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Blood Relative: Portrait of a Mass Murder
Tells the story of an unsolved mass murder of five family members in rural Wisconsin.
- GenresTrue CrimeNonfiction
233 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1993
115 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 23, 2020
This book was a bit of a disappointment. I grew up less than a mile from where Helen was found and they happened to find her the weekend of my 10th birthday which most of my family witnessed her body being hauled out and I have siblings that were friends of friends of Jacobs so this was a BIG deal in my childhood. The rumors and news surrounding this were state and even nation wide and still seem to be a bit of a mystery. I CAN NOT understand how this is still unsolved! It seems clear they were headed in the right direction with things and then either some gigantic pieces were left out of the book or the prosecuting attorney just sucked balls... all the pieces are there but SOMEBODY SUCKS AT PUZZLES. The author definitely needs to consider writing a followup to this...where are they now. It seems Chris Jacobs III was sentenced to 30 years for kidnapping he was recently released in Feb 2020 and violated parole and is right back in.
I'm gonna take a guess and say the man feared for his life by the outside and knows the truth and would rather rot his life away than end up dead by paranoid criminal friends/family..... what a mystery!!!
I'm gonna take a guess and say the man feared for his life by the outside and knows the truth and would rather rot his life away than end up dead by paranoid criminal friends/family..... what a mystery!!!
February 27, 2023
I want to preface my criticisms of this book by saying I do not read nonfiction very often admittedly (despite my love of true crime). I first heard about this story a year or two ago and finally found the time to pick up this book from my dusty shelf and give it a read.
As a primary fiction consumer, I did enjoy the way Stephenson writes and his attempt to give aspects of the case a solid linear narrative, however, I think my biggest complaint about this book is how little is included about the family that may or may not be important to the actual case (though I think that may be best left to the reader since, officially, the case is cold and unsolved).
For instance, on the dust cover, a rape is mentioned and brought up extremely vaguely toward the end of the book. The rape which I believe Stephenson is referring to is the rape of 15-year-old Helen Kunz, one of the missing-and-later-found murder victims. As the reader, I am sat there wondering, "the rape of who? What does this have to do with the case?" The answer to the latter is nothing, by the way. The allegation of incest (at least in this book) is set on a very weak foundation and ultimately, it does not affect the murder trial of the accused Chris Jacobs III.
For a rundown of the case–not too brief, but not too exhaustive–this book is just what you are looking for! If you are expecting a thorough biography and exploration of the reclusive and mysterious Kunz family, this probably isn't the book for you. The book will introduce you to the case. You will learn who the Kunzes are. You will learn how they were murdered. And you will learn what and how evidence was used. You will not learn much about the scandalous skeletons the Kunzes kept in their closet. You will not know for certain if Kenny is a child of incest–or if incest did in fact occur in the house. And most importantly, you will not learn who the murderer is.
We don't know a lot about the Kunzes and probably never will. The case sounds like it blew up at the time in Wisconsin but hardly received much attention outside the state and in the present day. For the shortcomings this book has, I still think it's worth a read if the Kunz murder sounds even remotely interesting to you.
As a primary fiction consumer, I did enjoy the way Stephenson writes and his attempt to give aspects of the case a solid linear narrative, however, I think my biggest complaint about this book is how little is included about the family that may or may not be important to the actual case (though I think that may be best left to the reader since, officially, the case is cold and unsolved).
For instance, on the dust cover, a rape is mentioned and brought up extremely vaguely toward the end of the book. The rape which I believe Stephenson is referring to is the rape of 15-year-old Helen Kunz, one of the missing-and-later-found murder victims. As the reader, I am sat there wondering, "the rape of who? What does this have to do with the case?" The answer to the latter is nothing, by the way. The allegation of incest (at least in this book) is set on a very weak foundation and ultimately, it does not affect the murder trial of the accused Chris Jacobs III.
For a rundown of the case–not too brief, but not too exhaustive–this book is just what you are looking for! If you are expecting a thorough biography and exploration of the reclusive and mysterious Kunz family, this probably isn't the book for you. The book will introduce you to the case. You will learn who the Kunzes are. You will learn how they were murdered. And you will learn what and how evidence was used. You will not learn much about the scandalous skeletons the Kunzes kept in their closet. You will not know for certain if Kenny is a child of incest–or if incest did in fact occur in the house. And most importantly, you will not learn who the murderer is.
We don't know a lot about the Kunzes and probably never will. The case sounds like it blew up at the time in Wisconsin but hardly received much attention outside the state and in the present day. For the shortcomings this book has, I still think it's worth a read if the Kunz murder sounds even remotely interesting to you.
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April 27, 2025I was disappointed how the books starts with the assumed nationality of the victims. This is discrimination based on nationality. Also there is a lot of hearsay in the book. DNA could help solve this crime. Also their should have been a focus on similar crimes that occurred in that part of Marathon county at that time. No one did the math to determine the families income. Which would have been a lot just from the 4 people collecting minimum social security payments over a number of years. They had virtually no expenses. Also focusing on how could Kenny Kunz buy $80 dollars worth of fireworks when he had a full time job. Accusations of drug dealings that were baseless. Maybe they should have looked into someone who made a large land purchase beyond their means after the crime. To much blaming of the victims in a horrific crime.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2025
Long shot but I’m looking for 2 copies of this book for me and my Dad, as my Great Grandpa is Ray Gumz. Neither of us has been able to read it before including my Grandma (Ray’s daughter). We’d all like to know what my great grandpa had to say and more in detailed what happened. If you’re willing to sell your copy to me please reach out!
Slicesfx@gmail.com
Slicesfx@gmail.com
February 19, 2018
Very fascinating.... this type of story seems like it should be on 48 hours. I wish there would have been a little more follow-up at the end. I will be following up with my own research.
July 30, 2024
Interesting case. Being from Wisconsin myself I'm surprised I'd never heard of it. The mystery of who killed Helen is still a mystery. The ending left me high and dry but still well written.
February 15, 2025
Must-read for anyone who grew up in central Wisconsin. They should write a part two for what happened in the decades after the first trial.
August 28, 2016
On the fourth of July, 1987, Kenny Kuntz came home to find his mother, brother, uncle, and two aunts brutally murdered. In Blood Relative, Stephenson tracks the events of that night, along with the subsequent investigation and trial.
The murder itself is disturbing, as is the family's history (though somewhat glossed over, there are strong hints at generations of abuse, alcoholism, and mental illness). As far as voyeuristic summer reading sensationalism goes, Blood Relative gets the job done.
Stephenson has, for the most part, arranged the book as collections of facts - snippets from autopsy reports, transcripts from interviews, etc. But every so often, the narrative voice interjects, providing imagery that could not possibly have been known by the author, and the words chosen are heavy with connotations (even if I didn't perceive any particular strong bias). I didn't get the sense that I was being intentionally misled, but the difference between the two styles was very jarring.
Because Stephenson apparently wanted to privilege "unabridged first sources," there are times when context is really lacking. For example, someone might be quoted, but with no explanation of who they are, or an autopsy report quote might be presented with no explanation of the medical jargon. Given Stephenson's narrative intrusions elsewhere, I was rather miffed by their lack in these areas.
Due to the nature of the True Crime genre, the ending is understandably unsatisfying. The mystery is presented and explained, but it isn't resolved - it ends in the lead suspect's acquittal. At least Stephenson is very upfront about this, warning readers that they will leave the book confused.
Still, it would have been nice to have seen some more follow-up. The book came out several years after the events described, but we have no more information about how Kenny Kuntz is doing, or whether Chris Jacobs III had been convicted of further crimes (and, in fact, he purportedly confessed to the murders two years before Blood Relative was published - information that should have been included!). That said, I do realise how difficult it would have been to negotiate the ethics of a "where are they now" section.
Which brings me to my final issue: The impression I got from the lack of statements from the surviving family members, plus the afterward "provided" by the sister, Germaine, suggest that the book was written and published without their consent or support. I'm glad to have had it to read, but that does make me quite uncomfortable. Besides which, it seems that it would have been a better book had Stephenson courted the remaining family members for their input.
Reading this soon-ish after watching Netflix's Making of a Murderer documentary was an interesting experience. Both involve fairly similar families (socially isolated WIsconsin families with a lot of mental illness and suggestions of abuse), and it was easy to read the Avery family into the Kunzes.
Blood Relative is a quick read, and surprisingly light on the gruesome detail. It doesn't have a satisfying wrap-up, but that does provide a lot of fuel for discussions on a long Wisconsin evening with others who have read the book. As ever, there are aspects of the True Crime genre that make me uncomfortable, and this book seems to take those issues to a bit of an extreme. It does feel exploitative, though I'm somewhat assuaged by the fact that the other doesn't seem to be pointing any definitive fingers.
The murder itself is disturbing, as is the family's history (though somewhat glossed over, there are strong hints at generations of abuse, alcoholism, and mental illness). As far as voyeuristic summer reading sensationalism goes, Blood Relative gets the job done.
Stephenson has, for the most part, arranged the book as collections of facts - snippets from autopsy reports, transcripts from interviews, etc. But every so often, the narrative voice interjects, providing imagery that could not possibly have been known by the author, and the words chosen are heavy with connotations (even if I didn't perceive any particular strong bias). I didn't get the sense that I was being intentionally misled, but the difference between the two styles was very jarring.
Because Stephenson apparently wanted to privilege "unabridged first sources," there are times when context is really lacking. For example, someone might be quoted, but with no explanation of who they are, or an autopsy report quote might be presented with no explanation of the medical jargon. Given Stephenson's narrative intrusions elsewhere, I was rather miffed by their lack in these areas.
Due to the nature of the True Crime genre, the ending is understandably unsatisfying. The mystery is presented and explained, but it isn't resolved - it ends in the lead suspect's acquittal. At least Stephenson is very upfront about this, warning readers that they will leave the book confused.
Still, it would have been nice to have seen some more follow-up. The book came out several years after the events described, but we have no more information about how Kenny Kuntz is doing, or whether Chris Jacobs III had been convicted of further crimes (and, in fact, he purportedly confessed to the murders two years before Blood Relative was published - information that should have been included!). That said, I do realise how difficult it would have been to negotiate the ethics of a "where are they now" section.
Which brings me to my final issue: The impression I got from the lack of statements from the surviving family members, plus the afterward "provided" by the sister, Germaine, suggest that the book was written and published without their consent or support. I'm glad to have had it to read, but that does make me quite uncomfortable. Besides which, it seems that it would have been a better book had Stephenson courted the remaining family members for their input.
Reading this soon-ish after watching Netflix's Making of a Murderer documentary was an interesting experience. Both involve fairly similar families (socially isolated WIsconsin families with a lot of mental illness and suggestions of abuse), and it was easy to read the Avery family into the Kunzes.
Blood Relative is a quick read, and surprisingly light on the gruesome detail. It doesn't have a satisfying wrap-up, but that does provide a lot of fuel for discussions on a long Wisconsin evening with others who have read the book. As ever, there are aspects of the True Crime genre that make me uncomfortable, and this book seems to take those issues to a bit of an extreme. It does feel exploitative, though I'm somewhat assuaged by the fact that the other doesn't seem to be pointing any definitive fingers.
January 13, 2023
I purchased this book because I wanted to read about the sad history of one of my Grandma’s close relatives. Not something I could get details about beyond vague comments from my Dad due to the perverse and shocking nature of the crime, as well as the stigma against the Kunz family due to their “habits”. My grandma spent lots of time with the Kunz family in her childhood so hearing more about this story from an unbiased researcher who really did the work to accurately portray this complicated family is something I am incredibly grateful for. Now, there’s no need to re-traumatize my family with painful questions about what occurred and I have some closure about what happened to Helen beyond the infamous “Where’s Helen?” pins and bumper stickers.
July 12, 2008
Very true to the events that unfolded after numerious people were murdered in the area on July 4th, 1993 very erie time for the area residents and such large horrible life changing event.
January 17, 2011
Easy read - wanted to read it because I just found out I know a member of the jury and wanted to discuss the case with her. I vaguely remembered the murders which were back in 1987.
February 16, 2011
Well written but a hard book not to get emotional about.
August 31, 2015
Beautifully written, evocative descriptions of Northern Wisconsin, very interesting take on a crime that has been whispered about in my family for years... I doubt we're the only ones.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews