too many state police to the investigation caused difficulties with communication
-lack of useful identifying information about the man who fled the area right after the murder

One man, in particular, should have been questioned in more detail...
One professor should have come forward with information about one of his graduate students who apparently knew about the murder before the info was public...
One Administrator who should have told police what the professor told him-several years later...

The latter part of the book speculates on who the killer was and a possible motive, given his disturbed personality. I think the pieces fit rather well, and it's a tragedy compounded that there never was a real resolution.

Highly recommended!

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder in the Stacks primarily holds interest for its setting in State College, PA. It documents the supposedly "unsolved" murder of 22 year old student Betsy Aarsdma that occurred in late November 1969. The author conducted painstaking research on the victim's short life, and the author pinpoints a suspect. Following the accusation, the author spends two-thirds of the book documenting how the suspect is most definitely the killer. And not also was he the killer, he was a really bad person, and most definitely "a creep," as Betsy mentioned once during a letter home to her family. She and he lived in the same dorm; they maybe went out to lunch together a couple times. She ditched him because he was a creep. A few months later, she was dead.

The Aardsma murder case file was passed from desk to desk throughout a few decades, but no extra evidence presented itself, until a handful of people personally interested in the case got together and decided to compile everything possible. But honestly, the only thing they absolutely proved was that, yes, the supposed killer was a creep. After his death--by natural causes--the author was allowed to publish this book and smear the creep's name everywhere without risking a lawsuit.

In conclusion, the book did a lukewarm job of convincing me that the creep was a killer, but the bizarre second conclusion turns out that murder was not the worst thing he did.

The massive irony of this book was that poor Betsy enrolled in Penn State to get away from her hometown in Michigan, locale to the "Coed Murders" that were going on during those years. She arrived in serene State College, PA, where there hadn't been a student murdered since 1940. But alas, she changed that statistic.

[Katherine Addison · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1969, Betsy Aardsma was stabbed to death in the stacks of the Penn State library. The case is still officially unsolved, although de Kok thinks he knows who did it, and his evidence is pretty convincing. (Of course, all he's giving is the prosecution side, so I don't know if an equally plausible defense could be mounted. It would be hard.) This is a comprehensive book, describing the crime, the investigation, and biographies of both the victim and the (alleged) murderer. De Kok repeats himself a little bit, but overall writes well, and he is not shy about assigning blame to the institutional culture of Penn State, which---as came to light with the Jerry Sandusky scandal---valued school reputation over justice. And in general, his research seems very solid and responsible (minus the one wild ass speculation about how the murderer, being in Death Valley (as a geologist) at the same time as Charles Manson, might have hooked up briefly with the Family---I think the similarity between things Manson said and things the murderer said is probably attributable to the fact that both of them were psychopaths). I think he could have abbreviated the biographical sections without harming the book, but YMMV.

[Nancy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a chilling true story of a murder in the Penn State library that went unsolved for decades. The incompetence and bungling of this entire investigation is mind-boggling, and something that should never, ever have happened. There were a few sincere police officers who tried their best, but were swamped by the sheer scale of the situation. A very scary thought for me was that a few years after this murder, I myself was researching in those same stacks, and never realized what had happened there earlier. The whole situation with Betsy's murder was appalling, and justice was never served. The continuing atrocities committed by the main suspect makes one doubt the justice system, even though it is, in relation to that of other nations, the best in the world.

[Carol Haldy · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a Penn State grad I have always been interested in the murder of Betsy Aardsma in the library. Apparently the author was interested as well. What the author desperately needed was an editor. Waaay too long - way too many conjectures based solely upon a hunch. Having read quite a few Ann Rule books - that's how a murder exploration should be done.

[Nancy Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written and researched true crime book about an old nearly unsolved murder at Penn State University in the late 60’s. I had never heard of this murder. The story is fascinating and the author goes into great detail about the history of the victim, the problems with the campus and local police in solving the case and the overall chronic lack of oversight the university seemed to have on what was going on there eventually leading up to the scandals surrounding the athletic program, Jerry Sandusky and all the rest. The victim of this murder was from Michigan and the author was from the same town, Holland, so there is also a great deal of information about that area, the life of the victim prior to going to Penn State, the Michigan murders in Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti in the late sixties and so forth. Since I am from Michigan I really enjoyed these parts. Ironically the victim was attending the University of Michigan and was going to attend grad school there also but chose Penn State because of fear of being a victim of a serial killer. Her family urged her to leave Michigan. That was crazy.

There is a suspect that the author believes did the crime and is eventually blamed for it but he gets into a bit too much detail about this man’s subsequent life. The guy was a con and a criminal no doubt but I really didn’t need all the detail about his later shenanigans. That is my only complaint with the book. If you like true crime, this is a must read.

[Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This could be a movie with all the wild shit going on. Young girl moves away from University of Michigan, due to fear of the Coed Killer, only to get stabbed to death at Penn State 2 months later. She went to school with a Cousin, who wrote Jumanji and Polar Express, may have had a one night stand with Kurt Vonnegut (my favorite author in high school), and her murder has possible connections to Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, and the mob, depending on different police theories. Still technically unsolved, in big part to dumb campus police, though state police believe they know who did it.

[Jody · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Rmslis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true crime investigative work. It is November, 1969, approximately 4:30 p.m. the day after Thanksgiving when 22 year old grad student, Elizabeth aka “Betsy” Aardsma, was stabbed to death in the Stacks area of the Pattee Library on the main campus of Penn State which is located in central Pennsylvania. Although records show that there were about 600 students in the library at that time, the murderer eluded detection and capture. This murder went unsolved for a number of decades before finally being cracked by two separate investigative journalists, the author of this book being one. This is the story of that tragic incident and how enough pieces of the harrowing puzzle were put together over the years to present a feasible theory as to the perpetrator of that crime.

I first became aware of this incident not too long ago after reading a true ghosts of Pennsylvania book. In it was mentioned the murder of a co-ed in a library on the main campus of Penn State and that since the murder some students have reported unusual phenomena in the library that they attribute to this murder victim. I was pretty sure it was mentioned that the crime was still unsolved at the time of the writing of that one book. So when I came across this book, which was just published in 2014 and it purports to finally solve the crime, I was interested to read about it.

The author obviously did an exhaustive and comprehensive investigation as is evidenced by the copious amount of notes spanning a number of decades. Reading this book is like stepping back into time - that of 1969. The reader is provided not only extensive information on the victim, her purported murderer, and the actual crime, but also glimpses of the then current state of the nation with its social and civil unrest due to protests for equal rights for women and blacks, and against the Viet Nam War, with these protests spilling over onto college campuses, including Penn State. Other newsworthy items of that year, 1969, are also mentioned, like the various serial killers that had cropped up, from the Michigan Co-Ed murders, to a few on the West Coast, including the Tate-Labianca murders at the hands of Charles Manson and his followers. (Note: the author even presented a possible and intriguing theory connecting Manson with the murderer of Aardsma.) The book flowed nicely from relevant topic to topic and the material was presented in such a way that my interest stayed piqued and I had to continue reading in order to ascertain the author’s eventual revelation of whodunnit.

[Mary Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This murder in the Penn State Library happened when I was 16 and growing up in State College. It happened over Thanksging Break in Pattee Library's Level 2 Core stacks, a windowless, isolated, remote area. An unknown assailant stabbed graduate student Betsy Aardsma, with surgical precision, a single stab wound that left no trace of blood, and killed her instantly.
All I remembered over the years, even as I attended Penn State and frequented the library core myself, was that no one ever solved the crime; no one knew who had stabbed the girl in the library. As years and anniversaries passed, local newspapers would rehash the case and lament that the killer remained unknown.
So, of course, I was interested when I learned that a book author claimed to know who killed Betsy. The book was written by a journalist from the victim's hometown of Holland, Michigan, and since he had gone to the same high school, he committed to a thorough investigation of his own, which unearthed some startling unreported and unknown facts that will convince any reader that Penn State dropped the ball on this tragic case. If I explain more, it would be too much of a spoiler alert.
Let's just say there were examples of officials seeing and/or hearing things and choosing not to report them to police or other authorities until way after the fact.
Some of the reviews say it is tedious; the author examines the cultural climate of the campus of the late sixties, but this was to explain why state troopers in charge of the case weren't welcomed with open arms by either students or faculty.
The first half of the book describes the stabbing, the investigation, a portrait of Betsy Aardsma as an individual, not just "the girl who was stabbed in Pattee," the red-herring suspects who were interviewed, and finally the identity of the man the author names as Betsy's killer.
In Part Two, the author describes the narcissistic, manipulative, and possibly pychopathic individual who should have been brought to justice for this crime. If you read the entire book, you will surely be convinced that this author, along with the help of others, has solved the mystery of who killed Betsy Aardsma. I bought the book when it first came out in 2014 and wish I had gotten around to reading it earlier.

[Lyric]

I finished this book almost 2 weeks ago. I waited to write my review because I needed a little time to process what I read. This book is the true account of the murder of Betsy Aardsma in the Penn State University library. Keep in mind the murder occurred during the day, and while other students were present, yet it took almost 40 years for the truth to emerge. To read how inept the police investigation was, (in their defense, they were limited in the tools, technology available at the time; but it makes the reality of the many innocent individuals incarcerated, erroneously, at the time frightening) and how so many individuals knew the truth or heard of it, but refused to intervene for fear of “how it would look” is sad. Keeping up appearances, and not wanting to talk about such depravity as child molestation allowed a killer to walk free his entire life. This book is full of information relating to many things, other than the actual crime. Initially I was thinking the author was going off in other directions in order to fill pages. To my surprise, every detour he takes leads right back to the crime itself. It was amazing to read how Betsy crossed paths with several now famous people, and once had a date with Kurt Vonnegut. It was an overwhelming wealth of information I’d never heard before, and I know the area and a few current PA State Police Officers. My brother is a Penn State grad so a lot of the information was familiar, or easily verified.
For the past two weeks I’ve been researching some of the information I have in the three pages of notes written during my read. I can’t wait to read about the Nittany Mall rapist who terrorized the area in 1968-1969, and who was initially suspected of Betsy’s murder. I also want to learn more about Mary Louise Willard, who had a PhD in Chemistry, worked this case, and was a leader in evidence collection & processing long before strides were ever made in DNA testing, blood analysis and the likes.
This was a great read. However, if you’re expecting to read about a heinous murder, the investigation, and eventual arrest of the perpetrator...this is not it. You will be disappointed in the outcome and the entire investigation. Even with limited resources, I believe the Aardsma family was done a grave disservice.

[Caitie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have family in Holland, Michigan, where Betsy Aardsma was originally from. I've heard about this case briefly in other areas, but can't recall where exactly. Anyway, this book was an interesting look at the murder of a young woman doing research in a university library. Betsy was a graduate student in English at Penn State in the fall of 1969 when, while doing research for an assignment, was stabbed to death. A young man was seen coming out of the room in the library, and on the way out, said "someone should help that girl." Because Betsy had been wearing a red sweater and because of the little bleeding, it wasn't until later that the police realized that she was murdered.

The author's thesis is essentially that a young man who was also a grad student (but studying geology) became obsessed with Betsy and killed her. While this theory of the murder is possible, I'm not quite sure how plausible. The author didn't really give any concrete evidence that the guy he claims did actually did anything-to Betsy anyway. This man had been convicted of molesting young kids, and didn't like women very much. However, this doesn't prove that he killed Betsy. The book was very readable, but don't know if I agree with all of the author's points.

[Bridgette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book I have been dying to read for so long now. I enjoyed it for sure. Although I was happy with it, I did find it to be slightly misleading. I was under the impression Betsy's case was solved (that was NOT the case at all). The author discussed Rick Haefner as the primary suspect, but he never was officially a suspect. The author argued some good and interesting points as to why Haefner may very very well have been the murderer. The book just left me wanting more.

This book also brought to light how PSU officials and the PA State Police REALLY dropped the ball on solving the case. It's aggravating reading about all the mistakes that were made, all the evidence not collected and those with information just didn't want to talk as it may tarnish the reputation of PSU. I did laugh very hard though when the state police suggested Ted Bundy as being a suspect. Ridiculous! But, desperate for closure. Overall this book was very enjoyable and detailed (a little TOO detailed). If your PSU alumni, you will want to check this book out.

[Tom N · Rating 4 out of 5]

MURDER IN THE STACKS, by David DeKok, is the fascinating true crime story about the stabbing murder of Betsy Aardsma, a 22-year-old graduate student at Pattee Library at Penn State University on November 28, 1969. In spite of the Pennsylvania State Police and local citizens' tireless work on the case, her murder went unsolved for more than forty years. Her murder was eventually unofficially solved after the death of her killer. This book gives the reader the story behind the victim, those closest to her, and those suspected in her murder, including the person who the author believes was responsible for Betsy's murder. The author also takes a detailed look at the factors that hindered the Pennsylvania State Police from bringing Betsy's killer to justice. The author expertly weaves together the events, culture, and attitudes of the time, while memorializing Betsy and her time and place in Penn State history. We would recommend this informative true crime story to those who love or have personal ties to Penn State, and to those who are fans of true crime stories.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I never thought I would finish this book.

What bothered me the most about this book was the fact that the author, despite having been a journalist, could not stick to the facts. This book would probably only have been half as long, if the author hadn't been so insistent on using guess work and rumor to fill his pages.

More than half the book is about a man who, while the case against him seems plausible, was never proven. If he was still alive when this book was written, most likely, he would have sued for liable.

I grew up in Pennsylvania, and I have never heard any such thing as Lancaster being known for murder. That was just one of the author's statements that made me question his sources. I would also like to know where he got his statistics on pedophilia.

In general, I just found the book sloppy, confusing and much too long for the information it contained.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book that fully details the murder of beautiful grad student Betsy Aardsma in 1969. The author provides an accurate perspective, as he hails from the same town as Betsy (Holland, Michigan), so that the reader can feel the vibe of small-town 60s America, as well as the political atmosphere of the entire nation. Like many women, Betsy crossed paths with a dangerous invididual and didn't realize it until it was too late. Nearly fifty years later, we still deal with toxic masculinity. The author paid a lovely tribute to her memory, as an ambitious young lady who was very bright and caring. She was interested in civil rights and African-American literature, and she had many loved ones. This is a great read, I highly recommend it.

[Molly Kranzley Driscoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate how much research the author put into this book, however there were times where he went on tangents and it almost seemed like he was just trying to show how much he knew. The one tangent I would have liked more of was Miss Willard. When the story stuck to Betsy and the murderer it was interesting. As a Penn State alum, I also found the theme of the University’s approach to scandal interesting, as well. The author presents it as the school just trying to present its image, but I think it also shows how big Penn State is and that there were a lot of people trying to do the right thing or what they thought was the right thing and these issues getting lost in the bureaucracy of operations.

[Eadie Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

On Nov. 28, 1969, Betsy Aardsma, a 22-year-old graduate student in English at Penn State, was stabbed to death in the stacks of Pattee Library at the university's main campus in State College. For more than forty years, her murder went unsolved, though detectives with the Pennsylvania State Police and local citizens worked tirelessly to find her killer. The mystery was eventually solved-after the death of the murderer. This book will reveal the story behind what has been a scary mystery for generations of Penn State students and explain why the Pennsylvania State Police failed to bring her killer to justice. More than a simple true crime story, the book weaves together the events, culture, and attitudes of the late 1960s, memorializing Betsy Aardsma and her time and place in history.

[Katee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Picked this book up from Barnes and Noble on a whim after reading the summary.

Betsy Aardsma was a graduate student at Penn State when she was murdered in the late 1960s. The case was never officially solved, and many eventually came to suspect one man to be the killer based on several clues.

What struck me was off putting was that the review process for the crime was really nonsensical and quite messy. Why certain procedures or knowledge wasn’t followed really frustrated me.

The repetitious nature of the writing was also boring. The first half of the book dragged and the second half was better.

[Corey Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty engrossing story that doesn’t feel like it drags. It’s broken up into 3 parts: an overview of the murder, a summary of Betsy Aardsma’s life, an overview of who the author thinks killed Betsy and his life. I went to Penn State and so heard about this murder when I was there. Good to finally get the details and understand what might have happened. Betsy seemed a kind and good natured individual, it’s a real shame that her life was cut short so young. If the person who the author thinks killed Betsy is correct, there were so many opportunities for him to pay for his crimes. It’s a travesty that he was allowed to get away with it!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a Penn State alumnus and was just on campus with my son, now considering PSU for college. Told him about the girl who was killed in the library in 1969— curiosity led to me to this book and I read it over two days. Great job humanizing this lovely girl whose life was stolen. Made me mad how it could have easily been solved had people done their part. This says a lot about society’s view of women at the time. Lost one star over too many details about the prime suspect. That could have been one chapter and not the five to six. Obviously a troubled person. Can’t believe what happened, happened. Shame on some of the people involved.

[Germaine Komor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the Audio version.The narrator had the annoying habit of switching voices. I literally had to stop listening for awhile after his sophomoric attempts at female and black voices. I also take issue with how he always gave Richard Haefner a feminine lilt to his voice, as to imply that he was gay. As everyone knows pedophilia is not a by product of being gay. I will make a point of never listening to Eddie Frierson read again. I also found the pattern of switching back and forth between decades very hard to follow.

[Tiffany E-P · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m not sure this book achieved what it claimed it would do-solve the 40+year old mystery of who murdered a young woman in the Penn State library in 1969. After reading it, I’m not convinced that the case the author made is 100% correct. Even at the end of the book, he was introducing other suspects and questioning their motives and alibis. The one thing that is clear is that Rick Haefner was a deranged and dangerous individual. But his connection to the murder seemed somewhat tenuous and circumstantial.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

While there were some issues here and there with repetition, overall I can’t really blame the author for that. In all, I think he did the best he could in depicting a case that just seemed to be an entire mess of “wrong time” situations. That’s not even including the insanity attached to the most likely culprit. In all, an impressive relation of the events, contextual information, and detective work.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first third of this book is an entertaining true crime read. The remainder is a hot mess of speculation. I stopped reading when the author suggested his suspect *may* have had contact with Charles Manson, though of course "there is no evidence that this occurred." i
It seems even the author feels his assertions are pretty thin.