Maybe Someone Here Can Help Me...

[Fishface]

I have wanted for many, many years to find this story so I can read the whole thing. My parents subscribed to Reader's Digest forever and there was a TC case in there that I've never forgotten, yet can't remember well enough to find. A young woman -- probably in the late 1970s or early 1980s -- was getting ready to move into her first apartment & went into a store to buy window blinds. The manager invited her into the back to look at their samples and she did not realize that she was the only customer, and that he had locked the door behind them. He attacked her with a hammer. The next thing she knew she was in the back of her own station wagon, in the parking lot of a restaurant. The guy thought he'd killed her, loaded her in the back of the car, and went to get a bite to eat. Incredibly, he left the keys in the ignition, so she simply climbed over the seats, started it up and left, driving to the nearest police station. They took one look at her and got her to the hospital. She had a severe head injury and permanent brain damage. The guy went to prison, but just a few years later a senator got him out on account of he looked so sorry, and gave him a sweet job in the senator's office.

I cannot remember any names, the place this happened, the year -- but it was in RD so I suspect it was one of their condensed TC stories from a book-length treatment of this sorry tale. Does this ring any bells with anyone? Is there a whole book I can read on it?

[Shelley]

Fishface wrote: "I have wanted for many, many years to find this story so I can read the whole thing. My parents subscribed to Reader's Digest forever and there was a TC case in there that I've never forgotten, yet..."

I believe I found it. The culprit was John P. Mack and the victim was Pamela Small. See the links to articles below.

I found articles talking about how he had to resign his position the senator gave him when the Washington Post published an article about the crime and there was a loud outcry about it. I didn't find a book or that specific article itself.

Articles:

http://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/05/us/...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archiv...

John P. Mack, attacked a woman in 1973, pounding her skull with a hammer and slashingher. The victim was Pamela Small, then 20 years old.

It happened in a home furnishings store in a Virginia suburb of Washington. Mr. Mack, then 19, was the night manager and Ms. Small had come to buy furnishings for her first apartment. She had followed him into a back room to look for window blinds when he attacked her.

Afterward he bundled her, bleeding, into her car, drove around and then left her in the car. Jailed for 2 Years ... etc.

[Fishface]

That sounds exactly right. Dear Scrod, what search terms did you use? I have been flummoxed for YEARS looking for this.

[Fishface]

Aaaaand I found a book that covers the case: The Ambition and the Power. Sent for it from the Alpena library.

[Shelley]

Using Google, I put in a bunch of words related to the story: hammer attack by owner in store woman buying blinds

About the 4th result looked promising and I went from there.

[Shelley]

Fishface wrote: "Aaaaand I found a book that covers the case: The Ambition and the Power. Sent for it from the Alpena library."

Great! :)

[Fishface]

I owe it all to you Shellster! Seriously, I cannot abide an unanswered question, and an unanswered question about a true crime?

[Shelley]

Negative perspiration. :)