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Lost Girls
Chelsea King was a popular high school senior, an outstanding achiever determined to make a difference. Amber Dubois loved books and poured her heart into the animals she cared for. Treasured by their families and friends, both girls disappeared in San Diego County, just eight miles and one year apart. The community's desperate search led authorities to John Albert Gardner III, a brutal predator hiding in plain sight. Now Pulitzer-nominated author Caitlin Rother delivers an incisive, heartbreaking true-life thriller that touches our deepest fears.
420 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
296 people are currently reading
984 people want to read
About the author
Caitlin Rother
25 books319 followersNew York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 14 books, ranging from narrative non-fiction crime to mystery and memoir. Her newest book is DEATH ON OCEAN BOULEVARD: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case (April 27, 2021). Her backlist includes HUNTING CHARLES MANSON; SECRETS, LIES, AND SHOELACES; LOVE GONE WRONG; DEAD RECKONING; THEN NO ONE CAN HAVE HER; I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU; NAKED ADDICTION; POISONED LOVE; BODY PARTS; TWISTED TRIANGLE; LOST GIRLS; WHERE HOPE BEGINS and MY LIFE, DELETED. A Pulitzer Prize nominee, Rother worked as an investigative reporter at daily newspapers for 19 years before quitting the news biz in 2006 to write books full-time. Her journalism has been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Daily Beast. She has done more than 200 appearances as a crime commentator on TV, radio and podcasts, ranging from "20/20," "People Magazine Investigates," "Nancy Grace," and "Crime Watch Daily," to shows on HLN, Oxygen Network, Investigation Discovery, C-SPAN, XM Radio and PBS affiliates. She also works as a writing-research-promotions coach and consultant.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
May 14, 2014
I may avoid this author in the future – unless there is an editor. I do like true crime, but this book was like a shuffled deck of cards. At the beginning of the story parts of an issue were given, then more was added at the end of the book. There was too much skipping around and disconnectedness. It made the book jarring and confusing.
For example, page 233, Chelsea's body is found. Page 236 the family is told that her body was found. Page 251, six cops are pallbearers and the funeral is described. So far, so good. Then on page 252, detectives are trying to get John Gardner to tell where Chelsea's body is buried. To me this was totally out of order and confusing to me as the reader. Why are they now looking for Chelsea's body after the cops carried her body in the funeral? Did I miss something?
There were photographs in the middle, but no photos of the subjects, the two murdered girls. One of the photos showed "a tent above the burial site". But was it Amber's or Chelsea's burial site? Throughout the book there were comparable omissions in the writing. Major details were not given, and the reader is abandoned to a mystery.
I regularly re-read paragraphs trying to understand who, what or when was being described without success because the facts just were not there.
The author seemed to lack understanding of the legal system, for example, calling a county sheriff a federal officer.
I also was seriously disappointed with the author's understanding of psychology. The mother, Cathy, a psychiatric nurse was treated by the author too sympathetically, almost as a hero. This mother started John Gardner on Ritalin as soon as he turned four years old, against the advice of his pediatrician (page 52). Cathy experimented with drugs on John throughout his childhood. John had an alcoholic father who was a severe disciplinarian and who beat him terribly when he was just ten months old. The mother Cathy placed John with her own mentally ill mother at a young age, then Cathy abandoned him to the father when John was about nine, it was hard to know his age because the author failed to give dates and ages.
The author dismisses all of the reporting of any sexual perversion out of delicacy and sensitivity to the families. I did not like this. She only said they were raped, but I had a strong impression there was much more that happened. She doesn't even describe how they were killed. The author leaves us guessing in favor of promoting her own delicacy and sensitivity.
At the beginning, there was a short "Cast of Primary Characters" which left out John's twin sons. If this page had been expanded to include more information it may have helped clarify some of the puzzles.
I disliked the book. Much more could have been written about Cathy and her flaws.
For example, page 233, Chelsea's body is found. Page 236 the family is told that her body was found. Page 251, six cops are pallbearers and the funeral is described. So far, so good. Then on page 252, detectives are trying to get John Gardner to tell where Chelsea's body is buried. To me this was totally out of order and confusing to me as the reader. Why are they now looking for Chelsea's body after the cops carried her body in the funeral? Did I miss something?
There were photographs in the middle, but no photos of the subjects, the two murdered girls. One of the photos showed "a tent above the burial site". But was it Amber's or Chelsea's burial site? Throughout the book there were comparable omissions in the writing. Major details were not given, and the reader is abandoned to a mystery.
I regularly re-read paragraphs trying to understand who, what or when was being described without success because the facts just were not there.
The author seemed to lack understanding of the legal system, for example, calling a county sheriff a federal officer.
I also was seriously disappointed with the author's understanding of psychology. The mother, Cathy, a psychiatric nurse was treated by the author too sympathetically, almost as a hero. This mother started John Gardner on Ritalin as soon as he turned four years old, against the advice of his pediatrician (page 52). Cathy experimented with drugs on John throughout his childhood. John had an alcoholic father who was a severe disciplinarian and who beat him terribly when he was just ten months old. The mother Cathy placed John with her own mentally ill mother at a young age, then Cathy abandoned him to the father when John was about nine, it was hard to know his age because the author failed to give dates and ages.
The author dismisses all of the reporting of any sexual perversion out of delicacy and sensitivity to the families. I did not like this. She only said they were raped, but I had a strong impression there was much more that happened. She doesn't even describe how they were killed. The author leaves us guessing in favor of promoting her own delicacy and sensitivity.
At the beginning, there was a short "Cast of Primary Characters" which left out John's twin sons. If this page had been expanded to include more information it may have helped clarify some of the puzzles.
I disliked the book. Much more could have been written about Cathy and her flaws.
September 3, 2012
Being that these crimes happened only a few years back and in my current backyard, and knowing that Caitlin Rother writes well researched and written books, I anticipated reading Lost Girls. The book left a sad, bitter and frustrated taste in my mouth.
Author Caitlin Rother supplied stellar investigative writing. She wrote with so much description that she brought victims Amber and Chelsea to life on the pages. They came across much more vividly than their killer, which is a wonderful change to many true crime books where the killer is the so-called star of the show. Perhaps it helps that Gardner’s victim count was thankfully low or perhaps it speaks of Ms. Rother’s desire to not glorify the crimes. I have found Ms. Rother’s other true crime works to be equally well balanced and I applaud her efforts.
Even with her desire not to delve into unnecessary detail about the atrocities Amber and Chelsea suffered, the crimes were obviously horrendous. Horrendous in what was emotionally and physically done to the young girls but also in how the crimes themselves tore away the fabric of safety that permeated the bedroom communities where the girls lived and from where they were abducted. Once that layer of security has been ripped away it’s hard to replace and Gardner is guilty of murdering the innocence present in the northern San Diego area.
Ms. Rother did a fantastic job on Gardner’s background and formative years. I was alternately stunned, saddened and angered by the many abuses and red flags that were present in his childhood and adolescence that were either ignored or glossed over by family members and health professionals. I hate to use the term “perfect storm” but Gardner’s upbringing and environment seemed to me to be a perfect storm for creating a monster. Gardner’s mother gave me the most aggravation. I can understand defending your child but this mother seemed to be in denial and appears to continue to be in denial. I will stop short of calling her an enabler; after all, she didn’t cause her son to be a killer and no parent deserves the grief of knowing your child has taken the lives of others but I have no tolerance for excuse making and she thoroughly put me off through the course of the book.
I was also shocked at how the healthcare system, particularly the mental healthcare system, appeared to fail Gardner. Time and again he was proven to have problems. Time and again it was clear he needed intervention, he needed medication, he needed professional help. Even when he himself asked for it, it was denied. Why? I can’t help but wonder if the proper help was given, would Amber Dubois and Chelsea King be alive today?
Most enlightening and hair raising is the section at the end of the book, where Ms. Rother had an interview with Gardner. This may be the truest Gardner seen, other than that monster seen by Amber and Chelsea, his victims who survived and that brief flash of rage in the courtroom.
I felt for the families of the girls, neither of whom wanted this book published and understandably so but I think it’s an insightful look into a cruel and twisted mind and a real lesson for us as a whole. I felt extended grief for Amber Dubois’ family, who didn’t learn about her fate for over a year and for whose search for their loved one didn’t garner as much media attention as the search for Chelsea King would a year later.
I am filled with sadness for both of these young girls who had so much to offer. Both of them could have, and likely would have, made a difference in this world and Gardner deprived society of them. Their lives were just beginning and he decided to snuff them out, for his own demented and selfish reasons. Knowing he is in prison, where he will remain for the rest of his life, is a small comfort.
For fans of true crime, I would recommend Lost Girls. It’s not an easy read and while the pages will go quickly, it can easily weigh you down. With the writing so well done and facts not previously publicly known (due to the lack of a trial) being shared, Lost Girls is a must-read and should be required reading for any criminal justice or psychology student.
Very well done, Ms. Rother. Your work is thought provoking and yet very respectful.
©Psychotic State Book Reviews, 2012
Author Caitlin Rother supplied stellar investigative writing. She wrote with so much description that she brought victims Amber and Chelsea to life on the pages. They came across much more vividly than their killer, which is a wonderful change to many true crime books where the killer is the so-called star of the show. Perhaps it helps that Gardner’s victim count was thankfully low or perhaps it speaks of Ms. Rother’s desire to not glorify the crimes. I have found Ms. Rother’s other true crime works to be equally well balanced and I applaud her efforts.
Even with her desire not to delve into unnecessary detail about the atrocities Amber and Chelsea suffered, the crimes were obviously horrendous. Horrendous in what was emotionally and physically done to the young girls but also in how the crimes themselves tore away the fabric of safety that permeated the bedroom communities where the girls lived and from where they were abducted. Once that layer of security has been ripped away it’s hard to replace and Gardner is guilty of murdering the innocence present in the northern San Diego area.
Ms. Rother did a fantastic job on Gardner’s background and formative years. I was alternately stunned, saddened and angered by the many abuses and red flags that were present in his childhood and adolescence that were either ignored or glossed over by family members and health professionals. I hate to use the term “perfect storm” but Gardner’s upbringing and environment seemed to me to be a perfect storm for creating a monster. Gardner’s mother gave me the most aggravation. I can understand defending your child but this mother seemed to be in denial and appears to continue to be in denial. I will stop short of calling her an enabler; after all, she didn’t cause her son to be a killer and no parent deserves the grief of knowing your child has taken the lives of others but I have no tolerance for excuse making and she thoroughly put me off through the course of the book.
I was also shocked at how the healthcare system, particularly the mental healthcare system, appeared to fail Gardner. Time and again he was proven to have problems. Time and again it was clear he needed intervention, he needed medication, he needed professional help. Even when he himself asked for it, it was denied. Why? I can’t help but wonder if the proper help was given, would Amber Dubois and Chelsea King be alive today?
Most enlightening and hair raising is the section at the end of the book, where Ms. Rother had an interview with Gardner. This may be the truest Gardner seen, other than that monster seen by Amber and Chelsea, his victims who survived and that brief flash of rage in the courtroom.
I felt for the families of the girls, neither of whom wanted this book published and understandably so but I think it’s an insightful look into a cruel and twisted mind and a real lesson for us as a whole. I felt extended grief for Amber Dubois’ family, who didn’t learn about her fate for over a year and for whose search for their loved one didn’t garner as much media attention as the search for Chelsea King would a year later.
I am filled with sadness for both of these young girls who had so much to offer. Both of them could have, and likely would have, made a difference in this world and Gardner deprived society of them. Their lives were just beginning and he decided to snuff them out, for his own demented and selfish reasons. Knowing he is in prison, where he will remain for the rest of his life, is a small comfort.
For fans of true crime, I would recommend Lost Girls. It’s not an easy read and while the pages will go quickly, it can easily weigh you down. With the writing so well done and facts not previously publicly known (due to the lack of a trial) being shared, Lost Girls is a must-read and should be required reading for any criminal justice or psychology student.
Very well done, Ms. Rother. Your work is thought provoking and yet very respectful.
©Psychotic State Book Reviews, 2012
August 17, 2012
While reading this book I felt as though I was reading an episode of 48 hours. Given the title of the book, "Lost Girls" I expected the book to be more about the girls not the person who ended their lives. In my opinion this book did a disservice to the lives of Amber and Chelsea by focusing on John's life. I may have felt different about the book if they were able to explain why he did those horrible things to those girls, but it didn't. Oh it showed how his mom was an enabler and in denial about him. And it told about his disfunctional family full of molesting, alcholism, divorce, incest, and abuse. But when it came down to the WHY he did it they blamed the system for not getting him the help that he needed. Nevermind that his mom felt that he didn't deserve to go to prison for assulting a 13 year old girl but she felt they should have locked him up for breaking his parole by have a controlled substance in his car. I'm not saying that there isn't mental illness in the world but when people try to hide behind a label to explain there behavior, that's when I stop caring. He never once took ownership in what he did, it was always about the things that had gone wrong for him. Well Boo Hoo John!!
July 7, 2012
The title is deceptive. This is not about the "lost girls" Chelsea King and Amber Dubois. It's more of an apologist tale of the sadistic bastard who killed them. The author relies on the memories of people in John Gardner's life for her "facts". Family members and friends are a dysfunctional, drug addicted, abusive, drunken bunch who denied Gardner could have done something so awful. He did. This book seems to blame an oh-so-mean parole officer (who insisted Gardner stick to some of his parole conditions) for ruining Gardner's life and sending him into a downward spiral.
Sorry I read it.
Sorry I read it.
July 31, 2012
Written in 2012, this book studies the development of sexual predator John Gardner, his family, the victims and their families. Having participated in the search for Chelsea King I had a special interest in this story. http://johnfrogsblog.blogspot.com/201... Facts of the case were well presented and much more coherent than the sound bites of the mainstream media.
Rother has been criticized for being too sympathetic to the killer. The truth, I believe, is that there is usually plenty of blame to go around in most cases this horrendous. Gardner was stable with a girlfriend until his parole officer had him quit $48 per hour job as an electrician for his father in law in LA. When Gardner assaulted Caroline Moncayo some months before Chelsea was killed at Lake Hodges, SDPD never made public an alert for users of this urban wilderness. Prior to Chelsea's murder, Gardner had asked to be committed because he felt he was a danger to others and himself. Because of the budget crisis in California, no beds were available. Perhaps all citizens of California share some responsibility for that lack of resources.
Lost Girls has been well researched and written. John Gardner certainly belongs in prison for life, he is damaged beyond all hope and has said as much since being convicted. This story gives any parent pause to the notion that because one resides in an upscale community that our children are safe enough to suspend awareness of predators, whether they be mountain lions or men.
Rother has been criticized for being too sympathetic to the killer. The truth, I believe, is that there is usually plenty of blame to go around in most cases this horrendous. Gardner was stable with a girlfriend until his parole officer had him quit $48 per hour job as an electrician for his father in law in LA. When Gardner assaulted Caroline Moncayo some months before Chelsea was killed at Lake Hodges, SDPD never made public an alert for users of this urban wilderness. Prior to Chelsea's murder, Gardner had asked to be committed because he felt he was a danger to others and himself. Because of the budget crisis in California, no beds were available. Perhaps all citizens of California share some responsibility for that lack of resources.
Lost Girls has been well researched and written. John Gardner certainly belongs in prison for life, he is damaged beyond all hope and has said as much since being convicted. This story gives any parent pause to the notion that because one resides in an upscale community that our children are safe enough to suspend awareness of predators, whether they be mountain lions or men.
July 6, 2012
This book is very well researched and written. The content of the book is deeply disturbing. I lived in the San Diego area for many years.
The book read fast. It held my interest. I found it perturbing that parents permit teenage girls to walk a hiking trail alone. The portraits of the murderer and his mother are very detailed. I wondered as I read the book why Gardner's mother was not held criminally or civilly responsible.
Even though the book is disturbing, it is well worth your time to read the book.
The book read fast. It held my interest. I found it perturbing that parents permit teenage girls to walk a hiking trail alone. The portraits of the murderer and his mother are very detailed. I wondered as I read the book why Gardner's mother was not held criminally or civilly responsible.
Even though the book is disturbing, it is well worth your time to read the book.
July 26, 2012
Caitlin Rother is the queen of true crime. The books that she writes are superbly well researched, thought-provokingly written, engaging and told in a way that puts her as a neutral person – telling the story of the victims and those who played a role in the most heinous of crimes.
In Lost Girls, Ms. Rother tells the story of a highly disturbed man and the shocking crimes that he committed on two young and beautiful girls – young women who had their entire lives before them. Though the tragedy is unspeakable and disturbing, Caitlin Rother manages to tell the story in the utmost of sensitive ways. Her ability to do this is highly admirable.
When I began reading Lost Girls, I was quickly and instantly drawn in. As a mother of a pre-teen girl, fears of abduction, rape, murder and numerous types of violations often plague my mind and makes me worry. The society in which we live in is a sad sad place and these things that every parent and child need to be made aware of. My heart breaks for the parents of these girls.
Mental health and mental disabilities are a much more common problem than many realize. Many people go untreated, problems are tossed aside, treatment is not effective or just not addressed properly. Signs and signals go unwarranted, ignored and blinders get put in place. The government and the legal system fails for numerous reasons and innocent people end up casualties. It is a sad and incomprehensible fact that it takes horrific crimes to come to light before stronger laws get put into place.
The story of Chelsea and Amber is one that breaks the heart, brings tears to the eyes and reinforces the fact that, as parents, we have to make our children well aware of the dangers that lurk constantly. Lost Girls is a story that brings the girls’ voices to surface, tells their story, their horror and will make people aware of the unimaginable that occurs within the world today. Lost Girls is also a story that delves into the mind of the disturbed – someone who is unstable, prone to violence, sexual deviance, and the unspeakable. Readers will have a peek into such a person, learn red flags and trouble signs to make them more aware of those around them. No, this is not an easy read, but it is an important one and one expertly told from an author who covers all bases, brings the reader into what is happening and allows them to understand and “see” what occurs. I cannot wait to read more work by Caitlin Rother and highly recommend lovers of true crime to check her out as well!
In Lost Girls, Ms. Rother tells the story of a highly disturbed man and the shocking crimes that he committed on two young and beautiful girls – young women who had their entire lives before them. Though the tragedy is unspeakable and disturbing, Caitlin Rother manages to tell the story in the utmost of sensitive ways. Her ability to do this is highly admirable.
When I began reading Lost Girls, I was quickly and instantly drawn in. As a mother of a pre-teen girl, fears of abduction, rape, murder and numerous types of violations often plague my mind and makes me worry. The society in which we live in is a sad sad place and these things that every parent and child need to be made aware of. My heart breaks for the parents of these girls.
Mental health and mental disabilities are a much more common problem than many realize. Many people go untreated, problems are tossed aside, treatment is not effective or just not addressed properly. Signs and signals go unwarranted, ignored and blinders get put in place. The government and the legal system fails for numerous reasons and innocent people end up casualties. It is a sad and incomprehensible fact that it takes horrific crimes to come to light before stronger laws get put into place.
The story of Chelsea and Amber is one that breaks the heart, brings tears to the eyes and reinforces the fact that, as parents, we have to make our children well aware of the dangers that lurk constantly. Lost Girls is a story that brings the girls’ voices to surface, tells their story, their horror and will make people aware of the unimaginable that occurs within the world today. Lost Girls is also a story that delves into the mind of the disturbed – someone who is unstable, prone to violence, sexual deviance, and the unspeakable. Readers will have a peek into such a person, learn red flags and trouble signs to make them more aware of those around them. No, this is not an easy read, but it is an important one and one expertly told from an author who covers all bases, brings the reader into what is happening and allows them to understand and “see” what occurs. I cannot wait to read more work by Caitlin Rother and highly recommend lovers of true crime to check her out as well!
May 21, 2017
The lost girls were Chelsea King and Amber Dubois, they were good girls and they disappeared one year apart. Both were abducted by John Albert Gardner, who raped and killed them. Like many such predators, he had a normal sex-life with his girlfriend, even fathering twins with a former girlfriend. He also had violent urges that lead him to seek out vulnerable women.
The victim’s family did not cooperate with this book, all information about them is from public records and interviews with people (friends, schoolmates) close to the victim. This story is told from the perspective of the perpetrator’s family, it must be hard to be related to a criminal like this. His mother and girlfriend and ex-girlfriends appear to be in denial and were also blaming others, hospitals for not treating him and the mental health community in general.
Even though he was mentally ill, he knew what he was doing was wrong, he waited until his victims were alone before grabbing them and disposed of evidence afterward, burying their bodies and throwing their clothes away. Caitlin Rother brings all this out in her book, which is well-written, informative and interesting. I recommend this book.
The victim’s family did not cooperate with this book, all information about them is from public records and interviews with people (friends, schoolmates) close to the victim. This story is told from the perspective of the perpetrator’s family, it must be hard to be related to a criminal like this. His mother and girlfriend and ex-girlfriends appear to be in denial and were also blaming others, hospitals for not treating him and the mental health community in general.
Even though he was mentally ill, he knew what he was doing was wrong, he waited until his victims were alone before grabbing them and disposed of evidence afterward, burying their bodies and throwing their clothes away. Caitlin Rother brings all this out in her book, which is well-written, informative and interesting. I recommend this book.
August 5, 2017
True Crime Commemoration # 31
Setting:
Setting:
November 25, 2017
As usual, this book by Caitlin Rother was phenomenal. I became a fan of Caitlin's a couple years ago and she hasn't let me down since. When I first started reading this book, I didn't think the cases were anything that sounded familiar, but as it turned out, it was. I had heard the case on Nancy Grace.
The book is mainly about 2 girls that go missing and I heard both stories on the Nancy Grace show. Anyone that has ever watched Nancy Grace knows, she has a way of stirring you up about a case. I love how Caitlin brings out the differences of the two cases and how one might have been handled a little less as aggressively as the other. When listening to the coverage of these cases on the Nancy Grace show, honestly, I never noticed that one wasn't being handled like it should have been. But in the defense of the police departments, and Caitlin is awesome to bring this out, the parents weren't the easiest parents to believe and work with.
I can think of a lot of parents in the nation that could learn a very good lesson from these cases.
This is a really good book to read and it has some important thought provoking situations that everyone should think about and decide for yourself exactly where you stand on those particular issues.
The book is mainly about 2 girls that go missing and I heard both stories on the Nancy Grace show. Anyone that has ever watched Nancy Grace knows, she has a way of stirring you up about a case. I love how Caitlin brings out the differences of the two cases and how one might have been handled a little less as aggressively as the other. When listening to the coverage of these cases on the Nancy Grace show, honestly, I never noticed that one wasn't being handled like it should have been. But in the defense of the police departments, and Caitlin is awesome to bring this out, the parents weren't the easiest parents to believe and work with.
I can think of a lot of parents in the nation that could learn a very good lesson from these cases.
This is a really good book to read and it has some important thought provoking situations that everyone should think about and decide for yourself exactly where you stand on those particular issues.
July 14, 2012
Just completed this book after getting my copy at one of Caitlin's booksignings last week.
With the press and coverage and attacks in the media, I was interested in reading the book and making the decision for myself and I am very glad that I did.
The book was well researched even under the circumstances that legal roadblocks and withholding of information made it only that much more difficult and time consuming to research documents and information that was never made public as no trial existed that would have put much of this into public knowledge. I feel Caitlin did a great job at researching and presenting Gardner to the reader as non-biased as she tends to do with all her books.
Also, I do like the fact that Caitlin was the one to write this book as her compassion for the victim's families shows in the book as she does not focus on the gory details as many people wouild have done to boost sales and create an interest.
The Chelsea King and Amber Dubois murders happened right around my birthday, as a matter of fact the search for Chelsea happened on my birthday week so reading this book did bring tears to my eyes at times as I was taken back to that time a few years back.
All I can say is Caitlin does another great job delivering the story as honestly and respectfully as possible
With the press and coverage and attacks in the media, I was interested in reading the book and making the decision for myself and I am very glad that I did.
The book was well researched even under the circumstances that legal roadblocks and withholding of information made it only that much more difficult and time consuming to research documents and information that was never made public as no trial existed that would have put much of this into public knowledge. I feel Caitlin did a great job at researching and presenting Gardner to the reader as non-biased as she tends to do with all her books.
Also, I do like the fact that Caitlin was the one to write this book as her compassion for the victim's families shows in the book as she does not focus on the gory details as many people wouild have done to boost sales and create an interest.
The Chelsea King and Amber Dubois murders happened right around my birthday, as a matter of fact the search for Chelsea happened on my birthday week so reading this book did bring tears to my eyes at times as I was taken back to that time a few years back.
All I can say is Caitlin does another great job delivering the story as honestly and respectfully as possible
October 1, 2012
As many of my friends know I read a lot of true crime. So far i have liked all this authors's book except for one. This book was thought provoking and another good read.
The difference with the other true crime's I read is that this story was told by the killer and his family. The victims parents dis not want to cooperate which is their right.
Sometimes I thought the author was finding excuses for the murderer but later on I realized she was just telling the facts.
While checking my kindle because I had highlighted a lot of comments by Killers mum and his former girlfriend, I come to find I deleted the book from my kindle, meaning I also lost all my notes.
Well I can tell you I got sick by both of them. They were constantly finding excuses for him. They still think his first victim, a girl next door, who was assaulted and nearly raped by this guy, was lying. Even after all what had happened.
A good read. 3.5
The difference with the other true crime's I read is that this story was told by the killer and his family. The victims parents dis not want to cooperate which is their right.
Sometimes I thought the author was finding excuses for the murderer but later on I realized she was just telling the facts.
While checking my kindle because I had highlighted a lot of comments by Killers mum and his former girlfriend, I come to find I deleted the book from my kindle, meaning I also lost all my notes.
Well I can tell you I got sick by both of them. They were constantly finding excuses for him. They still think his first victim, a girl next door, who was assaulted and nearly raped by this guy, was lying. Even after all what had happened.
A good read. 3.5
July 24, 2012
Two innocent teenage girls ... one psychotic sexual predator ... two heinous, senseless murders that took the girls' lives one year apart and rocked the San Diego suburb communities of Poway and Escondido ...
Seventeen year old Chelsea King was a beautiful, popular, intelligent senior at Poway High School, who had a promising future ahead of her. On February 25, 2010, Chelsea went jogging on the trails of Rancho Bernardo Community Park (Lake Hodges) after school let out. When she failed to come home, her parents immediately called the Poway Sheriff's office and reported her missing. Her father found her car in the park's parking lot with her purse and school clothes left inside the car. The police immediately launched a search for Chelsea with the help of the community volunteers and media. Sadly, Chelsea's body was found five days later on March 2, 2010 at the lake in a shallow grave.
Thirty year old John Albert Gardner, Jr., a bipolar sexual predator who was staying in the area at his mother's condominium was arrested on February 28, 2010 at a bar and restaurant in Escondido in connection to the disappearance and murder of Chelsea King. DNA evidence found on Chelsea's clothing along with witness accounts of seeing Gardner on the park's trails, were enough to match Gardner to the crime.
To escape the death penalty, Gardner made a deal with the prosecutors and gave them information on the whereabouts of his first victim, fourteen year old Amber Dubois, who he abducted a year earlier on February 13, 2009 in Escondido. Amber Dubois' remains were found on March 6, 2010 on the grounds of the Pala Indian Reservation.
On April 16, 2010, John Albert Gardner, Jr. plead guilty to the rape and murder of both Amber Dubois and Chelsea King. In addition, he plead guilty to the attempted rape of Candice Moncayo in December 2009. On May 14, 2010, Gardner was sentenced to two terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Lost Girls is a chilling detailed account of the heinous and senseless rape and murder of two young girls by a psychotic sexual predator. Author Caitlin Rother provides the reader with an insightful look that shed light into the background of this psychotic murderer in an unbiased, thoughtful and well-researched descriptive way. The author has stated that her intention in writing this book was to provide an informative cautionary tale that would shed light into the broken criminal justice system's way of handling sexual predators that failed to protect the girls, and the inadequate services provided to people with mental health issues.
I believe that the author provided a very thorough and detailed chronological account into the background of Gardner, the murders of Chelsea King and Amber Dubois, and the legal process in a respectful and thoughtful way. I think the author wrote this book in an unbiased and professional way, even though the King and Dubois families did not authorize or participate in the preparing of this book. I do not believe that the author should be vilified for giving a true account into the horrifying, senseless and profoundly sad murders of these two innocent young girls. Even though the pain and grief must be beyond anything that anyone can imagine, perhaps if the families had contributed to the book, it would have become a more rounded and complete documented account, instead of erupting into a vicious uproar and causing an unfortunate controversy that does not solve anything in a constructive or positive way, nor does it help lessen the grief, pain and loss felt by the families. If you could consider this book and the enactment of Chelsea's Law as a positive step towards educating the public and safeguarding the safety of children from sexual predators, then Chelsea's legacy will forever be a shining beacon of light.
My heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the families of Amber Dubois and Chelsea King.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Publicity Tours.
Virtual Book Tour Event: On Tuesday, July 24, 2012, in association with Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Publicity Tours, author Caitlin Rother participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
Seventeen year old Chelsea King was a beautiful, popular, intelligent senior at Poway High School, who had a promising future ahead of her. On February 25, 2010, Chelsea went jogging on the trails of Rancho Bernardo Community Park (Lake Hodges) after school let out. When she failed to come home, her parents immediately called the Poway Sheriff's office and reported her missing. Her father found her car in the park's parking lot with her purse and school clothes left inside the car. The police immediately launched a search for Chelsea with the help of the community volunteers and media. Sadly, Chelsea's body was found five days later on March 2, 2010 at the lake in a shallow grave.
Thirty year old John Albert Gardner, Jr., a bipolar sexual predator who was staying in the area at his mother's condominium was arrested on February 28, 2010 at a bar and restaurant in Escondido in connection to the disappearance and murder of Chelsea King. DNA evidence found on Chelsea's clothing along with witness accounts of seeing Gardner on the park's trails, were enough to match Gardner to the crime.
To escape the death penalty, Gardner made a deal with the prosecutors and gave them information on the whereabouts of his first victim, fourteen year old Amber Dubois, who he abducted a year earlier on February 13, 2009 in Escondido. Amber Dubois' remains were found on March 6, 2010 on the grounds of the Pala Indian Reservation.
On April 16, 2010, John Albert Gardner, Jr. plead guilty to the rape and murder of both Amber Dubois and Chelsea King. In addition, he plead guilty to the attempted rape of Candice Moncayo in December 2009. On May 14, 2010, Gardner was sentenced to two terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Lost Girls is a chilling detailed account of the heinous and senseless rape and murder of two young girls by a psychotic sexual predator. Author Caitlin Rother provides the reader with an insightful look that shed light into the background of this psychotic murderer in an unbiased, thoughtful and well-researched descriptive way. The author has stated that her intention in writing this book was to provide an informative cautionary tale that would shed light into the broken criminal justice system's way of handling sexual predators that failed to protect the girls, and the inadequate services provided to people with mental health issues.
I believe that the author provided a very thorough and detailed chronological account into the background of Gardner, the murders of Chelsea King and Amber Dubois, and the legal process in a respectful and thoughtful way. I think the author wrote this book in an unbiased and professional way, even though the King and Dubois families did not authorize or participate in the preparing of this book. I do not believe that the author should be vilified for giving a true account into the horrifying, senseless and profoundly sad murders of these two innocent young girls. Even though the pain and grief must be beyond anything that anyone can imagine, perhaps if the families had contributed to the book, it would have become a more rounded and complete documented account, instead of erupting into a vicious uproar and causing an unfortunate controversy that does not solve anything in a constructive or positive way, nor does it help lessen the grief, pain and loss felt by the families. If you could consider this book and the enactment of Chelsea's Law as a positive step towards educating the public and safeguarding the safety of children from sexual predators, then Chelsea's legacy will forever be a shining beacon of light.
My heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the families of Amber Dubois and Chelsea King.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Publicity Tours.
Virtual Book Tour Event: On Tuesday, July 24, 2012, in association with Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Publicity Tours, author Caitlin Rother participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
January 22, 2013
Caitlin Rothers Lost Girls describes Chelsea King a popular high school senior, an outstanding achiever and was determined to make a difference, fourteen year old Amber Dubious loved books and poured her heart out into animals she cared for, treasured by their family and friends both girls went missing in San Diego County just eight miles and one year apart. This book I thought was very difficult to read through and just depressing.
The life lesson behind this book is to always trust your instincts and to never fall for the main person you trust the most. I say that because this true crime book just interested many people, but I must say this was a heart breaking true life thriller that just scared me! The characters in this book were very real characters or real people, John Gardner the horrible person that killed these two innocent girls lives the rest of his life in prison locked away from everyone important in his life. The characters used in this book were used very well and described almost as I knew it was them, the scary thing about this book is I am from San Diego and knowing that I am from here just scares me that John Gardner was out there living among all of us.
The setting in this book was all very real, I actually knew where all these places were and I have been there as well, knowing that this book is a true crime book and thinking of all the places that I have been too just frightens me and how many horrible things can happen in this world. Defiantly when I close my eyes I can see the places being drawn in my head.
The community's desperate search led authorities to John Albert Gardner, the scary predator looking for young women to prey on. The plot of this book just explains of John Gardner's life and how he became the man he is today and what led him to the things he had did. You may ask many questions regarding why he did it? and where was he when all this was going on? where was is family? and where are they now as we speak? well what I can tell you is to keep reading and read this book and all your questions will be answered.
In conclusion this was a very depressing book that was very hard for me to get through. It took me a while to get through this book not only because this book is so detailed but because it has pictures and quotes from what the people are actually saying, if you are not into crime books I wouldn't read this book. If you are looking for an interesting page turner I would really recommend this book because the good thing about it, is that the book keeps you reading and turning those pages away.
The life lesson behind this book is to always trust your instincts and to never fall for the main person you trust the most. I say that because this true crime book just interested many people, but I must say this was a heart breaking true life thriller that just scared me! The characters in this book were very real characters or real people, John Gardner the horrible person that killed these two innocent girls lives the rest of his life in prison locked away from everyone important in his life. The characters used in this book were used very well and described almost as I knew it was them, the scary thing about this book is I am from San Diego and knowing that I am from here just scares me that John Gardner was out there living among all of us.
The setting in this book was all very real, I actually knew where all these places were and I have been there as well, knowing that this book is a true crime book and thinking of all the places that I have been too just frightens me and how many horrible things can happen in this world. Defiantly when I close my eyes I can see the places being drawn in my head.
The community's desperate search led authorities to John Albert Gardner, the scary predator looking for young women to prey on. The plot of this book just explains of John Gardner's life and how he became the man he is today and what led him to the things he had did. You may ask many questions regarding why he did it? and where was he when all this was going on? where was is family? and where are they now as we speak? well what I can tell you is to keep reading and read this book and all your questions will be answered.
In conclusion this was a very depressing book that was very hard for me to get through. It took me a while to get through this book not only because this book is so detailed but because it has pictures and quotes from what the people are actually saying, if you are not into crime books I wouldn't read this book. If you are looking for an interesting page turner I would really recommend this book because the good thing about it, is that the book keeps you reading and turning those pages away.
July 19, 2012
3.5 STARS
I can't say I exactly enjoyed reading this book, because of its' very content, but I definitely appreciate the exhaustive research and sheer amount of work the author put into telling all sides of the story.
Perhaps the first 180 pages of the book were all background on John Gardner, even going as far back as the psychological history of his grandparents. Some might feel that the author spent so much time on Gardner's history to try to find some excuse for his crimes, but I have to disagree. This book was excellent at putting the reader into the mind of a killer, which, no matter what, we can never hope to truly understand.
It's so interesting to me to learn that Gardner had so many failed attempts at taking psychotropic medication, especially given the fact that his own mother was a nurse. Not only that, but Gardner "slipped through the cracks" of the legal and medical system so many times. One can only help but wonder if he had been helped a little more somewhere along the way, would he still have killed Chelsea King and Amber Dubois?
When tragedy strikes, it is human nature to want to assign blame quickly and somewhat haphazardly. But, more than anything, this book seems to prove that the mind of a murderer is not something we can hope to comprehend, and blame must lie solely in his hands.
I can't say I exactly enjoyed reading this book, because of its' very content, but I definitely appreciate the exhaustive research and sheer amount of work the author put into telling all sides of the story.
Perhaps the first 180 pages of the book were all background on John Gardner, even going as far back as the psychological history of his grandparents. Some might feel that the author spent so much time on Gardner's history to try to find some excuse for his crimes, but I have to disagree. This book was excellent at putting the reader into the mind of a killer, which, no matter what, we can never hope to truly understand.
It's so interesting to me to learn that Gardner had so many failed attempts at taking psychotropic medication, especially given the fact that his own mother was a nurse. Not only that, but Gardner "slipped through the cracks" of the legal and medical system so many times. One can only help but wonder if he had been helped a little more somewhere along the way, would he still have killed Chelsea King and Amber Dubois?
When tragedy strikes, it is human nature to want to assign blame quickly and somewhat haphazardly. But, more than anything, this book seems to prove that the mind of a murderer is not something we can hope to comprehend, and blame must lie solely in his hands.
November 19, 2013
The book is titled Lost Girls but is mostly about the man who murdered them. Amber Dubois was kidnapped while walking to school, and Chelsea King was snatched while jogging on a trail. Their murders took place in the San Diego area. The book devoted great detail to the murderer, John Albert Gardner, whose mother was a psychiatric nurse yet an enabler to her very disturbed son. The book also goes into the failures of the parole system in CA, and the difficulty of getting people good mental health care.
I think Ann Rule would have written a book on this case that I'd have liked better.
I think Ann Rule would have written a book on this case that I'd have liked better.
July 30, 2012
I was brought to this book due to the controversy stirred around it by the families of the victims and I have to say I don't know what the problem is.
The author handles the subject matter with professionalism and sensitivity.
The fact that she chose to focus on the life of the killer as a way to throw light on the pathology of serial killers and the inadequacy of the medical-legal system in California, should not be confused with sympathy or some kind of vindication of his crimes.
The author handles the subject matter with professionalism and sensitivity.
The fact that she chose to focus on the life of the killer as a way to throw light on the pathology of serial killers and the inadequacy of the medical-legal system in California, should not be confused with sympathy or some kind of vindication of his crimes.
December 18, 2012
Excellent book. The author did a great job of giving the reader an inside look at Gardner. He kidnapped two young girls sexually assaulted them and murdered them. I am always curious about the person and their family to try to understand how someone can develop into a killer this story has been featured on dateline and this book shows incredible sensitivity to all involved but gives us clues of how Gardner became a killer
Read
August 11, 2012What a disturbing book. Very well written. I felt so sad for everyone involved when i was done reading. And angry that this could of been prevented if the system worked correctly, john would of been behind bars or in a pyschiatric hospital where he needed to be. The system failed John when he asked for help so many times.
January 11, 2015
Just like most of the reviews I read on here I agree.... It's hard to rate a true crime book. The reason I would give it 4 stars is because I liked the way Rother told the story of the criminal's life from interviews with his family and friends. I feel so bad for the families of his victims and hope that some good can come from the retelling of this tragic story.
Read
August 4, 2012Just started reading this but so far is very good. As with all true crime you pretty much know the ending.
December 9, 2020
This is a true crime book about two senseless murders and the quest for justice. I agree that the book spent too long dwelling on the murderer's past--some might see this as attempting to excuse his inexcusable actions, while others might see it as a caution to readers to pay attention to warning signs exhibited by people in their own lives, and always take them seriously.
Multiple times throughout the text, we see quotes referring to the murderer as an "animal." Can we please stop doing this? Animals who kill do so by instinct and do not have the ability to understand the ramifications of their actions. A person who stalks and kills his victims with full knowledge of the wrongness of his actions and the pain he is causing is all too human.
Multiple times throughout the text, we see quotes referring to the murderer as an "animal." Can we please stop doing this? Animals who kill do so by instinct and do not have the ability to understand the ramifications of their actions. A person who stalks and kills his victims with full knowledge of the wrongness of his actions and the pain he is causing is all too human.
December 4, 2013
This was a very well written and researched true murder book and I'd certainly read more by this author.
I've never felt the least sympathy for a killer before but in John Gardner's case I think he was treated very unfairly and then wasn't given the help he asked and asked for, as did his mother, too, as he knew he was liable to hurt somebody. I think the reason he was listed as a sex offender was wrong, too. It read to me like a lot of "he said, she said" and the neighbour girl was after him and put out because he had a girlfriend and there can be little more vindictive than a spurned teenage girl !! I do believe he hit her but not that he assaulted her sexually.
And because of this old crime against his name John was always going to be labelled a sex pest and not able to get assistance with any mental health organisation nor pursue the career he wanted to. And then while he did have a job and was keeping his head down and his nose clean his new parole officer decides he has to be relocated and his life spiralled downhill fast.
The whole family dynamic he grew up with was a total mess too. All fractured families and a lot of mental issues among them all. There wasn't a normal family unit or upbringing among any of them.
I am in NO way excusing what he did to Amber or Chelsea, though. There's IS no excusing that. He knew right from wrong.
There were very few mistakes in the book-a couple of apostrophe errors and March 2010 was mentioned in relation to Chelsea but she was killed in February 2010. I was disappointed there were no photos at all of either Amber or Chelsea. That seems a huge omission in this book when it's mainly about them both.
I'd never heard of a reverse 911 call but what a great idea that is, too !!
I've never felt the least sympathy for a killer before but in John Gardner's case I think he was treated very unfairly and then wasn't given the help he asked and asked for, as did his mother, too, as he knew he was liable to hurt somebody. I think the reason he was listed as a sex offender was wrong, too. It read to me like a lot of "he said, she said" and the neighbour girl was after him and put out because he had a girlfriend and there can be little more vindictive than a spurned teenage girl !! I do believe he hit her but not that he assaulted her sexually.
And because of this old crime against his name John was always going to be labelled a sex pest and not able to get assistance with any mental health organisation nor pursue the career he wanted to. And then while he did have a job and was keeping his head down and his nose clean his new parole officer decides he has to be relocated and his life spiralled downhill fast.
The whole family dynamic he grew up with was a total mess too. All fractured families and a lot of mental issues among them all. There wasn't a normal family unit or upbringing among any of them.
I am in NO way excusing what he did to Amber or Chelsea, though. There's IS no excusing that. He knew right from wrong.
There were very few mistakes in the book-a couple of apostrophe errors and March 2010 was mentioned in relation to Chelsea but she was killed in February 2010. I was disappointed there were no photos at all of either Amber or Chelsea. That seems a huge omission in this book when it's mainly about them both.
I'd never heard of a reverse 911 call but what a great idea that is, too !!
June 30, 2012
Page turning sad, sad story. The story of dysfunctional families, drug abuse, bipolar, incest, and murder. We find families failing one another, hospitals and Government Agencies not helping or doing their jobs. Laws that are in place and not enforced, people either not doing their jobs, or over worked to the point they are unable to comply.
John Albert Garner, was born with problems, his Mom became a psychiatric nurse in order to support and help her son. Throughout the book you see numerous times she tried and tried to help him. She supported him and hard a hard time believing the monster her son had become. She was also not responsible for his drug abuse, but she should have told authorities about some of her suspicions.
Unfortunately the system failed and two young girls lost their lives because of this. Parents of these girls and politicians have now passed new laws to help prevent another tragedy....if they are enforced! Some have already been postponed.
Don't miss this insight into the mind of a killer, and what helped make him who he is.
I received this book from Pump Your Book Virtual Tours, and the Publisher Kensington Books, and was not required to give a positive review.
John Albert Garner, was born with problems, his Mom became a psychiatric nurse in order to support and help her son. Throughout the book you see numerous times she tried and tried to help him. She supported him and hard a hard time believing the monster her son had become. She was also not responsible for his drug abuse, but she should have told authorities about some of her suspicions.
Unfortunately the system failed and two young girls lost their lives because of this. Parents of these girls and politicians have now passed new laws to help prevent another tragedy....if they are enforced! Some have already been postponed.
Don't miss this insight into the mind of a killer, and what helped make him who he is.
I received this book from Pump Your Book Virtual Tours, and the Publisher Kensington Books, and was not required to give a positive review.
May 29, 2014
Not the best true crime book I have ever read, but certainly not the worst. The author herself admits that it may have not been written as the case was settled and did not go to a trial, which is usually needed to make a book like this interesting. But she also noted that it really needed to be written, so we could see a side of a serial rapist/killer that would make us see how they got to be what they are, and how the system could have helped out at many points along the way. No excuses were made for his crimes, but flaws in the mental health system and the prison/probation system were illustrated to show how any one point along the way, things could have gone differently and saved these two girls' lives.
November 12, 2013
This book was excellently researched, written and presented. Rother provides a full and detailed history of all of the many physical, emotional and psychological factors that led up to the eventual brutal deaths of these two girls. Highly recommended for those who have a curiousity into finding out exactly how it is possible for these monsters to walk among us, and in what ways the "system" is there to support (or fail) them and us.
August 21, 2014
Rother was respectful.
Rother was respectful.
John Gardner Jr. puts fear in my heart. To know that there are more out there is terrifying. Caitlin Rother did a good job respecting the privacy of the victims families. Although Gardner's mother is not believable. Book is suspect-sided. Victims families did not participate in book so truths are unknown
.
Rother was respectful.
John Gardner Jr. puts fear in my heart. To know that there are more out there is terrifying. Caitlin Rother did a good job respecting the privacy of the victims families. Although Gardner's mother is not believable. Book is suspect-sided. Victims families did not participate in book so truths are unknown
.
March 31, 2020
I found this very long winded. To me, the story could have been told in a lot less pages. But the details were interesting. I found out where some if the recent children’s safety laws came from. I liked reading some of the bungling that happened with the police and thought that they did an excellent job despite public outcry.
August 11, 2016
With fairness and respect for all parties involved, Lost Girls digs deep to the roots of evil within the mind of a serial killer. Rother has done her homework. With meticulous care she examines every factor that contributed to the making of a monster. The violent urges seething in his brain seemingly from birth; his mother's inadequacy to provide a supportive environment for her troubled son; the repeated failures of mental health services to normalize his behavior; a rigid, rulebound parolee and sex offender monitoring system that achieves the exact opposite of what it seeks. It's to Rother's credit that readers have different takes on who is most to blame.
The author has taken heat for putting this story into print. This is inappropriate. Lost Girls deepens the reader's understanding of evil, in particular how efforts to control it can fail. Why did this happen? To uncover the truth, the writer must study the person or people with agency, the ones who might have behaved differently. That means Gardner and those who labored to contain him. Greater focus on the victims and their families would have been lurid and gratuitous. Rother pays due respect to Amber, Chelsea and their families but she recognizes that their lives are peripheral to the fundamental question of what made John Gardner.
No one who finishes this book will fail to wish that Gardner had died and Amber and Chelsea had lived. Gardner took their agency completely. That's what is so terrifying about these murders. It's ironic that the one star reviewers on Amazon attack Rother so viciously, for she has played a unique role to restore agency to the victims. She walked alone into the monster's lair, spent five hours in his presence, induced him to give up portions of the girls' stories that no one would have heard. Rother stole back a portion of Amber and Chelsea's spirits and released them to the world. For this she should not be attacked. She should be commended.
I dislike the title, however. The book should be named for Gardner. I suspect Rother agrees, and the publisher deserves the blame.
The author has taken heat for putting this story into print. This is inappropriate. Lost Girls deepens the reader's understanding of evil, in particular how efforts to control it can fail. Why did this happen? To uncover the truth, the writer must study the person or people with agency, the ones who might have behaved differently. That means Gardner and those who labored to contain him. Greater focus on the victims and their families would have been lurid and gratuitous. Rother pays due respect to Amber, Chelsea and their families but she recognizes that their lives are peripheral to the fundamental question of what made John Gardner.
No one who finishes this book will fail to wish that Gardner had died and Amber and Chelsea had lived. Gardner took their agency completely. That's what is so terrifying about these murders. It's ironic that the one star reviewers on Amazon attack Rother so viciously, for she has played a unique role to restore agency to the victims. She walked alone into the monster's lair, spent five hours in his presence, induced him to give up portions of the girls' stories that no one would have heard. Rother stole back a portion of Amber and Chelsea's spirits and released them to the world. For this she should not be attacked. She should be commended.
I dislike the title, however. The book should be named for Gardner. I suspect Rother agrees, and the publisher deserves the blame.
September 4, 2017
Excellent journalistic approach to the different tragic murder cases which occured in and near my city and surrounding community in which I live. It was not possible to read this book without many tears of anger and frustration, due to the fact that Amber and Chelsea most likely would still be alive today if not for the failures and incompetence of local/county/state law enforcement as well as correction facilities and our broken mental health facilities and institutions.
Oddly enough, there are no pictures of Amber or Chelsea, or of the other murder cases in recent North San Diego County history mentioned in this book (Danielle van Dam or Stephanie Crowe), but there was one of Gardner's surviving victim Candice Moncayo.
"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love." Pg. 237
Oddly enough, there are no pictures of Amber or Chelsea, or of the other murder cases in recent North San Diego County history mentioned in this book (Danielle van Dam or Stephanie Crowe), but there was one of Gardner's surviving victim Candice Moncayo.
"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love." Pg. 237
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