A Perfect Gentleman

by Jaye Slade Fletcher

Michael Lee Lockhart was "a perfect gentleman", --and a drug dealer, rapist and cold-blooded killer. His role model was Ted Bundy, and Lockhart bragged of outdoing his idol by butchering dozens of girls on a 30,000-mile odyssey of torture, mutilation and murder. Now, from the crime trail to chilling death-row interviews with Lockhart himself, Fletcher delivers an in-depth and terrifying portrait of a sociopath.

Genres: True Crime

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1996

Reviews

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thrilled to find another true crime title by Fletcher, and I wasn't disappointed by this one. Apparently this author only wants to write about a case if it's extremely gory and horrible; this one was not as grisly as Deadly Thrills: The True Story of Chicago's Most Shocking Killers, but it came pretty close. Well written; she gave lots of detail but never bogged down once. The story moved right along. I got a good picture of every victim, every situation, and the criminal himself, and what a piece of work he is! I only wish we knew more about the other cases this guy is suspected in. A timeline of his movements and known and possible crimes would have been very useful. My only quibble with this story is the way everyone described him over and over as "extremely good-looking." The photos clearly showed an average disco duck of the era, not a guy I'd ever take notice of even if he was driving a Corvette and flashing a wad of $50 bills. The story made clear that he also knew he was a nobody and was constantly trying to convince everyone that it wasn't true.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly detailed account of a thief and murderer who preyed on girls and young women across the country during the 1980s. Sentenced to death in three states, he was executed a year after this book was published. I was disappointed to see that his Wikipedia page made him look like some sort of choirboy. The author is a former Chicago policewoman with only one other true crime book to her credit, an anthology. I wish she would write more!

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel conflicted with this book and rating. Because while I aint putting the Michael lee Lockhart case on my "favorite true crime/serial killer cases" list because of this book; unlike other books....it's very well written. Another factor...it took me longer then usual to read this book, mainly due to my sleeping. I didnt read this book at least 2-3 times because I ended up going to bed too late. I should of finished this book 3-5 days ago.

It's a very very well written book. Jaye Slade Fletcher hits it out of the park again, this is my second book I've read from her.

Another issue is...as good as the book is, it isn't a definitive account. It barely goes into Lockhart's childhood and so forth. It does however paint a very good view of who Lockhart is.

There are several true crime fans; mainly true crime purist who will judge a true crime product; book or documentary based on the balance of two things; the investigation and the killer's life, examination of their life, etc. That is often what I do and how I view books, because I prefer either footnotes or a definitive account, or as close to a definitive account and will retract points depending on these factors.

So I was really struggling with what rating to give this book. Is it a book I'll want to read again? Did the book make me want to put Lockhart on my list? The answer is no, BUT the book is so well done, so well written....so what do I do? Give it a 3/5 but a strong 3 like most books I rate, or do I give is a 4 because it's so well put together and so well written?! I'll give it a 4/5 based purely on Fletcher's narrative and talent.

I must mention this....A lot of people in the case and the author her self refers to Michael Lee Lockhart as "Very good looking". With Paul John Knowles and Ted Bundy I get it. With Kenneth Bianchi I get it. Randall Woodfield I get it.....but Lockhart looks pretty damn average to me. Still, even though I think he looks pretty average, I can't deny the multiple people who said he was "very good looking".

In the 2000's, my internet access flourish and expanded and one of the first cases I came across was Michael Lee Lockhart, so this book had been on my watch list for a long time. I bought it like 5, 6 years ago and finally read it.

Back then, I read a little bit of Helen Morrison's book where she mentions Lockhart.
She mentions the escape attempt and she argues "people often think serial killers must be really smart" but then they do "stupid" unintelligent stuff like that. Calling Lockhart stupid for his escape attempt. Turns out, at least according to this book, his escape attempt could of easily been successful if it hadn't been for a single issue. It was a part of the window and the way Lockhart leaped into the window that made him fail.

I should also note that, many serial killers I can't help but laugh at and go "Such a sad pathetic creature." "A sad shell of a man." John Wayne Gacy, Doug Clark, Robert Garrow, and now Michael Lee Lockhart. A victim of their own impulses and arrogance and self centeredness.

And it became pretty obvious to me as to why Lockhart went on a crime spree. The "trigger" point, along with everything else in his life.

So ya, a great book. Although I've rated many books a strong 3/5 and those books were about favorite cases of mine and the books added to it or out right made me a fan of the case. Meanwhile, this book didn't make me a fan of the case, yet I rated the book a 4/5 because the writing and overall book is just so good and well put together. Even if it is missing some things I would of liked.

[Gaja · Rating 3 out of 5]

For as long as I can remember, my mom used to tell me about how, when I was just a baby, one of my dad's friends came over with his little brother and, since I was being a fussy thing that day, she handed me off to him and he walked me around the house showing me all the pictures and babbling at me until I settled down.

That little brother was Michael Lee Lockhart.

This was a couple years before he started on his cross country murder/rape/burglary spree, but that doesn't change the fact that I was once handed off to a serial killer because I was a fussy baby.

I figured I should probably read the book about the serial killer I had a, however tentative, connection with, and, overall, it was a good book. Good details, informative, and I learned a lot of things that I didn't know before. Definitely glad I found out it existed and got a chance to give it a read.