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Killing Kyle Orth: The Death of a Criminal & Life of a New Man
Killing Kyle Orth is the true story of a runaway kid who grew up on the streets, pulled into addiction, violence, and crime. Prison felt inevitable. Every choice narrowed his future.
Everything should have ended during a high-speed police chase. Police fired 26 rounds into his car. Three hit their mark. Kyle survived.
What followed was a brutal reckoning and a hard climb out of a life built on survival at any cost. This unforgettable entry in true crime books, nonfiction, goes beyond the headlines. More than one of many crime books about downfall, it is a story of trauma and recovery, consequences and redemption.
For readers drawn to true crime, books about second chances, and books for recovery that don’t offer easy answers, Kyle’s journey is both sobering and deeply human. It also speaks to those seeking books about spiritual healing, as it asks a haunting when everything has gone wrong, is real change still possible?
About the Author
Kyle Hunter is a husband, father, community leader, a nonprofit board member, and a member of his town’s city council. Today, he pulls people out of the life he once a life filled with addiction, crime, violence, and prison.
What Readers Are Saying
“This book pulled on all my heartstrings. It opened my eyes to a world so completely different from my own. I couldn’t seem to turn the pages fast enough. Kyle’s captivating tale had me heartbroken, anticipating the next twist and turn and hopeful for redemption. It prompted me to consider my own perspectives on various facets of society as well as the incredible reality that there’s no place too dark for the light of Christ to reach.”
Kelsey M.
Avid True Crime Reader, Iowa
“A chance encounter, an unexpected invitation to grab some coffee, and the start of a three-year conversation that revealed the most amazing story of struggle, courage, and redemption I have ever heard. I have taught undergraduate and graduate students at half a dozen universities. A different life path would have placed Kyle conformably among the best of them. But his story is not one of lost opportunity, grievance, or self-pity. Not what might have been, but what might be. Kyle has taught himself what I never could have, finding the light where there is none. So, as you read his story, let Kyle be your teacher, as he was for me—for there is none better.”
Steve H.
University Professor, Massachusetts
“I backed this project on Kickstarter. I very much looking forward to reading the whole book. The preview shared with Kickstarter supporters was captivating prose with vivid imagery. This is a moving story—I can sense the deep feeling of the author in an easy-to-read way.”
Melissa H., Australia
Everything should have ended during a high-speed police chase. Police fired 26 rounds into his car. Three hit their mark. Kyle survived.
What followed was a brutal reckoning and a hard climb out of a life built on survival at any cost. This unforgettable entry in true crime books, nonfiction, goes beyond the headlines. More than one of many crime books about downfall, it is a story of trauma and recovery, consequences and redemption.
For readers drawn to true crime, books about second chances, and books for recovery that don’t offer easy answers, Kyle’s journey is both sobering and deeply human. It also speaks to those seeking books about spiritual healing, as it asks a haunting when everything has gone wrong, is real change still possible?
About the Author
Kyle Hunter is a husband, father, community leader, a nonprofit board member, and a member of his town’s city council. Today, he pulls people out of the life he once a life filled with addiction, crime, violence, and prison.
What Readers Are Saying
“This book pulled on all my heartstrings. It opened my eyes to a world so completely different from my own. I couldn’t seem to turn the pages fast enough. Kyle’s captivating tale had me heartbroken, anticipating the next twist and turn and hopeful for redemption. It prompted me to consider my own perspectives on various facets of society as well as the incredible reality that there’s no place too dark for the light of Christ to reach.”
Kelsey M.
Avid True Crime Reader, Iowa
“A chance encounter, an unexpected invitation to grab some coffee, and the start of a three-year conversation that revealed the most amazing story of struggle, courage, and redemption I have ever heard. I have taught undergraduate and graduate students at half a dozen universities. A different life path would have placed Kyle conformably among the best of them. But his story is not one of lost opportunity, grievance, or self-pity. Not what might have been, but what might be. Kyle has taught himself what I never could have, finding the light where there is none. So, as you read his story, let Kyle be your teacher, as he was for me—for there is none better.”
Steve H.
University Professor, Massachusetts
“I backed this project on Kickstarter. I very much looking forward to reading the whole book. The preview shared with Kickstarter supporters was captivating prose with vivid imagery. This is a moving story—I can sense the deep feeling of the author in an easy-to-read way.”
Melissa H., Australia
327 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 22, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 14, 2026
Wow, what a brutal life Kyle had. Eye opening to me in many ways. May my opened eyes lead to working hands and a humble content spirit. But what a merciful and gracious good God! I lost sleep over reading this book. It hurt me only the smallest percentage of what it must have hurt Kyle. I'm glad to know this story and marvel at how God works and who He is. My words fail. Read the book!
May 3, 2026
Incredible Story!
I'm not a big reader, but being a story based in Eastern Iowa (where I live), this one got me riveted from the first few pages. Kyle's story is nothing short of miraculous and an incredible account of how God can work beauty and redemption into the hardest of hearts.
I'm not a big reader, but being a story based in Eastern Iowa (where I live), this one got me riveted from the first few pages. Kyle's story is nothing short of miraculous and an incredible account of how God can work beauty and redemption into the hardest of hearts.
August 27, 2026
I enjoyed reading about this young man and how he was rescued from sin and addiction. The story is as much about the men and women God brought into his life as it is about Kyle. A wonderful story of hope.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews