True Crime: Virginia

by John F. Jebb

Includes . . .
The controversial rape case of the Martinsville Seven The first murder in America to be convicted on DNA evidence The UVA honors students accused of murder The last-minute reprieve of Earl Washington Jr. based on DNA findings The Virginia Tech shootings

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime

160 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2011

Reviews

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting cases robbed of their impact by the banal writing.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It had a variety of cases from Virginia's history. Some I had never heard of - like the colonial case of Nancy Randolph. One I had actually been inspired to write a fake poison pen letter for a history assignment on in high school -- George Wythe. Many discussed the problems Virginia and laws have struggled with re. race and the law -- The Martinsville Seven comes to mind. So it is a lot more than just reporting true crime cases.

[Kaylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I have read this book before but since it was not on my "read" list, I figured I'd give another go. It was interesting to read some of the historical cases, especially the first two that involved, at least tangentially, Thomas Jefferson. And I learned something new, namely that there exists a way to prevent rifling characteristics from being left on a bullet.
The final case discussed was the semi-recent Virigina Tech shooting. It went somewhat in-depth into the shooter's past but mostly focused on the events of the day and the aftermath.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cases were interesting but the writing wasn't captivating enough for me to really get into the stories.

[Kara Merry · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was scary. Humor existed...also advice to fear police. Not a bad idea. They based this on false confessions police tend to illicit.