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Submerged: How a Cold Case Condemned an Innocent Man to Hide a Family's Darkest Secret
An explosive work of investigative journalism revealing the travesty of justice that sent an innocent man to prison and let the real murderer of a teenage girl go free.
For most families that have suffered the unsolved murder of a loved one, a successful cold case investigation can finally bring closure to their tragedy and, ideally, bring the perpetrator to justice. But in 2013, when LaPorte, Indiana, police detectives arrested Jason Tibbs for the murder of sixteen-year-old Rayna Rison twenty years before, they sent an innocent man to prison and they also removed a cloud over the victim’s brother-in-law, Ray McCarty. McCarty had previously been indicted for killing her and, three years before that, impregnating her at the age of twelve. Today, Tibbs sits in an Indiana prison serving a forty-year sentence for killing Rayna Rison. His conviction in 2014 was partly due to failures in his defense and evidence that the judge would not permit in the trial. But the fact that charges were dropped against McCarty and then filed against Tibbs speaks to the remarkable influence of politics on the criminal justice system in northwestern Indiana. It also shows how easy it can be to concoct a capital case against an innocent man and how the touted triumphs of the justice system can sometimes go horribly wrong. Submerged tells the full story of the Rayna Rison case for the first time in meticulous detail. Drawing on countless interviews and a deep examination of the legal record, Hillel Levin tells the tragic story of a girl tortured by her family and failed by the justice system and proves Tibbs’s innocence so that some justice in this story might still emerge.
For most families that have suffered the unsolved murder of a loved one, a successful cold case investigation can finally bring closure to their tragedy and, ideally, bring the perpetrator to justice. But in 2013, when LaPorte, Indiana, police detectives arrested Jason Tibbs for the murder of sixteen-year-old Rayna Rison twenty years before, they sent an innocent man to prison and they also removed a cloud over the victim’s brother-in-law, Ray McCarty. McCarty had previously been indicted for killing her and, three years before that, impregnating her at the age of twelve. Today, Tibbs sits in an Indiana prison serving a forty-year sentence for killing Rayna Rison. His conviction in 2014 was partly due to failures in his defense and evidence that the judge would not permit in the trial. But the fact that charges were dropped against McCarty and then filed against Tibbs speaks to the remarkable influence of politics on the criminal justice system in northwestern Indiana. It also shows how easy it can be to concoct a capital case against an innocent man and how the touted triumphs of the justice system can sometimes go horribly wrong. Submerged tells the full story of the Rayna Rison case for the first time in meticulous detail. Drawing on countless interviews and a deep examination of the legal record, Hillel Levin tells the tragic story of a girl tortured by her family and failed by the justice system and proves Tibbs’s innocence so that some justice in this story might still emerge.
502 pages, Hardcover
First published November 19, 2024
50 people are currently reading
4400 people want to read
About the author
Hillel Levin
8 books12 followersHillel Levin's reporting has appeared in The Nation, Playboy, New York magazine, Monthly Detroit magazine, Metropolitan Detroit magazine, and Chicago magazine. He was executive editor of Metropolitan Detroit and editor of Chicago. In 1984, he wrote Grand Delusions: The Cosmic Career of John De Lorean (Viking). In 2004, he wrote When Corruption Was King (Carroll & Graf) with Robert Cooley about Cooley's central role in the FBI investigation of mob influence on Chicago's courts and political system. “Area Two,” his Playboy article on Chicago police misconduct, co-written with John Conroy, won a 2011 Headline Club Peter Lisagor Award. His 2010 book In With the Devil (St. Martin’s Press), which he wrote with James Keene, was about Keene's undercover mission to crack a serial killer in a federal prison and was the basis for the Apple TV+ series Black Bird.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
September 22, 2024
The white whale of the true crime industry is the case in which a cherubic childlike defendant, who didn’t do it, is convicted and imprisoned (and available for interviews). As an enthusiast of true crime stories, I find interesting the coexistence of two things. The first thing is that no one is more impressed with the intellectual capacity of true crime fans than true crime fans. The second thing is that this capacity, on average, leaves much to be desired. (After the Netflix series Making a Murderer was released, five hundred thousand people petitioned then-President Barack Obama to pardon poor Steven Avery. Politely but tersely, the White House reminded half a million petitioners that the President cannot pardon state convictions.)
With these observations in mind, one notices that successful forays into crime reportage are those that massage the intellectual chops of the audience. How could a jury be so stupid as to convict this poor schlub? He is lucky to have such enlightened experts as us who can recognize his unjust plight and demand justice. (Sure, there was that false start in which we petitioned the wrong executive officer, but our hearts were in the right place.)
With that out of the way, one has to admit, after absorbing Hillel Levin’s balanced review of the case of Indiana vs. Tibbs, that it sure doesn’t look like Tibbs murdered his kind-of girlfriend (the neologism “situationship” retrospectively fits their relationship pretty well). Certainly Rayna’s stepfather, Ray McCarty, who repeatedly raped her beginning when she was twelve, resulting in his conviction for child molestation, and who probably impregnated her while he was on probation following that conviction, had a compelling motive to murder her to prevent her informing authorities on him and she did before. McCarty was even arrested years before Tibbs was.
But following a series of unfortunate events, Tibbs was convicted of Rayna’s murder, not McCarty. McCarty’s grand jury indictment was undermined by the political rivalry among elected prosecutors. An inexperienced trial judge was hopelessly confused by evidentiary rules. A line prosecutor raised and won dozens of objections made in bad faith to screen the jury from evidence implicating McCarty. Detectives used leading questions and other outrageous tactics to feed information to the main cooperating witness who received immunity from the prosecutor in exchange for his trial testimony.
Many crime writers feel compelled to interview their subjects. Nearly every time this happens, I am unmoved. Tibbs understandably complains about his trial attorneys, expressing his annoyance that they did not follow to the letter every note that he scribbled during witness testimony. Every criminal defendant, since time immemorial, has earnestly believed that he was smarter than his lawyer. Most of them are not. Lawyers are almost always denied the opportunity to respond to their former clients’ indictments against them by attorney-client privilege, which is waivable only by the former client. Levin successfully makes the case that Tibbs’s attorneys could have conducted a better trial, but I am always pleased to be spared the purported legal acumen of the accused — although, as a repeat petty criminal, Tibbs may have had more familiarity with the judicial system than most.
Despite its imposing length, Submerged stands out in a crowded field for its clear, objective presentation. Following a path that audiovisual media would not permit, Levin proceeds first by systemically recalling and then dismantling each evolution of McCarty’s alibi. By the time this part is finished, the reader is quite sure not only that McCarty murdered Rayna, but also why he did it. But it is one thing to negate an alibi and quite another to show positively that the defendant murdered the victim — the “opportunity” of which prosecutors speak. And despite McCarty’s many failed alibis and admissions that he lied to the police, there was frustratingly scant evidence of his guilt. For a deep dive into a tragic case, true crime fans will find much red meat in this engaging work.
With these observations in mind, one notices that successful forays into crime reportage are those that massage the intellectual chops of the audience. How could a jury be so stupid as to convict this poor schlub? He is lucky to have such enlightened experts as us who can recognize his unjust plight and demand justice. (Sure, there was that false start in which we petitioned the wrong executive officer, but our hearts were in the right place.)
With that out of the way, one has to admit, after absorbing Hillel Levin’s balanced review of the case of Indiana vs. Tibbs, that it sure doesn’t look like Tibbs murdered his kind-of girlfriend (the neologism “situationship” retrospectively fits their relationship pretty well). Certainly Rayna’s stepfather, Ray McCarty, who repeatedly raped her beginning when she was twelve, resulting in his conviction for child molestation, and who probably impregnated her while he was on probation following that conviction, had a compelling motive to murder her to prevent her informing authorities on him and she did before. McCarty was even arrested years before Tibbs was.
But following a series of unfortunate events, Tibbs was convicted of Rayna’s murder, not McCarty. McCarty’s grand jury indictment was undermined by the political rivalry among elected prosecutors. An inexperienced trial judge was hopelessly confused by evidentiary rules. A line prosecutor raised and won dozens of objections made in bad faith to screen the jury from evidence implicating McCarty. Detectives used leading questions and other outrageous tactics to feed information to the main cooperating witness who received immunity from the prosecutor in exchange for his trial testimony.
Many crime writers feel compelled to interview their subjects. Nearly every time this happens, I am unmoved. Tibbs understandably complains about his trial attorneys, expressing his annoyance that they did not follow to the letter every note that he scribbled during witness testimony. Every criminal defendant, since time immemorial, has earnestly believed that he was smarter than his lawyer. Most of them are not. Lawyers are almost always denied the opportunity to respond to their former clients’ indictments against them by attorney-client privilege, which is waivable only by the former client. Levin successfully makes the case that Tibbs’s attorneys could have conducted a better trial, but I am always pleased to be spared the purported legal acumen of the accused — although, as a repeat petty criminal, Tibbs may have had more familiarity with the judicial system than most.
Despite its imposing length, Submerged stands out in a crowded field for its clear, objective presentation. Following a path that audiovisual media would not permit, Levin proceeds first by systemically recalling and then dismantling each evolution of McCarty’s alibi. By the time this part is finished, the reader is quite sure not only that McCarty murdered Rayna, but also why he did it. But it is one thing to negate an alibi and quite another to show positively that the defendant murdered the victim — the “opportunity” of which prosecutors speak. And despite McCarty’s many failed alibis and admissions that he lied to the police, there was frustratingly scant evidence of his guilt. For a deep dive into a tragic case, true crime fans will find much red meat in this engaging work.
November 26, 2024
Well, that was infuriating.
This is the story of Rayna Rison and her friend Jason Tibbs. Rayna was impregnated by her brother in law at age 12. According to her, he continued to assault her until she was murdered at sixteen. All evidence points towards the brother in law, but the entire family denies it. Twenty years later, her friend, Jason Tibbs, is arrested. This is after a known liar from their hometown came forward with "eyewitness testimony." Said liar was in prison for murder himself and heard that the state was trying to solve cold cases. Despite a strong alibi and being cleared in the initial investigation, Tibbs is arrested, tried, and convicted of Rayna's murder.
Jason's arrest was only 10 years ago. It blows my mind that these antics still work- false witness, terrible judges, terrible lawyers, forced confessions. How is closing a case, with the wrong culprit, better than an open case? The real criminals win by this practice- and they are the only winners other than corrupt law enforcement officials.
As for the book, I was a bit nervous at the length, but I was pleasantly surprised. All but a stretch in the middle, it held my attention fully. It is well researched and engaging. I came into this knowing nothing about the case- and forced myself not to Google. (I will be Googling in about 2 minutes, lol).
Brandon Pollock narrates. It is okay, not perfect. There are a lot of sections that were rerecorded and dubbed in. Segments of a few words- it makes it very noticeable. He also mispronounces things sometimes- sometimes I wondered if it was more of a mumble than a mispronunciation, but I think it was both. He pronounced Notre Dame (the college) like the church. I am sure all of the Hoosiers, especially the Fighting Irish, will be offended if they listen.
I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is the story of Rayna Rison and her friend Jason Tibbs. Rayna was impregnated by her brother in law at age 12. According to her, he continued to assault her until she was murdered at sixteen. All evidence points towards the brother in law, but the entire family denies it. Twenty years later, her friend, Jason Tibbs, is arrested. This is after a known liar from their hometown came forward with "eyewitness testimony." Said liar was in prison for murder himself and heard that the state was trying to solve cold cases. Despite a strong alibi and being cleared in the initial investigation, Tibbs is arrested, tried, and convicted of Rayna's murder.
Jason's arrest was only 10 years ago. It blows my mind that these antics still work- false witness, terrible judges, terrible lawyers, forced confessions. How is closing a case, with the wrong culprit, better than an open case? The real criminals win by this practice- and they are the only winners other than corrupt law enforcement officials.
As for the book, I was a bit nervous at the length, but I was pleasantly surprised. All but a stretch in the middle, it held my attention fully. It is well researched and engaging. I came into this knowing nothing about the case- and forced myself not to Google. (I will be Googling in about 2 minutes, lol).
Brandon Pollock narrates. It is okay, not perfect. There are a lot of sections that were rerecorded and dubbed in. Segments of a few words- it makes it very noticeable. He also mispronounces things sometimes- sometimes I wondered if it was more of a mumble than a mispronunciation, but I think it was both. He pronounced Notre Dame (the college) like the church. I am sure all of the Hoosiers, especially the Fighting Irish, will be offended if they listen.
I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2024
Submerged: How a Cold case Condemned an Innocent Man to Hide a Family’s Darkest Secret
Hillel Levin
Rayna Rison was repeatedly raped and molested by her brother-in-law Ray. He threatened to kill her, to beat her sister and harm his own child. When Rayna became pregnant Ray admitted to her father that he was possibly the father. The baby was aborted. Ray was reported to the police. He was placed on probation and forced to get counseling. He never took responsibility for his crime. He didn’t see it as a crime. Ray thought he was the victim. Rayna had little to no support from her family. The rape and abuse started again. Another girl was also raped by Ray. Rayna’s sister Lori offered no support at all. Once again Ray made himself the victim.
Rayna had a part time job at the local vet’s office. She cleaned the kennels and the office. She and Matt had a restart date planned for that evening. Later her body was found submerged in a pond.
The police investigation was intense. Ray was arrested and indicted, but a new attorney was elected, and he dropped the charges. Rayna’s family was relieved that Ray was off the hook. Years later Jason, Rayna’s best friend, was arrested, accused of her murder and found guilty. But was he guilty? Evidence that would have exonerated him was kept from the jury. Could an innocent man be sitting in a jail cell?
In my mind there is no doubt who committed the murder of Rayna Rison. I believe her brother-in-law Ray is guilty, but I don’t believe he is the only one that should be held responsible. Her sister is just as guilty. Her father, Bennie, is guilty. Her mother is guilty. The court system in Le Pointe, Indiana is guilty. Rayna was a child she was molested, raped, and abused and you did nothing. Her father offered her NO protection. I am angry.
This book is fascinating. I stayed up all night to read it. I admire journalist/author Hillel Levin for his dedication to researching Rayna’s life and murder. This is a True Crime story. One that needs to be told. I hope someone can help Jason.
Thank you NetGalley for the review copy.
Hillel Levin
Rayna Rison was repeatedly raped and molested by her brother-in-law Ray. He threatened to kill her, to beat her sister and harm his own child. When Rayna became pregnant Ray admitted to her father that he was possibly the father. The baby was aborted. Ray was reported to the police. He was placed on probation and forced to get counseling. He never took responsibility for his crime. He didn’t see it as a crime. Ray thought he was the victim. Rayna had little to no support from her family. The rape and abuse started again. Another girl was also raped by Ray. Rayna’s sister Lori offered no support at all. Once again Ray made himself the victim.
Rayna had a part time job at the local vet’s office. She cleaned the kennels and the office. She and Matt had a restart date planned for that evening. Later her body was found submerged in a pond.
The police investigation was intense. Ray was arrested and indicted, but a new attorney was elected, and he dropped the charges. Rayna’s family was relieved that Ray was off the hook. Years later Jason, Rayna’s best friend, was arrested, accused of her murder and found guilty. But was he guilty? Evidence that would have exonerated him was kept from the jury. Could an innocent man be sitting in a jail cell?
In my mind there is no doubt who committed the murder of Rayna Rison. I believe her brother-in-law Ray is guilty, but I don’t believe he is the only one that should be held responsible. Her sister is just as guilty. Her father, Bennie, is guilty. Her mother is guilty. The court system in Le Pointe, Indiana is guilty. Rayna was a child she was molested, raped, and abused and you did nothing. Her father offered her NO protection. I am angry.
This book is fascinating. I stayed up all night to read it. I admire journalist/author Hillel Levin for his dedication to researching Rayna’s life and murder. This is a True Crime story. One that needs to be told. I hope someone can help Jason.
Thank you NetGalley for the review copy.
October 29, 2024
This book is a very detailed deep dive into the murder of Rayna Rison and the events that followed. It is very clear to the reader from the evidence presented in the book who allegedly committed this crime. What is almost as disturbing as the murder of Rayna, is the role members of her so-called family played in what appears to not only be her murder, but a horrible attempt at minimalizing the sexual and emotional abuse Rayna suffered before her life was taken. It is almost too hard to imagine something so horrible could happen to a person and the investigation into who perpetrated the crimes was so terribly botched. It definitely is a testament to how important evidence collection is and exploring said evidence as new technology becomes available. In theory, the more eyes you have on a case should make it easier to solve, but in this case, I think it hindered more than helped the investigation. It’s also disturbing to see on paper how obvious it was that mistakes were made in the trial of Rayna’s friend who was convicted of her murder. Coming from someone who grew up in a small town and is familiar with the legal community, this case highlights a lot of frustrations with the justice system and so many utterly disgusting red flags that were missed. This reader hopes that if indeed, as it appears from the evidence presented in this book, the wrong person was convicted for this crime, that it will come to light with the publishing of this work and justice will be served correctly. This book was very well written and sources properly documented. It is a must read for all true crime enthusiasts. *Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
January 9, 2025
As a true crime fan who enjoys diving deep into the nuances of cases, I found the story to be very interesting, though others may find the pacing slow. The book dives into a case that sheds light on injustices both for the victim, and the supposedly innocent man serving time. The depth of detail is impressive, but at over 500 pages, it can feel overwhelming. Repetitive timelines, lengthy interview transcripts, and courtroom exchanges make parts of it tedious to read at times. A more concise, narrative approach could have made the story even more compelling.
That said, the emotional impact and implications of the story is undeniable. The betrayals, systemic failures, and outright incompetence that led to the tragedy and an alleged wrongful conviction are maddening. Despite its flaws, Submerged is a thought-provoking and worthwhile read for anyone passionate about justice and the complexities of unsolved or mishandled cases.
That said, the emotional impact and implications of the story is undeniable. The betrayals, systemic failures, and outright incompetence that led to the tragedy and an alleged wrongful conviction are maddening. Despite its flaws, Submerged is a thought-provoking and worthwhile read for anyone passionate about justice and the complexities of unsolved or mishandled cases.
October 26, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book!
This book was very detailed, which I really liked. Rayna was a young girl with a troubled family. She was molested and impregnated by her brother-in-law Ray at a very young age. But her family wasn't ever really convinced that he was the problem. He was put on probation and required to attend therapy, which was a joke. Nobody monitored what he did or didn't do during that time.
Once done with probation, news started getting around that he was back to doing it again. And next thing you know, Rayna is murdered. Throughout the book, even up until the very end, all fingers pointed to Ray. But somehow, one detective and a couple of guys already in prison persuaded a jury into thinking it was someone else. That someone else was her ex-boyfriend Jason Tibbs.
While reading this book, you feel all of the emotions..angry, sad, confused. Somehow, everything got turned to Jason (from a guy in prison for murder). He ended up being convicted and sent to prison. I've never read so much detail about a case to have it go a completely different direction.
The one thing I didn't care for was the changing of names throughout the book, just because there were so many people involved. It would switch from first name to last name, and it got a bit confusing. Other than that, it was very well written and I think it was a complete injustice for Rayna.
This book was very detailed, which I really liked. Rayna was a young girl with a troubled family. She was molested and impregnated by her brother-in-law Ray at a very young age. But her family wasn't ever really convinced that he was the problem. He was put on probation and required to attend therapy, which was a joke. Nobody monitored what he did or didn't do during that time.
Once done with probation, news started getting around that he was back to doing it again. And next thing you know, Rayna is murdered. Throughout the book, even up until the very end, all fingers pointed to Ray. But somehow, one detective and a couple of guys already in prison persuaded a jury into thinking it was someone else. That someone else was her ex-boyfriend Jason Tibbs.
While reading this book, you feel all of the emotions..angry, sad, confused. Somehow, everything got turned to Jason (from a guy in prison for murder). He ended up being convicted and sent to prison. I've never read so much detail about a case to have it go a completely different direction.
The one thing I didn't care for was the changing of names throughout the book, just because there were so many people involved. It would switch from first name to last name, and it got a bit confusing. Other than that, it was very well written and I think it was a complete injustice for Rayna.
December 5, 2024
Submerged's storyline captivated me from the start. I'm always up for a thorough true crime, and truly don't mind very detailed investigations of possible suspects and circumstances. This one read a little too much like a court reporter's transcript, though. Perhaps having listened to it as an audio narration was the mistake since the reader had to keep going back and forth between speakers in the court room. But I have read many true crime and other nonfiction books written as narratives and stories, and felt that this one could have benefitted from that angle as well.
It is an important story to tell about true injustices, not only of the supposed innocent man serving time in prison, but also the victim's entire life story. Lots of people should be answering for their mistakes or even crimes. Perhaps that's even the better story here.
This might be better served as a tv series rather than a very textbook-like story. Overall I'm glad I was introduced to the case.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crime Ink for this ARL. All opinions are mine.
It is an important story to tell about true injustices, not only of the supposed innocent man serving time in prison, but also the victim's entire life story. Lots of people should be answering for their mistakes or even crimes. Perhaps that's even the better story here.
This might be better served as a tv series rather than a very textbook-like story. Overall I'm glad I was introduced to the case.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crime Ink for this ARL. All opinions are mine.
October 8, 2025
This book completely blew my mind. I remember when this happened and reading all the details in this book makes it even more shocking. Not only because it happened in my hometown, but because it really seems like the justice system completely failed. There is so much I couldn't wrap my head around, and I still can't. With the info provided, it really makes you wonder. With all the details provided against Ray, I cannot believe he was never found guilty. The whole thing is disturbing right down to how Rayna's family behaved. That poor girl. This is one that true-crime enthusiasts should read.
December 29, 2024
Really interesting true crime/cold case storyline. I haven’t heard it before and I follow quite a bit true crime outlets.
The story itself was very informative and gave a lot of details, but it read like it was a transcript not a story.
Im mot sure if that was the authors intent or because it was an audiobook it came out like that. But I felt like I was reading case files not being told a story.
The details in this case seems like it’s something from like 30 yrs ago but the arrest was only 10 yrs ago and the evidence is completely lacking. I couldn’t understand how he was arrested and convicted with this evidence on a crime that took place years before his arrest.
Overall interesting case, narrator definitely needs some work to not seem so robotic
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen
The story itself was very informative and gave a lot of details, but it read like it was a transcript not a story.
Im mot sure if that was the authors intent or because it was an audiobook it came out like that. But I felt like I was reading case files not being told a story.
The details in this case seems like it’s something from like 30 yrs ago but the arrest was only 10 yrs ago and the evidence is completely lacking. I couldn’t understand how he was arrested and convicted with this evidence on a crime that took place years before his arrest.
Overall interesting case, narrator definitely needs some work to not seem so robotic
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen
October 1, 2024
Look when I say this book was exhaustive it was exhaustive and frequently exhausting. Am I convinced that Jason Tibbs is innocent? 1000%. Was this book informative? Yes, undoubtedly. Was it well written? Nooooooooot really. It was incredibly dry and lacked any kind of narrative flourish. Maybe that's not something to complain about in a book about a young woman's murder and the wrongful conviction of a man, but it was difficult to stay focused during long passages quoted from legal transcripts and case reports. I think a heavier editorial hand could have helped this book a lot.
May 22, 2025
In Submerged, investigative reporter Hillel Levin reviews the murder case for Rayna Rison, a high schooler from Northwest Indiana. This is a case that remained unsolved for 20 years before a trial would take place that resulted in the conviction of a friend of Rayna Rison. Following a deep dive into the case, Levin is convinced that the person convicted (Jason Tibbs) is innocent and the true murderer is much closer to home. Since I live in the general area of the crime, this was a book I knew I had to pick up. Levin presents evidence that Rayna's brother in law, Ray McCarty, may be more likely to have been the killer. McCarty was Rayna's older brother in law, who molested Rayna when she was twelve years old, resulting in a pregnancy. He was found guilty of this crime and was a prime suspect in the murder four years later, even indicting him for the crime while the case was still "hot". A change in the prosecutor's office resulted in the charges being dropped, and Tibbs was arrested as the cold case continued to be investigated years later. Submerged is very in depth, providing verbatim transcripts from the interviews and court cases. While it is obvious that Levin's analysis of the case and evidence has led him to have a definite bias on who he thinks has done it, he surely doesn't cut corners in presenting that information to us. A mountain of information is shared with us and I feel most readers could not walk away from this book without agreeing with Levin's analysis. He definitely thoroughly builds his case - at times, all the information shared can become overwhelming. I appreciated Levin's ability to treat the victim with the respect she deserved and to avoid sliding into writing a lurid account, which is a delicate balance considering the family dynamics surrounding this case. Ultimately, none of us can know for sure who the true killer is, but Levin does lay out a strong case that is very thought provoking and well-researched.
November 27, 2024
This is a compelling true crime story that jumps off the page due to the unbelievable narrative of author Hillel Levin. LaPorte, Northern Indiana is the backdrop to this compelling true crime story particularly due to Levin's narrative and his research of the transcripts from the trial. A young girl Rayna Rison 16, is missing and later found murdered. What becomes known is beyond one's belief regarding this young girl's short troubled life. She never had a chance due to her own family's disregard. Her sister's husband raped her from the age of eleven and when it was discovered she was having his baby at the age of twelve she had an abortion. Her sister Lori defames Rayna to the point that she convinces everyone in town including the press that Rayna was the reason for the "affair." But that is just the tip of the iceberg of this engrossing and at times hard to imagine tome. Misdirection, bad police work, judge's prejudice, attorney mishandling and the wrong man accused of the crime still incarcerated in prison. Thank you Blackstone Publishing, Hillel Levin, and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 25, 2024
Submerged by Hillel Levin is the tragically true story of Rayna Rison, her passing, and the injustice of an innocent man accused for a crime he didn't commit as justice ultimately failed. I had such a hard time listening to this, not because of the storyline, narrator, or words, but because of the lack of collaboration from investigators as well as the injustice done to an innocent man, and at every turn it seemed they just turned a blind eye to one individual who should have immediately been in the spotlight and scrutinized. I appreciate the hard work and dedication that Hillel Levin put into this story, the puzzle pieces coming together in a cohesive way that shines a light on a trajedy that had a ripple effect. Thank you for your dedication to truth!!
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Brandon Pollock. He was easy to listen to, kept me immersed in the story, and will look for more audiobooks narrated by him in the future!
*I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Brandon Pollock. He was easy to listen to, kept me immersed in the story, and will look for more audiobooks narrated by him in the future!
*I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*
October 26, 2024
This was super comprehensive, actually too much. Some parts (ex. alibis and timelines) were extremely repetitive, others tedious and unnecessarily lengthy (interview transcripts and court proceedings). Not to mention, I felt it ended very abruptly - but that could have been due to the ARC e-reader formatting (or lack thereof).
At just over 500 pages, this could have been made more concise. However, the story is there. The impact is huge. A girl's family betrayed her entirely, for what? A shitty man and an eldest daughter's attitude. What happened to Rayna is tragic. The obvious injustice (coaching, incompetence, etc) that happened to Jason would disgust her.
**I received my copy from Netgalley.
At just over 500 pages, this could have been made more concise. However, the story is there. The impact is huge. A girl's family betrayed her entirely, for what? A shitty man and an eldest daughter's attitude. What happened to Rayna is tragic. The obvious injustice (coaching, incompetence, etc) that happened to Jason would disgust her.
**I received my copy from Netgalley.
November 23, 2024
This was an extremely hard book for me to get through. It is so comprehensive that it often felt dry and honestly exhausting to read. At over 500 pages, I feel it could have been more engrossing had it been more concise. While the details and facts are there, it often seemed to repeat things that were already addressed. It was difficult to focus due to this, and I felt certain things could have been summarized without losing their impact (like the court proceedings).
All that being said, the concept and story were absolutely there! I had never heard of this case, and by the end of the book I was shocked, outraged, and plain heartbroken about the young woman’s tragic murder that was then followed by a wrongful conviction.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted eARC!
All that being said, the concept and story were absolutely there! I had never heard of this case, and by the end of the book I was shocked, outraged, and plain heartbroken about the young woman’s tragic murder that was then followed by a wrongful conviction.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted eARC!
December 5, 2024
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC on this book. Wow! This book was so frustrating! Not because of the writing or the author or anything like that but the true story of it all. I caught myself so many times going "What?" out loud and shaking my head and having physical reactions! If a book can give you those things then you know its a good one. I am a true crime buff and this book had me intrigued the entire time. Its not your usual kind of book. I could see some finding it slow and boring but if you really are interested in true crime and stories of the unsolved cases or in this case a supposed "solved" case but hearing everything that went on is not solved! Grrrr. I was hooked from the start of this book and could not stop listening. I would recommend this to anyone who likes true crime!
December 12, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the Audio ARC!
I came into this book completely unaware of the murder of Rayna Rison, and the tumultuous events that have eventually led to the imprisonment of her good friend, Jason Tibbs. The author makes no secret of his opinion that Tibbs is an innocent man, and that the man actually guilty of the crime, Ray McCarty, is not only free, but has basically been totally exonerated and freed of all suspicion now that Tibbs is behind bars. The story is well told, though totally one-sided, and the end result, for me at least, was a bad taste in my mouth for everyone involved in the murder of this young lady. Definitely worth the read if you are a fan of true crime, but don't go into it expecting objectivity.
I came into this book completely unaware of the murder of Rayna Rison, and the tumultuous events that have eventually led to the imprisonment of her good friend, Jason Tibbs. The author makes no secret of his opinion that Tibbs is an innocent man, and that the man actually guilty of the crime, Ray McCarty, is not only free, but has basically been totally exonerated and freed of all suspicion now that Tibbs is behind bars. The story is well told, though totally one-sided, and the end result, for me at least, was a bad taste in my mouth for everyone involved in the murder of this young lady. Definitely worth the read if you are a fan of true crime, but don't go into it expecting objectivity.
January 1, 2025
This nonfiction account of a wrongful conviction was excellently researched and written. It’s clear from reading these pages that Jason Tibbs is innocent of the crime he is currently incarcerated for and poor Rayna’s real murderer went largely unpunished. While the author does a great job explaining all the intricacies of this case and the various trials, the amount of facts does bog down this work. It was very long and since the material was so sad to read about, it took me a long time to get through it. Overall I’m glad I read this and became aware of this case. I do hope justice prevails in some sort!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
September 17, 2025
This was my first true crime read and I had an extremely hard time making it all the way through. I read 30%, then lost interest. It just seemed like there was way too much information that took up way too much of a readers time. The crazy thing is… I grew up in this town. The victim worked at our vet. The vet interviewed I’ve know my entire life. I remember exactly when this happened as I was a child. I didn’t know how complicated it got nor that the FBI or state police were involved. Trigger warning that this book talks about sexual abuse of a minor. It was just ok but I’m just not sure true crime is a genre for me. It felt like it read like court transcripts rather than a book.
December 17, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for this audio book in return for an honest review.
I would round up to 3 1/2. I listened to the audio book which probably made it more difficult to follow, but there were so many characters and legal terms. Besides that, it was a gripping story that will also make you very mad, at our legal system and that poor girls family. The author obviously believes that Jason Tibbs is innocent, but the facts he lays out, lead me to believe that he is. I hope Jason gets the justice he deserves.
I would round up to 3 1/2. I listened to the audio book which probably made it more difficult to follow, but there were so many characters and legal terms. Besides that, it was a gripping story that will also make you very mad, at our legal system and that poor girls family. The author obviously believes that Jason Tibbs is innocent, but the facts he lays out, lead me to believe that he is. I hope Jason gets the justice he deserves.
April 3, 2025
I appreciate the thoroughness in detail from 1989 to present.
However there was a lot of things read twice.
The author presents 4 large/main sections of the book as the case made against x/the case that shouldve been made against x and the case made for y/the case that should have been made for y.
It would've been quite a bit shorter if 1&2 were combined and the points of those cases had the made/should have been made contrasting views presented back to back.
I really appreciated the frequent highlighting and explaining of legal methods and tactics available and used.
However there was a lot of things read twice.
The author presents 4 large/main sections of the book as the case made against x/the case that shouldve been made against x and the case made for y/the case that should have been made for y.
It would've been quite a bit shorter if 1&2 were combined and the points of those cases had the made/should have been made contrasting views presented back to back.
I really appreciated the frequent highlighting and explaining of legal methods and tactics available and used.
November 27, 2024
Soooooooo!!!
1 innocent man went to prison while another man and his wife was free! This book pissed me off because what do you mean! After 21 years they sent a man to prison who didn't have anything to with the murder based off what a man sitting in prison FOR MURDURING someone said! LOL OK!! make it make sense!!
The book was really good and brought attention to a case I have never ever heard about! Ricky and her sister knows what they did!
1 innocent man went to prison while another man and his wife was free! This book pissed me off because what do you mean! After 21 years they sent a man to prison who didn't have anything to with the murder based off what a man sitting in prison FOR MURDURING someone said! LOL OK!! make it make sense!!
The book was really good and brought attention to a case I have never ever heard about! Ricky and her sister knows what they did!
February 8, 2026
The first 200ish pages had me completely captivated, I did not want to put the book down. Eventually I hit a point where it no longer felt like I was reading a story, but reading case files. I was waiting for the story line to build back up again, but the remainder of the book mainly consisted of legal details. Some parts became confusing if you are not familiar with legal terms. These were the only reasons why the book lost one star in my rating.
This book was extremely well researched making the ending even more frustrating. Knowing all the evidence and details ignored based on personal feelings/motives made it extremely frustrating knowing Jason Tibbs was convicted. I truly feel like I know every detail of this case and have no gaps or questions left since finishing.
Overall this case is extremely devastating and frustrating. Rayna deserved so much better and I’m sure she would be heartbroken to know Jason was convicted. One thing I will never understand is why her parents and sisters were so loyal to Ray when it was obvious they knew he was the real culprit. It’s sickening to know they could watch and support an innocent man be condemned while they continue to treat their daughter’s murder as family. Very disappointing ending and upsetting to see what our justice system can get away with.
Besides personal feelings about the case the author did a very good job at keeping the reader well informed on case details.
This book was extremely well researched making the ending even more frustrating. Knowing all the evidence and details ignored based on personal feelings/motives made it extremely frustrating knowing Jason Tibbs was convicted. I truly feel like I know every detail of this case and have no gaps or questions left since finishing.
Overall this case is extremely devastating and frustrating. Rayna deserved so much better and I’m sure she would be heartbroken to know Jason was convicted. One thing I will never understand is why her parents and sisters were so loyal to Ray when it was obvious they knew he was the real culprit. It’s sickening to know they could watch and support an innocent man be condemned while they continue to treat their daughter’s murder as family. Very disappointing ending and upsetting to see what our justice system can get away with.
Besides personal feelings about the case the author did a very good job at keeping the reader well informed on case details.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2024
This book is well-written and full of surprising turns in the case of the murder of Rayna Rison, age 16. The apparent real killer came to a bad end, but not for killing her. So sad and frustrating, and a very unusual story. The ending was kind of abrupt.
August 15, 2025
This happened when I was in high school. I didn't realize how screwed up the whole scenario was. I still think her crazy brother-in-law did it. Funny how karma works. Most of the big players in this book/murder have all died.
August 21, 2024
What a mess of a case. Very well written, thorough, and detailed exploration of this heartbreaking murder case.
December 23, 2024
This was good but ended a little abruptly - felt sort of like an anticlimax after all was said and done
March 25, 2025
This was an interesting read but very tedious and long!
May 28, 2025
Very fact-heavy and a long read. I live in Rolling Prairie, IN where this murder occurred. Very interesting read for those of us who lived through this murder & cold case.
January 6, 2025
A well-written, well-researched book into a cold case from a true crime story I'd never heard of. That alone gives it 1-star right off the bat.
In essence, this was an extremely well-written, informative, and detailed book, but it was quite dry. Perhaps it would have been better in a written (as opposed to audio) format, but then again, perhaps not. It was more like a school text book than a novel. And the dryness of the narrator did not help the situation.
I saw someone else's review who said she felt like she was "reading transcripts of case files -- not being told a story." And I think that sums it up perfectly.
I was also extremely disappointed in the way the story ends. (Not the book, mind you, but the actual real-world story.) This, of course, did not affect my rating of the book as the author has no control over that. But seriously! This poor freaking man they've arrested. I know this book is only one side of the story, but if the author has his story straight (and that story is the true story), then I have no idea how this man was arrested. Absolutely appalling lack of justice.
An interesting read for anyone interested in true crime. Just be prepared for a very technical, somewhat slow slog through "just the facts, ma'am."
In essence, this was an extremely well-written, informative, and detailed book, but it was quite dry. Perhaps it would have been better in a written (as opposed to audio) format, but then again, perhaps not. It was more like a school text book than a novel. And the dryness of the narrator did not help the situation.
I saw someone else's review who said she felt like she was "reading transcripts of case files -- not being told a story." And I think that sums it up perfectly.
I was also extremely disappointed in the way the story ends. (Not the book, mind you, but the actual real-world story.) This, of course, did not affect my rating of the book as the author has no control over that. But seriously! This poor freaking man they've arrested. I know this book is only one side of the story, but if the author has his story straight (and that story is the true story), then I have no idea how this man was arrested. Absolutely appalling lack of justice.
An interesting read for anyone interested in true crime. Just be prepared for a very technical, somewhat slow slog through "just the facts, ma'am."
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