Sidetracked: The Betrayal and Murder of Anna Kithcart

by Richard T. Cahill Jr.

As the sun rises over the quiet city of Kingston, New York on July 12, 1988, a local transient discovers the remains of 19-year-old Anna Kithcart. She was strangled and beaten to death, with the letters “KKK” carved into her thighs.

While her heartbroken family mourns, and the police work around the clock to uncover the truth, the investigation is complicated by the entrance of the Reverend Al Sharpton who insists that a racist killer is responsible. As investigators struggle to find evidence, Sharpton and his supporters denounce the entire area as a “Klan den” and make public pronouncements that a “racist cult” is operating throughout the area.

Then, as if things can’t get any worse, the transient who found the body confesses to an unspeakable sexual act against the corpse. Almost immediately after the media reports his alleged depravity, he changes his story and accuses the police of making him a patsy and a scapegoat. To add to the expanding circus, he tells the world he is really an undercover agent for the CIA, FBI, and Interpol.

Only solving the crime can quell the chaos that threatens to ignite a powder keg of racial tension and get past the rumors to catch the real killer. But can investigators overcome the outside forces that repeatedly sidetrack their efforts? Find out in this great new true crime from Richard T. Cahill, the author of HAUPTMANN’S LADDER.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

Unknown Binding

About the author

Richard T. Cahill Jr. received a B.A. in history and political science from Mount Saint Mary College and a J.D. from Albany Law School. His professional experience includes clerking for a criminal court judge, serving as both an assistant district attorney and a criminal defense attorney, and practicing civil law.

Reviews

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about the tragic murder of 19-year-old Anna Kithcart. She'd been living in the town of Kingston, New York and struggling some with alcohol and cocaine while she figured out what she wanted to do with her life when suddenly it was cut short on July 12, 1988. There were some unusual circumstances going on around the time of Anna's murder that threatened to sidetrack the investigation, like it being somewhat close in time and proximity to the whole Tawana Brawley "rape" thing, and Al Sharpton trying to connect the two things together when he hears about the killing. He took one detail, that the letters "KKK" had been scratched into her flesh, and tried to make a connection from that and infer that the whole area was a hotbed of Klan activity. Just a lot of things used to cause drama and distract from the truth that made it difficult to sort out what's real from what's hype in the case. It would take a strong investigation to get to the bottom of things. There were some suspects to figure out also, from the homeless guy Joseph Kiernan, who'd found her body after sleeping out in the woods as was his habit, then claimed soon after to have done something improper to her body before reporting it. Next, he's saying he's an undercover agent for all kinds of government agencies, domestic and foreign.

Then there's Jeff Dawson, a local burglar and the last person to have been seen with Anne the night she was killed. He confesses to a friend a few days later about having killed her, and his friend has his wife call the cops with an anonymous tip turning Jeff in. This is quite an interesting story, with a lot going on, and it didn't take a really long time to read. Thanks for reading. A digital copy of the book was provided by WildBlue Press for my review.

[Videoclimber(AKA)MTsLilSis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish the author could have told us more about Anna. There are a lot of trial facts that get boring and repetitive. The Epilogue saved the book for me. I appreciate the fact that the author helped us draw conclusions as some of the story was confusing.


*Thank you to Mr. Cahill, Wildblue Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Lee Husemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had not heard about this crime before so it made this book all the more interesting. Anna Kithcart was just 15 years old when she was brutally murdered and the letters KKK carved in her body. This is a very well researched and well written account of her murder and resulting trial. I highly recommend this book to any true crime fan as it will definitely not disappoint.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that is based mostly on a gruesome crime from 1988. The majority of the book is mostly in the courtroom, no race to find the perpetrator, he was stupid enough in his words to be caught but did he really do it?

I do like the writing in this book, it's smooth and understandable.

It seem Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are always involved in these stories or I just always seem to be reading the same books where they show up. Maybe cause it was a "hate crime" and "KKK." I don't know why they would get involved if the guy was clearly guilty. Seemed guilty to me.

The cross examination was awesome, to me I liked this the best out of the whole book. To me it was suspenseful and it blew my mind when his wife got on the stand. This is rare.

In short, before his trial, the defendant complained about the issues of jail life like it being dirty, I say good, if you kill, you deserve it, at least you're the one breathing, poor Anna is not. Her life was taken at such a young age and she had people who loved her and I'm sure still do. Then the defendant asking for a postponement. This guy is very stupid. If he was a witness on the stand I still wouldn't like him.

The Author did a great job, this should be a best seller.

By the way, it will be awhile before I eat pizza again.

Was justice served? Read to find out. RIP Anna .

Thank you Wild Blue Press and of course the Author Richard T Cahill.

I received a copy of this book for my honest review.

Cherie'

[Ashy Khaira · Rating 4 out of 5]

annie kithcart,a 19 year old girl of mixed parentage who had no issues in a time with filled with racial prejudism.Yet she was found murdered brutally near a hospital.people were baffled.who would kill this girl?what was the motive?for she was very well liked.a paroled prisoner who had been in before for robbery charges admitted to another friend who was also paroled and had been a drug dealer and did robberies as well saying he did the murder.and did it in such a manner as to make it look like a psychopath did it.all because she kept asking him for a drink and bugging him when his accomplice to carry out a robbery never showed.

[Denise Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A murder that has Reverend Al Sharpton screaming from the mountain tops that the Klan was involved. But were they? A story that will keep you guessing...

[Dan Lawton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not crazy about it. Simply, I didn't find the case that interesting, mostly because of the racial aspect. Nor did I find the victim to be a relatable or person I could have much sympathy for. For that, it was hard for me to care much about the details after a while. I was more interested in just finding out who did it once I reached maybe 1/3 of the way in. Ultimately forgettable in everyway for me.

[Brian Winkers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and engaging

Interesting analysis of both the prosecution and defense in the trial. Cahill compares each side's strengths and weaknesses, and also discusses errors in strategy. I found this book easy to read and engaging.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember the bare outlines of the Tawana Brawley case, when a young African-American girl was reportedly raped and beaten…this was around the time there were racist incidents in places like Howard Beach…and in my memory, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are outraged and speaking publicly at every opportunity.

A couple of things I missed: the subsequent hoopla around whether or not the assault was fabricated by Tawana herself, the lawsuit/trial, and oh by the way the murder of Anna Kithcart in Kingston, New York, which is the subject of Richard Cahill’s Sidetracked, which was provided to me in exchange for my honest review (thanks to WildBlue Press and NetGalley).

Anna was 19 years old when she was found beaten and strangled to death, left alongside the railroad tracks (lots of photos made this crime easy to visualize the people, location, etc.). Anna was found with “KKK” carved on her body which may have contributed to the arrival of Al Sharpton on the scene and the Tawana Brawley-ish media circus that ensued.

A local man confesses, then things get weird as he recants, and subsequently claims to be an undercover agent for the CIA, FBI, and Interpol. The crime was well researched, the writing and editing are good, and the courtroom scenes are terrific.

True crime fans will enjoy, and anyone interested in the controversial ssues around criminal justice and racism. Four stars.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to give this book a 3.5 because it really was well-done. But with that being said, it completely lacked character development. Part of me appreciated that the author got straight to the crime, but the other part of me wanted to know Anna Kithcart. We get very little information about her. I realize that may be because the family did not want to assist with the book, but there are other ways to flesh out the story of a victim's life in order to spotlight them rather than their demise. I don't even really feel that we got a strong picture of who the killer was aside from this time in his life.

I have to say the breakdown of the trial was phenomenal. I loved the commentary on how the lawyers were doing and how at any point they had made a mistake or won a point. It made it much more interesting that just reading court documents. The author obviously has a strong understanding of the legal system and how a trial works, and I really enjoyed reading it.

I guess it was important to include Sharpton and Maddox in this book? I guess? But really, that part seemed wholly unnecessary.

I appreciated the author sharing his opinion on what really happened the night that Anna's life was taken. It was insightful, and let's face it, probably pretty darn accurate to what actually happened.

Overall, I was very pleased with this book.

[Dara Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the 1980s were a rough time for DNA development and forensic science, this book gets too deep into the functioning of evidence and the medical findings behind the murder of Anna Kithcart. I thought it would be more about racial disharmony in the old days and, in light of how this woman was murdered and what crimes were going on at the time, I felt more attention should have been placed on how the community around her dealt with this murder.
The entire book takes place during court room proceedings and cross examination of suspects and professionals.
This is a good book to read if you're into detailed forensic cases and how the court uses forensic evidence during a trail.
However, there is really no "story" here of her life, her family, her friends, what type of person she really was and it's more like reading a medical journal from a morgue office rather than about a controversial murder of a minority youth.
It wasn't the story I thought it would be, but it has a lot of good, educational aspects for those who wonder how this type of murder mystery case plays out before the legal system.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

Very concise and wonderfully annotated. Author doesn't spend too much time on the history of the city like many authors tend to do. Some authors go so deep into that, I find myself skipping pages.

Only thing I see he could have done better was to tell more about the victims early life. I didn't really feel like I "knew" her. I also didn't feel I "knew" the defendants sister who attended every day of his trial. She just suddenly appeared at the end of the trial as having been there every day as if she shared a close relationship with him, yet no mention of a relationship with his family or this sister in particular was really made.

I didn't feel I knew any of the people involved, really, as none of the backgrounds were delved into. The deepest was that of the alternate mentally challenged suspect, and that's really all we were told about him.

Other than that (which would have added a lot more pages to the book, but is also part of writing true crime), this was a great read, and held my interest from page one.

[Bikram · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had requested and received audiobook version of this book for free from the narrator , in exchange for an unbiased review.

I typically avoid true-crime books, knowing the fact that all these things happened to real people in real life makes me nauseated. The counter-argument being - we should educate ourselves that such evil exists in our society and we shouldn't turn a blind eye. So, I do read them once in a while. With a sick feeling in my gut.

I appreciate the way the details are presented in Sidetracked. Facts-only, presented in a step-by-step way. Not going into hyperbole or trying to jazz things up to make the reading more "interesting." The actual events themselves are so far beyond normal, that nothing needed to be exaggerated. I hadn't known about this case beforehand and am aghast after finishing it. The whole sequence of events were intriguing to say the least.

The narrator did a good job narrating such a serious topic.

[Bettye McKee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthwhile true crime book

This is a well-written, well-researched, well-documented (with almost 700 footnotes) and well-edited book. Readers who abhor the courtroom scenario will not enjoy this story for the trial is the heart and soul of the book.

On July 11-12, 1988, 19-year-old Anna Kithcart was beaten and strangled to death in an abandoned railbed surrounded by woods in Kingston, New York. Her clothing was found in a separate location. The letters ""KKK" were carved on her body. This brought Al Sharpton, Alton Maddox and C. Vernon Mason to Kingston to stir the racial pot.

A suspect was arrested and brought to trial. The opposing attorneys were worthy rivals and the courtroom proceedings were interesting, even exciting. At the back of the book are several relevant photos.

14

[Zorka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sidetracked's an interesting story about the murder of Anna Kithcart. I liked putting the little pieces together. The writing style was flawless and didn't take me long to read the story once I had the time to sit down.

The best thing in the story was the cross examination. To me, it was really interesting, although I enjoyed the whole trial.

The one thing I didn't like was the comparison to the Tawana Brawley case. I know that it was important at the time, but for me it was a downside in the book.

If you like true crime books, you will love this.

[Lynn Donahue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an engrossing read. Annie never had a chance to live her life before she was brutally murdered. Who did it and why? The investigation took many turns and indeed was "sidetracked" by opportunists looking to get in the headlines. I only wish her family had spoken out more about her so we got to know her better. Her picture shows a vibrant young lady with a beautiful smile. She should have had many more years on this earth. There are a lot of details on the investigation and the trial which some may find boring but I did not.

[Jen Juenke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought that the author started out very strong and then lost the movement on the book half way through. It just got bogged down in facts that the reader already knew. The author should have NOT went verbatim from the transcripts and told the readers from the beginning what had happened and who had killed this poor girl.
Further, there was not hint of what kind of person the victim was. Why should the reader care that she was murdered?

[Athena Stephenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed account of the courtroom trial in the tragic and brutal death of a young nineteen year old woman Anna Kithcart. The story led us through the finding of the body and the actions afterwards of the man who killed her, as well as the man who found her body. It was an interesting read, yet with a lack of motive, all the more a senseless and horrific crime. * I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review *

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was 11 years old when this gruesome murder took place in my hometown, so when I was browsing the shelves of Barnes and Noble and stumbled upon an autographed copy of this book, I had to read it. I didn’t remember the details as a young child but I remember that it was big!
I thought it really portrayed the case in a new light for me, as I found out details of what happened to Anna. This case was a bit bazaar with twists and turns that you may not have seen coming.

[Sandra Laymon · Rating 2 out of 5]

B-O-R-I-N-G!!

I'll admit, my two star rating is based on about 50% of this book. I finally had to give up and just stop reading it. I really tried to get into the story but I finally gave up. This book, for me, was just plain boring!! It was choppy and hard to follow. There were many characters that were hard to keep up with. I was not enjoying the book and therefore it was hard to want to pick it up to read. Would I recommend it to other true crime buffs? Never!

[Ashley Hedden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sidetracked: The Betrayal and Murder of Anna Kithcart was a good read by Richard T. Cahill Jr. In 1988 the remains of a 19 year old Anna Kithcart are discovered in Kingston, NY. She was beaten, strangled and had the letters "kkk" carved into her thighs. The local police investigate the murder but things get complicated when Al Sharpton insists that a racist killer is on the loose. I enjoyed reading this true crime story.

[Becki Mussa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book for free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was hard to finish. There were way too many unnecessary details that made for a tedious read. It just seemed that the author was going for word/page count rather than how well the story would flow together. I love true crime but I was very disappointed with this book.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting true crime story from my small hometown. I don't remember this murder occurring in the summer of 1988. But found the story very intriguing from the beginning to the end.

[Bookish_predator · Rating 4 out of 5]

On July 12th, 1988, 19-year-old Anna Kithcart was found brutally murdered in Kingston, New York. What follows is the investigation, arrest and trial of the suspect. Sounds simple enough but it really isn't.

The letters KKK were found carved into her flesh which brought Reverend Al Sharpton and his supporters to Kingston claiming it was a 'klan den' and has a 'racist cult' operating in it's midst, this maked things much more difficult for the investigation and add to that the prime suspect, a transient who found the body who then confessed and subsequently retracted said confession and then an anonymous caller who said the real killer had confessed to them and that his name was Jeff Dawson, a local burglar!

It's an interesting case to read about especially with all the stuff going on in it and if you like true crime, I highly recommend you give it a read.

*Huge thanks to Richard T. Cahill Jr, WildBlue Press and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*