Echoes of my Soul

by Robert K. Tanenbaum

New York Times bestselling author and renowned prosecuting attorney Robert K. Tanenbaum provides the first insider's account of the historic Wylie-Hoffert case, from the shocking double-murder to the wrenching interrogation of an innocent young man, and the heroic Assistant District Attorney who risked everything to unravel a disgraceful injustice. Here is a gripping chronicle of the unnerving crime that led to the Miranda Rights, and of the courageous stand that forever reformed the American justice system.

It was a muggy summer day in New York when Janice Wylie and Emily Hoffert were raped and murdered in their apartment on Manhattan's fashionable Upper East Side. Months passed as their families grieved the unthinkable and a shaken city awaited answers. Finally, Brooklyn police arrested George Whitmore, Jr., a nineteen-year-old with an I.Q. of less than 70. But his incarceration would ultimately entail a host of shocking law enforcement missteps and cover-ups.

Whitmore had confessed. Yet Mel Glass, a young Manhattan Assistant D.A. not even assigned to the Homicide Bureau, was troubled by the investigation. With the blessing of legendary D.A. Frank Hogan, Glass tirelessly immersed himself in the case. So began an epic quest for justice, culminating in a courtroom showdown in which the Brooklyn arresting cops refused to admit their flagrant errors, providing a complete defense to a vicious predator. The outcome would reach far beyond the individuals involved.

Including trial transcripts and never before published crime scene photos, here is a captivating depiction of one of the most intense manhunts of our time. Echoes of My Soul is also a testament to the power of individuals like Glass and Hogan, without whom the real killer would never have been convicted and an unjustly accused man would have been jailed for life. And we may never have gained the legal safeguards that protect us today.

Also available on CD or digital download from AudioGO

Experts Praise Echoes of My Soul

"A strong candidate to become a true crime classic....Brilliantly written and unfailingly riveting." --Vincent Bugliosi

"Echoes of My Soul has the excitement of a great work of fiction and it is not based upon' a real case. It is a real case and it is about a real hero." --Mark Lane

"A compelling, page turning, disturbing true story." --Professor Jesse Choper, Earl Warren Professor of Public Law Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley

"Tanenbaum knows this territory better than anyone." --Linda Fairstein

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Crime, Mystery, Audiobook, American History

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Robert K. Tanenbaum is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-five legal thrillers and has an accomplished legal career of his own. Before his first book was published, Tanenbaum had already been the Bureau Chief of the Criminal Courts, had run the Homicide Bureau, and had been in charge of the training program for the legal staff for the New York County District Attorney’s Office. He also served as Deputy Chief Counsel to the Congressional Committee investigations into the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. In his professional career, Tanenbaum has never lost a felony case. His courtroom experiences bring his books to life, especially in his bestselling series featuring prosecutor Roger “Butch” Karp and his wife, Marlene Ciampi.

Tanenbaum was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He attended the University of California at Berkeley on a basketball scholarship, and remained at Cal, where he earned his law degree from the prestigious Boalt Hall School of Law. After graduating from Berkeley Law, Tanenbaum moved back to New York to work as an assistant district attorney under the legendary New York County DA Frank Hogan. Tanenbaum then served as Deputy Chief Counsel in charge of the Congressional investigations into the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.

The blockbuster novel Corruption of Blood (1994), is a fictionalized account of his experience in Washington, D.C.

Tanenbaum returned to the West Coast and began to serve in public office. He was elected to the Beverly Hills City Council in 1986 and twice served as the mayor of Beverly Hills. It was during this time that Tanenbaum began his career as a novelist, drawing from the many fascinating stories of his time as a New York ADA. His successful debut novel, No Lesser Plea (1987), introduces Butch Karp, an assistant district attorney who is battling for justice, and Marlene Ciampi, his associate and love interest. Tanenbaum’s subsequent twenty-two novels portrayed Karp and his crime fighting family and eclectic colleagues facing off against drug lords, corrupt politicians, international assassins, the mafia, and hard-core violent felons.

He has had published eight recent novels as part of the series, as well as two nonfiction titles: The Piano Teacher (1987), exploring his investigation and prosecution of a recidivist psychosexual killer, and Badge of the Assassin (1979), about his prosecution of cop killers, which was made into a movie starring James Woods as Tanenbaum.

Tanenbaum and his wife of forty-three years have three children. He currently resides in California where he has taught Advanced Criminal Procedure at the Boalt Hall School of Law and maintains a private law practice.

Reviews

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, who was once the New York District Attorney, recalls a sensational crime (the brutal "Career Girl Murders" of 1963) and pays tribute to his mentors and teachers in the NYDA's office. At the time of the crime the DA was Frank Hogan, famous for his integrity and commitment to seeing justice done. One assistant DA, Mel Glass, suspected,rightly as it turned out, that the wrong man had been charged with the crime. Two detectives had used intimidation and threats to wring a confession from a black man with an IQ of 70, George Whitmore. Glass knew he might endanger his career by speaking up, but brought his suspicions to DA Hogan, who assigned him and detectives to investigate further. A heroin addict and dealer, arrested for a murder he claimed was self-defense, fingered the true killer, his friend Richard Robles, in exchange for immunity.

The last part of the book covers the trial in detail, prosecuted by assistant DA John Keenan. In the wake of the conviction, the NYDA's office did face considerable embarrassment, and forfeited some of its public trust, especially from the black community (because Whitmore was black and Robles was white), and of course the detectives who had intimidated Whitmore faced shame and scorn. It was refreshing to read about an incorruptible DA who put justice above all. Hogan, Glass, and Keenan were Tanenbaum's heroes and teachers when he was a new ADA, and he shows why very convincingly.

Whitmore was mentioned by the Supreme Court when it issued the requirement for Miranda warnings.

[Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good story plus it was A true story

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up for an airplane flight (as I for some reason didn't get the memo that Kindles are now OK for takeoff and landing.) I loved Tanenbaum's earlier books about Butch and Marlene - for one thing, as a former prosecutor, he is one of the few writers who accurately depicts how the legal system works, at least in NYC. This book, however, indicates that his powers are failing as he ages. It is an interesting true story of wrongful accusation and conviction, of one DA's office honest enough to admit its mistake, and another unwilling to do so, and of how unscrupulous interrogation can lead directly to a false confession. But the writing is just terrible.

[Clued-in With A Book (Elvina Ulrich) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Case: New York City 1963 - Two young women -Emily Hoffert and Janice Wylie were found brutally murdered in their shared apartment. A young black man, George Whitmore Jr. is later convicted and incarcerated for the murders. But a young Assistant District Attorney named Mel Glass, is not convinced of Whitmore's guilt and began his own investigation to seek the truth. This case is known as The Career Girls Murders and Whitmore's case would later be used as one of the many examples by the US Supreme Court in issuing the guidelines for Miranda rights.

My thoughts: I came across this book by chance when looking for my next true crime read. I've never heard of this case or have read anything by this author before. Apparently Tanenbaum has written many legal thrillers and Echoes of My Soul is one of the three nonfiction he wrote. And yes, I'm excited to read his backlist books now!

This is not a long book but it is not lacking in the depth of information - from the murders, investigations and trials - they were well presented. It reads like fiction and I switched between the print and audiobook. But I ended up listening to the audiobook because the narration was really interesting! I felt like I was listening to Old Time Radio! I am not sure if this was intentional since the case happened in 1963 although OTR ended in 1962. I could be overthinking here!

Both DA Frank Hogan and ADA Mel Glass were amazing prosecutors and their pursue for the truth were inspiring! This was a case of miscarriage of justice and police mistreatment, and was absolutely infuriating.

Overall, a great book to read about this case. There is not much gore details on the murders as this book focuses more on the investigations and trial part and how they brought the true murderer to justice.

[Joyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up assuming it was another of Tanenbaum's legal thrillers starring Butch Karp and Marlene Ciampi. It's not. Instead it's a rather interesting true crime account, set it NYC in 1963, of the brutal murder of two young women. By chance, police connect a young black man with the crime and railroad him into a confession after long hours of interrogation without attorney. It's certainly an interesting case but the writing is rather overwrought. Clearing the innocent man took decades, in part because the police refused to admit that they had manipulated him into a confession. Tanenbaum worked under the prosecutors who ultimately saved the accused (and found and convicted the real killer) but the case changed the pubic's perception of the police and their methods. This is pre-Miranda, but it makes one wonder whether things really have changed.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have long been a fan of this author & have read all of his book in the Butch Karp Series. I love that series & how he makes the Karp family so much a part of the story line. But back to Echoes of My Soul. This book not only entertained but also educated, I found it so interesting to learn what lead to the Miranda as we know it today. It also left me with hope for our system. This book reminded me that there are Honest & Dedicated people in our flawed Legal System. Thank your Mr. Tanenbaum

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like other reviewers here, I thought this was poorly written.
The author was mentored by the DAs that worked on the 1963 case of two young female roommates that were brutally murdered in Manhattan. He clearly believes those two men could do no wrong and as a result their characters are 2 dimensional and the story is dull.

[Joanne Hurley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who likes a good police procedural should read this book.

I had never read any non-fiction by Robert K. Tanenbaum before this (I read all of his Butch Karp/Marlene Ciampi novels.

This is a real life story of a botched murder investigation, and how Miranda (rights) came about.

Absolutely recommended.

[Claudia Hendrikz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! If you want to know who we can thank for the Miranda Warning read this book! I just hope George Whitmore Jr. Was able to have a good life after all he went thru....I would have liked more info on that at end of book!

[Pennylope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Glass and Mr. Hogan were clearly amazing prosecutors -- the kind we need more of. It was painful to read this knowing that many of the underlying themes continue to ring true today.

[Corky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a few of Tanenbaum's fiction work, so when I noticed this work of non-fiction, I thought it might make for an interesting read. All in all, it was - but ... it wasn't until I was nearing the end that I realized this book was less about the victims of the crime, or the perpetrator ... but, rather how the system dealt with it - and how a few decent investigators and prosecutors made absolute certain that justice was done.

Another thing ... this book kind of reminds us just how much the legal system has changed since the 1960's - since this story takes place shortly before the courts dictated how suspects were to be interrogated (look up The Miranda Law if you need to).

I saw a lot of reviews of people thinking this book was going to be a legal thriller, like pretty much anything else the author has penned. It's not. It wasn't supposed to be. Guess that just needed to be cleared up. lol

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enlightening

and riveting read. It truly does not matter when, where or the date a murder occurs; what matters is the writing by an author who's experienced the occurrence (or been provided the details by Glass) and in this case, the righting of an injustice that would have and did occur, had it not been for the honest men involved and their strict sense of justice in its truest form.
It proves that there truly are men and women incarcerated and convicted despite their protestations and proof of innocence. It's a travesty of the justice system that some prosecutors build their careers on the backs of innocent people who, in this case, are incapable of defending themselves.
Does it continue today with the leaps in science? Of course it does. It would be foolish to believe otherwise.
Tanenbaum creates a solid and well written account of a case in the 1960's that resonates well into 2020, and beyond.
Lorie

[wally · Rating 3 out of 5]

finished 20th january 2023 good read three stars kindle library loaner have read at least two now from tanenbaum this one based on real life true events 1963 new york city two women are murdered in a vicious attack during daylight hours...nearby, several other crimes of violence...police zero in on one lone man i.q. of 70 we learn. did not know i was reading of true events until the end. an assistant district attorney "one of about two hundred" notifies those higher in the chain about problems with the case and this is the story of what happened. and how can one not question any conviction that came before? there is nothing new under the sun. and it reads like life of the early sixties has that atmosphere something about the dialogue...between the young ladies who were murdered, one...and think of it now i don't recall much in the way of "foul" language although me...one of the great unwashed so grain of salt. anyway, good read. give it a go. worth a read.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well documented account of a major miscarriage of justice in 1964, by Brooklyn police who forced a confession of a horrible double murder & sexual assault of 2 young women, from Whitmore, a young black man of limited intelligence by feeding him "facts"after countless hours of interrogation, and then implicating him in the assault of 2 other women, when he was in fact perfectly innocent of all charges. It took the dogged investigation of Manhattan ADAs Mel Glass & Keenan & DA Hogan to find the truth & exonerate the accused, though he spent nearly 3 years in jail, awaiting trials & being falsely convicted of another rape.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book, hence the 3 stars. I'm fascinated and appalled by what I'm learning about wrongful convictions in our justice system. I felt like this story helped understand why a person might give a false confession. The details from this case which are provided help to explain the reasons and motivations of those involved in these type of cases. Also, it was heartening to see the side of prosecutors determined to see justice, even if it means admitting mistakes. Hopefully there are more prosecutors like Hogan and Glass that value the truth over winning a case. However, I did not like the way it was told, as if a fiction story with accompanying dialogue.

[Deborah Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the true accounting of the murder of two young women on August 28, 1963, and the arrest of a young black man who had an IQ of 70. Fortunately for George Whitmore, Jr.,a young Manhattan Assistant DA named Mel Glass was troubled by the investigation and began his own investigation. It is amazing to read about the law enforcement mistakes and cover-ups. This investigation also lead to the Miranda Rights and played a part in the reform of the American justice system. It was an added bonus that pictures of the girls, the crime scene, etc. were included.

[Tgordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

First true crime by on of my favorite authors that I’ve read! I really enjoyed it!!! I’m going to put on my bucket list to read more true crime! So this one about a very heinous murder that happened in New York the day that Kings I have a dream speech was delivered!!! Poor black man with low IQ accused!!! This is about the DA playing fair for people of all color and the famous Miranda rights! Great read!

[Lord Bathcanoe of Snark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat disappointing account of a famous New York murder case and miscarriage of justice.
In parts not particularly well written....Invented dialogue, and the writers invention of the characters actions and thoughts, make this a book not really suitable for serious fans of true crime. The courtroom narrative redeems it somewhat, but It would be better presented as a novel based upon real events rather than a true crime classic(as Vincent Bugliosi describes it)

A much better account of the case is contained in a book called The Victims.

[Rachel Niccum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanenbaum did an amazing job bringing these characters to life and taking the reader through the ups and downs of a horrible trial... trials... Thankfully, he was able to get the point across without being too graphic.

[Walter A. Hoyt, III]

Great Historical account of a true gruesome crime

Robert Tandem bail is a master at presenting the true events in a horrific murder case in New York City he makes.it a real.page turner ...I couldn't put it down!

[Debbie Mcnally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book wish more people still had these values.

[Marion Listgarten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a non fiction book. I gave it 4 stars not because of the writing but because it is a fascinating story .

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible nonfiction tragedy that helped lead to the Miranda recitation of rights to those in custodial detention. Educational and terrifying.

[Diana Petty-stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The true story of two young white women who were murdered in New York City in the 1960's and the young mentally challenged black man who was falsely accursed and incarcerated for the crime.

[kimberly diebler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow what a great read, shocking outcome and true story!

[Joann · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s unbelievable that this stuff is still going on in our world!

[Lopsided · Rating 3 out of 5]

1.75 audio

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad I read this book, not my normal reading material but it was a really nice change will definitely choose something from this author again

[Debbie Levy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I somehow missed that this was based on a true story, which is horrible and you have to ask yourself if it could still happen today. Overall a good read.