Jailing the Johnston Gang: Bringing Serial Murderers to Justice

by Bruce E. Mowday Author

Pennsylvania's Johnston Gang, led by Bruce Johnston Sr. and his brothers Norman and David, netted millions through a prolific burglary ring during the 1960s and '70s. But in 1978, fearing that younger members of the gang were going to rat them out to the authorities, the brothers killed four teenagers and nearly killed Bruce Sr.'s own son. This book draws on personal interviews with investigators, attorneys, and even former gang members to detail how the combined efforts of federal, state, county, and local law enforcement agencies brought the brothers to justice.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

273 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 29

Reviews

[Desiree Cooper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not written well…it was interesting somewhat because I know the area, but I don’t think it would interest those who don’t know the area.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not written by Ann Rule, and that's a pity.

The case is really interesting, but the telling isn't that interesting. Sometimes even when there is a detail that should be tantalizing and it just gets dropped.

I believe some of that is writing skill, and some of that is a chip on the shoulder of the various sources about how law enforcement isn't appreciated and how getting different groups (city, county, feds, prosecutors) to work together is usually really hard but not with them, and how much that movie sucked!

Yes, the case that inspired the book also inspired a movie, At Close Range, which the law side hated, feeling that it glorified the criminals. I disagree that it glorified them, but nonetheless, I think of a writer like Rule and how she talked to victims, perpetrators, and law enforcement and wove such rich and educational books, and feel the loss here. Especially, it feels like a big part of the issues is that Mowday simply isn't that interested in the humanity of the criminals, but he doesn't create really human portraits of the law enforcement side either, so maybe it's him.

[Aaron · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing true-crime suffers from a complete lack of characterization of the book's many adversaries. You get no diversity between outlaws, except the main rural crime bosses are older, one underling is crazy and has epilepsy, another is a "cold-stone killer." Meanwhile, others have flaws and/or sociopathic tendencies. The young victims are characterized for nothing, so you are better off watching the movie with Sean Penn just to see the clothing and haircuts. The merchandise and tractors stolen are more interesting than the criminals, and the grimy circles of thieves, the fences, the alibi-supplying family households, even the Pennsylvania/Delaware environments themselves of cheap bars and motels get no coloration. There are a lot of names dropped re: law enforcement but here there's no characterization, as well. You learn about the crimes but get no sense of the people.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

This true crime story is fascinating. However, the author was not it for me. He inserted himself into the story but wrote about himself in third person. He even quoted himself! I couldn't get past it.

This is a true case where I live and some of it occurred when I was a child yet I had never heard of it! It's about a group of people, mostly related (hello Cecil County!) who were a very sophisticated crime group but weren't taken seriously at first because they stole farm equipment and resold it on the black market. Then there were a series of murders they committed and that is what got the FBI and higher law enforcement attention.

Due to the terrible writing of this book, I would really only recommend this for people who are truly interested in this case or local to the area. I wish Ann Rule or someone great was able to cover this case and do it justice.

[Jessie Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in Chester, Lancaster, and Cecil counties. I heard a lot about the Johnston Gang growing up in that area. I was in high school and working in Nottingham when Norman Johnston escaped from prison and everyone was on high alert, helicopters flying over, etc. I read this book because I wanted to learn more about the gang, and not just the At Close Range movie version. I did learn more, but it was not easy. This book is not well written, it is not easy to read and there are grammatical issues that should've been caught during the editing process. If you're familiar with the story and want to learn more, then I'd say give this a read. But, if you aren't, I do not recommend this as a way to familiarize yourself.

[Evan Thrash · Rating 2 out of 5]

The topic is fascinating, especially if you are from Chester County area. The scale of the Johnston Gang’s influence was surprising. Where the booked was lacking was the writing. The book read almost like a textbook just giving information not selling the story of the events that happened. In no ways is this a “bad book” but I thought the author could have done a better job of telling the story without all the quotes from the people involved in the case. He could have told the story more from his point of view.

[Scott Gundaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

After living and working in Chester County, PA and Cecil County, MD most of my adult life and hearing so many stories of this gang the book brought alot of detail. As well as watching the movie many times the book definitely tells so much more.

[Sally Winterton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bruce Mowday shares the story of the Johnston Gang. A recent prison escape in the same area piqued my interest in reading his account, as it was mentioned often during the two weeks the county was plagued with the search.

[Jflorek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Describes the crimes of the infamous Johnston brother made famous in the movie At Close Range, starring Sean Penn.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

My father passed on a copy of this to me that he had borrowed from my uncle. The subject matter was very interesting to them and to me, because the Johnston gang were based on the border of Chester and Lancaster counties in Pennsylvania, where I grew up. Although the only part of the story that takes place during my lifetime was an escape from prison, many of the locations discussed in the book are ones that I have visited or at least driven past many times. To discover that such a ruthless, Cosa Nostra-like organization operated in farm country.

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend the book to someone who does not have local connections. The author, Bruce Mowday, is a local newspaperman who covered the story back when it was occurring. He writes the entire 252 page book as if it were a newspaper article and needs to present just the facts, in as few words as possible, and in a manner comprehensible to someone at a sixth grade reading level. I do not expect that nonfiction be written like literature, but this book has no sense of style at all. Mr. Mowday is most concerned with demonstrating the effectiveness of cooperation between multiple law enforcement organizations, but this means that there are scores of characters: three criminal masterminds, more than a dozen associates, several fences, multiple victims, FBI officers, Pennsylvania state troopers, Maryland state troopers, local policemen and sheriffs from multiple local jurisdictions, attorneys representing the nation, state, and counties, multiple judges, at least half a dozen defense attorneys, several reporters, and myriad witnesses. Keeping track of their individual identities is impossible.

[Amerynth · Rating 1 out of 5]

A few years back I saw a movie loosely based on the Johnston Gang murders and I become curious about the real story behind the case. I found little information on the subject aside from Bruce Mowday's book "Jailing the Johnston Gang: Bringing Serial Murderers to Justice."

Unfortunately, the book is hardly readable. Mowday is determined to basically list everyone who was interviewed about the gang (along with where they live) and mention every police officer involved in the case by name. The book is extremely repetitive and does not tell the story in a way that someone with no knowledge of the case could follow.

I found the book so difficult to read that I gave up without finishing it.

[Gwen Greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having lived in southern Pa all my life , back in the 70's this family was in the local news weekly. And I remember well the night Robin Miller and Bruce Jr were ambushed and shot. If anyone has seen the movie At Close Range based upon this book it certainly does not do the book justice, which happens with most made for TV movies based on a book. The movie shed some light onto the Johnston family, but if you want the real story read this book. Excellent in depth read with photos.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The details are very interesting, I just felt like the book jumped around a lot. It is more a telling of the facts than the story start to finish. The facts of one crime may be repeated three different times throughout the book for example. However it is overall a very interesting gang and it was local for me that is why I read it.

[Missy McNaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having grown up in Kennett Square when the Johnston Brothers and their gang burglarized, assaulted, threatened and killed as many as 10 people, this account of their eventual capture and imprisonment brought back many memories for me, especially the ambush and killing of two Kennet Square police officers in Nov 1972. I recommend thus book to any Chester County native.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this - saw the author speak about it. It's about local bad guys (Chester County) which held the interest for me. Good story, but toooo many names to keep up with - think it might have been better told in a sequence that was easier to follow.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book about the 1970s prosecution of a Pennsylvania crime family is long on police PR and short on detail. Since it's only about the last days of the gang, reading it feels like you've walked into the theater when the movie's almost over.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little less journalism and a little more story telling and this would have been a great book. It's obvious that the author wanted to get all the facts straight, but almost any reader would get a little bit lost in this book.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good history of the Family and area of the crimes

[Lenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good accounting of the trial and exploits of the Johnston's. Not the family you would want to live next door to.