Slayer of Innocence

by Jim Conover

A predator pedophile serial killer had been on the loose for many years. More than 16 young boys throughout the Midwest, California, Oklahoma and Arizona had disappeared under very similar circumstances and at least 14 had been discovered murdered. This pedophile predator had made the Midwest his killing field from 1972 until 1979 when a handful of dedicated lawmen finally caught his track. These lawmen, from 7 states and many different agencies, joined forces to hunt this predator down before he could kill again. Slayer of Innocence is a true narrative account of that desperate struggle.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published April 1, 2003

About the author

Jim Conover was born and raised in Kennett, Missouri, working in the cotton fields until he migrated to Pekin, Illinois in 1962 where he met his wife, Judie. They have been married for 48 years and have two daughters. Jim joined the Pekin police department where he spent 20 years before retiring. He was also a private detective for 15 years.
Jim has written 7 books, fiction and non fiction and published 4 of them through his own publishing company, Lynch Law productions, established in 1998. The four published books are Lynch Law, Greenhorns and Killer Mountains, Slayer of Innocence and Black Robe Killings.
Black Robe Killings is the first in his new Deuce Ryker Mystery Series.
Jim also writes screenplays. Jim has written seven screenplays and received awards on several at Film Festivals. One, Major Pauline, won a Bronze Award at the Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival 2000, and won the Hollywood Scriptwriter's Written Word at the Action On Film International Film Festival in July 2008. His screenplay, Lynch Law, won Best Period Piece at the Action On Film International Film Festival in July 2008. His screenplay, Bass Reeves: Deputy US Marshal, won a Platinum Award at the Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival in 2010.
Jim produced a music video, Ride With The Devil, that won a Gold award at the Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival in 2010.
In 2004 Jim wrote the screenplay Sand Prairie, then produced and directed the movie Sand Prairie, filming it entirely in Central Illinois using all local talent. This was his first movie to produce and direct. Sand Prairie won a bronze award at the Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival in Houston, Texas in April 2008. His film, Sand Prairie, with a name change to The Showdown is now being distributed world wide.
Jim recently finished another screenplay and is set to produce it. He is also writing the third installment of his Deuce Ryker mystery, Deadly Treasures.

Reviews

[Fishface]

Jim Conover's account of the multi-state hunt for pedophilic serial killer Bill "Freight Train" Guatney. The author folds in details of some of the other cases he had to attend to, while never letting the murder of one local boy or the disappearance of another really slip his mind. This case was an outstanding example of cooperation between different systems and jurisdictions at a time when that was rarely done, and even more rarely done well. It all made for a gripping read about the kind of case that would put most people off going into police work.

[Jay]

Was never sure if I wanted to buy this book, but I eventually decided to and bought it in 2021 for a good deal and it came in good quality.
I was going to go into a long long argument against the author's arguments about pedophilia which has been totally debunked since this book came out. Although the whole conflating pedophilia [sexual attraction] to child molestation was never ever valid and is obviously wrong. Sexual attraction is not an act. Otherwise there would be no such thing as the word "virgin".
This book is about the serial killer known as "freight train", but it's kind of the author's memoir. He talks about his private life a little bit. He gives details into the background of his fellow police officers. He multiple times details a few cases he worked on.
The investigation is interesting. Very good in detailing how the police worked these cases. How the crimes were connected and how the police were working together; sharing information.
Reads like fiction at several points and is very well written. Which is funny because the author says his boss complained about his writing once. Well he certainly improved. He writes like a professional.
The surveillance of "freight train" is comical at times and I was waiting for any mention of red licorice to be brought up because they mention a red licorice candy wrapper being found at the scene of one of the crimes. The murder of the boy this author was investigating.
Over all a good read. A good book. I would liked to know more about his childhood. We barely get any of that information.

Certainly a very unique serial killer case. A killer who turned town fairs into his hunting grounds and a multi state coordinated effort to get the killer off the streets which was so rarely ever done. I would argue it was because the crimes involved children, young boys, but I've seen cases that also involved young boys young children and they still weren't up to par with this team of researchers. They weren't sharing information and were incompetent.

It's amazing to me how many times Guatney was able to slip away from prosecution/imprisonment.
Not a very good ending to this story. No confessions, no anything at all. A very bitter sweet taste to the ending of this story. In a way....was kind of the best for the case to unfold because I am not totally convinced they would of won their case 100% since there was zero physical evidence.

[Maggie Seay]

I really enjoyed this book as reference from the missing of a student to the death of unsolved murders. Being from Pekin everything was left with just a question mark. I am grateful for Jim Conover writing this book which entails answers from the Childers murder to the unsolved.
I really wish that Jim Conover would cover Fay Rawley from Fulton County. He's a relative on my m others side, I know until she passed away it always was in her mind.

[B.C. Jackson]

A great true crime read about a time before America's Most Wanted and other such television shows brought many of America's children inside for the summer.