The Devil's Defender: My Odyssey Through American Criminal Justice from Ted Bundy to the Kandahar Massacre

by John Henry Browne

In the tradition of bestselling legal memoirs from Johnnie Cochran, F. Lee Bailey, Gerry Spence, and Alan Dershowitz, John Henry Browne’s memoir,  The Devil’s Defender , recounts his tortuous education in what it means to be an advocate—and a human being. 

For the last four decades, the Seattle-based criminal defense lawyer has defended the indefensible. From Facebook folk hero “the Barefoot Bandit” Colton Harris-Moore, to Benjamin Ng of the Wah Mee massacre, to Kandahar massacre culprit Sgt. Robert Bales, Brown has stood at the forefront of our national debate over the death penalty, putting on trail our most base and violent instincts—and the institutional deficiencies that let our most vulnerable fall through the cracks. His unceasing advocacy and the daring to take on some of the most unwinnable cases—and nearly win them all—has led  48 Hours ’ Peter Van Sant to call him “the most famous lawyer in America.”

But although the Browne that America has come to know cuts a dashing and confident figure, he has forever been haunted by his job as counsel to Ted Bundy, the most famous serial killer in American history. A formerly drug- and alcohol-addicted (yet wildly successful) defense attorney who could never let go of the case that started it all, Browne here traces the roots of his discontent as well as his dedication, asking himself the question others have asked him all along: Does defending evil make you evil, too?

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Memoir, Crime, Biography, Law, Audiobook

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2016

Reviews

[Always Pouting · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always feel kind of disappointed after reading most memoirs and autobiographies but that never stops me from reading more of them for some reason. I was expecting this one to be more about his work as a lawyer but nope once again the book was more about his personal life. I'm not saying it wouldn't be interesting to read about people's personal lives in their autobiographies but you should be interweaving it with whatever your career is so that I can get a sense of the growth that came from your experiences you know? Like the whole thing about his questioning his own morals or ethics after representing people who are accused of crimes was legitimate and interesting. I just don't care about his friends from college. An interesting read though, I did learn some things about the legal system.

[Trav Rockwell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mislead title. A waste of $35! Not worth the read, John Henry Browne could have written a whole book on Bundy with all that he knew though he didn't shed any new facts. It feels like john Henry Browne was writing a movie script with a bit part appearance by Ted Bundy. A complete bore, 10% of the book reflect on the Bundy saga, 10% reflects on some other cases and the rest is Brownes life story which I doubt people are at all interested in Brownes personal life.

[Ann Ackermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was totally enthralled by this book, but need to give a caveat: I used to practice law in Seattle. I even worked on one of the cases in this book and knew several of the people Browne writes about. I can't recall ever having had the pleasure of meeting the author, although I certainly knew of his existence. Nevertheless, reading about cases and people I used to know makes the book far more interesting to me than to the average reader, and in that sense, I might not be the most objective reviewer with respect to how exciting the book is.

But it is exciting!

At one level Browne writes like a true crime writer. He worked on some of Washington's most fascinating criminal cases and his memoir covers them: Ted Bundy, the Wah Mee massacre, the Wenatchee child molestation ring, the Barefoot Bandit, and the Kandahar massacre. At times when Browne uncovers fraud in the system and gets his client off, you will feel like cheering for him.

But the book goes deeper: At its heart is Browne's opposition to the death penalty -- how he developed his legal philosophy and how he implements it in the courtroom. And at times, Browne becomes very personal. His honesty about some of the less pleasant aspects of his life touched me.

The book's biggest bombshell? Without a doubt, Bundy's confessions to Browne. Browne offers the reader information about Bundy and his murders we didn't know about before. Sometimes Browne's account of Bundy's criminal exploits deviates from the known facts. For instance, other books claim that Bundy stole the jailor's clothing and stole his escape car in his second jailbreak, but Browne claims Bundy had an accomplice who provided the car and clothing. I wish Browne would have explained the deviation, e.g., was that the version Bundy told him? The lack of explanations about the deviations is my only complaint about the book.

All in all, well worth the read, and important addition not only to the Bundy literature but also literature about criminal defense work.

Bravo, Mr. Browne, and now I really regret not having had the chance to have met you in the courtroom!

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very compelling book that had me turning the pages quickly. I've never read a lawyer's book before except ones by the prosecutor of a big case such as Vincent Bugliosi's books. But the thought of reading about the defending lawyer of people he knows are guilty, some of them having committed heinous crimes intrigued me. Why do these people do what they do if they are not just scumbags, too? John Henry Browne got me to read his book because he defends guilty people who will be facing the death penalty. His job ... to stop the murderous cycle and get the perpetrators a life sentence instead. These aren't the only cases he takes but it's a big part of what he does. Myself, I am adamantly against capital punishment but am glad Browne does the job and not me. He retells his famous trials and his addictions to drug, alcohol and his ego. This is all very fascinating and he made me aware of a couple cases I didn't know so well. Browne writes well but he still obviously has an ego which makes him a little hard to take at times telling us how great he simply is. The Ted Bundy parts are the meat though and brought some new perspective to his case for me. Ultimately, though, the book made me think about my beliefs and consider the legal system and its corruptness.

[Dylan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book because I need information on Bundy for a project. Unfortunately, I gained very little information. But even if you have an interest in all of the events, John skips around between chapters. The scattered narrative really pissed me off.

[Nat PlainJanetheBookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

No. It’s just a no from me. Felt to me like someone cashing in on knowing a SERIAL KILLER (not a bloody mass murderer because they have a different MO and him getting that wrong throughout really irked me) because who else was this guy to have written a book.

Felt more like a private therapeutic activity, journaling, than anything else and was pretty uneventful.

Disappointing for me.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is braggadocious a word? Yeah, this guy thinks really highly of himself. That was very apparent throughout. It became more tolerable towards the end, but I could have done without all the gratuitous name dropping and “tooting of his own horn.” It is a short book, and yet took me almost 2 weeks to finish just because I started to loathe reading it. I’m painfully stubborn about never quitting any books I start, though, so...meh.

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read many books about Ted Bundy. I was sort of disappointed in this one. He went through many other cases of law that he had defended, which I guess is fine, but I wasn't interested in those or in his personal history and he spent almost more time covering other topics

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Henry Browne is an American criminal defense attorney, who is still practicing in Seattle, Washington. He has tried hundreds of criminal cases, some of which were very notable. One of those cases was of Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, a member of the United States Armed Forces, who killed sixteen Afghan civilians in Kandahar. He wound up pleading guilty to sixteen counts of murder, six counts of attempted murder, and seven counts of assault. Browne claimed he did this because he may have been upset about seeing his friend injured, but not because he had mental problems or hated Muslims. (It was announced in 2019 that he would be seeking a new trial in civilian court with the defense that anti malaria drugs caused him to do this.) He also participated in the defense of serial killer Ted Bundy, which is what drew me to this book in the first place. (I thought his thoughts about his conversations about Bundy were really interesting.) He represented more distasteful characters than this, so if you are interested in stuff like that, you may want to check this book out.

This book was included in the Audible Plus catalog. I think it was a four hour listen. I listened to part of it last night and finished it up this afternoon. I have always wondered what motivated defense attorneys to defend people they very clearly know are guilty of heinous crimes. Browne has found himself the subject of a lot of controversy and public criticism. He attempts to take the focus away from his very guilty client and focus on their backgrounds in order to gain some measure of sympathy and relief in the sentencing process. I suppose that no matter what side of the law your client is on, you work for the best result for your client. I think that is hard for a lot of people to reconcile when they are confronted with the terrible crimes of someone, say like Ted Bundy. I thought the personal conversations and case facts included in this book were very interesting, but then I am interested in true crime stuff in general. (Thanks to my sister.) This was a great, quick little book for me to listen to while waiting on my kid to fall asleep.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairly deep dive into the Bundy career, including a few letters in full as appendices. Those horrific crimes themselves are not as explored as his escapes, self-destructive legal actions, and interesting notes on his support from family and friends.

What really feels atrocious is the crimes of Robert Bales who fatally shot or stabbed 16 Afghan civilians in a mass murder in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.

Tying this altogether is the author's journey on the anti-War fringe and deciding to wholly devote himself to protect anyone, no matter how abhorrent their crimes, against the death penalty. From his career as a musicians there are cameos by Jim Morrison, Hendrix and his family, and more. Browne also relates a long journey of self-discovery and triumph over substance abuse. Thus full of flavor and thought-provoking moral decisions, this is an engaging life story worth reading.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not often my interest in true crime books and my avid fandom of Sixties rock collide, but here we are. I actually think I liked Browne's stories about meeting classic rock legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Pigpen of the Grateful Dead more than I did his stories of acting as a defense attorney in various infamous, high-profile legal cases.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked what he said about his trials, but I think that he is a despicable person based on his imparted info and what I have known about him. I know his type, same age and went to high school about five miles apart.

[Indah Jamtani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is fascinating.. So much so that I had to keep reminding myself that this is true story, not a movie or an episode of the crime n law series i love so much.

Either my fascination of sociopath or the way it is written or perhaps both, this was an interesting read/listen.. One of the few that i finished so quickly

[Nickole H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting, lots of compassion for saving all lives. There is a lot of name dropping but the book was interesting enough that it didn't bother me like some other books I've read have.

[John McCormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved "The Devil's Defender." Thank you John Henry Browne. A story of compassion, courage, and intelligence. Browne over coming obstacles and challenges to find Justice, Happiness, and completeness. I understand that we are all connected, and injustice any where hurts all of us, demeans our society, and culture. I do not care to celebrate ignorance, and I do not accept the ends justifies the means. So glad I read this. thanks.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

RATING: 2.5 STARS
2016; Chicago Review Press/Independent Publishers Group
(Review Not on Blog)

I was expecting...just more from this book. It has an okay mix of his cases and personal life but it is short as this review. I am not sure what the intention of this book was as it didn't delve into anything in particular.

***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***

[Jodi Reaves · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could give it no stars. He is the non-killer version of Ted Bundy, solely because of his spoiled entitled life. I've read many attorney autobiographical books, but this is less about telling this dude's story and more about masaging his overinflated ego.

[Rosemary Dreyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 Stars: A quick read of this defense lawyer’s memoir. Basic writing from an often-ego driven man. The book covers many of his famous defendants. He is honest about his own peccadilloes and addictions. Just a so-so book.

[Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a description of all the crimes, motives, or actions of Ted Bundy. John Henry Browne tells the story of his career from his point of view, and seems to not want to bore us with the details.

[cordelia]

Compelling, but felt like false advertising.

[Rhonda Hethcox · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought, I was going to read a book about Ted Bundy’s
Trial. The author bragged about himself the whole book. What a ego and a waste of my time.

[Melissa Embry · Rating 5 out of 5]

He’s defended some of America’s most notorious mass murderers, from Ted Bundy to a perpetrator of one of the West Coast’s biggest mass murders, to the U.S. soldier convicted of killing dozens of unarmed villagers in a night-long shooting spree in Kandahar, Afghanistan. And he’s done this since his own girlfriend was brutally murdered.

How does criminal lawyer John Henry Browne justify his defense of such killers? Browne tells all, including his own struggles with drugs and alcohol, and what he really thinks of some of his clients in his memoir, The Devil’s Defender: My Odyssey Through American Criminal Justice from Ted Bundy to the Kandahar Massacre.

He grew up the son of an engineer whose work provided the enriched uranium for the earliest atomic bombs, helped pay his way through college by shepherding the likes of Morrison and Jimi Hendrix through West Coast drug scenes, and became radicalized during the protests of the Vietnam war era. He was determined to fight his induction into the Army, but was actually rejected because of his 6-foot 7-inch height. (The draft at the time excluded anyone over 6-feet 6-inches.)

After law school, he posed as a child molester to enter a Washington State prison as one of its few white inmates, intending to help the state rewrite its rules of incarceration. He writes that he chose an alibi as a child rapist because he wanted “to experience the most extreme treatment. Prisoners hate pedophiles.”

(He managed to avoid the worst of the other inmates’ abuse, for which he credits the help of a fellow prisoner, a member of a revolutionary civil rights group. However, readers may wonder if Browne’s extreme size also helped deter other inmates.)

When Browne and two other employees of Washington State’s attorney general’s office drafted new due process rules to protect prisoners, prison administrators and correctional officers resisted. Browne contacted an old friend from law school and asked him to use the state. Washington lost the suit, effectively giving the new due process rules a court-ordered backing. Still, Browne burned out quickly from his task of prison reform. Within two years, he left his state job to join a public defender’s office.

His most infamous client, Ted Bundy, would soon enter his life.

Although Browne had spoken to Bundy earlier in connection with the lesser charge of kidnapping, he was surprised by the change in Bundy’s behavior when they met in Salt Lake City in January 1977, where Bundy was now also charged with one count of murder. The media frenzy Browne anticipated from the meeting was overshadowed by still another murderer – Gary Gilmore – and his controversial request to be executed by firing squad.

Given Bundy’s taste for publicity, he may have been annoyed to be ousted, at least temporarily, from the headlines. Possibly that caused the change Browne noticed.

“Ted stopped being coy about the charges against him. He informed me that he was involved in . . . murders in Washington State and was responsible for countless other homicides in California, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah. This was no shock, as I had for some time considered him to be exactly who the police thought he was. But to hear the man say it was another thing. . . ”

Ultimately, Browne was unable to save Bundy from himself. Possibly, Browne surmises, Bundy couldn’t resist the final publicity stunt of execution, which Browne declined Bundy’s request to witness.

“. . . two years after (Bundy’s execution) I sat in a darkened theater on Bainbridge Island, Washington. The movie was The Silence of the Lambs. . . I never made it to the end of the film. . . I felt sick to my stomach – just as I had my last time in Ted Bundy’s cell.

“People often ask me, ‘If you’re so disgusted with these acts of evil, why are you a criminal defense lawyer?’”

His answer: “because I believe killing is wrong, whether it’s committed by an individual or sponsored by the state. I’m also all too aware of how fallible our system is, that it can and does charge and convict the wrong people.”

[Jayne Ahrens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book about the life and times of a very interesting man, who's a lawyer in the Pacific Northwest, where I live. I hope he's still in the Smith Tower. It's a lovely historic building in downtown Seattle. It suits Mr. Browne.
I like John Henry Browne. I don't know if I always agree with him but he's a balls to the wall, what you see is what you get ("...no skeletons in the closet; they're on the front lawn."), humane, kind, and even vulnerable person/lawyer. I doubt he suffers fools gladly. He somehow finds humanity in the most reprehensible people and he's defended some very bad people. But he doesn't fall for their manipulations.
One of his early clients, the infamous "Ted" (Ted Bundy) comes to mind. I will say, along with Robert Bales's murderous rampage (the Kandahar massacre) of Afghan civilians, one of the more disturbing things in the book, to me, were Bundy's prison letters to Browne. The normal-ness of them - self-deprecating humor, inquisitiveness, and the 'I'm just a regular guy' chattiness was sickening juxtaposed with the horrible horrible murders he committed. I believe Browne felt this way, too.
On the other hand Browne came to the defense of and befriended the non-violent and precocious Colton Harris-Moore ("The Barefoot Bandit"), whom I've always kind of had a soft spot for. So, shot me... If I ever was charged with a terrible crime, I wouldn't be opposed to having John Henry Browne in my corner.

[Douglas Timpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting tour of morality and Constitutional rights

How far would you go, what would you sacrifice, and who would you be willing to annoy to represent unrepresentable people? Would you still have your soul? That's what the first part of this book is about.

Having succeeded at that, what would you do and how would you spend your money if you succeeded in defending the otherwise indefensible? What would your politics be like? That's what the middle part of this book is about.

And was it worth it? What would you put in your memoirs? What sacrifices might you mow regret javing made? What was the moral cost in terms of a body count of your industry's ethical decisions and the words you chose to say to such an evil person, even if you yourself were not evil? That's what the last part of this book is about.

And the unanswered part: After all of those fateful words that you said, the pain (yours and others) and cost and death, would your ego require that...you keep on doing it, even though you are successful at your job?

Would that make you a monster, too, given that ethics are just guidelines but not morals? Could you keep doing it? This book is about having answered "yes" to that question, knowing that justice is not fairness in any way.

[Colin Garrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

For forty years, lawyer John Henry Browne has defended people who some might think were undefendable. From Facebook folk hero Colton Moore to Kandahar massacre perpetrator Sergeant Robert Bales, Browne has often taken cases that appear unwinnable. His most famous client, however, is one of America’s most infamous serial killers – Ted Bundy.

This legal memoir presents a candid view of one lawyer’s career, detailing the many challenging situations he has found himself in during more than four decades as an attorney. Although details of his association with Ted Bundy may seem to be the most attractive thing about this book, Browne has defended a host of other clients whose stories are just as fascinating and, in some cases, just as shocking. From his childhood antics through his ‘hippy’ phase and drug/alcohol addictions, Browne gives a fascinating insight into how the law works, as well as the many difficulties he faced trying to achieve justice for his clients.

The audiobook is narrated by Joe Barrett.

[Haven · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a overall book it was a very interesting read, as a Ted Bundy book it was lacking. Only about a quarter of the book is about Bundy.

The author seems like a great guy, and though I don’t know how much I agree with some of his ideas I liked hearing his side of things. It would almost be easier to find out the person who defended Ted Bundy and tried to keep him from the death penalty was just some money hungry lawyer. This way I could put him straight into the bad category with Ted, but to find out the lawyer actually has morals and a reason to keep Ted alive was difficult. It seems like Bundy used every manipulation tactic he could and yet this guy still didn’t fall prey to him which I liked. I would’ve rated it higher if more of the book was about Bundy, because that’s how it is advertised.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this famous lawyers odyssey through the criminal justice system very much. I certainly learned a lot about the injustices and prejudices and corruptions that went on as JOHN HENRY BROWN made his way over the years. John goes on to detail his early life and the many famous and not so famous cases he has defended and why he became a defender of these cases. I would say his most famous case was the Ted Bundy case. He appears to be truthful and trustworthy in his retelling his story. His style of writing is easy to understand and we he is very open. He doesn't make himself out to be a saint for sure.

by Rhonda H. on February 17, 2019

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this would’ve included more details and info on Ted bundy. The author really advertised this book as containing material only the two of them knew..... i can mention those secrets actually told within a span of only 2 minutes or less LOL. Great and fantastic read, if you’re a history nerd. Genuinely enjoyed this read. But please, know that it’s by no means the tell-all we all expected it to be. Nevertheless, five stars because despite what other people may say, i don’t find the author egotistical at all, and his voice pulls the story together. The part about the Chinese gang or whatever was totally thrown in for no reason in my opinion. Whatever! Five stars

[Lexi Sølvhammer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is very disappointing. The title of the book is misleading there is just a very small amount about Bundy and other cases.

When I began this book I thought it was interesting to hear about the authors life and I just had to get a little further into the book and he would come to the point of his knowledge about Bundy etc

But no, the author kept talking about his young years and his girlfriends trough time.

The author comes trough as selfish and snobbish.

*this review has been shared on multiple platforms

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, He is an interesting man with strong convictions of that everyone, no matter how bad deserves a defense. And his stand against the death penalty is what truly motivates how he defends his clients. Sometimes I couldn't decide if I liked him but he has a very strong sense of what he will do to prevent someone from be put to death. Even Ted Bundy.