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Deadly Deceit
The chilling true crime story of a man willing to do whatever it takes to live life on his lavish terms—including murder his own parents.
Gunned Down
After years of hard work, Brian and Jeannie Legg had earned a well-deserved life of leisure in their picture-perfect Phoenix mansion. Until their troubled son showed up with a need for cash—and a thirst for murder . . .
Two Bodies
David Legg was an obsessive control freak and an army deserter. After fathering an illegitimate child, he wooed and wed a trusting young woman—only to destroy his marriage with lies and infidelities. But his deceptions were far from over . . .
A Savage Son
In June of 1996, Jeannie and Brian were found shot to death, their bodies sitting next to each other on their living room loveseat. Jeannie’s expensive ring and the couple’s credit cards were missing. Meanwhile, David, the prime suspect, was living it up in Hawaii with his fifteen-year-old girlfriend, draining his dead parents’ savings through ATMs. After a long and costly chase this remorseless killer faced a jury of his peers in 2000, and was locked behind bars for life.
Gunned Down
After years of hard work, Brian and Jeannie Legg had earned a well-deserved life of leisure in their picture-perfect Phoenix mansion. Until their troubled son showed up with a need for cash—and a thirst for murder . . .
Two Bodies
David Legg was an obsessive control freak and an army deserter. After fathering an illegitimate child, he wooed and wed a trusting young woman—only to destroy his marriage with lies and infidelities. But his deceptions were far from over . . .
A Savage Son
In June of 1996, Jeannie and Brian were found shot to death, their bodies sitting next to each other on their living room loveseat. Jeannie’s expensive ring and the couple’s credit cards were missing. Meanwhile, David, the prime suspect, was living it up in Hawaii with his fifteen-year-old girlfriend, draining his dead parents’ savings through ATMs. After a long and costly chase this remorseless killer faced a jury of his peers in 2000, and was locked behind bars for life.
417 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
188 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
Don Lasseter
31 books37 followersDon Lasseter has written five true crime books for Pinnacle plus 16 magazine articles that were reprinted in Pinnacle's anthology books about murders. In addition to being a crime writer, Mr. Lasseter is a WWII historian who frequently lectures on the subject in schools, at service clubs, and for veteran's groups. He accompanies his talks with slide packages titled "WWII, Then and Now", consisting of photos he took while actually retracing most major battles in Western Europe and in the South Pacific. Taking black and white combat photos with him, Mr. Lasseter laboriously searched for the exact spots on which the photographers stood and shot the same scenes as they look today. He accumulated over 1500 such pictures associated with various battles including the Normandy invasion, Battle of the Bulge, crossing the Rhine, taking Berlin, and other major engagements.
A native Californian, Mr. Lasseter resides in Orange County. He has served as guest lecturer in criminology classes at California State University, Fullerton. Hollywood history is Mr. Lasseter's third major interest. His personal library includes an extensive collection of movie books, and he takes pride in being able to name hundreds of old character actors whose faces are often seen in classic films. One day, Lasseter says, he will write books, both fiction and non-fiction, about the golden era of film production and the people involved.
A native Californian, Mr. Lasseter resides in Orange County. He has served as guest lecturer in criminology classes at California State University, Fullerton. Hollywood history is Mr. Lasseter's third major interest. His personal library includes an extensive collection of movie books, and he takes pride in being able to name hundreds of old character actors whose faces are often seen in classic films. One day, Lasseter says, he will write books, both fiction and non-fiction, about the golden era of film production and the people involved.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 15, 2016
3/4 of the way through and I couldn't finish it. Didn't hold my interest enough to continue.
June 8, 2023
I think it can be hard to write a nonfiction book especially one in which it is not a whodoneit as intriguing as a whodoneit and yet Don Lasseter did exactly that. Maybe it was the military connection that drew me in. I think the military needs to study this case and evaluate it's laid back approach to AWOL these days (I served 29 years in HR, so I know exactly how it is sometimes handled) not to mention the missing cases where the service member was later found deceased but simply written off as AWOL. These days the reason for going AWOL is vastly different than the Vietnam Era, connection to crimes either as a prepetrator or more often the victim of it seems to be the majority and therefore deserves more intense reaction. The army taking weeks to account for the two Soldiers in the book is inexcusable. But I digress. Extremely sad story. Even if Kim had done it, she obviously did it because David wanted to as proven by his reaction. I read a lot of true crime but this really did a great job of making me feel like I was on the jury and able to decide who did it as opposed to being told. I really enjoyed that and feel that there is no reasonable doubt.
September 7, 2014
Not very well written, but sloged through it because it was a true story, although author speculated on things and wrote of them as facts.
September 12, 2017
Great writing, excellent research
Lasseter does an excellent job of researching this sad tale of murder, greed, an the ultimate betrayal of a son against his parents then combining those facts and putting them all together in this "just right" book.
I say "just right" because there are those true crime aficionados who like to read the entire trial from start to finish, and those who want all of that skipped over to just the verdict. Lasseter compiled a happy medium for his readers and inserts the opening and closing arguments, key witness testimony and everything you want or need to know.
I recommend this book for new or veteran true crime readers alike. Both will get what they're looking for out of this one.
Lasseter does an excellent job of researching this sad tale of murder, greed, an the ultimate betrayal of a son against his parents then combining those facts and putting them all together in this "just right" book.
I say "just right" because there are those true crime aficionados who like to read the entire trial from start to finish, and those who want all of that skipped over to just the verdict. Lasseter compiled a happy medium for his readers and inserts the opening and closing arguments, key witness testimony and everything you want or need to know.
I recommend this book for new or veteran true crime readers alike. Both will get what they're looking for out of this one.
September 19, 2023
BOOK REVIEW #22
On June 1996, Brian and Jeannie Legg were found murdered in their Arizona bungalow. They had been shot to death, collectively, with 6 bullets. Suspicion later grew on their youngest child, David, who over a course of a week spent more than $30000, having a luxurious vacation in Hawaii with his 15 year old wife using Brian's credit & ATM cards and Jeannie's diamond ring.
First off, I'm a big fan of true crime. And I usually give high rating for true crime books e.g. previously, 5 stars for both Killers of The Flower Moon and Devil's Knot. However, this book is a major disappointment for the following reasons :
1. It's not a whodunnit. From the back cover, we all knew who was responsible. Ergo, there was no suspense and guessing, which are the exciting elements for me.
2. Too many unnecessary details e.g a whole chapter about 10 previous murders committed by Boy's Scout members (just because David was an ex-member); details of murders committed by Taylor Helzer who coincidentally befriended Alicia, David's legally recognized wife; and paricide committed by the Menendez brothers. I see no relevance of those cases so I wonder why the editor of this book didn't do his bloody job?!
3. Although it isn't explicitly stated but there are two parts to this book - Investigation and Trial. What annoys me is the same details already mentioned during police investigation are later retold to readers during the trial.
I don't recommend this at all. A bloody waste of time.
⭐ ⭐
Read from Sep 9-19
On June 1996, Brian and Jeannie Legg were found murdered in their Arizona bungalow. They had been shot to death, collectively, with 6 bullets. Suspicion later grew on their youngest child, David, who over a course of a week spent more than $30000, having a luxurious vacation in Hawaii with his 15 year old wife using Brian's credit & ATM cards and Jeannie's diamond ring.
First off, I'm a big fan of true crime. And I usually give high rating for true crime books e.g. previously, 5 stars for both Killers of The Flower Moon and Devil's Knot. However, this book is a major disappointment for the following reasons :
1. It's not a whodunnit. From the back cover, we all knew who was responsible. Ergo, there was no suspense and guessing, which are the exciting elements for me.
2. Too many unnecessary details e.g a whole chapter about 10 previous murders committed by Boy's Scout members (just because David was an ex-member); details of murders committed by Taylor Helzer who coincidentally befriended Alicia, David's legally recognized wife; and paricide committed by the Menendez brothers. I see no relevance of those cases so I wonder why the editor of this book didn't do his bloody job?!
3. Although it isn't explicitly stated but there are two parts to this book - Investigation and Trial. What annoys me is the same details already mentioned during police investigation are later retold to readers during the trial.
I don't recommend this at all. A bloody waste of time.
⭐ ⭐
Read from Sep 9-19
October 22, 2018
Another Engrossing Read
I think this is the 3rd book in a row I’ve read by this author, and thankfully this one has had a lot less of the errors that should of been picked up in editing/proofreading, still a few, even a typo, which really shouldn’t happen in these days of spell checker.
Overall though I’ve come to enjoy the way this author in particular lays out his true crime books, and as I do enjoy legal thrillers the fact that the court trial part of any of these books encompasses a good amount of it certainly holds additional appeal for me.
If you enjoy well written (overall) true crime, with not too much of a back story into everyones life, that follows the crime from before, to during, to the chase and then the trial, then you should enjoy any of the books by this author.
I think this is the 3rd book in a row I’ve read by this author, and thankfully this one has had a lot less of the errors that should of been picked up in editing/proofreading, still a few, even a typo, which really shouldn’t happen in these days of spell checker.
Overall though I’ve come to enjoy the way this author in particular lays out his true crime books, and as I do enjoy legal thrillers the fact that the court trial part of any of these books encompasses a good amount of it certainly holds additional appeal for me.
If you enjoy well written (overall) true crime, with not too much of a back story into everyones life, that follows the crime from before, to during, to the chase and then the trial, then you should enjoy any of the books by this author.
February 25, 2022
A Good Read
This is a really good book. The horrific crime took place quite a while back but I had never heard about it. The author did a great job giving plenty of detail without making it seem too long or boring. It's hard to beige that a SON of such LOVING PARENTS could put a gun to their heads and then leave for a Hawaiian "honeymoon." It is a long and difficult story to tell and it was done perfectly in this book. It is a must read for true crime enthusiasts. You definitely won't be disappointed!
This is a really good book. The horrific crime took place quite a while back but I had never heard about it. The author did a great job giving plenty of detail without making it seem too long or boring. It's hard to beige that a SON of such LOVING PARENTS could put a gun to their heads and then leave for a Hawaiian "honeymoon." It is a long and difficult story to tell and it was done perfectly in this book. It is a must read for true crime enthusiasts. You definitely won't be disappointed!
October 18, 2017
Pleasant read, well, aside from the murder.....
A more personal tone than most of the books I read, I enjoyed the expansion of the characters who were a part of the story. I also enjoy positive portrayals of law enforcement..oh, and objective writing about the defence attorneys.
Aside from all that it felt researched and for all of the personal information and relationships it felt fairly even handed as far as the guilt and where it needs be placed
A more personal tone than most of the books I read, I enjoyed the expansion of the characters who were a part of the story. I also enjoy positive portrayals of law enforcement..oh, and objective writing about the defence attorneys.
Aside from all that it felt researched and for all of the personal information and relationships it felt fairly even handed as far as the guilt and where it needs be placed
March 15, 2022
Unfortunately not worth the read. Author speculation is inserted into the mix as if it were true fact. At the end of the initial trial, the author prints both the prosecution's and defence's closing arguments in full, as if trying to reach a certain page count for the publisher.
The offence itself was quite open-and-shut; it did not benefit from the long-winded chronology of its every case detail.
The offence itself was quite open-and-shut; it did not benefit from the long-winded chronology of its every case detail.
May 22, 2019
Don Lasseter is at the top
of my list when it comes to true crime writing. Absolutely the best. I like the way his story evolves. David was\is one sick kid, now a man. I believe he was a spoiled, undisciplined child, who never truly grew up. Horrible circumstance but riveting read.
of my list when it comes to true crime writing. Absolutely the best. I like the way his story evolves. David was\is one sick kid, now a man. I believe he was a spoiled, undisciplined child, who never truly grew up. Horrible circumstance but riveting read.
February 14, 2020
WOW!! This book will be one you can't put down, that's for sure!!
This is another great read by Don Lasseter. It's beginning is great and all the way to the end is awesome. You really feel the emotions of those involved, from the least to the most involved. Excellent book by an excellent author!!
This is another great read by Don Lasseter. It's beginning is great and all the way to the end is awesome. You really feel the emotions of those involved, from the least to the most involved. Excellent book by an excellent author!!
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December 22, 2021Not as good as Don's usual books
I usually like Don Lasseter's books. This one was a disappointment because he rehashes a lot of the same things describing the investigation and the details that were uncovered then, only to regurgitate the exact same evidence and testimony in the trial. So you read the same things twice.
I usually like Don Lasseter's books. This one was a disappointment because he rehashes a lot of the same things describing the investigation and the details that were uncovered then, only to regurgitate the exact same evidence and testimony in the trial. So you read the same things twice.
March 24, 2018
It was really predictable but it was well researched and I enjoyed that.
December 18, 2021
Liked the story but nearly half the book was trial proceedings, which I had to skip past after a couple of chapters as it was too dull :-(
April 8, 2022
Well researched and less wordy than many crime writers. A thrilling read about a gruesome killing.
October 13, 2023
Keeps you turning the page
Fascinating insight into the mentality of a sociopath,you are never quite sure which way the jury will go. A real page turner.
Fascinating insight into the mentality of a sociopath,you are never quite sure which way the jury will go. A real page turner.
May 19, 2024
A Good Read
This book was not quite a page turner but it did hold my interest. I will be reading more books in the future by Don Lasseter.
This book was not quite a page turner but it did hold my interest. I will be reading more books in the future by Don Lasseter.
September 10, 2020
Wow
So tragic that greed and money rule your world. This family has suffered the worst fate possible the unimaginable betrayal of their own love ones. A very well told story a real page turner. I highly recommend you read this shocking story.
So tragic that greed and money rule your world. This family has suffered the worst fate possible the unimaginable betrayal of their own love ones. A very well told story a real page turner. I highly recommend you read this shocking story.
December 9, 2011
This wasn't a bad book, but I found it hard to read because it bored me. I felt so bad for the family involved, and to have your own child betray you in the ultimate way, by killing his parents, is truly a travesty.
I feel Mr. Lasseter concentrated on facts that, to me, were not needed in order to tell this story, which is why I struggled to get through it. If you like true-crime and real technical writing, then this book will be for you.
I feel Mr. Lasseter concentrated on facts that, to me, were not needed in order to tell this story, which is why I struggled to get through it. If you like true-crime and real technical writing, then this book will be for you.
April 21, 2011
lasseter is undeniably one of the best true crime authors working today.
May 21, 2011
Another one of the reall creepy ones where the kid kills the parents. The Menendez brothers got all the media attention for this but good grief there are lots of twisted families out there.
April 9, 2016
Very well written account.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews