Lethal Guardian: A Twisted True Story of Sexual Obsession, Family Betrayal and Murder

by M. William Phelps

Family Feud A real estate lawyer in Connecticut's moneyed seaside communities, Beth Carpenter, 31, had beauty, brains and success. But she wanted more--namely guardianship of her two-year-old niece, Rebecca, daughter of Beth's estranged sister, Kim. When Kim married Anson Buzz Clinton, 28, a former male exotic dancer deemed an unsuitable guardian by the Carpenter family, Beth became obsessed with the idea that only his death could ensure that she and her parents would get custody of the child. On March 10, 1994, along a lonely stretch of road, Clinton was shot five times. His body was discovered by passing motorists. Misfit Murderers Behind Clinton's death lay a bizarre murder-for-hire conspiracy that found privileged professionals and local misfits joined in a cold-blooded plot against an innocent man. This homicidal group included attorney Haiman Clein, 53. A husband, father, and successful businessman, Clein was Beth Carpenter's boss--and also her sexually obsessed, cocaine-snorting, murderously obedient lover. The paid killers were two buddies, organizer Joe Fremut and triggerman Mark Despres, who brought his 15-year-old son Christopher along for the hit. The aftermath of this brutal crime would set investigators and prosecutors on a long and twisted path strewn with lies, treachery, and deceit that would cross the Atlantic Ocean before finally bringing justice home. Includes 16 Pages Of Shocking Photos

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Audiobook

ebook

First published June 1, 2004

About the author

Crime, murder and serial killer expert, creator/producer/writer and former host of the Investigation Discovery series DARK MINDS, acclaimed, award-winning investigative journalist M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 30 books and winner of the 2013 Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award and the 2008 New England Book Festival Award. A highly sought-after pundit, Phelps has made over 100 media-related television appearances: Early Show, The Today Show, The View, Fox & Friends, truTV, Discovery Channel, Fox News Channel, Good Morning America, TLC, BIO, History, Oxygen, OWN, on top of over 100 additional media appearances: USA Radio Network, Catholic Radio, Mancow, Wall Street Journal Radio, Zac Daniel, Ave Maria Radio, Catholic Channel, EWTN Radio, ABC News Radio, and many more.

Phelps is also a member of the Multidisciplinary Collaborative on Sexual Crime and Violence (MCSCV), also known as the Atypical Homicide Research Group (AHRG) at Northeastern University, maintained by NU alumni Enzo Yaksic.

Phelps is one of the regular and recurring experts frequently appearing on two long-running series, Deadly Women and Snapped. Radio America calls Phelps “the nation’s leading authority on the mind of the female murderer,” and TV Rage says, “M. William Phelps dares to tread where few others will: into the mind of a killer.” A respected journalist, beyond his book writing Phelps has written for numerous publications—including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant—and consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter.

Phelps grew up in East Hartford, CT, moved to Vernon, CT, at age 12, where he lived for 25 years. He now lives in a reclusive Connecticut farming community north of Hartford.

Beyond crime, Phelps has also written several history books, including the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling NATHAN HALE: The Life and Death of America’s First Spy, THE DEVIL’S ROOMING HOUSE, THE DEVIL’S RIGHT HAND, MURDER, NEW ENGLAND, and more.

Reviews

[DAISY READS HORROR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a murder-for- hire case. Unlike some true crime books that I tend to buy, this was a case that I had never heard of. The story itself threw me off various times because of my pre- existing beliefs on characteristics of some of the people involved in the case. The first one being my pre- conceived notion of what kind of person the victim "Buzz" was. At first I thought not very highly of him. He came across as a man involved in drugs and a man who was not very responsible. I was starting to really dislike him when Beth Ann and her family started to make accusations of him abusing his stepdaughter. I was really thrown off by him being an exotic dancer. At first I couldn't picture him being one, however after seeing his pictures, I saw how it could have been a fact. He did have that chip-n-dales 80's look to him. Anyways, (I know that was a small tangent that was sort of off topic) I was also surprised that one of the people that assisted Beth Ann with the killing actually died of cancer while he was out on bond (Joe Fremont). I did find Beth Ann to be very annoying. I still didn’t really understand why she was so persistent on taking Rebecca away if not for her selfish reasons. There wasn't any proof that Rebecca was being abused by Buzz. Beth Ann came across as a very arrogant woman who was vindictive when she didn't get things her way. Oh, & where shall I start with her disgusting lover of an ex-boss lawyer? One word. SICK. He had some gross fetishes/fantasies. I won't ruin it for non-readers of the book, but let's just say a lot can be said of a man who gets turned on by someone else's armpits!

I did read further on this case as I have a habit of doing once I finish a true crime book; and I was surprised to read in some article that Beth Ann was now on house arrest? I don’t know how she got off but if that's the case, I hope Buzz's family hasn't had to endure more pain than what they have already encountered.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the updated version of this book which came out in 2016. Originally, it had been published in 1991. It is a very strange story in my opinion, and I feel there were a lot of factors such as the family history of the two sisters: Beth Ann and Kim, left out of the story. Beth Ann is working for a local law firm in Connecticut for a rather locally famous attorney. Kim lives at home with her baby, Rebecca, and her parents. Admittedly. she had been a bit of a wild child growing up, experimenting with drugs, alcohol and sex. However, the sisters' parents insist that Kim was up to the task of raising her only child, until she became involved with her then current boyfriend (this is 1991) who Beth saw as some kind of child abuser. Never did the book get into why she was obsessed with this, and wanted guardianship of her niece herself, but I am sure there are reasons. Beth went to far as to sleep with her boss, putting an emotional burden on him to help her. He wasn't the most upstanding of men: he slept around on his wife, and even allowed his friends to sleep with his own wife; he also had a pretty expensive cocaine habit. He felt pressured into contacting some of his former clients and rather sleazy 'friends', who offered to help him out, but killing the only son of a woman seems far extreme when none of the parties involved (I believe) knew any facts of the case at all. Several years later, after the case went cold, Kim moved to the UK and finally to Ireland, where they will not extradite a person back to their country of origin, if that country, or state, sees capital punishment as a lawful means of upholding the law. After Kim talked to some others, she decided to be extradited back to Connecticut, and take her chances with whatever happened. The elder attorney who was her boss, was offered a plea deal if he 'flipped' on Beth. And so it was done, but it still took many years to put some of kind of closure to the case. None of the scenarios seemed very possible; thus, my idea that a whole lot of information is missing from the book, but the author could only write what was available him, and several people never talked to him at all. The author updated some of the facts as of 2016: the murder victim's mother died of lung cancer after a valiant battle, and besides the shooter being sentenced to 45+ years (he shot the man in front of his 15 year old son) he remains in prison as does the lady lawyer Beth Ann, who from what I could gather is still filing appeals until this very day. This was a very disturbing and yet interesting case, and I could not help wondering what facts were never brought out in court, or otherwise.

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Checking my old bookcrossing shelf I ga e this book 3 stars

I wrote (not much) well I just arrived back home from Turkey and enjoyed the read.
It was not the best true crime book I have read but It was an interesting story.

[Ceeceereads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a fan of the author’s true crime books but couldn’t get on with this one. The case felt ‘clunky’ with lots of different avenues for the police investigation and characters/ potential perpetrators and I just found it hard work to try and follow. I didn’t find it easy to read and prefer some of the other cases the author has written about.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Initially, I was intrigued but I felt like it could have been 200 pages shorter. It felt like it was just covering the same information over and over and over.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Thorough Tale

Phelps provides lots of details in an easily readable fashion. Despite the big cast of characters, it's simple to follow this convoluted story -- although impossible to understand some individuals' evil actions and interactions. Unlike some of his more recent books, Phelps appears to have really dug into the research for this one. (I found a couple of his newer books skimpy on details, with a rushed writing style.) Lethal Guardian kept my attention from page one, and left me wondering and hoping that Buzz's kids are ok.

[Denise Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read that broadens one's perspective of a true psychopath. Strangely, it seems even more sinister for a person to become peripherally obsessed with someone else's life.

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I don't know where

to begin...how can a mother, Cynthia, show such favoritism for one daughter over another, how can that same mother believe it's okay to sue for custody of her grandchild from the daughter she alienated, regardless of whom was the driving force behind it, that person being Beth Ann.....

I'd seen this story reenactment on an investigative show and it led one to believe Beth wasn't fleeing, after all she'd used her same name, they knew where she was, etc., so as Mr. Phelps suggested at the beginning, I kept an open mind. This book is so eye opening regarding this incident.

What a horrible bunch of people the Carpenter family are, the lengths they were willing to go, to get their way is so shameful. Beth Ann might have been the ring leader, but she didn't get as far as she did without their help and encouragement.

Why people like this refuse to understand that a child needs his/her parent, that said child will soon grow up, and more importantly one cannot control others and expect happiness to ensue.....its beyond comprehension...then again, their ultimate goal was control and getting their way, not love or happiness. Great book, great author!

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Often I groan when I read reviews that appreciate a book because it involves a known geographical area. Now I am doing just that! (You are free to groan.). I wasn’t living in CT when this murder happened, but I have lived in the area often enough to be familiar with almost all the locations mentioned. Very likely, Recalling places increased my star score.
I had to take a day off from reading, because I found Beth Ann and her family so aggravatingly dysfunctional. That the book’s description of them evoked such a strong reaction surprised and impressed me.
This was only Phelp’s second true crime book. Cut him some slack, he has gotten far less repetitive as he has continued in the genre. Moreover, compared to some of the true crime books I have read, this one doesn’t strike me as insultingly repetitive. There are a lot of characters and a lot of action. Surely some repetition is necessary to help the reader remember details. Phelps researches and writes well.

[Patricia L Briseno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite

While I usually have a hard time putting M. William Phelps, Lethal Guardian was somewhat tiring to get through. While the story was interesting, it was so bogged down with endless repetition of the basic facts that I found myself skimming through page after page of too much boring detail that needed to be edited out. How many times do we need to be reminded that Beth Ann was obsessed with Rebecca and believed Buzz was an abusive stepdad? Apparently about 247 times. Also there are way too many characters brought in in unnecessarily endless detail. Keeping tract of them was impossible. It doesn't help that many of them are also referred to sometimes by their first names and other times by their last names. Kept having to stop and wonder, Who's this again? Just didn't flow well, way too complicated and drawn out.

[Scarlett Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr.Phelps is at the top of the list of my favorite true crime authors. His skills at research using interviews, documents, court records and much more have molded him into one of the best sleuths. With an earned doctorate of my own, I respect and revere your talents. I understand the persistence and commitment it takes to dig up what is true and sniff out what is false. I recommend Phelps’ non-fiction books as entertainment, education and prompts to seek for more facts. Thank you for your commitment to this genre. You are the best!

[Betty Jo Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and interesting read


True story of a woman that had her brother-in-law killed over a child custody case. I couldn’t put this book down once I started reading this true account of how selfish she and her family were to anyone who got in the way of trying to stop them from getting custody of this little girl.

[Jan Tisdale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beth was an attorney, Buzz her brother in law decided he wasn’t a suitable dad for her niece, so she had a relationship with a lawyer and got him to kill Buzz. The lawyer hired someone to do the killing. Than came the court battle, all 3 went to jail.

“ book was to long but kept my interest..
glad they went to jail”

3 1/2 stars

[Lauretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beware! Murder committed by attorney.

It's hard to understand how attorneys can be involved in murder plots. This story lets the individual know that lawyers aren't innocent of misdeeds.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

For quite a few pages I wasn't sure who this book was about (there is a large "cast of characters"), but eventually it focused on the main people and turned into an interesting read. If I'm not mistaken, this was Phelps' second true crime book.

[Rhonnie Cough · Rating 3 out of 5]

He could have told this story in half the pages. It wasn’t an incredibly interesting story, and he repeated so many details. He also wrote it in a biased way. But the writing wasn’t too incredibly dry.

[Lori Heston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meticulous

I am always amazed at the detail Mr Phelps puts into his books and the research and persistence that must go into that. This book, without dramatic embellishments, is one of his best examples of that. He speaks with every man's voice, without the slant of social place.

[Wayne Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read by an intelligent author

I imagine it's a hard job being and investigative journalist when the subject is murder. However M. William Phelps tells the stories with knowledge, intelligence and care.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one started a bit slow but really picked up 1/4-1/3 of the way in, and I burned through the rest of the story.

[Diane Waddington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story a lot of different characters was a little long sometimes hard to keep going

[Jamie Lindemulder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always love reading a true crime book by M. William Phelps. He never disappoints.

[Irene Moyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok read

Interesting case, good writer, I read most of his books. I felt this one h ad too much unnecessary detail in some areas, that bogged it down. Still an okay read!

[Teed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read lots of true crime. I actually was fascinated by the people on the story.
So many people you want to know the current status on. Steve

[Jacquie van Doleweerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great. True crime guru.

Awesome page Turner! Definitely one to read by the master of true crime writing! Once again, a true crime masterpiece!

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phelps is always a winner.

[Geoff Cummings · Rating 3 out of 5]

compelling, mainly, ponderous in parts. it's a concise account of the events leading up to, and following the murder. a respectable read.

[Sue Sparks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories that Phelps writes about just really blow my mind.

[Mary Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book received 3 stars due to multiple errors in the writing. Norwich is southeast of Hartford not northeast. The book had a tendency to drag on. Good editing would have helped.

[Max. R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I loved reading it! Especially because I'm related to Mark Despres. Nice to read books about my own family.

[Tori Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It certainly was an interesting look at filicide but sometimes the books seemed to lack in keeping my interest.