If You Really Loved Me: Two Teenage Girls and a Shocking Double Murder

by Kevin F. McMurray

Carl and Sarah Collier feared their cold and wild granddaughter, Holly. But when they forbade Holly from spending time with her 16-year-old female lover, Sandy, they set in motion a horrifying plot...

Holly and Sandy asked around for a gun. They made a to-do list, and they told their friends what their plans were. Then, on a summer night in Georgia, they unleashed an ambush. The scene they left behind would stun hardened investigators...

Carl and Sarah Collier died under a horrifying melee of 45 stab wounds. Suddenly, a frantic manhunt was on for the two runaway lesbian teen killers. And by the time the police caught them, the truth began to of an out-of-control girl, her lover, and the evil they had planned every step of the way...

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 2, 2006

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

"If You Really Loved Me" was a somewhat disappointing read. While the true crime story itself was somewhat unusual (two teenage girls kill the grandparents of one girl so that they can continue their lesbian relationship)and certainly should have provided an interesting and in-depth read, something was missing from the story. The author, Kevin McMurray, does provide some background information on the victims, Carl and Sarah Collier, but mainly over the course of a page or two. I found similar treatment on the background of the two girls, Holly Harvey and Sandy Ketchum. Maybe it was this skimming that caused the book to feel so lightweight, but I felt that McMurray really cheated the reader, and the Colliers, by providing such skimpy detail. We can understand that together the two girls made an explosive combination, but what exactly drove them to kill?
An additional issue I had with this book was Mr. McMurray's seeming sympathy toward Ms. Harvey and Ms. Ketchum about midway through the book. Reading of such gruesome murders, and committed against the people that cared for and reared Ms. Harvey for much of her life, I had absolutely no sympathy for either teen girl and I found it angering that Mr. McMurray seemed to have more for them than for the people they killed, or even the Colliers' son.
All in all, what could have been an interesting read into the dark and depraved minds of two teenage girls, and their violent outcomes, was instead more like a People magazine read. Disappointing.

[F. O. · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story itself sounded interesting, but I had to put it down after a few chapters. The writing was pretty poor, and the author mentioned God too much when it wasn't really relevant.

[Penny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm torn between 2 or 3 stars. The title of the "If you Really Loved Me," never really came up in the book. Neither of the murders presented it as some ultimatum to kill the Colliers. It bothered me that the book mentions how the murders were over sensationalized in the media yet the very title of the book is over sensationalized as possible. The print was relatively large and the story was short with the writing a bit sporadic. It touched on previous cases on the region almost too briefly, and random bits of history of the different counties in Georgia out of nowhere. At the same time I cannot blame the author, he had little to work with, the case was open and shut. And I did find it an interesting read since I did not know of this murder story previous to picking up this book so I can't say I hated it.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the worst books I ever read. I like true crime as long as they are written well. This book, however, was not. I got more of a history lesson on Fayette County and Tybee Island than I care to have in this kind of a book. I wanted to know more of why these girls did what they did and more about them. It seems that the author had pages to fill and even went on to say that Judge English ran unopposed in his election during this time. I didn't get this book to read about the backgrounds of the judges, I wanted to know about these kids. Bad and did not flow...only about 60-100 pages were actually about the crime.

[Jaylin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not enjoy reading this book. It did not flow well. It was all over the place a little. Too much about everything else but the subject. It was a book of dry facts. A collection of newspaper articles and court files.

[Crystal Jarvis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is not worth one star.. This got boggled down with the history of the counties... Really wouldnt recommend this book to anyone. Dont buy it

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two young girls, lovers, kill the grandparents of one of them. This was a very well written, detailed book.

[Esther Pacheco · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was different for me. Lots of pictures really sad how treated this young girl. Wish I could have murdered the father!. He had favorites. Whatever she wanted……a little brat..and a killer. I think the whole family was sick! The paperback was pretty well torn up… I kept delaying.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was written about my sister's ex fiance, Kevin and his parents who were murdered in this story. What a sad day that was when this happened to such sweet, loving people. This was part of a TV special a month or so ago called 'When Teens Kill.' It was more in depth in the time span given. I do believe there is another book out about this murder. This book doesn't clarify every thing. But it is pretty cut and dry. Holly was a messed up kid and what her and Sandy did is disgusting. I don't think their punishment was nearly as harsh as it should have been. They planned this. Holly had made comments on numerous occasions she was going to kill them. What Kevin went through after losing his parents was just unbearable. This is truly a sad sad story. Especially having known them.

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelieveable...15 year old Holly Harvey and 16 year old Sandy Ketchum so viciously killed Holly's grandparents in a stabbing frenzy that left a community stunned.
Holly's grandparents had raised her off and on throughout her life when others were either unable or unwilling to care for her, she showed her love and appreciation by leaving them laying in pools of blood with numerous stab wounds. The police apprehended them in only 17 hours so they could pay for their crimes but they are ultimately offered a plea agreement was justice really served......?

[Rayliene · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a true crime story, about two teenagers Sandy Ketchum and Holly Harvey, who were lovers. They killed Holly's grandparents in a fit of rage one night.
This book was horrifying, to read in detail and think about what these young girls have committed. One thing I disliked about the book was one chapter they would have you feeling sympathy for the murderers, and the next chapter having a complete dislike for them.

[Leticia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Very sad true story about two young girls (15 & 16yrs) that commit murder in Georgia in 2004. They kill the 15yr old girls grandparents. The story is a "tell all" by most of the main characters (defendants & their attorneys, officers involved, family members, etc.).