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50 States of Murder: An Atlas of American Crime
From true crime master Harold Schechter, author of Murderabilia, comes 50 States of Murder, a geographic telling of some of the most notorious but lesser-known murders for each US State.
Filled with hundreds of entries organized by location, 50 States of Murder is both a lively and chilling work of storytelling and an authoritative survey of the homicidal history of the United States—perfect for any true-crime obsessive. Certain crimes are impossible to imagine happening anywhere but where they Could the Manson murders have gone down somewhere besides the 1960s sex-and-drug-fueled, occult-dabbling culture of Southern California? Would Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood been as powerful if the Clutter family massacre happened anywhere besides the tightly knit world of Holcomb, Kansas? Or would the “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski have been able to hole up in the woods evading notice for decades anywhere but in Montana? Discover each state’s most memorable and notorious crimes through expert authorship and stunning visuals and interactive design.
Filled with hundreds of entries organized by location, 50 States of Murder is both a lively and chilling work of storytelling and an authoritative survey of the homicidal history of the United States—perfect for any true-crime obsessive. Certain crimes are impossible to imagine happening anywhere but where they Could the Manson murders have gone down somewhere besides the 1960s sex-and-drug-fueled, occult-dabbling culture of Southern California? Would Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood been as powerful if the Clutter family massacre happened anywhere besides the tightly knit world of Holcomb, Kansas? Or would the “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski have been able to hole up in the woods evading notice for decades anywhere but in Montana? Discover each state’s most memorable and notorious crimes through expert authorship and stunning visuals and interactive design.
288 pages, Paperback
Published September 16, 2025
About the author
Harold Schechter
83 books1,412 followersAka Jon A. Harrald (joint pseudonym with Jonna Gormley Semeiks)
Harold Schechter is a true crime writer who specializes in serial killers. He attended the State University of New York in Buffalo, where he obtained a Ph.D. A resident of New York City, Schechter is professor of American literature and popular culture at Queens College of the City University of New York.
Among his nonfiction works are the historical true-crime classics Fatal, Fiend, Deviant, Deranged, and Depraved. He also authors a critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Edgar Allan Poe, which includes The Hum Bug and Nevermore and The Mask of Red Death.
Schechter is married to poet Kimiko Hahn. He has two daughters from a previous marriage: the writer Lauren Oliver and professor of philosophy Elizabeth Schechter.
Harold Schechter is a true crime writer who specializes in serial killers. He attended the State University of New York in Buffalo, where he obtained a Ph.D. A resident of New York City, Schechter is professor of American literature and popular culture at Queens College of the City University of New York.
Among his nonfiction works are the historical true-crime classics Fatal, Fiend, Deviant, Deranged, and Depraved. He also authors a critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Edgar Allan Poe, which includes The Hum Bug and Nevermore and The Mask of Red Death.
Schechter is married to poet Kimiko Hahn. He has two daughters from a previous marriage: the writer Lauren Oliver and professor of philosophy Elizabeth Schechter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 11, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is well written with short historical crime cases that cover all the states. I like that he included crimes from the distant past to more recent crimes. And the crimes were lesser known so it kept my interest. This is a good book to read before reading more in depth books that he pulled his research from.
This book is well written with short historical crime cases that cover all the states. I like that he included crimes from the distant past to more recent crimes. And the crimes were lesser known so it kept my interest. This is a good book to read before reading more in depth books that he pulled his research from.
September 4, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for this delightfully warm and fuzzy read. Really raised my spirits.
But for real this was informative and I learned a bunch. Don’t read if you get queasy about botched hangings and failed electric chair attempts.
But for real this was informative and I learned a bunch. Don’t read if you get queasy about botched hangings and failed electric chair attempts.
September 7, 2025
Harold Schechter is very well known to the true crime community. I have read several of his books and have several more on the TBR pile. I initially thought I would be getting BIG crimes in this book – for instance, when I think of Chicago crimes (yes, there are a LOT), I think of H.H. Holmes and his house of horrors; Massachusetts brings Lizzie Borden to mind; South Carolina is Susan Smith, and how she went on national tv to plead for the return of children she’d already drowned. However in the introduction, Schechter says he’s not doing that. My first thought was: seriously?! But these are infamous murders, the ones that can define a place. My second thought was: good! Why? Because despite having an incredibly crappy memory for anything other than 80s and 90s song lyrics, I can still speak intelligently about Gacy’s crimes, recite random facts about Lizzie Borden, and vividly remember the crime scene photos of David Parker Ray, the Toy Box Killer. This book includes none of those. I recognized a few names (I have a soft spot for the ID show Deadly Women, or as I refer to it: Bitches Be Crazy, and they will often feature random cases that most people wouldn’t know.) but overall, the stories were fresh tales of horror and debauchery, told in a straight-forward, candid way.
Some interesting ones are: Robert Hansen, the human hunter (Alaska); Mrs. Cordelia Botkin, the jilted paramour who killed with candy (Delaware); Peter Robinson, who buried his banker under the floorboards inspiring Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart (New Jersey); and Robert Butler, who was fingered as a murderer by the foul-mouthed parrot mascot of a Harlem bar (New York). I was thrilled to see the Babes in the Woods tragedy (Pennsylvania) as well. It’s not one you see often in books.
Overall, this was a bit dry, but the book was filled to the brim with interesting facts and cases. A definite buy for true crime enthusiasts.
Some interesting ones are: Robert Hansen, the human hunter (Alaska); Mrs. Cordelia Botkin, the jilted paramour who killed with candy (Delaware); Peter Robinson, who buried his banker under the floorboards inspiring Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart (New Jersey); and Robert Butler, who was fingered as a murderer by the foul-mouthed parrot mascot of a Harlem bar (New York). I was thrilled to see the Babes in the Woods tragedy (Pennsylvania) as well. It’s not one you see often in books.
Overall, this was a bit dry, but the book was filled to the brim with interesting facts and cases. A definite buy for true crime enthusiasts.
June 19, 2025
In these portraits of murderers and their crimes make for a interesting read, each state has multiple different chilling crimes that are told in a way that is perfect for those that love true crime: enough to know the crime to leave you to look into the events and evidence more in depth if you wish.
Perfect for crime junkies & the like.
Perfect for crime junkies & the like.
November 8, 2025
*Thank you to Workman Publishing for a complimentary arc of 50 States of Murder. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.*
I read Schechter for the first time about a decade ago, so my expectations for his latest publication were pretty set before I dived into this one. He delivered something beyond what I thought I would get, simply by the way 50 States is formatted. I love that instead of focusing on the major crimes one would first think of when thinking of different states and you already know of, you get lesser known crimes that make you go ‘how haven’t I heard of this one before’.
As someone who reads and watches a lot of true crime, I was appreciative of how I hadn’t heard of the majority of these cases, and it kept my interest from start to finish. 50 States of Murder gives you exactly what you think you’ll get. Well written, short and straight to the point accounts of historical and more recent crimes from each US state. Schechter skips adding unnecessary details, doesn’t push in his own thoughts and opinions, focusing on just the main facts and provides enough backstories so you’ll get an overview of events per case.
The way the author has written and compiled the accounts makes it easy to pick up and put down, and this is a perfect read for anyone wanting to read about lesser known crime cases.
I read Schechter for the first time about a decade ago, so my expectations for his latest publication were pretty set before I dived into this one. He delivered something beyond what I thought I would get, simply by the way 50 States is formatted. I love that instead of focusing on the major crimes one would first think of when thinking of different states and you already know of, you get lesser known crimes that make you go ‘how haven’t I heard of this one before’.
As someone who reads and watches a lot of true crime, I was appreciative of how I hadn’t heard of the majority of these cases, and it kept my interest from start to finish. 50 States of Murder gives you exactly what you think you’ll get. Well written, short and straight to the point accounts of historical and more recent crimes from each US state. Schechter skips adding unnecessary details, doesn’t push in his own thoughts and opinions, focusing on just the main facts and provides enough backstories so you’ll get an overview of events per case.
The way the author has written and compiled the accounts makes it easy to pick up and put down, and this is a perfect read for anyone wanting to read about lesser known crime cases.
May 18, 2026
i'm never getting married
June 24, 2026
Pretty good and a lot of cases I had never heard of
June 18, 2026
9 hours
all possible triggers, absolutely all
do killings reflect the social issues in the specific state? author wants to pinpoint the lesser known cases.
some cases summary:
- Alabama, 1954:
was the Las Vegas of the past: city of sin and corruption. a teacher that became a politician wanted to fight corruption and was shot by gang members and a corrupt sheriff who took up to $6k bribes a week.
the political change followed and the city became better.
1960: a teenager stole money from his granmda and brutally stabbed her. then his girlfriend after got out of jail.
a nurse that would kill patients on purpose to then get adrenaline from trying to revive them.
he pleed guilty and somehow got let free
- Alaska, 1919-1931
"mad trapper" would kill white and indigenous people for years. he was captured by 3 hikers but when two went to get police, the 3rd one was killed. he died of natural causes.
1970s:
another one burned a school bus as was bullied a lot, jail for 3 years. became a hunter and had his own small plane he got after faking a burglary and getting insurance payout.
was parolled several times for mental issues after different crimes.
he would fly prostitutes to his mountain house and then, if they requested being paid, he would rape them for days and then let them go. and hunt.
at least 17 were killed in this awful way. died in 2014 at 75 in jail.
- 1984:
a man would kill "in anger" with no specific reason, even kids. when troopers looked for him, shot a helicopter above him.
- another one studied serial killers and admired Ted Bandy. unsure about how many were killed but one woman was kidnapped, raped, killed, put make up on to hide decomposition and used the photo to request ransom.
2012 suicide in jail.
- Arizona
a man entered the mobile home where a couple with a baby were and he raped the woman while the husband was tied up. he escaped and got help and the baby was saved, mattress was full of kerosene, but woman was killed and mutilated.
he was sent to asylum and paroled for the rape he did before this case.
- one highscooler wanted to be famous for killing 40 people after seeing cases of murders on TV and was disappointed he only found 7 in a beauty school. he killed most of them.
- Miranda rights coming out after a case when lawyers used it in a case with a killer.
- a man killed his wife by stabbing her 44 times and later tried pleading that he was sleepwalking. but did hide the weapon and wore gloves.
- Arkansas
one man killed 14 of his family members.
- California
1926-1928
a scary case called "chicken coup killer" with small boys. gosh...
1933, San Jose, a kidnapping and random case that ended in the killing of a young man.
the crowds were so mad at this murder that 3,000-6,000 took the men from the jail, dragged them out, beat then up, and killed them.
the governor did not condemn the lynching.
- a man who killed his wives for life insurance pay outs, quite bad murders (one was killed with snake bites and also drowned).
last man executed by hanging.
- "I just don't like Monday" teenager school shooter who killed to attract attention.
- a man killed 9 people and set the house on fire as he did not want to pay alimony after a divorce, on Christmas... then killed himself.
- Colorado
some shootings too
- Connecticut
- the youngest executed killer in USA, a 12 yo girl who in 1786 killed a 6 yo after beating her to death with stones and trying to make it seem like an accident and also lied.
- a nurse killer.
- a man butchering his wife and hiding the body remains.
a lot of murders of children.
- Delaware
- a case where a family with kids died from poised candies, painful death, as her dad was a politician.
- 1927, a sister asked her older sons to shoot her brother for a $2,000 life insurance payout.
only found out who did this in 1930s. they were executed, the "1st white woman to be executed in Delaware"
- Florida:
- a kidnapper, rapist, and torturer, who drank the blood of the victims afterwards. was arrested sentenced to 25 years but LET GO after 10 "for good behavior". arrested after away for Marijuana, died in jail during self asfixation.
- awful cases men did to young girls
- a teenager aggressively killed his mom and father too, going to a party after.
- Georgia:
double murder with suicide
- Hawaii
1906, Oahu: a small boy was killed and body was cut up by a worker.
jury convicted him in 4 minutes, was hanged.
- 1959-1965: Hawaii first known serial killer.
- 1988: mother killed her son and then herself
- mass shooting.
- Idaho:
miners hijacked a train and set a factory on fire, a lot of fighting between miners and union. a Marshall law was displaced.
- 5 men died after getting life insurance, all married to the same woman. quite suspicious.
arsenic poison.
after being let out of prison, married another time and the man suspiciously disappeared after 2 years. she herself died from a heart attack and had no hair, a sign of long affect of arsenic.
- Illinois
- a woman killed the man she was cheating with on her husband and then tried to get his help by saying he "forced himself on her".
- a serial pedophile case was solved when the police was looking into a missing boy case
- 3 wives of chigaco businessmen went on a 4 day nice trip but were brutally killed in the woods: it was a 23 yo dishwasher who did this, tried to rob them but then killed them.
was released at 80 yo when dna test proved that another man's hair was found on the body.
- Indiana
lots of shootings.
- an 11 yo kid killed his parents, shoot into the face at night, after being abused for a long time. he was squeezed
died at 81.
- Iowa
- a man killed his child and wife.
- another one did that too but made them stand on their knees and shot from the back... wow..
- Kansas
1953
an addict and gambler decided to kidnap the son of a millions, with his partner.
a 6 yo, killed him right away but asked for ransom from parents telling them he was alive and well.
both were sentenced to death in a gas chamber.
- a "deeply religious" young man said that "it feels good to kill people" and decided to shoot people while located at a hotel like a sniper. jury did not agree to insanity.
- a man was mad the mother of his kid got custody so mailed a bomb, killing her whole family...
- Kentucky
more shootings cases, last hanging.
- Louisiana
a lot of theft, one killed a man when tried to steal $4. then survived the attempted execution via electic chair. did due the second time.
- a dad killed his wife & daughters with an ax and tried to kill the son but he ran away, so he blamed the son on the murder. told that to neighbors.
- Maine
an awful serial killer who raped and killed women.
- a women with postpartum depression drowned her kids, tried to kill herself to "be free in the next life" but failed to die and then drowned her future kids too. then eventually did drown herself too.
- Maryland
blunt objects hit to the head of a sister. suspect not found.
- a woman killed her husband during their romantic getaway trip by using muscle relaxant and making it look like he smoked and set the room on fire. tried to do this for life insurance and to be with the man she cheated on. went to jail.
- Massachusetts
1978: dozens of teenage boys bodies were found in a basement of a man.
- a psyopatch's wife got pregnant and he wanted to live with his mistress so decided to kill her with the baby inside, shot her, then wounded him, for life insurance
- Michigan
a serial killer, molestation,
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
some really disturbing case about care givers making their kids "sick" and abusing. Gypsy's case. 17 stan words the boyfriend inflicted on the mom, he was autistic.
- Montana
- cult killings cases.
- Glacier NP case: 2013. a married couple went there: wife killed the man as she was quite unhappy with their married life and sex life.
were married for 8 days. in prison for 30 years.
- Nebraska
- earliest documented serial killer, 1870s.
- some shooters.
- Nevada
- a lot of saloons and sex workers.
murders of prostitutes
- a lot of theft and killings for money.
youngest killed killer.
- New Hampshire
chameleon killer who, after army, moved state to state, his family suspiciously dissapeared, with his kids included.
- also a student killer.
- New Jersey
- Poe added a real life case to his book, where killed put bodies after the house floor.
- a man killed his daugher for life isnruance himself, after the person he hired to do that failed.
- Miranda law, the one that lets people know there are sex offenders in their area, appeared after a case of a pedophile in New Jersey who, as a kid, had a dad who forced him watch as he was raping a another kid, also became like that.
- New Mexico
- a decapitated man head case.
- New York
- 1899: historical execution.
first man to be killed on an electric chair, he killed his wife with an ax.
- first woman executed on the chair was also in New York state, in NYC. she threw acid on the step daughter's face, and killed hisband with an ax.
- the phantom murder, a serial one, who used codes for
- North Carolina
- a priest was a killer, during trial shot the prosecuted and himself.
- a family killer, on Christmas day.
he sent his 16 yo son away and then shot his 7 yo & 12 yo daugher, then wife. wife to the chest... then also 17 yo daugher.
the remaining 3 he crashed their skulls with he gun, and used lost bullet for himself. unclear reason.
- a sad case of a case where dad (football star), ordered someone to kill his girlfriend, and unborn baby died, from being shot.
- North Dakota
- a lot of deaths after bar fights.
one during Halloween:
- Ohio
- Olympian killer, won medals for shooting team. was also a veterian doctor who made a new device. also killed people. was executed for murder.
- Oklahoma
- murders at the workplace, post office, 14 workers killed and several injured, because he thought the boss was "after him".
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
a woman was burning children with hot water, boiling water, because "devil told her so".
- the only Amish person to ever be convicted of homicide (released after 5 years???) smashed a person's skull in... damn...
- Rhode Island
youngest serial killer.
- 2003-2004: the serial killer of prostitutes.
- South Carolina
- a wife shoot her husband in 2018 with an arrow.
- South Dakota
- a quite awful case of a man who dragged a women our and killed her after while the kids saw her being taken.
- Tennessee
- serial killer, The night Marauder.
home invasions, raped, some were killed along their fathers or husbands who tried to save them.
stayed unidentified.
- Texas
a bar owner had some alligators he added as entertainment for the visitors.
he killed 2 mistresses as well as some others, at least half a dozen. he disposed of them by feeding them to the alligators after chopping them up..
- Utah
a lot of shootings and killings, rapes.
bomb maker.
- Vermont
- famous unsolved case of asfixation& drowning.
- a man brutally bit hit wife, and raped her. then killed. bad life insurance taken but was released from firdge after
- Virginia
- a wife killer, 1911:
- Washington
fasting killer "doctor".
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Tarzan of the Titons
all possible triggers, absolutely all
do killings reflect the social issues in the specific state? author wants to pinpoint the lesser known cases.
some cases summary:
- Alabama, 1954:
was the Las Vegas of the past: city of sin and corruption. a teacher that became a politician wanted to fight corruption and was shot by gang members and a corrupt sheriff who took up to $6k bribes a week.
the political change followed and the city became better.
1960: a teenager stole money from his granmda and brutally stabbed her. then his girlfriend after got out of jail.
a nurse that would kill patients on purpose to then get adrenaline from trying to revive them.
he pleed guilty and somehow got let free
- Alaska, 1919-1931
"mad trapper" would kill white and indigenous people for years. he was captured by 3 hikers but when two went to get police, the 3rd one was killed. he died of natural causes.
1970s:
another one burned a school bus as was bullied a lot, jail for 3 years. became a hunter and had his own small plane he got after faking a burglary and getting insurance payout.
was parolled several times for mental issues after different crimes.
he would fly prostitutes to his mountain house and then, if they requested being paid, he would rape them for days and then let them go. and hunt.
at least 17 were killed in this awful way. died in 2014 at 75 in jail.
- 1984:
a man would kill "in anger" with no specific reason, even kids. when troopers looked for him, shot a helicopter above him.
- another one studied serial killers and admired Ted Bandy. unsure about how many were killed but one woman was kidnapped, raped, killed, put make up on to hide decomposition and used the photo to request ransom.
2012 suicide in jail.
- Arizona
a man entered the mobile home where a couple with a baby were and he raped the woman while the husband was tied up. he escaped and got help and the baby was saved, mattress was full of kerosene, but woman was killed and mutilated.
he was sent to asylum and paroled for the rape he did before this case.
- one highscooler wanted to be famous for killing 40 people after seeing cases of murders on TV and was disappointed he only found 7 in a beauty school. he killed most of them.
- Miranda rights coming out after a case when lawyers used it in a case with a killer.
- a man killed his wife by stabbing her 44 times and later tried pleading that he was sleepwalking. but did hide the weapon and wore gloves.
- Arkansas
one man killed 14 of his family members.
- California
1926-1928
a scary case called "chicken coup killer" with small boys. gosh...
1933, San Jose, a kidnapping and random case that ended in the killing of a young man.
the crowds were so mad at this murder that 3,000-6,000 took the men from the jail, dragged them out, beat then up, and killed them.
the governor did not condemn the lynching.
- a man who killed his wives for life insurance pay outs, quite bad murders (one was killed with snake bites and also drowned).
last man executed by hanging.
- "I just don't like Monday" teenager school shooter who killed to attract attention.
- a man killed 9 people and set the house on fire as he did not want to pay alimony after a divorce, on Christmas... then killed himself.
- Colorado
some shootings too
- Connecticut
- the youngest executed killer in USA, a 12 yo girl who in 1786 killed a 6 yo after beating her to death with stones and trying to make it seem like an accident and also lied.
- a nurse killer.
- a man butchering his wife and hiding the body remains.
a lot of murders of children.
- Delaware
- a case where a family with kids died from poised candies, painful death, as her dad was a politician.
- 1927, a sister asked her older sons to shoot her brother for a $2,000 life insurance payout.
only found out who did this in 1930s. they were executed, the "1st white woman to be executed in Delaware"
- Florida:
- a kidnapper, rapist, and torturer, who drank the blood of the victims afterwards. was arrested sentenced to 25 years but LET GO after 10 "for good behavior". arrested after away for Marijuana, died in jail during self asfixation.
- awful cases men did to young girls
- a teenager aggressively killed his mom and father too, going to a party after.
- Georgia:
double murder with suicide
- Hawaii
1906, Oahu: a small boy was killed and body was cut up by a worker.
jury convicted him in 4 minutes, was hanged.
- 1959-1965: Hawaii first known serial killer.
- 1988: mother killed her son and then herself
- mass shooting.
- Idaho:
miners hijacked a train and set a factory on fire, a lot of fighting between miners and union. a Marshall law was displaced.
- 5 men died after getting life insurance, all married to the same woman. quite suspicious.
arsenic poison.
after being let out of prison, married another time and the man suspiciously disappeared after 2 years. she herself died from a heart attack and had no hair, a sign of long affect of arsenic.
- Illinois
- a woman killed the man she was cheating with on her husband and then tried to get his help by saying he "forced himself on her".
- a serial pedophile case was solved when the police was looking into a missing boy case
- 3 wives of chigaco businessmen went on a 4 day nice trip but were brutally killed in the woods: it was a 23 yo dishwasher who did this, tried to rob them but then killed them.
was released at 80 yo when dna test proved that another man's hair was found on the body.
- Indiana
lots of shootings.
- an 11 yo kid killed his parents, shoot into the face at night, after being abused for a long time. he was squeezed
died at 81.
- Iowa
- a man killed his child and wife.
- another one did that too but made them stand on their knees and shot from the back... wow..
- Kansas
1953
an addict and gambler decided to kidnap the son of a millions, with his partner.
a 6 yo, killed him right away but asked for ransom from parents telling them he was alive and well.
both were sentenced to death in a gas chamber.
- a "deeply religious" young man said that "it feels good to kill people" and decided to shoot people while located at a hotel like a sniper. jury did not agree to insanity.
- a man was mad the mother of his kid got custody so mailed a bomb, killing her whole family...
- Kentucky
more shootings cases, last hanging.
- Louisiana
a lot of theft, one killed a man when tried to steal $4. then survived the attempted execution via electic chair. did due the second time.
- a dad killed his wife & daughters with an ax and tried to kill the son but he ran away, so he blamed the son on the murder. told that to neighbors.
- Maine
an awful serial killer who raped and killed women.
- a women with postpartum depression drowned her kids, tried to kill herself to "be free in the next life" but failed to die and then drowned her future kids too. then eventually did drown herself too.
- Maryland
blunt objects hit to the head of a sister. suspect not found.
- a woman killed her husband during their romantic getaway trip by using muscle relaxant and making it look like he smoked and set the room on fire. tried to do this for life insurance and to be with the man she cheated on. went to jail.
- Massachusetts
1978: dozens of teenage boys bodies were found in a basement of a man.
- a psyopatch's wife got pregnant and he wanted to live with his mistress so decided to kill her with the baby inside, shot her, then wounded him, for life insurance
- Michigan
a serial killer, molestation,
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
some really disturbing case about care givers making their kids "sick" and abusing. Gypsy's case. 17 stan words the boyfriend inflicted on the mom, he was autistic.
- Montana
- cult killings cases.
- Glacier NP case: 2013. a married couple went there: wife killed the man as she was quite unhappy with their married life and sex life.
were married for 8 days. in prison for 30 years.
- Nebraska
- earliest documented serial killer, 1870s.
- some shooters.
- Nevada
- a lot of saloons and sex workers.
murders of prostitutes
- a lot of theft and killings for money.
youngest killed killer.
- New Hampshire
chameleon killer who, after army, moved state to state, his family suspiciously dissapeared, with his kids included.
- also a student killer.
- New Jersey
- Poe added a real life case to his book, where killed put bodies after the house floor.
- a man killed his daugher for life isnruance himself, after the person he hired to do that failed.
- Miranda law, the one that lets people know there are sex offenders in their area, appeared after a case of a pedophile in New Jersey who, as a kid, had a dad who forced him watch as he was raping a another kid, also became like that.
- New Mexico
- a decapitated man head case.
- New York
- 1899: historical execution.
first man to be killed on an electric chair, he killed his wife with an ax.
- first woman executed on the chair was also in New York state, in NYC. she threw acid on the step daughter's face, and killed hisband with an ax.
- the phantom murder, a serial one, who used codes for
- North Carolina
- a priest was a killer, during trial shot the prosecuted and himself.
- a family killer, on Christmas day.
he sent his 16 yo son away and then shot his 7 yo & 12 yo daugher, then wife. wife to the chest... then also 17 yo daugher.
the remaining 3 he crashed their skulls with he gun, and used lost bullet for himself. unclear reason.
- a sad case of a case where dad (football star), ordered someone to kill his girlfriend, and unborn baby died, from being shot.
- North Dakota
- a lot of deaths after bar fights.
one during Halloween:
- Ohio
- Olympian killer, won medals for shooting team. was also a veterian doctor who made a new device. also killed people. was executed for murder.
- Oklahoma
- murders at the workplace, post office, 14 workers killed and several injured, because he thought the boss was "after him".
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
a woman was burning children with hot water, boiling water, because "devil told her so".
- the only Amish person to ever be convicted of homicide (released after 5 years???) smashed a person's skull in... damn...
- Rhode Island
youngest serial killer.
- 2003-2004: the serial killer of prostitutes.
- South Carolina
- a wife shoot her husband in 2018 with an arrow.
- South Dakota
- a quite awful case of a man who dragged a women our and killed her after while the kids saw her being taken.
- Tennessee
- serial killer, The night Marauder.
home invasions, raped, some were killed along their fathers or husbands who tried to save them.
stayed unidentified.
- Texas
a bar owner had some alligators he added as entertainment for the visitors.
he killed 2 mistresses as well as some others, at least half a dozen. he disposed of them by feeding them to the alligators after chopping them up..
- Utah
a lot of shootings and killings, rapes.
bomb maker.
- Vermont
- famous unsolved case of asfixation& drowning.
- a man brutally bit hit wife, and raped her. then killed. bad life insurance taken but was released from firdge after
- Virginia
- a wife killer, 1911:
- Washington
fasting killer "doctor".
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Tarzan of the Titons
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
if you're looking for a true crime read that highlights crime's by the state's in which they happened, look no further! i really enjoyed this book and enjoyed how it was sectioned out. it was super fascinating to see all the different types of crimes and how it has shaped communities all over the US. you can't help but feel empathy for every single person who was impacted by the cruelty of others.
while this book most often had the well-known true crime cases, there were several states where they missed cases that i was surprised by. nevertheless, the cases that were presented were interesting and had enough detail to highlight the crime itself, before they moved on to the next.
the only critique i would make here is that there wasn't enough light shed on the victims. i really want to see a true crime author put the victims at the forefront and give less light or none to the criminal/murderers.
thank you to netgalley & workman publishing group for the copy of my ebook!
if you're looking for a true crime read that highlights crime's by the state's in which they happened, look no further! i really enjoyed this book and enjoyed how it was sectioned out. it was super fascinating to see all the different types of crimes and how it has shaped communities all over the US. you can't help but feel empathy for every single person who was impacted by the cruelty of others.
while this book most often had the well-known true crime cases, there were several states where they missed cases that i was surprised by. nevertheless, the cases that were presented were interesting and had enough detail to highlight the crime itself, before they moved on to the next.
the only critique i would make here is that there wasn't enough light shed on the victims. i really want to see a true crime author put the victims at the forefront and give less light or none to the criminal/murderers.
thank you to netgalley & workman publishing group for the copy of my ebook!
November 14, 2025
Instead of focusing on high profile murders or serial killers, Harold Schechter tried to find murder cases for each of the 50 states that were either specific to that area or stand out in some way. I was excited to read this but it was a little disappointing. It felt like at least 40-50% of the stories were from the 1800's and I guess I was expecting more recent cases. There were also several cases where it was the first woman executed in that state or the last person hung in that state - there was even a case where the guy was sent to the electric chair twice (the first time didn't kill him). To me, many of the stories weren't "stand out" cases. And similar to The Ultimate Serial Killer Trivia Book by Jack Rosewood, it was kind of hard to read just story after story of brutal murders. I mean I understand that's the concept of the book but I couldn't read it as quickly because I needed to take breaks. Overall, it was interesting but I would recommend reading it over time and not like a normal book that you read over a couple of days.
Some cases that stood out to me:
p. 111 Constance Fisher of Maine suffering from postpartum depression killed her 3 children and tried to commit suicide in 1954. She was sent to a mental hospital and when she was released five years later her husband took her back. They had 3 more children. Then in 1966 she killed those 3 children and again attempted suicide. She was again sent to a mental hospital and a few years later escaped and succeeded in committing suicide. It was like a precursor to Andrea Yates but TWICE.
p. 271 I did not know that Frank Lloyd Wright abandoned his family and ran off to Europe with his mistress. When he came back to the US he started building a "bungalow of love" for them in Wisconsin. While he was away on business one of the workers building the house killed his lover, her children, and several other workers and set the house on fire.
Some cases that stood out to me:
p. 111 Constance Fisher of Maine suffering from postpartum depression killed her 3 children and tried to commit suicide in 1954. She was sent to a mental hospital and when she was released five years later her husband took her back. They had 3 more children. Then in 1966 she killed those 3 children and again attempted suicide. She was again sent to a mental hospital and a few years later escaped and succeeded in committing suicide. It was like a precursor to Andrea Yates but TWICE.
p. 271 I did not know that Frank Lloyd Wright abandoned his family and ran off to Europe with his mistress. When he came back to the US he started building a "bungalow of love" for them in Wisconsin. While he was away on business one of the workers building the house killed his lover, her children, and several other workers and set the house on fire.
June 19, 2025
Harold Schechter delivers on the premise given in the title. This is a book of murders divided up by state ranging from the 1800's to the 2000s. He opens with a discussion of his methods and then works his way alphabetically through the 50 states. Each state opens with a map outline with the locations marked so the reader know the approximate town or city where the murder occurred and then lists three to six cases per state. Schechter lays out the basic facts of the case and often what happened to the perpetrator. He closes the book with a collection of sources he used to write the cases. Unfortunately, the sources are listed in alphabetical order and not referenced in the text which makes it hard to get more details for an individual case. But if you are looking for cases that happened in a particular state or just want a glimpse into the not-so-well known murders from a particular state, this might be the book for you.
Thanks Netgalley and Workman Publishing Company for the chance to read this title!
Thanks Netgalley and Workman Publishing Company for the chance to read this title!
July 11, 2025
I was given the opportunity to read this from NetGalley for an honest review before it’s published in September.
I found that this book has many different murders through the 50 states of the USA that aren’t well known or written about which I found more interesting as the same stories aren’t written about over and over like quite a lot of other crimes that are constantly broadcasted or depicted.
As a true crime enthusiast I have spent many years reading about different murders by psychotically deranged individuals through each decade and this book shows just how far individuals were willing to go to commit the perfect murder regardless of which state they lived in or what year they happened, these psychotic sadists were all the same, thought the same and acted in the same despicable manner with one thing in mind; Murder.
If you’re interested in diving into more undeniably sadistic, grotesque and sickening true crime stories then this is the book for you.
I found that this book has many different murders through the 50 states of the USA that aren’t well known or written about which I found more interesting as the same stories aren’t written about over and over like quite a lot of other crimes that are constantly broadcasted or depicted.
As a true crime enthusiast I have spent many years reading about different murders by psychotically deranged individuals through each decade and this book shows just how far individuals were willing to go to commit the perfect murder regardless of which state they lived in or what year they happened, these psychotic sadists were all the same, thought the same and acted in the same despicable manner with one thing in mind; Murder.
If you’re interested in diving into more undeniably sadistic, grotesque and sickening true crime stories then this is the book for you.
August 24, 2025
Filled with many known and unknown cases, Schechter takes us through all 50 states providing 3-4 cases of murder that occurred in each state. While these are very simple stories of each crime, going over who the victim and killer was, they provide enough details and where to go if you're interested. Some of these stories were gruesome and some were murders that left a big impact. Ranging from 1800s to present day, Schechter doesn't focus on one time span or one specific area of each state. While there are a few editing issues that are probably just digital errors, if you'd like to find out about some Infamous cases in your state it is worth picking up. If you're hoping for indepth discussion of each case, this is a pass.
copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher.
copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher.
September 11, 2025
2 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC.
I don't really know what I expected going into this book, but maybe a little bit more respect on the victims? It's well researched and written in a way to make it so that anyone can pick it up, but I just felt like the author is a carnival barker and we paid $1 to see the freakshow.
The Georgia chapter, specifically the Chris Benoit story is what really set it off for me. Was it necessary to write that his 7 year old son was killed by "snapping his neck with the crippler crossface"?
I get that true crime is popular and people eat it up, hell I used to be one of them, but this just feels sad and disrespectful.
I don't really know what I expected going into this book, but maybe a little bit more respect on the victims? It's well researched and written in a way to make it so that anyone can pick it up, but I just felt like the author is a carnival barker and we paid $1 to see the freakshow.
The Georgia chapter, specifically the Chris Benoit story is what really set it off for me. Was it necessary to write that his 7 year old son was killed by "snapping his neck with the crippler crossface"?
I get that true crime is popular and people eat it up, hell I used to be one of them, but this just feels sad and disrespectful.
September 25, 2025
Are you doing the ABC book challenge and you need a book for a certain state and you're having a hard time finding one… This book will have your base covered!
I knew this was a book about murders, but I didn't know how troubling and mind Messing this book was going to be… You hear hundreds of stories of gruesome murders that happened in every single state and you probably have never heard the details and where else. It also connects unique murders to other things that have taken place or happened because of those murders… Like the hit Broadway show Chicago. I find non-fiction books like he's really interesting and although the topic is gruesome and gory, I found the book interesting.
I knew this was a book about murders, but I didn't know how troubling and mind Messing this book was going to be… You hear hundreds of stories of gruesome murders that happened in every single state and you probably have never heard the details and where else. It also connects unique murders to other things that have taken place or happened because of those murders… Like the hit Broadway show Chicago. I find non-fiction books like he's really interesting and although the topic is gruesome and gory, I found the book interesting.
December 3, 2025
This book contains bite-sized recaps of murders occurring across the United States. The author chose to focus on the more obscure crimes in each state. Many of the blurbs covered crimes in the 1800’s. As a true crime reader, I found this book interesting because I had not heard of most of the cases Schechter wrote about. His coverage is pretty succinct and if you are looking for detailed coverage, then this book is not for you. However, if you are interested in reading about lesser-known crimes from each state, you may enjoy this book. I was gifted a copy of this book and all opinions expressed in this review are my own.
July 13, 2025
A great collection of short stories regarding some of the infamous murders in each of the fifty states. The stories are informative and full of detail, yet a quick read. Some of the stories you might recognize (at least one was a Forensics File story, and another was about Isreal Keyes a mass murder in Alaska and several other states. He was also the subject of a book entitled American Predator). Overall, I found this to be a great read and one the True Crime fan would enjoy.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
September 21, 2025
I really enjoy Harold Schechter's books, and this one just reaffirmed my love of his writing.
For true crime lovers, this is one book that you are going to want to add to your shelves. Full of murder, mystery, and occasional mayhem in some cases. But, the cases presented herein are perfect for building a murder map. If you want to travel, use this book as a travel guide. You are destined to hit some of the hottest spots on the true crime scene.
Absolutely engaging and a killer good time! Curl up with your favorite beverage, and get ready to dive into murder!
For true crime lovers, this is one book that you are going to want to add to your shelves. Full of murder, mystery, and occasional mayhem in some cases. But, the cases presented herein are perfect for building a murder map. If you want to travel, use this book as a travel guide. You are destined to hit some of the hottest spots on the true crime scene.
Absolutely engaging and a killer good time! Curl up with your favorite beverage, and get ready to dive into murder!
December 19, 2025
If you ever wanted a good description of murder in each and every US State this is for you. And it gets bad, like very awful. Some killings are just plain random, others planned out. This isn't your typical every day you heard them all from news and TV shows type of murders, these are unknown not talked about much murders in each state. This book doesn't give you any spin or editorial gossip, it just lays the facts out as each case is being described. As a true crime junkie this was both hard to read and hard to put down.
Worth it.
Worth it.
August 19, 2025
50 States of Murder provides readers with a brief overview of prolific deaths in each state. There were so many cases covered in this book. I did enjoy the succinct description of each case, it made the book feel like it went faster. 3.75/5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
August 28, 2025
Overall very interesting.
The cases were lesser known cases, which is always preferable given so much media covers crime cases. It was also delivered in a concise way, nothing was drawn out or dramatized.
Would recommend to those interested in true crime.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
The cases were lesser known cases, which is always preferable given so much media covers crime cases. It was also delivered in a concise way, nothing was drawn out or dramatized.
Would recommend to those interested in true crime.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
January 3, 2026
As a watcher of 'Forensic Files,' I have an small interest in true crime stories. I even found some of the stories I remembered from that show in this book. However, the entries were generally pretty short, and it felt like they ran together after a while. I think I would have liked one story per state.
Warning...he also doesn't downplay violence or details. Some of the stories are upsetting.
Warning...he also doesn't downplay violence or details. Some of the stories are upsetting.
August 28, 2025
An interesting look at different crimes through the 50 states. Some I knew, some I didn’t. They are all offered in bite-sized descriptions that keep readers’ interest without feeling overwhelming or missing pieces. The perfect sweet spot for a true crime anthology.
February 20, 2026
Some entries could use more details (and why is it perfectly fine to talk about the murder that inspired "Fargo" in great detail but another entry only says a man was "slain in a particularly gruesome way"?) but, overall, keeps your attention and makes you want to keep reading it.
September 7, 2025
interesting book that's essentially a true-crime synopsis of some more obscure crimes. i think it worked pretty well. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.
November 1, 2025
Murder cases from each state that do seem to reveal the criminal personalities of each state. Fascinating.
December 28, 2025
This covered a lot of cases I’d never heard of, as far back as the 1700s! A good true crime book.
January 26, 2026
Interesting but needed an editor.
March 1, 2026
An interesting true crime read. The author chose a few murders from each state to include. Some are well known, but many are lesser-known crimes that may surprise readers.
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