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Perfectly Executed
THEY WERE YOUNG. THEY WERE SMART -- OFTEN TO THE POINT OF ARROGANCE. BUT WERE THEY KILLERS?
Investigative correspondent Peter Van Sant draws on penetrating interviews and extensive research to unravel a controversial case from TV's 48 Hours Mystery -- the two gifted college students charged with murdering one of their families in cold blood.
Bellevue, Washington: Early on a serene summer evening, neighbors heard a muffled commotion from inside the home of a quiet Muslim family, newcomers to the wealthy Seattle suburb. It wasn't until well after midnight that Atif Rafay and his best friend, Sebastian Burns, entered the Rafay house to find Atif's parents fatally bludgeoned, and his sister clinging to life. Despite airtight alibis and a dearth of evidence, the boys quickly emerged as suspects -- and sealed their fate when they headed to Canada. After a six-year extradition battle that went all the way to Canada's Supreme Court, they were returned to the U.S. -- in a twisting case involving an elaborate sting operation; a damaging screenplay; a shattering surprise witness; and the shocking discovery of one of the boys having sex with his female attorney in prison. Were Atif Rafay and Sebastian Burns falsely accused? Or was this unspeakable crime PERFECTLY EXECUTED?
Investigative correspondent Peter Van Sant draws on penetrating interviews and extensive research to unravel a controversial case from TV's 48 Hours Mystery -- the two gifted college students charged with murdering one of their families in cold blood.
Bellevue, Washington: Early on a serene summer evening, neighbors heard a muffled commotion from inside the home of a quiet Muslim family, newcomers to the wealthy Seattle suburb. It wasn't until well after midnight that Atif Rafay and his best friend, Sebastian Burns, entered the Rafay house to find Atif's parents fatally bludgeoned, and his sister clinging to life. Despite airtight alibis and a dearth of evidence, the boys quickly emerged as suspects -- and sealed their fate when they headed to Canada. After a six-year extradition battle that went all the way to Canada's Supreme Court, they were returned to the U.S. -- in a twisting case involving an elaborate sting operation; a damaging screenplay; a shattering surprise witness; and the shocking discovery of one of the boys having sex with his female attorney in prison. Were Atif Rafay and Sebastian Burns falsely accused? Or was this unspeakable crime PERFECTLY EXECUTED?
- GenresTrue CrimeNonfiction
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 28, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 28, 2019
Parts of this book were interesting, but the book bogged down with word for word interrogation and trial. I think it could have been more condensed. This is the story of the Rafay family- husband, wife and mentally disabled daughter who were bludgeoned to death in 1994 and the son and his friend who were blamed and arrested for the crime. The men ran away to Canada and it took 6 years to extradite them so they were not convicted until 10 years after the crime. Even though the young men confessed to the crime, the tactics of the Canadian police are not legal in the United States and the cases are still under appeal. This case is worth googling when you are done reading, as it is still ongoing and controversial, including several Innocence Project groups undertaking their cases.
May 27, 2024
3.5 🌟 - This would've been a 4 🌟 review all the way if they'd have dug into the evidence that these guys didn't do it a little more. Now, don't get me wrong, I definitely think the guys did it! I did some internet searching afterward, and there was nothing else that convinced me otherwise, but I feel it would give the book a better balance.
October 2, 2018
An interesting read into the murders of the Rafay family in 1994. Would recommend for those who enjoy legal dramas and particularly for those interested in the Mr. Big operation.
December 30, 2020
Want to read this book but of course everything in life has a price tag attached to it!!! I’ve followed this case ever since I seen Netflix the confession tapes and didn’t know there was a book til I seen someone comment about it on YouTube!
October 25, 2024
This book was very interesting. I loved how the RCMP added their investigative talents to the case.
March 3, 2010
As if to purposefully obfuscate the infamous murder trial in question, CBS investigative reporters / authors Peter van Sant and Jenna Jackson questionably detail the murders of a family in Washington, allegedly by their own son and his best friend.
Atif Rafay and his friend Sebastian Burns were responsible for the frantic 911 call which subsequently brought the international attentions to the mysterious case. Burns (who physically made the call) initially claimed that there was a burglary at the crime scene, to eventually reveal that there were a number of murders on the premises as well. Due to the seemingly bizarre behaviour of the two boys (varyingly described as “suspicious” and “grief-stricken” by different observers), they quickly came under the watchful eye of the police – and were convicted of the murders, even though they had established a rock-solid alibi together.
Unlike many true crime paperbacks, Perfectly Executed has the added benefit of having been written by individuals who had spoken personally with the (then) accused criminals, in the form of a television interview for CBS' “48 Hours Mystery” program. Unfortunately, the book reveals nothing new, save for an influx of additional detail. Perhaps the strongest element of the book delves into the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's investigation (called unscrupulous – even illegal – by American criminologists, even though the apparent unorthodox methods are legal and passable in Canada, the country into which the boys had fled after the murders). The two became intertwined into a quasi-role-playing scenario by two intimidating members of the RCMP, leading the boys to believe that a confession was the only salvation.
Though the two were charged and found guilty of having killed young Rafay's parents and his autistic younger sister, van Sant and Jackson question not only the methods of the Canadian police officers, but the very culpability of the two convicted individuals themselves. At times, the book leads the reader to see their definite guilt, and at others a shadow is cast over this assertion. The courts have decided the guilt of Rafay and Burns, though it seems that the authors have not completely been convinced.
An average treatment of a beyond-average case, Perfectly Executed remains a readable book, though not nearly as memorable as the ground-breaking case.
Atif Rafay and his friend Sebastian Burns were responsible for the frantic 911 call which subsequently brought the international attentions to the mysterious case. Burns (who physically made the call) initially claimed that there was a burglary at the crime scene, to eventually reveal that there were a number of murders on the premises as well. Due to the seemingly bizarre behaviour of the two boys (varyingly described as “suspicious” and “grief-stricken” by different observers), they quickly came under the watchful eye of the police – and were convicted of the murders, even though they had established a rock-solid alibi together.
Unlike many true crime paperbacks, Perfectly Executed has the added benefit of having been written by individuals who had spoken personally with the (then) accused criminals, in the form of a television interview for CBS' “48 Hours Mystery” program. Unfortunately, the book reveals nothing new, save for an influx of additional detail. Perhaps the strongest element of the book delves into the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's investigation (called unscrupulous – even illegal – by American criminologists, even though the apparent unorthodox methods are legal and passable in Canada, the country into which the boys had fled after the murders). The two became intertwined into a quasi-role-playing scenario by two intimidating members of the RCMP, leading the boys to believe that a confession was the only salvation.
Though the two were charged and found guilty of having killed young Rafay's parents and his autistic younger sister, van Sant and Jackson question not only the methods of the Canadian police officers, but the very culpability of the two convicted individuals themselves. At times, the book leads the reader to see their definite guilt, and at others a shadow is cast over this assertion. The courts have decided the guilt of Rafay and Burns, though it seems that the authors have not completely been convinced.
An average treatment of a beyond-average case, Perfectly Executed remains a readable book, though not nearly as memorable as the ground-breaking case.
July 24, 2008
I saw the "48 Hours" report on this case awhile back, so I thought it would be interesting to see what they didn't show. What I found was that without the visual excerpts of the actual interviews shown on TV, the case seemed a lot less obvious. Presented on TV, I was convinced of their guilt. Presented in writing, I was actually pausing to think how much could have been coerced confessions by the Canadian police (their tactics to obtain the confessions are legal there). This just goes to show how powerful visual cues can be in court cases, and how well written this book is to make me pause even though I had already seen the case on TV.
January 24, 2009
Considering it is a one-night, guilty-pleasure, true crime book, it was good. I had to go read the website and while I admire the dedication of the people who are keeping the faith with these guys, I believed they did it. But that's just me...and while some people say the police were coercive etc., I sort of fall back on where I was with the whole OJ thing: yes, the LA police planted evidence etc. -- AND OJ did it. In this case, yes the police (Bellevue AND RCMP) were perhaps over the line, but these guys just seem guilty as all get out.
And that Jimmy really skated on the whole thing.
And that Jimmy really skated on the whole thing.
June 28, 2010
Covers the bases in rudimentary fashion, and the details of the Canadian sting operation that netted the two young killers was fascinating. The frequent insertions into the story of the CBS journalists who wrote the book was distracting and annoying, however, and the background information about Atif Rafay and Sebastian Burns was sketchier than I prefer. Overall, a middle-of-the-pack true-crime-book experience for me.
July 7, 2008
not my typical reading material, but had to do it. some new info that was not presented at the trial, but otherwise very familiar
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews