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In Public Record: A Journey to the Truth of a Murder and Trial
September 1990. In Shaker Heights, Ohio, teenage honors student Lisa Lee Pruett vanishes into the night. A boy calls 911 when she does not arrive for a secret late-night meet-up. Police soon find her nearby, stabbed to death and left exposed.
Lisa had just passed an important test and earned her driver’s license. She was a Girl Scout, athlete, musician, and lover of poetry. Then her life was cut short.
Investigators quickly focused on a troubled young man who lived a few blocks away. His name leaked, the media swarmed, and the case became a spectacle. Two years later, he was indicted on controversial testimony, tried under national attention, and ultimately acquitted. His life never recovered.
Decades later, the murder remains unsolved.
Now a former police officer reopens the trail, determined to separate rumor from evidence and find the truth, if it is still there to be found.
Lisa had just passed an important test and earned her driver’s license. She was a Girl Scout, athlete, musician, and lover of poetry. Then her life was cut short.
Investigators quickly focused on a troubled young man who lived a few blocks away. His name leaked, the media swarmed, and the case became a spectacle. Two years later, he was indicted on controversial testimony, tried under national attention, and ultimately acquitted. His life never recovered.
Decades later, the murder remains unsolved.
Now a former police officer reopens the trail, determined to separate rumor from evidence and find the truth, if it is still there to be found.
- GenresTrue CrimeMystery
125 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 20, 2026
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1703 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 17, 2026
Michael Kelly writes about a case of murder, acquittal, and an unsolved case
This book, In Public Record: A Journey to the Truth of a Murder and Trial, the reader learns Lisa Lee Pruett, a young woman, who was supposed to meet up with her boyfriend, but never showed. She was found close to where her secret meeting was, but her life came to an end on that September night. I am a fan of true crime stories. This is the first book written by this author that I've read. This book reveals how she died, and who became their number one suspect. Lisa had everything going for her, she lives a life of service, sports and music, with a great love for poetry. The reader learns a lot about Lisa, and her life, and then what happened after that one moment. This case seemed like it was headed in the right direction to be solved, but then, mistakes were made, leaks to the press, and a young man held on trial for her death. He was acquitted, but his life was never the same, as it made national news, and everyone knew him, and expected the worst of him. The case is unsolved, and hopefully, bringing it to light in this book, will help give some clues, even the smallest one that might bring relief and answers to Lisa and her family. When true crime books are written, the really good ones, like this, show the victim as human and tell the reader about her life, and don't glorify the crime, or the criminals, they write truths, and admit where flaws and mistakes were done, and write a story, so that maybe someone reading it, will remember something about this case, or even a comparison to another case. I hope that this book does that. After something like this, there isn't closure, but there are answers that everyone needs. In Public Record A Journey to the Truth of a Murder and Trial is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. I look forward to reading many more titles by this author. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that readers of this book, be kind, and also write a review.
This book, In Public Record: A Journey to the Truth of a Murder and Trial, the reader learns Lisa Lee Pruett, a young woman, who was supposed to meet up with her boyfriend, but never showed. She was found close to where her secret meeting was, but her life came to an end on that September night. I am a fan of true crime stories. This is the first book written by this author that I've read. This book reveals how she died, and who became their number one suspect. Lisa had everything going for her, she lives a life of service, sports and music, with a great love for poetry. The reader learns a lot about Lisa, and her life, and then what happened after that one moment. This case seemed like it was headed in the right direction to be solved, but then, mistakes were made, leaks to the press, and a young man held on trial for her death. He was acquitted, but his life was never the same, as it made national news, and everyone knew him, and expected the worst of him. The case is unsolved, and hopefully, bringing it to light in this book, will help give some clues, even the smallest one that might bring relief and answers to Lisa and her family. When true crime books are written, the really good ones, like this, show the victim as human and tell the reader about her life, and don't glorify the crime, or the criminals, they write truths, and admit where flaws and mistakes were done, and write a story, so that maybe someone reading it, will remember something about this case, or even a comparison to another case. I hope that this book does that. After something like this, there isn't closure, but there are answers that everyone needs. In Public Record A Journey to the Truth of a Murder and Trial is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. I look forward to reading many more titles by this author. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that readers of this book, be kind, and also write a review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
An interesting and detailed study of a criminal case, and a miscarriage of justice, as seen by the author, a former police officer.
Lisa Lee Pruett was sixteen years old at the time of her murder, a horrific case that transpired in Shaker Heights, Ohio, that saw the teen stabbed multiple times and left to die on a terrible night in 1990. With multiple potential murder suspects, the police quickly honed in on Kevin Young, a “weird” kid, who had made threats against both Lisa and her boyfriend, Dan Dreifort, in the not-too-distant past.
Dan himself was a troubled teen, and at the time of Lisa’s murder had just been released from a stint in psychiatric care. Dan, who enjoyed partying, alone or with others, high on megadoses of cough syrup, was also suffering from other “teenage issues” in his young life, according to his father, who had arranged for his confinement.
After meeting the journalist James Renner, who delivered a definitive study of the murder, the author becomes interested and involved in the details of the case, and more specifically, the shortcomings he is convinced have tainted the outcomes.
A well written and very well-researched summary, this book is in some ways a call-out for justice for the victim of a still open homicide case, on behalf of the family and loved ones; and in in others, the telling expose of the author’s personal journey, — one man’s attempt to influence a closed criminal system (which may or may not be corrupt), despite his former status as an insider.
An absorbing work, I received a review copy from the author, and publisher, and thank them for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Lisa Lee Pruett was sixteen years old at the time of her murder, a horrific case that transpired in Shaker Heights, Ohio, that saw the teen stabbed multiple times and left to die on a terrible night in 1990. With multiple potential murder suspects, the police quickly honed in on Kevin Young, a “weird” kid, who had made threats against both Lisa and her boyfriend, Dan Dreifort, in the not-too-distant past.
Dan himself was a troubled teen, and at the time of Lisa’s murder had just been released from a stint in psychiatric care. Dan, who enjoyed partying, alone or with others, high on megadoses of cough syrup, was also suffering from other “teenage issues” in his young life, according to his father, who had arranged for his confinement.
After meeting the journalist James Renner, who delivered a definitive study of the murder, the author becomes interested and involved in the details of the case, and more specifically, the shortcomings he is convinced have tainted the outcomes.
A well written and very well-researched summary, this book is in some ways a call-out for justice for the victim of a still open homicide case, on behalf of the family and loved ones; and in in others, the telling expose of the author’s personal journey, — one man’s attempt to influence a closed criminal system (which may or may not be corrupt), despite his former status as an insider.
An absorbing work, I received a review copy from the author, and publisher, and thank them for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Review of advance copy
This was kind of a mixed bag. A quick read about a former cop’s efforts to further a murder case that had been written about in a book that got him interested. You are left with a different culprit put forth and the suggestion that a cover up of some sort was certainly afoot.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews