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Stalemate: A Shocking True Story of Child Abduction and Murder
To one investigator, only one person could be responsible for the disappearance and murder of little girls in the San Francisco Bay area, and that was Timothy James Bindner. For 10 years, Bindner has stayed one step ahead of the law; at every turn, he has challenged the police and FBI to make their case. Featuring the suspect's own words, "Stalemate" takes us into the complex realm of forensic investigation, bringing readers face-to-face with a man who may be playing a deadly game and winning.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
49 people are currently reading
416 people want to read
About the author
John Philpin
14 books14 followersAuthor John Philpin, one of the first independent criminal profilers, is an internationally recognized expert on violent behavior and criminal investigation. Philpin is a frequent consultant to law enforcement and the media.
Philpin has been a guest commentator on Court TV, 20/20 Downtown, Unsolved Mysteries, America's Most Wanted, Inside Edition, Chronicle, The Geoff Metcalf Show, The Jim Bohannon Show, Northwest Afternoon and CBC's As It Happens.
Philpin is a regular contributor of exclusive true crime commentaries and short stories for KariSable.com True Crime and Justice Web site.
A retired psychologist, he has authored and co-written seven books and numerous articles, and the featured character in an eighth, drawing on his experience.
A recipient of numerous awards for contributions in murder investigations, his forensic work was featured in Philip E. Ginsburg's Shadow of Death the investigation of a series of murders along interstate highway corridors of Vermont and New Hampshire in the 1980s.
Philpin has been a guest commentator on Court TV, 20/20 Downtown, Unsolved Mysteries, America's Most Wanted, Inside Edition, Chronicle, The Geoff Metcalf Show, The Jim Bohannon Show, Northwest Afternoon and CBC's As It Happens.
Philpin is a regular contributor of exclusive true crime commentaries and short stories for KariSable.com True Crime and Justice Web site.
A retired psychologist, he has authored and co-written seven books and numerous articles, and the featured character in an eighth, drawing on his experience.
A recipient of numerous awards for contributions in murder investigations, his forensic work was featured in Philip E. Ginsburg's Shadow of Death the investigation of a series of murders along interstate highway corridors of Vermont and New Hampshire in the 1980s.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 3, 2017
A disturbing story about a suspect who keeps inserting himself into several child abductions but can't be linked or arrested, and can't be cleared, despite years of trying. Genius killer or just an oddball?
I didn't find this a page turner, more of a curiosity since there is no real answer and kept setting it aside to read other books. So it took me several months to get through it where it normally just takes a day or two.
I didn't find this a page turner, more of a curiosity since there is no real answer and kept setting it aside to read other books. So it took me several months to get through it where it normally just takes a day or two.
March 27, 2008
Despite the sensational title and cover, this book, written by an FBI profiler, is actually fairly subdued in tone. It covers the famous, unresolved rash of abductions in the San Francisco bay area in the 1980s and 1990s and the prime suspect, a sewage worker named Timothy Bindner. Bindner has never been charged with anything relating to the missing girls, but he has never been ruled out a suspect either. Tantalizing circumstances link him to the girls, and he is definitely a pedophile in the very least, but there is not a single shred of hard evidence implicating him in any kidnappings.
Philpin interviewed Bindner extensively and presents a good portrait of the man's pathology. I don't know if he's actually mentally ill, but he's certainly a very strange individual. I admired the author's objectivity; Philpin never said whether he believed Bindner to be complicit or not, but simply put the facts down and let the reader decide. Stalemate kind of peters out at the end, but mostly this is not the fault of the author and is simply the result of having no real-life conclusion to make: none of the girls have been found and no arrests have been made.
Philpin interviewed Bindner extensively and presents a good portrait of the man's pathology. I don't know if he's actually mentally ill, but he's certainly a very strange individual. I admired the author's objectivity; Philpin never said whether he believed Bindner to be complicit or not, but simply put the facts down and let the reader decide. Stalemate kind of peters out at the end, but mostly this is not the fault of the author and is simply the result of having no real-life conclusion to make: none of the girls have been found and no arrests have been made.
May 13, 2016
Still unsolved
This book is about a number of child abductions and possible murders in northern California as some of the bodies were never found. One or more men were taking little girls from their yards or neighborhoods. Despite eyewitnesses and a composite drawing, no one was ever arrested.
The main suspect in some of the abductions was Timothy Bindner. He visited the homes and searched for the missing children which aroused the suspicions of the police, a situation that never changed. Although police could find no evidence that he was connected with any of the disappearances, police and FBI agents continued to follow him, interrogate him, and administer polygraph tests.
During the investigations, Polly Klaas was abducted from her home and murdered. It was determined, however, that there was no connection with the cases being investigated.
The bodies of Amber, Michaela, Ilene and Nikki have never been found and their cases remain unsolved.
Includes photos.
This book is about a number of child abductions and possible murders in northern California as some of the bodies were never found. One or more men were taking little girls from their yards or neighborhoods. Despite eyewitnesses and a composite drawing, no one was ever arrested.
The main suspect in some of the abductions was Timothy Bindner. He visited the homes and searched for the missing children which aroused the suspicions of the police, a situation that never changed. Although police could find no evidence that he was connected with any of the disappearances, police and FBI agents continued to follow him, interrogate him, and administer polygraph tests.
During the investigations, Polly Klaas was abducted from her home and murdered. It was determined, however, that there was no connection with the cases being investigated.
The bodies of Amber, Michaela, Ilene and Nikki have never been found and their cases remain unsolved.
Includes photos.
October 14, 2013
Creepy book. It was like a train wreck I couldn't look away from. This book hits close to home. I lived in the bay area at the time these girls disappeared, and will be living not far from where one disappeared from her front yard. It's creepy to think that the dude all the evidence points to has outsmarted the police for this long, and is still living in the bay area.
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May 23, 2009tried to read and thought it was great but once I realised the killer was never caught I could not read anymore. Once he is caught I hope soon, I would love to try again.
January 7, 2016
Does The Perpetrator know He Is a Perpetrator?
Why would someone relish being a suspect to vile crimes he claims he didn't commit? The reader is propelled to keep reading expecting an obvious outcome. In the end it is disappointing that the obvious never happens.
Why would someone relish being a suspect to vile crimes he claims he didn't commit? The reader is propelled to keep reading expecting an obvious outcome. In the end it is disappointing that the obvious never happens.
April 11, 2009
Decent. Admire the author not taking sides in this one. Difficult case.
July 2, 2024
Stalemate is about the abduction, murder, and possible sexual assault of girls in the California Bay area during the 1980s and 1990s, with a specific look at the suspect Tim Bindner and his eccentric behavior involving his fantasies around rescuing abducted girls.
This wasn't a thrilling page turner but more of an FBI profile of a suspect. By the end of the book (part 7 specifically), I struggled to finish it. Since it was just a profile of a suspect, the last part of the book was just a shallow analysis of Bindner's writings with no real feeling of a book ending. When I looked into other suspects who were related to these abductions, it became clear that there were worse suspects. What I got from this book is that police provide bare minimum information to the parents involved and nearby departments looking for leads, and Bindner was used as a scapegoat, specifically by Detective Harold Sagan.
This wasn't a thrilling page turner but more of an FBI profile of a suspect. By the end of the book (part 7 specifically), I struggled to finish it. Since it was just a profile of a suspect, the last part of the book was just a shallow analysis of Bindner's writings with no real feeling of a book ending. When I looked into other suspects who were related to these abductions, it became clear that there were worse suspects. What I got from this book is that police provide bare minimum information to the parents involved and nearby departments looking for leads, and Bindner was used as a scapegoat, specifically by Detective Harold Sagan.
August 19, 2018
Interesting book!
This book gives a profile of a suspect in several child abductions. The suspect interjected himself into the police investigations of the crimes as well as conducted his own search for the victims. In fact, he seemed to be obsessed with the cases. Unfortunately the police were never able to definitively connect him with the crimes. I recommend this book to other readers who are interested in true crime.
This book gives a profile of a suspect in several child abductions. The suspect interjected himself into the police investigations of the crimes as well as conducted his own search for the victims. In fact, he seemed to be obsessed with the cases. Unfortunately the police were never able to definitively connect him with the crimes. I recommend this book to other readers who are interested in true crime.
August 4, 2018
True Crime Story
This book is interesting. It follows a man who was a suspect in several child abductions. The author does not a plow the reader to make a choice. You a re alway s faced with information that makes it possible to believe in both his guilt and inmocence. The author has done well in presenting his story.
This book is interesting. It follows a man who was a suspect in several child abductions. The author does not a plow the reader to make a choice. You a re alway s faced with information that makes it possible to believe in both his guilt and inmocence. The author has done well in presenting his story.
December 30, 2018
No clue how this ended up on my Kindle, but I read it anyway. Frustrating book about a likely predator who seems to have adequately hidden in plain sight for years, without a shred of evidence tying him to disappearances.
December 8, 2008
Not your typical true crime formula within this book, i.e. crime->investigation->the chase->the capture->trial->conviction. Instead there are crimes, and investigations and the chase of the suspect but that's where it ends. The law doesn't get it's man at the end of this book. It's disturbing. The author leaves it up to the reader to decide whether or not they feel the main suspect is guilty or innocent.
This books tells the stories of a number of young girls who were abducted out of the Bay area in California during the late eighties and early nineties and the one man who is a common thread between them all, Tim Bindner. Tim Bindner is a loner, an eccentric man who does creepy things. When he worked for Social Security he used his access to look up little girls names and addresses and would write them letters and send them money or trinkets. He hangs out at cemeteries, alone, at night. He approaches children on the street to talk to them. Basically your typical creepy weirdo, but is he just eccentric or is he a criminal? He approaches each of the families of the missing girls to help find them and then goes about conducting his own searches. Is he truly looking for these missing girls or scouting out new places to bury his victims. All throughout the investigation much is made of the circumstantial evidence the police have, but none of it would be strong enough for a conviction, I even found myself having that nagging shadow of a doubt about this man, although I do feel that he is most likely guilty.
The thing I really took away from this book is how devastating losing a child and getting no closure is. It's truly heart wrenching and I cannot comprehend the pain these families have lived through, I hope they all find resolution and closure and peace.
This books tells the stories of a number of young girls who were abducted out of the Bay area in California during the late eighties and early nineties and the one man who is a common thread between them all, Tim Bindner. Tim Bindner is a loner, an eccentric man who does creepy things. When he worked for Social Security he used his access to look up little girls names and addresses and would write them letters and send them money or trinkets. He hangs out at cemeteries, alone, at night. He approaches children on the street to talk to them. Basically your typical creepy weirdo, but is he just eccentric or is he a criminal? He approaches each of the families of the missing girls to help find them and then goes about conducting his own searches. Is he truly looking for these missing girls or scouting out new places to bury his victims. All throughout the investigation much is made of the circumstantial evidence the police have, but none of it would be strong enough for a conviction, I even found myself having that nagging shadow of a doubt about this man, although I do feel that he is most likely guilty.
The thing I really took away from this book is how devastating losing a child and getting no closure is. It's truly heart wrenching and I cannot comprehend the pain these families have lived through, I hope they all find resolution and closure and peace.
December 16, 2010
I will say that Tim Bindner is either a genius manipulating murderer or an intelligent man with serious mental issues. After thoroughly reading this book, I'm choosing the former. Here is a man who knew exactly how to play the cops and the media and probably gotten away with several murders. By being "eccentric" and putting himself out there he managed to cover his crimes well. If only it weren't way too late to get DNA evidence.
What I find extremely odd is the composite drawing of the man who abducted these girls, particularly Michaela Garecht, is identical to the drawing of the man who abducted Johnny Gosch in a state far from California. I wonder if anything ever came from the comparison.
Overall an excellent book by an unbiased writer.
What I find extremely odd is the composite drawing of the man who abducted these girls, particularly Michaela Garecht, is identical to the drawing of the man who abducted Johnny Gosch in a state far from California. I wonder if anything ever came from the comparison.
Overall an excellent book by an unbiased writer.
May 21, 2013
Good read. Gets a little bogged down at times and turns into a tough "just gotta make it through this section" book. But, it's an interesting story none the less. You won't be disappointed for reading it.
Be sure you note the dates mentioned and keep clear track of them in your mind. The book references a lot of information mentioned in previous chapters, and can get confusing if you can't remember when they happened. And hopping back and forth around the book to refresh your memory isn't all that easy on an e-reader.
Be sure you note the dates mentioned and keep clear track of them in your mind. The book references a lot of information mentioned in previous chapters, and can get confusing if you can't remember when they happened. And hopping back and forth around the book to refresh your memory isn't all that easy on an e-reader.
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September 19, 2016I have yet to finish this book. I would like to finish it, yet there is no pull other than to say I finished it. As I read the book it keeps me entertained, but when I put the book down, I am not drawn back to it.
November 7, 2015
Stalemate
Very sad that this is an unsolved murder, and I do believe Timothy is guilty! What happened to the man?
Very sad that this is an unsolved murder, and I do believe Timothy is guilty! What happened to the man?
April 3, 2017
Decent book poorly edited
I enjoyed reading this book, but there were so many editing issues that drove me insane. It is impossible to remain in the intense, suspenseful headspace of a true crime story when blatant misspellings and errors keep cropping up every few sentences. As a story, though, it was entertaining to read and offered great insight into the minds of those involved in these cases. I'd have preferred a more concise ending, but the journey was okay enough.
I enjoyed reading this book, but there were so many editing issues that drove me insane. It is impossible to remain in the intense, suspenseful headspace of a true crime story when blatant misspellings and errors keep cropping up every few sentences. As a story, though, it was entertaining to read and offered great insight into the minds of those involved in these cases. I'd have preferred a more concise ending, but the journey was okay enough.
April 30, 2017
True crime is among my favourite genres. This book is a bit different from others in the sense that the perpetrator in these cases has not been found. Timothy James Bindner is strongly suspected but the detectives and agents from the FBI can't convict him, nor can they eliminate him as a suspect. I especially enjoyed the fact that the author remained fairly unbiased and basically left things to the reader as to whether he is guilty or innocent. A well written and interesting book.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews