Eyewitness: The True Story of the Northport Aztakea Woods Murder

by Albert Quinones

This is my story. I, Albert Quinones, live my life with the pain of the death of my two best friends--Ricky Kasso and Gary Lauwers. I live with the pain, sorrow, and nightmares every day. I live my life wondering if I could've done something differently to change what happened. maybe I should've said, "Let's call it a night," or did not go to the woods. Well, maybe I should've just went to the party without them. I don't know, but I have to live with this for the rest of my life No one should ever see or go through what I've been through--from seeing Gary being murdered to Ricky Kasso killing himself and from the chief of police lying and saying it was a cult. And it was not a cult. Then Howard, the chief of police, retracted his statement, and then I was interrogated. They kidnapped me and beat me for four and a half hours, and the police and the DA forced me to write a statement that wasn't true with the media circus and their fake news when they were told specifically it was not a cult. But the media just wants to sell papers and destroy lives at anyone's cost. I lives with the pain every day just for being a witness. I did not write this story for fame. My family does not want me to publish this story because of their image and their name, and I lost the one woman I ever loved (L.M). Her parents made us split up for their image. Know that my family refuses to talk to me because I decided to publish the story for closure for everybody else who needs it. I have lost everything in my life because of one night. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. If the story helps give certain people closure, helps someone from going down the same hard road I went through, or prevent someone from losing their life or giving up on life--if it helps one soul--then I'm glad that I helped someone. And it would be worth going through this pain to do the story if it means I got to help someone save their life. Gary Lauwers family and I tried to stop it but I failed and I live with it every day to Gary's mother I want Gary's mother to know that her son had told me that night that he loved her. I am very sorry. I tried to stop it, and I failed to stop it. And it kills me every day. I had no control over this, but this was not a devil-worshiping cult or sacrifice. It was two kids on drugs that had a fight that got out of control And for the parents out there who neglect their child and don't pay attention to their child, this is a form of abuse. When you neglect a child, they will get in trouble because they're hurt and angry to the point where they will lash out, getting themselves into trouble. Then you and the family have to deal with the tragedies and repercussions because all they wanted to was someone to care for them . That's all I wanted--love. That's all I have to say. Thank you for you your time and for reading my story.

268 pages, Paperback

Published June 7, 2023

Reviews

[Susan Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read for anyone interested in what really happened. It's full of facts, unlike the stuff that guy Jesse Pollock wrote. Obviously "The Acid King" was full of embellishments to sensationalize the storyline. This book is awesome! I couldn't put it down!

[Marie Braden · Rating 1 out of 5]

Practically illiterate

This case has always interested me, but this book is absolutely unreadable. The typos alone would drive me nuts, but the constant referencing of people by first and last name, even when the section started as first person was...yeah, NO.

[Frankie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A most interesting account of the Kasso/Lauwers crime, by the one witness who really was there and who now decided to speak.

Written rather simply, but the author does not pretend to be a poet, and he tells the story as it happened. He also deals - still too gently - with a recent terrible pseudobook on the same case, in several succinct sentences.

Absolutely indispensable for anyone interested in the case, and a fine addition to the documentary that told the story of the crime, "Satan in the Suburbs", and the encyclopaedic book on it "Say You Love Satan".

(How strongly does this book hit? Well, it appears that the "author" of the recent plagiarized mess about the same case feels so endangered by the presence of this book that he seems to be sending a gofer of his to try lowering its score on book websites, while increasing the score of his own unreadable mess).

[Keith L. · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a good book if you like childishly written fan fiction. Albert's revisionism could have been greatly helped had he actually taken on board the work of the other writers he criticises. Even the basic accepted facts of the lives of Ricky and Gary have been revised. Maybe this is the result of too many purple microdots, I don't know. If I could give - stars I would. Say you love Satan had less fantasy in it than Eyewitness does.

[Andrew Bullers · Rating 5 out of 5]

As noted from prior reviewers, there are many grammatical errors, so if Albert does decide to go forward with a second book, I hope it will be edited.

The story itself is highly tragic. These kids were failed by latchykey parents who failed to protect them from the darkness of the world. Albert says this throughout without actually saying it. Whatever Albert is doing today, I hope there's an abundance of happiness and joy in his life.