Deadly Obsessions : A True Story of Mutilation and Murder in the Backwoods of Wisconsin

by Clifford L. Linedecker; Dr. Frank M. Osanka, Dr. Frank M. Osanka

An account of true crime in America's heartland presents the story of John Weber, a Wisconsin man whose sick fascination with violent sex drove him to rape, mutilate, and murder his wife's sister and attempt to murder his wife. Original.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

339 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1995

Reviews

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a rapist/murderer in the Northwoods who may or may not also be a cannibal. Veteran writer Clifford Linedecker is joined here by co-author Frank M. Osanka, a local criminologist. Descriptions of the crimes are grisly at times and the courtroom sequences tend to drag, but there's no denying that the case is interesting. The introduction discusses other infamous Wisconsin cases (Gein, Dahmer).

[Mandi Dryer]

You may need a strong stomach in order to read this entire story. My mother and her sisters and brothers actually went to school with Weber and these girls, and she remembers the accounts, and the news of the murders sent chills up her spine. My family lived in Phillips around the time (before and after) Weber's heinous crimes. This was one deranged man. This book was a quick read and had all the basic information in it.

[Justkeepreading85 · Rating 3 out of 5]

In November 1986 beautiful seventeen year old Carla Lenz left her house only to never be seen or heard from again. 2 years later Carla’s older sister Emily is brutally attacked by her husband John Weber. During the investigation into Emily’s attack they come across some very disturbing evidence, including a blank cassette tape that once they listen to, will change the investigation forever.

When it comes to true crime my only complain is having to reread the whole story essentially in the trial portion of the book. It felt like it went on forever in this one and I honestly skipped over the majority. The story is absolutely heinous and heartbreaking and I’m glad John Weber got what he deserved.

[Vikee Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This monster was not only in my neighborhood, but was also my babysitter. His family was wonderful, but will never understand what happened to him. How could anyone do the things he did. Carla was a classmate of mine. Make me cringe.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to read because of the great detail regarding sadistic torture and murder. Yet the exploration of the mind of a psychopath is engaging ftom a psychological perspective. The authors should be commended for their meticulous research and literary craftsmanship.

[Reannan]

This reads like a traditional true crime story. When I reached the trial segment of the narrative it seemed as though most of the information was gathered through the court records. Some of the information that I had read before was being restated but it wasn't enough to think I was re-reading the beginning of the book. This was confirmed when I read the epilogue and saw that of everyone involved only a few of the police officers agreed to be interviewed. Given the nature of this particular crime and the history of the more notorious Wisconsin criminals it is not that difficult to understand why.The story is written without it being gruesome. Some parts, however, are pretty intense. I learned a few more things about forensic anthropology while reading this and I have a few questions about personality disorders that I plan to get answered soon. My only criticism with this book (and this is more of a personal preference) is chronology. Once the protagonist was arrested the writer tells of what jail was like for him due to the relevance at the hearing. Then he goes back to tell how the cops investigated the case which is simultaneous to the main character being locked up. I often get irritated trying to get the sequence of events back in order. But this particular author made references to things the suspect was doing in jail so I didn't have to flip back and forth as much to figure out the sequence of events. Kudos to Mr. Linedecker! This was the first book authored by Clifford Linedecker that I have read and I enjoyed it. I would read another book written by him.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm from the Northwoods, and my roommate's mother was in the area during this time. So, I was very interested. I agree that you need a strong stomach to read this book. Most of it was well written, and detailed. However, I had to force myself to read through the trail section of this real life crime novel. All in all, it's worth reading; especially if you are from the area.