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Deliver Us: Three Decades of Murder and Redemption in the Infamous I-45/Texas Killing Fields
Critically acclaimed author Kathryn Casey delivers a riveting account of the brutal murders of young women in the I-45/Texas Killing Fields—a chilling true story that has already helped police uncover evidence that may link suspected serial killer William Lewis Reece to some of the heinous crimes
Over a three-decade span, more than twenty women—many teenagers—died mysteriously in the small towns bordering Interstate 45, a fifty-mile stretch of highway running from Houston to Galveston. The victims were strangled, shot, or savagely beaten. Six met their demise in pairs. They had one thing in common: being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The day she vanished, Colette Wilson waited for her mother after band practice. Best friends Debbie Ackerman and Maria Johnson loved to surf and were last seen hitchhiking. Laura Kate Smither dreamed of becoming a ballerina and disappeared just weeks before her thirteenth birthday.
In this harrowing true crime exposition, award-winning journalist Kathryn Casey tracks these tragic cases, investigates the evidence, interviews the suspects, and pulls back the cloak of secrecy in search of elusive answers.
Over a three-decade span, more than twenty women—many teenagers—died mysteriously in the small towns bordering Interstate 45, a fifty-mile stretch of highway running from Houston to Galveston. The victims were strangled, shot, or savagely beaten. Six met their demise in pairs. They had one thing in common: being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The day she vanished, Colette Wilson waited for her mother after band practice. Best friends Debbie Ackerman and Maria Johnson loved to surf and were last seen hitchhiking. Laura Kate Smither dreamed of becoming a ballerina and disappeared just weeks before her thirteenth birthday.
In this harrowing true crime exposition, award-winning journalist Kathryn Casey tracks these tragic cases, investigates the evidence, interviews the suspects, and pulls back the cloak of secrecy in search of elusive answers.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 27, 2015
355 people are currently reading
3029 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Casey
33 books640 followersAn award-winning journalist and a critically acclaimed bestselling author, Kathryn Casey has written eleven true crime books and is the creator of the Sarah Armstrong and Clara Jefferies mystery series. ANGEL FALLS, her first historical fiction, was inspired by the life of Ruth Robertson, who in 1949 measured the world’s tallest waterfall.
Casey’s books have been Literary and Mystery Guild selections, and DEADLY LITTLE SECRETS was made into a Lifetime movie. Her first novel, SINGULARITY, was named a Best Crime Novel Debut by Booklist, and Library Journal chose THE KILLING STORM for its annual list of Best Mysteries. Elle Magazine picked DIE, MY LOVE as one of the ten best thrillers and crime books written by a woman. True crime matriarch Ann Rule praised Casey as "one of the best," and #1 NY Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen has called Casey "a true crime great."
In addition, Casey has written more than a hundred national magazine articles and pieces for The Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and the Houston Chronicle. In 2022, Casey was featured on the top ten Netflix limited documentary series “Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields.” She’s appeared on dozens of television and radio programs, including The Today Show, Good Morning America, 20/20, 48 Hours, Oprah, Investigation Discovery, the Travel Channel, A&E, and other venues.
Casey’s books have been Literary and Mystery Guild selections, and DEADLY LITTLE SECRETS was made into a Lifetime movie. Her first novel, SINGULARITY, was named a Best Crime Novel Debut by Booklist, and Library Journal chose THE KILLING STORM for its annual list of Best Mysteries. Elle Magazine picked DIE, MY LOVE as one of the ten best thrillers and crime books written by a woman. True crime matriarch Ann Rule praised Casey as "one of the best," and #1 NY Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen has called Casey "a true crime great."
In addition, Casey has written more than a hundred national magazine articles and pieces for The Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and the Houston Chronicle. In 2022, Casey was featured on the top ten Netflix limited documentary series “Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields.” She’s appeared on dozens of television and radio programs, including The Today Show, Good Morning America, 20/20, 48 Hours, Oprah, Investigation Discovery, the Travel Channel, A&E, and other venues.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
October 9, 2018
I felt the author did a very good job on this book. Years of research, interviews, etc. She also gave much insight into the VICTIMS, their lives, their family/friends, etc. Nice to see, 'cause much of the time true crime books focus heavily on the criminals. Some of the cases were solved, some not, some are 'maybes'. Several black-and-white photos throughout the book. This one pulls at your heartstrings. So many lost lives. Sad.
4 Stars = It gave me much food for thought.
4 Stars = It gave me much food for thought.
March 28, 2015
Deliver Us: Three Decades of Murder and Redemption in the Infamous I-45/Texas Killing Fields by Kathryn Casey is a 2015 Avon publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
My family has traveled down portions of I-45 many, many times here in Texas, as do so many others here do. It's a long stretch of road approximately 285 miles in length, connecting Dallas and Houston. The I-45 murders have been discussed quite often amongst Texans and has been the subject of documentaries, books, news magazine programs such as "48 Hours Mystery",and there was even a movie made over the killings.
In the early 1970's the first of the killings began. All through that decade the bodies of mainly young women were discovered brutally murdered. Along the way one man was tried and convicted of the murders of two of the women, but over the years his guilt has been called into serious question which has many believing the man was wrongfully convicted.
But, as the seventies came to an end the horrifying truth was the killings were far from over. The eighties ushered in a new decade of death along the I-45 interstate. It was at this time Fred Paige, a cop and investigator became convinced he knew who the killer was. His investigations was very detailed and the suspect certainly fit the profile and many things he confessed to did fit the crime scenes.
But as we headed into the nineties the grim discovery of the 'The Killing Fields' shows the killings have never stopped or even slowed down. However, as the decade drew to a close, the dawning of forensics, DNA matches, and CODIS will finally provide at least one family with justice.
As we catch up to the present, a viable suspect sits in prison but it's not clear if he is one of the killers or not. At this time there in still insufficient evidence to prosecute.
The author goes on to remind us that serial killers are not only along this 285 mile stretch of interstate travel, but everywhere.. Long Island being the area most prominently featured in the news media recently, along with the shocking discovery of women being held hostage for over a decade in Ohio, just to name a few. Yet, it can not be denied that the number of murders along I-45 are staggering.
The author did an outstanding job of bringing the victims alive so that the reader could feel the loss their families suffered, as well as introducing us to those hard working investigators who never forgot the victims and worked tirelessly to find answers. The portrait of the suspects throughout the decades will leave you feeling sick and the fact that only a few convictions in these cases were ever won was disheartening.
This book is a harrowing read and not for the faint of heart. The violence is described as it really happened and often suspects have engaged in horrific and vile acts. The families who agreed to speak with the author also reminds us of how their lives will never ever be the same, they will never recover. For some there were at least some answers, they know if their loved one is alive or dead, they were able to bury them, even if they don't know who took them away from them, others live in that special hell of not knowing, of having no closure of any kind. My heart ached for these families. As a parent I can only imagine the nightmare of having a missing or murdered child. So, tonight hug your kids a little longer, a little tighter, make sure they know the dangers out there and teach them to protect themselves as best they can. This book stands as a reminder that evil lurks out there in the shadows and it left me a heavy feeling of unease. This is not a book you want to read in the dead of night.
My family has traveled down portions of I-45 many, many times here in Texas, as do so many others here do. It's a long stretch of road approximately 285 miles in length, connecting Dallas and Houston. The I-45 murders have been discussed quite often amongst Texans and has been the subject of documentaries, books, news magazine programs such as "48 Hours Mystery",and there was even a movie made over the killings.
In the early 1970's the first of the killings began. All through that decade the bodies of mainly young women were discovered brutally murdered. Along the way one man was tried and convicted of the murders of two of the women, but over the years his guilt has been called into serious question which has many believing the man was wrongfully convicted.
But, as the seventies came to an end the horrifying truth was the killings were far from over. The eighties ushered in a new decade of death along the I-45 interstate. It was at this time Fred Paige, a cop and investigator became convinced he knew who the killer was. His investigations was very detailed and the suspect certainly fit the profile and many things he confessed to did fit the crime scenes.
But as we headed into the nineties the grim discovery of the 'The Killing Fields' shows the killings have never stopped or even slowed down. However, as the decade drew to a close, the dawning of forensics, DNA matches, and CODIS will finally provide at least one family with justice.
As we catch up to the present, a viable suspect sits in prison but it's not clear if he is one of the killers or not. At this time there in still insufficient evidence to prosecute.
The author goes on to remind us that serial killers are not only along this 285 mile stretch of interstate travel, but everywhere.. Long Island being the area most prominently featured in the news media recently, along with the shocking discovery of women being held hostage for over a decade in Ohio, just to name a few. Yet, it can not be denied that the number of murders along I-45 are staggering.
The author did an outstanding job of bringing the victims alive so that the reader could feel the loss their families suffered, as well as introducing us to those hard working investigators who never forgot the victims and worked tirelessly to find answers. The portrait of the suspects throughout the decades will leave you feeling sick and the fact that only a few convictions in these cases were ever won was disheartening.
This book is a harrowing read and not for the faint of heart. The violence is described as it really happened and often suspects have engaged in horrific and vile acts. The families who agreed to speak with the author also reminds us of how their lives will never ever be the same, they will never recover. For some there were at least some answers, they know if their loved one is alive or dead, they were able to bury them, even if they don't know who took them away from them, others live in that special hell of not knowing, of having no closure of any kind. My heart ached for these families. As a parent I can only imagine the nightmare of having a missing or murdered child. So, tonight hug your kids a little longer, a little tighter, make sure they know the dangers out there and teach them to protect themselves as best they can. This book stands as a reminder that evil lurks out there in the shadows and it left me a heavy feeling of unease. This is not a book you want to read in the dead of night.
June 24, 2017
Loved this book so personal and not all about the court case highly recommend
April 24, 2015
I was glued to this book. The biggest attraction to this book for me is I grew up west of Houston and many times saw these stories unfold on the news. My Dad and I always discussed these random disappearances and I was not allowed to travel to Galveston, or anywhere near 1-45 between Houston and Galveston alone. Each of these victims were just in the wrong place at the wrong time and they paid with their life. I enjoyed the interviews with the family members and how they've coped. I follow the Texas Equusearch team news. This non-profit was a coping mechanism for the father of one of these victims. His team now has high-tech equipment and police departments contacting him for assistance in searching for missing people. The best part of Equusearch is they do not judge on age, gender, race, etc. when they are contacted for a search. In all of these cases the police departments stall searching efforts for this reason and the person is just considered a runaway until a certain amount of time has gone by. Would the results have been different if they started searching immediately? No one knows but the question always lingers. In the end these decades of killings are the work of more than just one person, with the coincidence of occurring in a very tight geographical area. I feel for the families that still have no solid evidence to convict the perpetrator, just suspicion. I sincerely hope no more families in this area face this tragedy.
January 13, 2017
Wow. Not only is this the best Kathryn Casey book I've ever read, it's one of the best true crime books I've ever read.
Casey took three years to write this book, and it shows. I can't even fathom the amount of time and hours upon hours of research it took to cover three decades of kidnapping and murders that took place alongside Texas's notorious I-45.
Some of the killers were caught and some of the bodies of the girls were found, but too many are still missing. Casey did a phenomenal job bringing the girls back to life and making the reader care--REALLY care--about their families. I was brought close to tears several times. There were a couple of stories that got to me more than usual.
I hope this book leads to breaks in these cases. If anything, Casey showed without a doubt that persistence pays off. My heart goes out to these families, and to these young women, whose lives were cut so tragically short.
Casey took three years to write this book, and it shows. I can't even fathom the amount of time and hours upon hours of research it took to cover three decades of kidnapping and murders that took place alongside Texas's notorious I-45.
Some of the killers were caught and some of the bodies of the girls were found, but too many are still missing. Casey did a phenomenal job bringing the girls back to life and making the reader care--REALLY care--about their families. I was brought close to tears several times. There were a couple of stories that got to me more than usual.
I hope this book leads to breaks in these cases. If anything, Casey showed without a doubt that persistence pays off. My heart goes out to these families, and to these young women, whose lives were cut so tragically short.
May 31, 2020
I read it in one day so it must not have been to bad. Covers 3 decades of a strip of I-45 between Houston and Galveston, Texas. The book covers multiple series of killings with different perpetrators(or suspects). I kinda liked the multiple cases instead of half a book of court proceedings. There is some court stuff, but not to much. Pretty hard to read at parts. Very sad and enraging. Well written and kept me interested for 8 hours straight. Except for snacks and pee breaks. I will say it seems the Galveston area is a scary place to be if you're a young woman or girl. I'd probably get outta dodge as soon as I hit 18.
Just kidding. But two things I've learned from true crime books is: Don't be a prostitute and DON'T HITCHHIKE!!
Just kidding. But two things I've learned from true crime books is: Don't be a prostitute and DON'T HITCHHIKE!!
December 3, 2018
It is absolutely appalling to me that over three decades of murders can occur in this same area of Texas and nothing has been done about it. No one coordinates, no one patrols, hardly anything is investigated. It's an outrage
January 18, 2023
Wonderful coverage on I-45 and Texas Killing Fields murders though at times it felt really disjointed. Paragraphs jumped over each other and sometimes it was hard to keep pace with the author, especially with lots and lots of names involved in each case Kathryn covers in this book. Nonetheless - I can attest and say she did a great job covering tragic stories that litter this strip of road. Book itself is informative, have a lot of people expressing opinions and talking about facts or/and evidence with professional expertise backing them, and Kathryn penned down everyone she talked to with a full heart and consoling gaze (except for the sentenced ones). However, the copy I have did great injustice to pictures presented in the book - they are such poor quality that even by flashlight I had hard time making out details in most of them. That is possibly not Kathryn's fault but dampens the experience and dismisses the effort author put in collecting these pictures to present to her readers.
Overall - a good read on the cases and on the subject overall.
Overall - a good read on the cases and on the subject overall.
April 17, 2015
This book never got going but I stuck it out. A rash of murders of young women, mostly teenagers, occurred around Galveston, Texas in the 1970-90s. It is possible that they were not all done by one individual since the methods of murder varied....guns, knives, strangulation. The police were slow to respond and in many instances made the assumption that the girls ran away from home. Time passed and although there were some confessions, they were usually made by those people who desire attention and/or are mentally disturbed. No solution equals no story......we follow the families of some the victims and their efforts to bring some closure but that is not enough to fill 300 pages. Frankly, I thought it was boring although I certainly had sympathy for those affected. Pretty dull.
December 26, 2018
Once in a while I feel the urge to read up on true crime, and Kathryn Casey is one of my go-to authors for the genre. Her writing style draws me into the stories instantly, and she does meticulous research for her books.
This one is about a series of murders, some related and others now, committed in the relatively small area of the I-45 corridor in Texas. A series of young women were murdered in Galveston in the 1970s and 1980s, and the author (as well as most of the people involved in the cases) believe that most, if not all, are related. The killer has yet to be caught, although the author (and investigators) have a prime suspect or two. Casey also discusses the cases of other women who were murdered along the corridor in the 1980s and 1990s.
Some of the cases are cold and will likely never be solved (the Galveston serial killer will likely never be brought to justice; so much of the evidence has been misplaced and lost over the years that there is literally almost nothing to work with at this point), but some are still active to this day. William Lewis Reece, who was listed as a suspect in two of the murders (Laura Smither and Jessica Cain, as well as the murder of Tiffany Johnston in Oklahoma), has finally been indicted in all three of these murders and will be going to trial for them in the future.
One of the most interesting things about this book is that it focuses on the victims - their lives, their stories, etc. Many true crime books focus on the killer(s) almost exclusively, with victims only appearing for a few paragraphs or so. Part of Casey's choice to shift the focus is required - in many of these cases, a perpetrator has not been caught and likely never will be, so there is no choice but to focus on the victims. But on the cases where a perpetrator is heavily suspected or even caught, the author still pays a great deal of attention to the victims.
The book is well-written and I'd recommend it to those who enjoy reading true crime - but if you want or need endings that are tied up nicely at the end in a bow, this book isn't for you. Many of the cases will never be officially closed or solved.
This one is about a series of murders, some related and others now, committed in the relatively small area of the I-45 corridor in Texas. A series of young women were murdered in Galveston in the 1970s and 1980s, and the author (as well as most of the people involved in the cases) believe that most, if not all, are related. The killer has yet to be caught, although the author (and investigators) have a prime suspect or two. Casey also discusses the cases of other women who were murdered along the corridor in the 1980s and 1990s.
Some of the cases are cold and will likely never be solved (the Galveston serial killer will likely never be brought to justice; so much of the evidence has been misplaced and lost over the years that there is literally almost nothing to work with at this point), but some are still active to this day. William Lewis Reece, who was listed as a suspect in two of the murders (Laura Smither and Jessica Cain, as well as the murder of Tiffany Johnston in Oklahoma), has finally been indicted in all three of these murders and will be going to trial for them in the future.
One of the most interesting things about this book is that it focuses on the victims - their lives, their stories, etc. Many true crime books focus on the killer(s) almost exclusively, with victims only appearing for a few paragraphs or so. Part of Casey's choice to shift the focus is required - in many of these cases, a perpetrator has not been caught and likely never will be, so there is no choice but to focus on the victims. But on the cases where a perpetrator is heavily suspected or even caught, the author still pays a great deal of attention to the victims.
The book is well-written and I'd recommend it to those who enjoy reading true crime - but if you want or need endings that are tied up nicely at the end in a bow, this book isn't for you. Many of the cases will never be officially closed or solved.
March 22, 2016
I grew up in the area where these murders and disappearances took place. I remember the cases from the 80s and 90s, particularly the Laura Smithers case which was in my hometown. Because of this, I found this book enthralling. Yes, I read it in 2 days. I know these places very well. It was a well-researched true-crime novel. If you lived in this area or you remember these crimes, I definitely recommend reading this book.
March 12, 2015
Another excellent book from Kathryn Casey! The writing just flows and her writing style really helps draw you in as you learn each victim's story. One of my favorite things about this book is all the pictures. And they're integrated into each chapter and not in a picture section (where the pages frequently become loose!). Wonderful addition to a great book! Highly recommended!
May 16, 2015
confusing. Jumping in time all the time. Lots of stories without any conclusion.
I do not get why this book has so many great reviews. (I had written a long review but apparently it is gone?)
I do not get why this book has so many great reviews. (I had written a long review but apparently it is gone?)
January 30, 2020
4.5 stars
More than 20 women died and were found along the I-45 highway road in Texas. Some cases have suspects whom could be prosecuted, some involves corrupted policemen, some had the highly likely innocent people in jail, some missing evidences, clash of opinion between the professionals and majority of the cases still unsolved. Put that on a screenplay, it is definitely an interesting movie to watch but when in reality, it's the horrible thing that could ever happened. Spanning from early 1970's to 1990's, the biggest questions are: were these the work of a serial killer and why the place was used as body dumping ground?
While some other works of true crime focus more on the predator and the crime, this book put the victims under the spotlight, highlighting of who they were and their lives in which make a reader better familiar with them, their families and the impact that their death brought to the community in general. The crime is hideous but the author's writing is excellent. Pretty obvious that the author did an amazing job in investigating the case although there is an update regarding 2 Jane Does that had been identified in 2019. With the advance of technology and in the light of some very old cold cases that been solved recently (the Golden State Killer and the Hwaseong Murder Case) I really hope, these cases will be solve soon.
August 11, 2025
Absolutely beautifully written with such respect to the victims and the families involved in the cases. I love how she includes other victims that experienced similar crimes, even if they weren’t involved in the “I-45 killings”. Casey does such a thorough investigation through all suspects, including ones that have close to no involvement. The work with detectives and P.I. feels like I’m in the room with them, collecting evidence and trying to understand the cases. Her dedication to showing the lives of these young’s girls and the families impacted is just astonishing. Her writing had me tearing up a couple times, mainly because reading about all the young girls lives that were taken was just so hard. Thank you Casey for encapsulating just how horrifying the 20 years of these investigations were.
March 26, 2025
Author was very considerate in the way she presented personal stories about the victims and their families. She really did her research with cases. True crime books scare me and make me paranoid!!!
December 7, 2015
Casey tells the story of the I-45 Killing Field in this book. Fairly the book is well written. I gave it a 4 because really Casey does a better than credible job describing the different scenarios of individual victims, families, suspects, and even convicted killers. My initial instinct was to give this book a 3, but that's not really fair to Casey.
The thing is, I hated the contents of this book. To many of the victims were high risk victims that were to much like my own family and family dynamic. I cried for the little girls that died so brutally because they are the same age and are involved in the same after school activities as my own daughter. The fact that so little justice is involved in the telling of these stories. Lets face it, we can face these books because the bad guys are caught! They pose no threat to our children. This isn't Casey's fault either, therefore I was forced to re-evaluate my impulse to blame the author for my discontent.
So who would I recommend this book to? That's hard because we all like closure. It's out nature. We like books because they neatly sum up the stories and give us that needed sense of full circle. You don't get that from this book. As a result I do not think I would recommend this book. What I would say is that if you are seeking the psychological profile all clearly defined for you, this is not a good book for you.
If you read these books as I do to get a concept of the sociopathy of the individuals capable of these types of crimes, then this might be a good book for you. You will not get to the end and get to diagnose the killer. No. What you will get is the ability to apply what you have already learned.
My personal analysis is that there are multiple perpetrators involved in the i-45 murders. There is not a shared psychosis or anything so obvious. There are multiple killers with multiple MO's that can individually be analyzed to allow you to further your understanding of the abnormal mind.
Casey made me cry with this one. I don't usually do that. This book tore at my heart and my mind. This book is not one for the weak constitution.
Good luck.
The thing is, I hated the contents of this book. To many of the victims were high risk victims that were to much like my own family and family dynamic. I cried for the little girls that died so brutally because they are the same age and are involved in the same after school activities as my own daughter. The fact that so little justice is involved in the telling of these stories. Lets face it, we can face these books because the bad guys are caught! They pose no threat to our children. This isn't Casey's fault either, therefore I was forced to re-evaluate my impulse to blame the author for my discontent.
So who would I recommend this book to? That's hard because we all like closure. It's out nature. We like books because they neatly sum up the stories and give us that needed sense of full circle. You don't get that from this book. As a result I do not think I would recommend this book. What I would say is that if you are seeking the psychological profile all clearly defined for you, this is not a good book for you.
If you read these books as I do to get a concept of the sociopathy of the individuals capable of these types of crimes, then this might be a good book for you. You will not get to the end and get to diagnose the killer. No. What you will get is the ability to apply what you have already learned.
My personal analysis is that there are multiple perpetrators involved in the i-45 murders. There is not a shared psychosis or anything so obvious. There are multiple killers with multiple MO's that can individually be analyzed to allow you to further your understanding of the abnormal mind.
Casey made me cry with this one. I don't usually do that. This book tore at my heart and my mind. This book is not one for the weak constitution.
Good luck.
July 8, 2016
I was really hesitant to read this book...I have never read a true crimes story before. It is one thing when you know the book is fiction and no one really dies, but when the stories are reality, and lives were taken, that is something different. We lived in League City, Texas for 13 years. We loved it there, it really is a great little town. We only heard brief mentions of "The Killing Fields". I remember when Laura Kate Smither was taken, we prayed for her and her family and cried when her remains were found. And then there was Jessica Cain, another teenager that disappeared. I don't remember the story of Krystal Baker, but I supposed that is because she was presumed a runaway at first. Sad. In the epilogue Kathryn Casey briefly mentions other disappearances that happened in the 2000's, one of those is Tot Harriman. My husband was friends with her son, he lived very near us. We remember when she just seemed to disappear. All of these stories just break my heart.
I really appreciate the way Kathryn Casey wrote this story, she was careful to not speculate or sensationalize the gruesome. There was only one or two stories where we actually know from court records what happened to the poor girls. Those were difficult to read. But Ms Casey could have written the book in a way that would cause tender readers to sob the whole way through, but she didn't. My heart aches for the families, but I feel that she was careful to not try to cheapen their grief and dishonor the girls with sensationalism, if that makes sense.
After reading the book I did a quick internet search and found the ending of one of the stories. I won't spoil anything here, the story was recent and easily found. I was glad there was some closure for the family. I appreciate Ms Casey bringing light to the plight of the families that want answers and the way she handled the telling of these stories. I am saddened that there exists such evil in the world and pray for peace for these families. Great book.
I really appreciate the way Kathryn Casey wrote this story, she was careful to not speculate or sensationalize the gruesome. There was only one or two stories where we actually know from court records what happened to the poor girls. Those were difficult to read. But Ms Casey could have written the book in a way that would cause tender readers to sob the whole way through, but she didn't. My heart aches for the families, but I feel that she was careful to not try to cheapen their grief and dishonor the girls with sensationalism, if that makes sense.
After reading the book I did a quick internet search and found the ending of one of the stories. I won't spoil anything here, the story was recent and easily found. I was glad there was some closure for the family. I appreciate Ms Casey bringing light to the plight of the families that want answers and the way she handled the telling of these stories. I am saddened that there exists such evil in the world and pray for peace for these families. Great book.
May 6, 2017
I actually read this book over months (I always keep one particular book at home where it stays until I finally either finish it, or start carrying it around with me because I can't put it down). I like true crime, but I mostly stuck with the Ann Rule. I met Kathryn Casey at a past BEA, where I picked this book up. Because I am huge into My Favorite Murder Podcast, I decided that it was time to branch out into true crime again.
I liked this book, but I probably prefer my true crime to focus on a particular murderer. The victims in this book are the result of many killers over the course of decades. Because the Hubs and I use to live in Oklahoma and vacation in Galveston, a lot of the areas mentioned in the book were familiar to me. It's so awful to read about young teenagers and young women who disappear- worse when some of them stay missing, their fates unknown.
I've never been a fan of unsolved mysteries- I think the reason I like true crime is that it helps my anxiety when the killer or killers are caught. It helps to know that yes, terrible things happen, but the people responsible are punished. Sadly, that's not always the case. Casey does a good job of telling the victims and their family's stories, and she even got to interview some of the men who were accused and/or convicted of some of the murders.
I'll definitely be checking out some of Casey's other true crime books.
I liked this book, but I probably prefer my true crime to focus on a particular murderer. The victims in this book are the result of many killers over the course of decades. Because the Hubs and I use to live in Oklahoma and vacation in Galveston, a lot of the areas mentioned in the book were familiar to me. It's so awful to read about young teenagers and young women who disappear- worse when some of them stay missing, their fates unknown.
I've never been a fan of unsolved mysteries- I think the reason I like true crime is that it helps my anxiety when the killer or killers are caught. It helps to know that yes, terrible things happen, but the people responsible are punished. Sadly, that's not always the case. Casey does a good job of telling the victims and their family's stories, and she even got to interview some of the men who were accused and/or convicted of some of the murders.
I'll definitely be checking out some of Casey's other true crime books.
April 6, 2015
I wasn't particularly acquainted with these murders which all occurred along a specific portion of the Texas I-45 near Galveston so it was all pretty much new information to me. This is my first true crime by this author also and I found her writing incredibly sympathetic to the victims and their families which I always appreciate when reading modern accounts of murder. This book covers a lot of information and many, many cases while covering a time period from the late '60s to 2000. Some victims had a short amount of time spent on them while others had chapters while Casey covered trials that brought their killers to justice. Casey manages to skillfully keep the abundant information from becoming an overload by presenting the Killing Fields' history in chronological order and revisiting cases when new evidence is found while following the future crimes. In the end, Casey names the most likely suspect in each case where viable persons of interest were suspected but evidence wasn't solid enough for an arrest. She also concludes that the sheer number of small town police, their methods and politics played a major role in the number of unsolved crimes in this area. I found this a quick, engrossing read and love Casey's writing style. I'll certainly seek out some of her other books.
January 29, 2017
Started the book in October 2016, but was having trouble being able to focus on it, so I put it aside. But I still wanted to read it, because I'd of course heard about the Texas "Killing Field" off I-45 on various crime shows, etc. It's the kind of case where you are left wondering how/why a particular area draws a particular type of killer over a period of several decades - beginning in the 1970s and continuing into the 21st century. Was it all one killer, or were there different ones? The only that we can be sure about is that many young girls, school aged girls - not prostitutes who are so often victims, but so many young girls went missing, and most were found dead. Some of them, their bodies, still have not been found.
So just before Christmas, I started reading it again, and was able to concentrate on it much better. It is well written, and very well researched. If you've ever been interested in True Crime, or this particular case, it is worth reading. And thanks to the internet, you can look up the case, and find pictures and maps to help understand things that you might have questions about, as you read it, although, the author does have one map included, it is kind of sparse.
Worth reading, just be sure you'll be able to concentrate on when you decide to read it.
So just before Christmas, I started reading it again, and was able to concentrate on it much better. It is well written, and very well researched. If you've ever been interested in True Crime, or this particular case, it is worth reading. And thanks to the internet, you can look up the case, and find pictures and maps to help understand things that you might have questions about, as you read it, although, the author does have one map included, it is kind of sparse.
Worth reading, just be sure you'll be able to concentrate on when you decide to read it.
February 6, 2017
An excellent book by Kathryn Casey covering the murders in what is considered the "Texas Killing Fields". So many young teens and young women went missing and were murdered in the 1970s to 1980s. Kathryn tells the story of many of the victims and the search for them, along with their loved ones stories. It was very interesting. The cases are not all connected, although some are. There was more than one serial killers working the area, making it extremely difficult for detectives. But the victims' stories survived and are told here. It was a great book! Very well written and researched. I highly recommend this book. It is a must read for true crime addicts (like myself).
January 15, 2016
This was a good read about many, many perplexing murder cases, some solved, some not, some possibly. The author did a good job of compressing all the information into a small space without oversimplifying things too much. I have to say this book needed a thorough text editing. Some of the sentences were so scrambled up what I could not guess what they meant no matter how many times I re-read them.
February 22, 2015
It is hard for me to fathom so many disappearances and so many murders in as many years with so few leads and answers. Horrific crimes! I have traveled many a mile down this stretch of interstate and I will never again be able to travel this stretch without thinking of the horrors that were awaiting these young women OR what horror STILL lies in wait. Chilling!!
January 31, 2015
Very thoroughly investigated. Chronology of victims/ crimes was well-thought out, since some were pairs or even more. Been waiting for somebody to cover this topic. Even though I live in the area and have read countless articles on the topic, I still found that Casey added unknown and pertinent details. would definitely read her works again.
September 14, 2017
Literally could not stop reading. Perhaps it's because I live in League City and work in Galveston that the story is so close to home that it's almost chilling. It is intriguing to drive and walk near the places mentioned. This book was full of information and kept me hooked the entire time. Hoping to try some other books by the author also!
October 27, 2016
Kathryn Casey writes in a style which indicates how much time she invests in all the cases she writes about.
Her descriptions show the ugliness of the crimes in their own shocking way, without over sensationalising in an unnecessary way.
Her descriptions show the ugliness of the crimes in their own shocking way, without over sensationalising in an unnecessary way.
September 7, 2022
Excellent thoughtfully written book about the I45 murders. Heartbreaking story well told.
March 27, 2015
I love all of her books. Makes me really feel for the families of those murdered girls. Definitely recommend reading if at all interested in true crime
May 31, 2025
Here I go reading true crime again when I told myself I would avoid the genre as it invariably leads me to feel depressed. When this one came up on Bookbub as a $1.99 bargain, I couldn't resist. You see I lived in Houston for 16 years and I used to drive the stretch of I-45 featured in the cases that are discussed in the book on a nearly daily basis, although on a section north of the city. However, I would drive to Galveston Island almost every weekend in the summer time to enjoy some sun and surf in my 20s and 30s, and it's that stretch of I-45 that is the locale for all the murders featured in this book. It doesn't surprise me that there are so many predators who frequent that section of I-45. Houston is a slimy city. It really is. I always felt that way about the city when I lived there. It has its pockets of beauty and respectability, like River Oaks, with its wealth and old Southern charm, but for the most part its a city that's highly transient with a lot of unwholesome characters who tend to gravitate there. Anyway, but, back to the topic of the book. The writer Kathryn Casey does a great job at balancing the focus between the victims and their mourning families, the efforts of law enforcement in seeing those responsible for these horrendous crimes be put to justice, and the loathsome criminals themselves. She treats the subject matter respectably and with a level of empathy you feel is sincere and not just lip service. Still, I think I've had my fill of true crime for 2025 after finishing this one off.
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