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Murder of Innocence: The Tragic Life and Final Rampage of Laurie Dann
Early on a May morning in 1988, Laurie Dann, a thirty-year-old, profoundly unhappy product of the wealthy North Shore suburb of Chicago, loaded her father's car with a cache of handguns, incendiary chemicals, and arsenic-laced food. Driven by fear and hate, she was going to make something terrible happen.
Before the end of the day, Dann had blazed a murderous trail of poison, fire, and bullets through the unsuspecting town of Winnetka, Illinois, and other North Shore suburbs. She murdered an eight-year-old boy and critically wounded 5 other children inside an elementary school. It finally took a massed force of armed police to end the killing.
The shocking story of innocence destroyed by a rich young babysitter inexplicably gone mad made headlines all across the nation and inspired at least two psychotic killers to follow her example. What lead her to do it? Could she have been stopped? The case raised a host of agonizing questions that have remained unanswered—until now. In this book, three Chicago Tribune reporters who covered the Laurie Dann tragedy have pulled together all the available police evidence, unearthed valuable psychiatric information, and interviewed at length scores of people who knew Dann, many of whom had never before spoken to the media about this case. Despite clear and ominous warning signs, a young woman of beauty and privilege was allowed to deteriorate and go slowly berserk—and no one stopped her. Her parents, her doctors, and the police officers who knew her pathological behavior all failed her at critical times. By its passivity and silence, a community comfortable and quiet on the surface, yet reluctant to admit its underlying flaws, became an unwitting accomplice to the final rampage of Laurie Dann. MURDER OF INNOCENCE is a searing portrayal of a family—and a society—unable to cope, and of a young woman who wanted all too desperately only to be loved.
Before the end of the day, Dann had blazed a murderous trail of poison, fire, and bullets through the unsuspecting town of Winnetka, Illinois, and other North Shore suburbs. She murdered an eight-year-old boy and critically wounded 5 other children inside an elementary school. It finally took a massed force of armed police to end the killing.
The shocking story of innocence destroyed by a rich young babysitter inexplicably gone mad made headlines all across the nation and inspired at least two psychotic killers to follow her example. What lead her to do it? Could she have been stopped? The case raised a host of agonizing questions that have remained unanswered—until now. In this book, three Chicago Tribune reporters who covered the Laurie Dann tragedy have pulled together all the available police evidence, unearthed valuable psychiatric information, and interviewed at length scores of people who knew Dann, many of whom had never before spoken to the media about this case. Despite clear and ominous warning signs, a young woman of beauty and privilege was allowed to deteriorate and go slowly berserk—and no one stopped her. Her parents, her doctors, and the police officers who knew her pathological behavior all failed her at critical times. By its passivity and silence, a community comfortable and quiet on the surface, yet reluctant to admit its underlying flaws, became an unwitting accomplice to the final rampage of Laurie Dann. MURDER OF INNOCENCE is a searing portrayal of a family—and a society—unable to cope, and of a young woman who wanted all too desperately only to be loved.
335 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1990
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414 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
July 15, 2021
The mental anguish of Dann was fascinating. I will read this one again for sure. SOCIOPATH definitely
She just completely lost touch with reality by the end
She just completely lost touch with reality by the end
September 7, 2018
I’ve read a lot of true crime books over the years, and although they’re never pleasant reading, they are fascinating and insightful.
This book is extremely informative and tells us in great detail about the person who became the perpetrator in this case, and goes some way to explaining why she did what she did.
I believe the real emphasis here is the horrific mental illness suffered by Laurie Dann which led eventually to these crimes.
It is a very sad story and I wish she had received the help she was obviously desperate for.
Of course there are innocent victims, and in this case the victims are especially innocent and this makes it a heart breaking read.
It’s not really on par with any other true crime story I’ve read in that it is told almost in the first person, it’s extremely well researched.
For true crime fans it’s a must read.
4 stars.
(I should also add that you won’t be alone if thoughts of Linda Blair in the exorcist keep popping into your mind while reading this! It’s is a creepy read at times).
This book is extremely informative and tells us in great detail about the person who became the perpetrator in this case, and goes some way to explaining why she did what she did.
I believe the real emphasis here is the horrific mental illness suffered by Laurie Dann which led eventually to these crimes.
It is a very sad story and I wish she had received the help she was obviously desperate for.
Of course there are innocent victims, and in this case the victims are especially innocent and this makes it a heart breaking read.
It’s not really on par with any other true crime story I’ve read in that it is told almost in the first person, it’s extremely well researched.
For true crime fans it’s a must read.
4 stars.
(I should also add that you won’t be alone if thoughts of Linda Blair in the exorcist keep popping into your mind while reading this! It’s is a creepy read at times).
November 26, 2017
This is an account I am very familiar with, however this book was very enlightening. Laurie Dann's whole life is brought forth, including her history of mental illness. It would be easy to say she slipped through the cracks, except the two people who could have got the ball rolling to help her failed miserably. One because of denial and the other because of disinterest or narcissism.
To say Laurie was bat-shit crazy is easy, and also rather dismissive of the very real problem of mental health. Besides the people who were shot and their families, and Laurie Dann's family, there were other people whose lives were ruined by her actions.
A very well done account.
To say Laurie was bat-shit crazy is easy, and also rather dismissive of the very real problem of mental health. Besides the people who were shot and their families, and Laurie Dann's family, there were other people whose lives were ruined by her actions.
A very well done account.
March 26, 2015
I loved this book. It details Laurie's life and her descent into mental illness which culminated in a deadly rampage killing a young boy and injuring other young children and an adult. She attempted to cause death and destruction in the town she lived in by planting a bomb in a school and leaving poisoned juice and sweets at addresses all over town. One family were very lucky to escape after she tried to burn them to death in their basement. She managed to fool various psychiatrists that she seen for limited periods of time and none of them thought she was ever a danger to anybody. The frustrating thing was her parents, who were so ineffective in dealing with Laurie and accepting that she needed serious, urgent help. They made excuses for everything that happened with Laurie and they blamed other people (especially her ex-husband Russell) for causing all Laurie's problems and making her act the way she did. She stalked and harassed anybody she felt had slighted her,especially people from her past, ex boyfriends and their new families were targets of hundreds of hang up calls and threats of death which the police, although they knew about Laurie, never really took seriously. She was obsessed with her ex-husband Russell and his family for years after the breakdown of her marriage and tried on more than one occasion to kill him, breaking into his house in the middle of the night and attacking him with an ice-pick. She also accused him of raping and assaulting her on numerous occasions, which were all lies. Her strange, disturbing and ultimately terrifying behaviour was largely ignored by her parents and I feel a huge responsibility should lie with them for what eventually happened to all the innocent people who suffered at the hands of Laurie Dann.
April 13, 2018
Well constructed recounting, gripping, but fucking traumatizing.
I like that the authors gave so much attention to Laurie's early life and the slow slide from typical emotionally neglected youth - to obsessive compulsive young woman - to enabled and psychotic adult - and eventually to angry, murderous nutter.
I also loved how detailed they were with her history with the police. Though, that made this all the more horrific. It could have and absolutely should have been avoided. But we don't have the best history with letting law enforcement actually enforce. And, we certainly have a horrible history with how we deal with mental illness.
I won't even start on my feelings to her ridiculous parents...
I'm glad I went into this one blind. Had I read the synopsis or googled her before hand, I would not have picked it up, due to the nature. However, the authors did well with keeping the focus off the horrific details of murder and multiple attempted murders and keeping the focus on how seriously fucked in the head this woman was. That helped stomach it. Some...
I like that the authors gave so much attention to Laurie's early life and the slow slide from typical emotionally neglected youth - to obsessive compulsive young woman - to enabled and psychotic adult - and eventually to angry, murderous nutter.
I also loved how detailed they were with her history with the police. Though, that made this all the more horrific. It could have and absolutely should have been avoided. But we don't have the best history with letting law enforcement actually enforce. And, we certainly have a horrible history with how we deal with mental illness.
I won't even start on my feelings to her ridiculous parents...
I'm glad I went into this one blind. Had I read the synopsis or googled her before hand, I would not have picked it up, due to the nature. However, the authors did well with keeping the focus off the horrific details of murder and multiple attempted murders and keeping the focus on how seriously fucked in the head this woman was. That helped stomach it. Some...
November 29, 2017
.
Creepy story about how isolating and painful it is to not be like other people. How easy it is to ignore the misery of the mentally ill, and there is absolutely no where to turn for those who do recognise the strange behaviors. I don't remember this incident at the time it happened but it is eerily similar to the recent Las Vegas shooting in the fact that we will never know what happens when someone decides to deliberately plot and execute such an elaborate plan to hurt other people.
Creepy story about how isolating and painful it is to not be like other people. How easy it is to ignore the misery of the mentally ill, and there is absolutely no where to turn for those who do recognise the strange behaviors. I don't remember this incident at the time it happened but it is eerily similar to the recent Las Vegas shooting in the fact that we will never know what happens when someone decides to deliberately plot and execute such an elaborate plan to hurt other people.
August 11, 2024
Grim reading but also fascinating. I lived in Chicago when Laurie Dann went on her rampage. Fortunately she did not have access to an assault rifle.
The rampage did not have to happen. Laurie Dann was so obviously seriously mentally ill for so long. Her parents should have had her hospitalized. There's not really an excuse for their negligence. Yes, she was an adult, but they clearly just didn't want to deal with her and her behavior.
This book was published in 1990 and it is weird to read about a school shooting written before school shootings became so depressingly common.
"Laurie's enormous ineptitude had dogged her to the end. If she had been successful in all she wanted to do on May 20, she would have fatally poisoned at least fifty people, shot to death at least a dozen schoolchildren, incinerated three members of the Rushe family in their home and burned down two schools with 440 children inside." (p. 298)
The rampage did not have to happen. Laurie Dann was so obviously seriously mentally ill for so long. Her parents should have had her hospitalized. There's not really an excuse for their negligence. Yes, she was an adult, but they clearly just didn't want to deal with her and her behavior.
This book was published in 1990 and it is weird to read about a school shooting written before school shootings became so depressingly common.
"Laurie's enormous ineptitude had dogged her to the end. If she had been successful in all she wanted to do on May 20, she would have fatally poisoned at least fifty people, shot to death at least a dozen schoolchildren, incinerated three members of the Rushe family in their home and burned down two schools with 440 children inside." (p. 298)
May 22, 2017
Very Tragic Story
I remember when this incident happened. I worked with a man who's daughter went to the school, and our frantic attempts to get in touch with him to let him know what was happening. It is a tragic story in two ways: 1) a very disturbed woman was unable to get the help she needed because those in positions to help either didn't want to help (her parents) or were unwilling to help (police and medical professionals); 2) the result of the lack of love and care for this young woman resulted in the tragic shooting of several children and the death of one.
The worst tragedy of all is that we as a country didn't seem to learn anything from this incident. There continues to be an inability on the part of everyone (parents, the medical profession, school authorities, police, even neighbors and friends) to fail to recognize and get help for those who are need.
The sad thing is that Laurie Dann's parents, the police and medical professionals had been warned that there was a serious problem and nobody listened to them. If they had only listened, this could have been avoided and Laurie could have gotten the medical treatment she needed including in-patient treatment.
I remember when this incident happened. I worked with a man who's daughter went to the school, and our frantic attempts to get in touch with him to let him know what was happening. It is a tragic story in two ways: 1) a very disturbed woman was unable to get the help she needed because those in positions to help either didn't want to help (her parents) or were unwilling to help (police and medical professionals); 2) the result of the lack of love and care for this young woman resulted in the tragic shooting of several children and the death of one.
The worst tragedy of all is that we as a country didn't seem to learn anything from this incident. There continues to be an inability on the part of everyone (parents, the medical profession, school authorities, police, even neighbors and friends) to fail to recognize and get help for those who are need.
The sad thing is that Laurie Dann's parents, the police and medical professionals had been warned that there was a serious problem and nobody listened to them. If they had only listened, this could have been avoided and Laurie could have gotten the medical treatment she needed including in-patient treatment.
January 24, 2016
Yikes, what a story. This woman is just unravelling in front of your eyes, and nobody can even name the problem, let alone do anything about it. You come away thankful it wasn't much worse, but so frustrated that nobody -- despite any number of warnings -- did anything to interrupt Laurie Dann's collapse. This book does give you the information you need to diagnose her, which her treatment a mile.
January 16, 2017
Good book, but I wonder how much was fabricated to make a seamless read.
July 11, 2017
This book made me want to slap everyone in law enforcement that was involved in this case.
June 17, 2022
I had never heard of this crime until it was mentioned in an article about the Uvalde shooting. This was the first lone female school shooter I had heard of, and was curious what the hell would drive a 30 year old woman to poison kids and shoot up a school?
What this book really chronicles is the gradual progression of severe mental disease without adequate treatment, and the dangers of turning a blind eye to the warning signs of those you love. I found myself wanting to slap some sense into her parents as they continually just threw money at their daughter's problems and coddled her while she slowly became a dangerous lunatic. Police, too, were unable or unwilling to do much of anything, assuming a woman could never be that violent. Over and over Laurie's victims of harassment and burglary told anyone who would listen that one day she was going to kill someone. They begged the police and her parents to take away her guns, but they didn't want to interfere with her "rights"
The one positive note is that after this crime strict gun control was passed in the region with almost no backlash. The entire community was so traumatized that they didn't want even a chance of another psycho owning a gun. Of course, since then the NRA has repealed all of that legislation, and we continue the escalating horror of mental illness and guns in this country.
Very well-researched and written, though a bit too long and obviously depressing as hell.
What this book really chronicles is the gradual progression of severe mental disease without adequate treatment, and the dangers of turning a blind eye to the warning signs of those you love. I found myself wanting to slap some sense into her parents as they continually just threw money at their daughter's problems and coddled her while she slowly became a dangerous lunatic. Police, too, were unable or unwilling to do much of anything, assuming a woman could never be that violent. Over and over Laurie's victims of harassment and burglary told anyone who would listen that one day she was going to kill someone. They begged the police and her parents to take away her guns, but they didn't want to interfere with her "rights"
The one positive note is that after this crime strict gun control was passed in the region with almost no backlash. The entire community was so traumatized that they didn't want even a chance of another psycho owning a gun. Of course, since then the NRA has repealed all of that legislation, and we continue the escalating horror of mental illness and guns in this country.
Very well-researched and written, though a bit too long and obviously depressing as hell.
August 18, 2017
“Murder of Innocence: The Tragic Life and Final Rampage of Laurie Dann” is a true crime novel documenting her life, the events that made her infamous, along with her ultimate death. The book is co-authored by Joel Kaplan, George Papajohn, and Eric Zorn. The Audiobook edition is performed by Gary Tiedemann. Laurie Dunn, if you were unaware, was one of the first people to attack an elementary school of children and adults in 1988. It is a powerfully tragic story involving mental illness, psychotic behavior, failures of law enforcement, and parents who remained in denial. If you are a person who enjoys crime documentaries or likes TV shows such as Forensic Files, I believe you will find this story and the audiobooks narration fascinating. At just over ten hours of audio, the book covers a large amount of information on this woman’s life.
I want to say up front that this is a rather dark and grim story, but remember is it retelling the actual events from her life. It amazes me how irrational Laurie Dunn appeared to be due to her mental illness and very deep bouts of depression. You see the effects through her senseless OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) behavior and senseless fears including superstitions and her continuous fear of people abandoning her; often they left because of her actions. We are given a view into how the medical industry tried to address her pain by prescribing medications and therapy; similar to what it does today. After this, she was left to work things out on her own which failed her and those she impacted. I found myself over and over shaking my head in disbelief at the number of lies, deception, and vindictive action of this one individual. You can see how her activity continued to spiral downward at an ever-increasing speed.
I found myself at times feeling sorry for her struggles and at other times despising her for the actions she took including the easy way out of her mess by taking her own life. The book can be quite emotional at times, and there is little or no humor. I found it fascinating the number of errors leading up to the final day. The lack of police involvement, the lack of effort from her doctors, and the ignorance of her parents. I know it is always easier to look back in hindsight, but this seems to have been so evident that I was amazed how long she got away with things she did. The detailed research that went into producing this work must have taken quite some time, and I’m happy the authors did it. The story was well laid out in a chronological order of events covering: her parents, her birth, her younger years, her teens, her marriage, her work, and the final events leading up to the tragedy which she is sadly remembered for.
For younger readers or parents, be aware that because this is a documentary including actual quotes or events, the book contains some strong language, sexual subject matter, and some quite graphic scenes of violence involving shootings, poisonings, and the taking of revenge upon her supposed enemies. There are also a few sections that would be considered to be anti-religion in nature directed toward both Christian and Jewish faiths; again, these are not included by the authors to be offensive but simply providing the facts to help the reader understand.
Let me turn to the audiobook’s narration performed by Gary Tiedemann. Because this is a piece of non-fiction narrative, there is no voicing of multiple characters or dramatization in his narration. Mr. Tiedemann expertly reads the story as if you were reading it yourself. His voice is clear and well-paced. I will say his voice is a bit deep and mellow which adds to the emotional parts of the book quite well. The audio itself was very clean and clear of any issues or artifacts. Not a very easy book to narrate, but he did a very good job with it.
In summary, if you at all like true crime or biography books, I think you will find this one quite captivating. Again, it is not for everyone due to its inclusion of strong language, sexual topics, and actual events containing graphic violence. However, if you are able to put these aside while learning of an actual historic event, I would recommend you pick up the book and learn more about this tragedy. The book is not intended to bring attention to Laurie herself, but more focused on the event leading to the event. The authors include a prologue section that does a good job of closing up all the unanswered events such as the victims lives afterwards and even some similar events that took place a few years later. I liked that they included this extra detail in the book.
Disclaimer: I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.
I want to say up front that this is a rather dark and grim story, but remember is it retelling the actual events from her life. It amazes me how irrational Laurie Dunn appeared to be due to her mental illness and very deep bouts of depression. You see the effects through her senseless OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) behavior and senseless fears including superstitions and her continuous fear of people abandoning her; often they left because of her actions. We are given a view into how the medical industry tried to address her pain by prescribing medications and therapy; similar to what it does today. After this, she was left to work things out on her own which failed her and those she impacted. I found myself over and over shaking my head in disbelief at the number of lies, deception, and vindictive action of this one individual. You can see how her activity continued to spiral downward at an ever-increasing speed.
I found myself at times feeling sorry for her struggles and at other times despising her for the actions she took including the easy way out of her mess by taking her own life. The book can be quite emotional at times, and there is little or no humor. I found it fascinating the number of errors leading up to the final day. The lack of police involvement, the lack of effort from her doctors, and the ignorance of her parents. I know it is always easier to look back in hindsight, but this seems to have been so evident that I was amazed how long she got away with things she did. The detailed research that went into producing this work must have taken quite some time, and I’m happy the authors did it. The story was well laid out in a chronological order of events covering: her parents, her birth, her younger years, her teens, her marriage, her work, and the final events leading up to the tragedy which she is sadly remembered for.
For younger readers or parents, be aware that because this is a documentary including actual quotes or events, the book contains some strong language, sexual subject matter, and some quite graphic scenes of violence involving shootings, poisonings, and the taking of revenge upon her supposed enemies. There are also a few sections that would be considered to be anti-religion in nature directed toward both Christian and Jewish faiths; again, these are not included by the authors to be offensive but simply providing the facts to help the reader understand.
Let me turn to the audiobook’s narration performed by Gary Tiedemann. Because this is a piece of non-fiction narrative, there is no voicing of multiple characters or dramatization in his narration. Mr. Tiedemann expertly reads the story as if you were reading it yourself. His voice is clear and well-paced. I will say his voice is a bit deep and mellow which adds to the emotional parts of the book quite well. The audio itself was very clean and clear of any issues or artifacts. Not a very easy book to narrate, but he did a very good job with it.
In summary, if you at all like true crime or biography books, I think you will find this one quite captivating. Again, it is not for everyone due to its inclusion of strong language, sexual topics, and actual events containing graphic violence. However, if you are able to put these aside while learning of an actual historic event, I would recommend you pick up the book and learn more about this tragedy. The book is not intended to bring attention to Laurie herself, but more focused on the event leading to the event. The authors include a prologue section that does a good job of closing up all the unanswered events such as the victims lives afterwards and even some similar events that took place a few years later. I liked that they included this extra detail in the book.
Disclaimer: I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.
February 13, 2018
Listened to in audio format.
In 1988 Laurie Dann walked into a elementary school with a gun killing a child and injuring his classmates.
This was a terribly sad tale for all involved. Laurie's descent from having a 'quirky' personality to developing a full blown mental disorder was difficult to listen to.
Laurie married Russell Dann but soon he soon became her carer. Laurie was unable to look after herself, refused to wash and developed OCD and refused to touch anything. Russell urged Laurie to see a psychiatrist but she only went sporadically and claimed she was well. Russell contacted Laurie's parents Norman and Edith but they were generally disinterested and often out of town. Norman refused to believe that Laurie was unwell and blamed Russell for her problems.
After two years of marriage Russell asked for a divorce and Laurie went back to her parents. Russell was plagued by phone calls from Laurie which were either silent or threatening. Laurie broke into his house many times and Russell would find her hiding in a wardrobe. When Laurie realised that the marriage was finally over she broke into his house one night and stabbed him with an ice pick while he slept.
Luckily the injury was superficial, Russell contacted the police but they thought Russell had caused the injury herself. Norman paid for Laurie to go back to university, she stayed in student digs where she became obsessed with raw meat. She would leave it in her room and in communal areas of the accommodation such as cushions and in other students fridges.
Like I said this was a terribly sad tale. Although Laurie was well known by the police and her various psychiatrists all believed Laurie was not a danger to others. This was a very well investigated book and I highly recommend it.
In 1988 Laurie Dann walked into a elementary school with a gun killing a child and injuring his classmates.
This was a terribly sad tale for all involved. Laurie's descent from having a 'quirky' personality to developing a full blown mental disorder was difficult to listen to.
Laurie married Russell Dann but soon he soon became her carer. Laurie was unable to look after herself, refused to wash and developed OCD and refused to touch anything. Russell urged Laurie to see a psychiatrist but she only went sporadically and claimed she was well. Russell contacted Laurie's parents Norman and Edith but they were generally disinterested and often out of town. Norman refused to believe that Laurie was unwell and blamed Russell for her problems.
After two years of marriage Russell asked for a divorce and Laurie went back to her parents. Russell was plagued by phone calls from Laurie which were either silent or threatening. Laurie broke into his house many times and Russell would find her hiding in a wardrobe. When Laurie realised that the marriage was finally over she broke into his house one night and stabbed him with an ice pick while he slept.
Luckily the injury was superficial, Russell contacted the police but they thought Russell had caused the injury herself. Norman paid for Laurie to go back to university, she stayed in student digs where she became obsessed with raw meat. She would leave it in her room and in communal areas of the accommodation such as cushions and in other students fridges.
Like I said this was a terribly sad tale. Although Laurie was well known by the police and her various psychiatrists all believed Laurie was not a danger to others. This was a very well investigated book and I highly recommend it.
November 1, 2021
One of the reasons I read this book was because the author Eric Zorn is being interviewed at my local library but also because I think this tragedy represents a turning point in school safety measures in the US. Most school doors were locked after Laurie Dann. What's incredible is how many red flags were raised for an extended period of time about Laurie Dann and how mentally disturbed she actually was. Yet nothing substantial was really done to intervene AND she remained free to purchase and carry the guns she used in the school shooting. I'm sure there were many complicating factors but I couldn't help but wonder if the police would have consider her more dangerous or taken her threats on people's lives more seriously had she been a man.
August 4, 2017
This was rather shocking in its nature. What made it worse was that most of this could've been prevented. JFC, the two groups of people who should've stepped up to the plate didn't. That kid didn't deserve to die and nether did Laurie Dann.
This was a textbook case of someone mentally insane. A lot of people try to pretend to be crazy but this was a very strong case of mental insanity. The police just ignored it. Oh, she's pretty and her family is rich. She can't be crazy! And her families solution was to get her an apartment in another city, pay all the bills, and tell her sternly to go see the doctor.
She was peeing all over herself and the floor. She'd ride elevators for hours and hours. At one place, she was sticking rancid, spoiled meat everywhere, including other peoples' apartments. Like, under the carpets, etc. She draw on the walls, steal food (that she wouldn't eat), slash furniture and clothing of others, etc.
How do you look at your daughter, see that she's covered in her own pee and poop, see that the place has rancid meat everywhere, see that she's got this vendetta against everyone, see all this destruction she's causing, and think the solution is getting her a new apartment in the next town over?
How can you look at your own flesh and blood and just let this happen to her? It's baffling and so very, very sad.
This was a textbook case of someone mentally insane. A lot of people try to pretend to be crazy but this was a very strong case of mental insanity. The police just ignored it. Oh, she's pretty and her family is rich. She can't be crazy! And her families solution was to get her an apartment in another city, pay all the bills, and tell her sternly to go see the doctor.
She was peeing all over herself and the floor. She'd ride elevators for hours and hours. At one place, she was sticking rancid, spoiled meat everywhere, including other peoples' apartments. Like, under the carpets, etc. She draw on the walls, steal food (that she wouldn't eat), slash furniture and clothing of others, etc.
How do you look at your daughter, see that she's covered in her own pee and poop, see that the place has rancid meat everywhere, see that she's got this vendetta against everyone, see all this destruction she's causing, and think the solution is getting her a new apartment in the next town over?
How can you look at your own flesh and blood and just let this happen to her? It's baffling and so very, very sad.
May 28, 2017
Defined, rational and gripping
This is one of the better accounts of a horrible shooting and numerous murder attempts. The story is linear, well presented, rational, and impartial. The three authors seamlessly present Laurie Dann and her life with great clarity and a somber decency that transcends the horror of her actions. Dann's accelerating mental illness and her increasingly irrational and offensive behavior are outlined, and affective relationships are well defined. The authors present all sides of the case without favoritism or overt sympathy, allowing the reader to evaluate, sympathize, and judge independently. They have done an amazing job on research and collecting even minute interactions that when added to the larger picture, form a clear and fatal schedule of events. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, and for true crime fans this is a "must read". Julia Coppage 5/28/17
This is one of the better accounts of a horrible shooting and numerous murder attempts. The story is linear, well presented, rational, and impartial. The three authors seamlessly present Laurie Dann and her life with great clarity and a somber decency that transcends the horror of her actions. Dann's accelerating mental illness and her increasingly irrational and offensive behavior are outlined, and affective relationships are well defined. The authors present all sides of the case without favoritism or overt sympathy, allowing the reader to evaluate, sympathize, and judge independently. They have done an amazing job on research and collecting even minute interactions that when added to the larger picture, form a clear and fatal schedule of events. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, and for true crime fans this is a "must read". Julia Coppage 5/28/17
May 6, 2013
This book tells the true story of Laurie Dann. She was an American rampage killer who shot and killed one boy and wounded two girls and three boys in Winnetka, Illinois elementary school. She then took a family hostage and shot another man before killing herself.
This book describes her life, from childhood to adulthood. It explains the problems she encountered and the events in her life that led her to murder and injure all of those people. The book explains how she went to multiple universities, but never graduated. She also was involved with many relationships, but none of them really lasted. In her final year, she stopped attending her appointments with the psychiatrist and behavior therapist. She eventually bought a .22 semi-auto Beretta and went crazy.
This book describes her life, from childhood to adulthood. It explains the problems she encountered and the events in her life that led her to murder and injure all of those people. The book explains how she went to multiple universities, but never graduated. She also was involved with many relationships, but none of them really lasted. In her final year, she stopped attending her appointments with the psychiatrist and behavior therapist. She eventually bought a .22 semi-auto Beretta and went crazy.
June 2, 2019
I feel weird rating this 5 stars, since it covers the horrifying downward spiral of a mentally-ill young woman, but the writing is clear and engaging. The book presents all the details of the case without getting bogged down by extra info. It's one of the saddest "if only someone had done something" stories I've ever read (except that many people tried to do something, only to be ignored by the police and her parents.)
July 19, 2018
Chilling,excellent
The nightmare of mental illness. Persons threAtened either disbelieve or ignored. A world. Of privilege. Warning after warning sign. Guns, poison food and drink, fire. A riveting story. So sad on many levels.
The nightmare of mental illness. Persons threAtened either disbelieve or ignored. A world. Of privilege. Warning after warning sign. Guns, poison food and drink, fire. A riveting story. So sad on many levels.
May 10, 2017
Long, but well written.
The story itself seemed to go on forever. The story was well written and it seems that the authors did their homework.
The story itself seemed to go on forever. The story was well written and it seems that the authors did their homework.
August 3, 2017
An absolute tragedy of a woman's lifelong descent in to mental illness. It's also a statement about the failure of our mental health system. Extremely well written and compelling!
November 21, 2017
Great story
Sad that it was a true story. So many opportunities for the ending to be different. It is not the guns, it is the mental health system.
Sad that it was a true story. So many opportunities for the ending to be different. It is not the guns, it is the mental health system.
January 31, 2019
I’m on the fence about this book. No, maybe I should say that this was a very fast read that failed to tackle the complicated issues and ineptitude of various parties to this tragedy. I do realize that back when this happened, law enforcement agencies were clearly not as prepared or educated on how to handle or approach cases involving those affected by mental illness nor those affected by events such as school shootings. I also feel that certain psychiatric practitioners should have done a much more comprehensive and objective assessment of Dana which might have picked up on her pattern of lying, her psychiatric history and the true severity and diagnostic picture.
I am also no doubt biased because in 2001, I was part of a San Diego County team of trained mental health professionals deployed to help after not one but two almost consecutive high school shootings. And while the age group of the children was different I experienced the mayhem of the aftermath of a similar situation to that of what happened at the elementary school in this book. While no one can ever truly be prepared for tragedies such as this, my hope is that even almost twenty years later, communities, agencies and people in general have learned and applied even better strategies to deal with situations like this.
I wish there was more information on female perpetrators of serial, spree or mass murder. Yes, I realize that these cases are rarer but if someone actually reads my review and has any good suggestions, I’d appreciate it.
I am also no doubt biased because in 2001, I was part of a San Diego County team of trained mental health professionals deployed to help after not one but two almost consecutive high school shootings. And while the age group of the children was different I experienced the mayhem of the aftermath of a similar situation to that of what happened at the elementary school in this book. While no one can ever truly be prepared for tragedies such as this, my hope is that even almost twenty years later, communities, agencies and people in general have learned and applied even better strategies to deal with situations like this.
I wish there was more information on female perpetrators of serial, spree or mass murder. Yes, I realize that these cases are rarer but if someone actually reads my review and has any good suggestions, I’d appreciate it.
September 28, 2020
It is very unfortunate when a child is trapped in her family which includes a sexual abuser and an enabler. Laurie Dann may have been born with psychopathic tendencies, but something happened to her when she was about . . . eight years old . . . and she was left to deal with it herself, with drastic consequences. Nick Corwin was eight years old, completely innocent, and was killed when Laurie finally exploded. It is well known that cycles of abuse are repeated when there is no intervention, and their victims frequently are the same age at which they suffered abuse. The book carefully avoids blaming anyone; however, Laurie refers to her parents' difficult childhoods and her mother's total lack of nurturing. Edith was so numb that when a stranger called her and told her her daughter was threatening people with a gun, Edith's response was "Really?" Then she waited for Norm to come home before doing anything. Sad consequences, especially for the Corwin family.
October 19, 2018
Joel Kaplan, George Papajohn, and Eric Zorn have done an incredible job piecing together all the various facets of Laurie Dann's life and wild spiral into insanity and rage. Portraying Laurie with as much sympathy as possible for someone who wreaked such havoc, the story is instead a thoughtful critique of all of the people who should have and could have helped Laurie before her mental illnesses overcame her so completely. The absent and aloof parents are the most reprehensible of the group, but the repeated warnings from former friends and family members that Laurie was a danger to herself and others went completely ignored by those with the power and authority to halt her in her tracks.
Narration by Gary Tiedemann is excellent and brings appropriate gravitas to the grim tale.
"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."
Narration by Gary Tiedemann is excellent and brings appropriate gravitas to the grim tale.
"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."
August 8, 2022
Could not put this down! While truly sad, this lady was completely insane/existing outside reality. There were so many red flags, so many authorities involved, and so many people begging for her help. However, rich, affluent parents either enabled her or ignored the problems because it "didn't look well for the family".
Her slow downfall was like watching a car crash; you can't look away just like you can't stop reading to see what Laura does next. The meat. The babysitting. The ruining of a high-school ex's life (poor guy). The peeing everywhere. The phone calls. Ice pick. Closets. I mean, wow. BANG, are there injuries int hat car wreck, because there were in this book and real life because of Laura Dann.
Her plan, while completely unattainable to her malfunctioning brain and behavior, was pretty impressive/diabolical. She could have injured and killed hundreds had her bombs succeeded or had her guns not malfunctioned/dumped them. We all know no one was going to eat those Rice Krispies or drink the juice boxes. Poor dog. :(
I truly feel for the people, children, and families that were affected by her mental health issues as there was no need for it to EVER get that far. Hopefully all officers, detectives, and therapists involved learned from Laura and used it to impact their careers and help people in the future.
Her slow downfall was like watching a car crash; you can't look away just like you can't stop reading to see what Laura does next. The meat. The babysitting. The ruining of a high-school ex's life (poor guy). The peeing everywhere. The phone calls. Ice pick. Closets. I mean, wow. BANG, are there injuries int hat car wreck, because there were in this book and real life because of Laura Dann.
Her plan, while completely unattainable to her malfunctioning brain and behavior, was pretty impressive/diabolical. She could have injured and killed hundreds had her bombs succeeded or had her guns not malfunctioned/dumped them. We all know no one was going to eat those Rice Krispies or drink the juice boxes. Poor dog. :(
I truly feel for the people, children, and families that were affected by her mental health issues as there was no need for it to EVER get that far. Hopefully all officers, detectives, and therapists involved learned from Laura and used it to impact their careers and help people in the future.
May 31, 2020
Thorough and a Brilliant Telling of this Tragic Story
I watched the TV movie years ago and something about this case always stuck with me as a result so when I saw the book was Amazon I was eager to read it. Having now read through it I realise how tame the movie was. The events of the movie were eerily accurate (I could actually envision scenes as I was reading) but in a lot of examples what really happened appeared to be much worse. This book is a brilliant and thorough telling of the story and has pulled me further into the rabbit hole of a case I was already extremely interested in.
I watched the TV movie years ago and something about this case always stuck with me as a result so when I saw the book was Amazon I was eager to read it. Having now read through it I realise how tame the movie was. The events of the movie were eerily accurate (I could actually envision scenes as I was reading) but in a lot of examples what really happened appeared to be much worse. This book is a brilliant and thorough telling of the story and has pulled me further into the rabbit hole of a case I was already extremely interested in.
January 10, 2018
Must read!
I vaguely remember the name Laurie Dann, from growing up in the south west suburbs of Chicago, but I couldn’t remember what exactly she had done (being I was about 12 when this tragedy happened) Just the other day when her name came up and I couldn’t remember the exact circumstances, I did what anyone would have done... I googled Laurie Dann. I read this book in about a day, because I had so much trouble putting it down. Highly recommended!
Very sad and disturbing story about a sad and disturbed woman.
I vaguely remember the name Laurie Dann, from growing up in the south west suburbs of Chicago, but I couldn’t remember what exactly she had done (being I was about 12 when this tragedy happened) Just the other day when her name came up and I couldn’t remember the exact circumstances, I did what anyone would have done... I googled Laurie Dann. I read this book in about a day, because I had so much trouble putting it down. Highly recommended!
Very sad and disturbing story about a sad and disturbed woman.
July 19, 2017
Interesting true tragic story
The subject is difficult. The author provides a cbronological biography of Laurie Dann. A mentally ill woman with parents in denial, a husband who tried but finally divorced her, police officers who were misled by her or powerless to head off future tragedy and friends who learned to avoid her. I enjoyed the book. The author thoroughly researched Laurie Dann. I rated it a three because the writing was average.
The subject is difficult. The author provides a cbronological biography of Laurie Dann. A mentally ill woman with parents in denial, a husband who tried but finally divorced her, police officers who were misled by her or powerless to head off future tragedy and friends who learned to avoid her. I enjoyed the book. The author thoroughly researched Laurie Dann. I rated it a three because the writing was average.
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