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Devil Behind the Badge: Murder, Mayhem and the Border Patrol Serial Killer
Pulitzer Prize-winning USA TODAY reporter Rick Jervis's DEVIL BEHIND THE BADGE: MYSTERY, MAYHEM, AND THE BORDER PATROL SERIAL KILLER, an account of the gruesome killings of four women by Juan David Ortiz, a Border Patrol agent in Laredo, Texas, and an unwinding examination of the inner workings of the all-powerful U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency as a counterpoint to the lives his victims lived in the often misrepresented world along our border with Mexico, to Matthew Daddona at Dey Street Books.
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First published August 6, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
June 20, 2024
I run into a lot of books which try and get too cute with the narrative. Just tell the story. No storytelling tricks. No time jumps. Just tell an engaging story. Rick Jervis does this to perfection in The Devil Behind the Badge. Oh, he does something else which all great true crime does. He honors the victims and tells their story. In this case, it's not all roses.
The story is about how Border Patrol Agent Juan David Ortiz took the lives of four sex workers, Melissa Ramirez, Claudine Anne Luera, Guiselda Hernandez, and Janelle Ortiz (no relation). Jervis makes sure to tell everyone's story. For the sex workers, Jervis chronicles their drug addictions, attempts to get clean, and the families who tried to love them through it. For Ortiz, we get the background of a Veteran, fighting off demons, but with some sort of murderous urge he gives into. Jervis tries to answer as many questions as possible about this case, but he also acknowledges that much of it is unknowable.
Quite simply, this is just a journalist giving you all the facts. If you want well-written true crime which doesn't forget the victims, then this book is for you.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Dey Street Books.)
The story is about how Border Patrol Agent Juan David Ortiz took the lives of four sex workers, Melissa Ramirez, Claudine Anne Luera, Guiselda Hernandez, and Janelle Ortiz (no relation). Jervis makes sure to tell everyone's story. For the sex workers, Jervis chronicles their drug addictions, attempts to get clean, and the families who tried to love them through it. For Ortiz, we get the background of a Veteran, fighting off demons, but with some sort of murderous urge he gives into. Jervis tries to answer as many questions as possible about this case, but he also acknowledges that much of it is unknowable.
Quite simply, this is just a journalist giving you all the facts. If you want well-written true crime which doesn't forget the victims, then this book is for you.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Dey Street Books.)
March 7, 2025
I had a bit of trouble listening to this one, because the pacing was somewhat slow, despite the topic itself being interesting.
This is a case I haven't heard about before, so it was all new to me. I liked the focus the author put on the victims, he made sure to tell their stories with as many details as possible. I also enjoyed learning about Laredo, so the first part of the book was definitely my favourite.
There's a glossary at the back of the book, or in an accompanying pdf for the audiobook, I didn't need to reference it, but it's nice that it's there. If you think you might need it, a physical copy would probably be best so you can flip back and forth whenever you feel like it.
As for the audiobook narration, I have no complaints. I'm glad I listened to this, even if it took me a bit longer than usual to get through.
This is a case I haven't heard about before, so it was all new to me. I liked the focus the author put on the victims, he made sure to tell their stories with as many details as possible. I also enjoyed learning about Laredo, so the first part of the book was definitely my favourite.
There's a glossary at the back of the book, or in an accompanying pdf for the audiobook, I didn't need to reference it, but it's nice that it's there. If you think you might need it, a physical copy would probably be best so you can flip back and forth whenever you feel like it.
As for the audiobook narration, I have no complaints. I'm glad I listened to this, even if it took me a bit longer than usual to get through.
July 9, 2025
This book is retelling of a True Crime story that took place in Laredo Texas in 2018. Ortiz, an Iraq veteran and a Border Patrol agent was arrested after killing 4 sex workers and attempting to kill another. All the killings took place in a matter of weeks. He was quickly arrested and charged.
It’s a really fast paced book which kept my attention from the beginning. The author clearly investigated the story thoroughly, putting great emphasis to the facts.
I appreciate how the author brought about the reality of addiction and the challenges that come from sex work to support their habit, as well as the struggles of the families to help those afflicted with this disease. There is a lot of heart in the telling of this unfortunate event that took place in Laredo, Texas.
If you like to read about serial killers and true crime, then this book maybe for you.
It’s a really fast paced book which kept my attention from the beginning. The author clearly investigated the story thoroughly, putting great emphasis to the facts.
I appreciate how the author brought about the reality of addiction and the challenges that come from sex work to support their habit, as well as the struggles of the families to help those afflicted with this disease. There is a lot of heart in the telling of this unfortunate event that took place in Laredo, Texas.
If you like to read about serial killers and true crime, then this book maybe for you.
January 6, 2025
This interested me at first, but then it became boring and started dragging. There were a lot of compelling tidbits of information and storytelling elements, but I didn’t really understand why this was made into a book.
I also didn’t like that he didn’t have any interviews from the border patrol officials and he didn’t talk to the serial killer. He mostly relied on accounts from the victims’ families and some outsiders. This felt like lazy reporting or not enough of a story for this to actually warrant a book.
Good reporting requires sharing all sides of the story. All of the editorializing he did to demonstrate the serial killer’s thoughts is not good journalism. It would have been much stronger had actually spoken with the man.
This was OK, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend.
I also didn’t like that he didn’t have any interviews from the border patrol officials and he didn’t talk to the serial killer. He mostly relied on accounts from the victims’ families and some outsiders. This felt like lazy reporting or not enough of a story for this to actually warrant a book.
Good reporting requires sharing all sides of the story. All of the editorializing he did to demonstrate the serial killer’s thoughts is not good journalism. It would have been much stronger had actually spoken with the man.
This was OK, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend.
August 18, 2024
Juan David Ortiz was a Navy veteran who became employed by the Border Patrol after his enlistment was up. He was married, with three children. He had attended college, graduating with a master's degree. While employed with border patrol, he frequented an area known for sex work. He murdered Melissa Ramirez, Claudine Luera, Guiselda Cantu, and Janelle Ortiz in September 2018. One sex worker escaped and identified him to police as the person who had been killing sex workers. Ortiz was arrested and tried for his crimes.
This book was very sensitive to the victims, describing their lives, familial connections, and struggles. It also offered a lot of information about the life of Ortiz. His military experiences were brought up, and I do have a great deal of sympathy for the things that he saw while on deployment in the Middle East with the Marines as a medic. I knew and deeply loved a Marine who experienced some really terrible things in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that was a few years after Ortiz had experienced it. I can understand how that type of thing might desensitize or disturb someone's psyche, but I do not think that was the root cause of his murdering spree. It was interesting to see how it all played out. The book was very detailed.
This book was very sensitive to the victims, describing their lives, familial connections, and struggles. It also offered a lot of information about the life of Ortiz. His military experiences were brought up, and I do have a great deal of sympathy for the things that he saw while on deployment in the Middle East with the Marines as a medic. I knew and deeply loved a Marine who experienced some really terrible things in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that was a few years after Ortiz had experienced it. I can understand how that type of thing might desensitize or disturb someone's psyche, but I do not think that was the root cause of his murdering spree. It was interesting to see how it all played out. The book was very detailed.
September 14, 2024
This is a narrative non-fiction account of true crime, that occurs over the timespan of twelve days in the border town of Laredo, Texas in 2018. The victims are four women, who became prostitues and drug addicts on Laredo's San Bernardo Avenue.
The perpetrator of this horrific crime is Juan David Ortiz, who grew up in a Southwest neighborhood in Brownsville, Texas. His father, Ramon, died of suicide when he and his siblings were very young. His mother, Lupita, raised him and his three younger half-sisters, but their lives were troubled, and many times Ortiz had to call the police.
Ortiz Joined the navy after high school. He became a Navy corpsman in Iraq and Afghanistan on the front lines. He was a medic who saw first hand, the horrifying account of war, and this in itself, is traumatizing. This is where his demons begin.
After returning to the U.S. Ortiz sees a psychiatrist due to his emotional suffering of PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety. He is over-medicated, and along with all these meds, he starts drinking heavily and popping pills. This is where his desent into mental deterioration begins.
Ortiz gets a job as a Border Patrol Agent and does such a good job that he's made a Supervisor. No one sees that he has a problem. He continues to drink and using drugs, and drives along San Bernardo Avenue to pick up his victims.
Jervis honors the four women as he tells of their backgrounds, their dreams and fears, and how they wanted to get clean, start a new life, and how they were all loved by their families. The bottom line is that this is a chilling, tragic and heartwrenching true story. On September, 15, 2018 Ortiz was convicted of capital murder- life in prison with no possibility of parole
The reason I gave it four stars is its well written narration, and the way Jervis showed honor to the victims and their families.
The perpetrator of this horrific crime is Juan David Ortiz, who grew up in a Southwest neighborhood in Brownsville, Texas. His father, Ramon, died of suicide when he and his siblings were very young. His mother, Lupita, raised him and his three younger half-sisters, but their lives were troubled, and many times Ortiz had to call the police.
Ortiz Joined the navy after high school. He became a Navy corpsman in Iraq and Afghanistan on the front lines. He was a medic who saw first hand, the horrifying account of war, and this in itself, is traumatizing. This is where his demons begin.
After returning to the U.S. Ortiz sees a psychiatrist due to his emotional suffering of PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety. He is over-medicated, and along with all these meds, he starts drinking heavily and popping pills. This is where his desent into mental deterioration begins.
Ortiz gets a job as a Border Patrol Agent and does such a good job that he's made a Supervisor. No one sees that he has a problem. He continues to drink and using drugs, and drives along San Bernardo Avenue to pick up his victims.
Jervis honors the four women as he tells of their backgrounds, their dreams and fears, and how they wanted to get clean, start a new life, and how they were all loved by their families. The bottom line is that this is a chilling, tragic and heartwrenching true story. On September, 15, 2018 Ortiz was convicted of capital murder- life in prison with no possibility of parole
The reason I gave it four stars is its well written narration, and the way Jervis showed honor to the victims and their families.
July 30, 2025
I highly recommend the devil behind the badge although I thought the forest city killer was a five star. It was still a good Read.
October 7, 2024
I was Border Patrol when this happened and I remember hearing about it over in Arizona so when I found out there was a book with more details about it, I was interested. I didn't really know how many "takeaways" I could get from a book like this but the almost visceral description of the effects the drugs had on these women who eventually became Ortiz's victims actually turned my stomach. I complain on a daily basis but I've never had it as hard as these women did (and hope to never have to be in a situation like they were). Well-written book, does a great job of informing the reader about the women that Ortiz killed; they were mothers, daughters, friends, and women who had just gravitated toward a lifestyle that was inherently dangerous and he took advantage of that. This was a tough read.
- Her arms, legs, and neck soon filled with scars from repeated needle stabs. When her veins collapsed and vanished, she asked friends to stab her between her toes. When that stopped working, she injected straight into the skin, a practice known as “skin-popping” that led to lesions and the occasional abscess. She went back to long-sleeved shirts and dresses to hide the scars
- Years of heroin use had caused Chelly’s veins to severely retreat, and she increasingly turned to skin-popping to deliver the drug into her system. Many users along San Bernardo bore scars from longtime heroin use; none had it worse than Chelly. Both her legs, from ankles to upper thighs, were covered in painful, blistery scars, as bacteria infected and consumed nearly every inch of her lower extremities. Though never diagnosed, Chelly likely had necrotizing fasciitis, also known as “flesh-eating disease.” Her legs reeked of rotting meat, and a gaping wound yawned just under her left knee, revealing pink flesh to the bone, like the open mouth of a shark. The pain in her legs was so severe that Chelly tiptoed rather than walked everywhere to lessen the impact of her feet hitting the ground.
Pat Roth, the manager at the Relax Inn, liked how Chelly respected the property and protected him and Nora from the more unscrupulous characters around town. She was also one of the few sex workers in his orbit who would pay back the money he lent them. But secretions from her legs were ruining the linens in her room.
- She was all I had, bro,” he said, his voice cracking. “She was all I had. You took the last living member of my family . . .” He glanced back at his sheet. “You know, she would always be the six-year-old girl who would walk her eight-year-old brother to the restroom because I was scared of the dark. She would always be the little sister who defended me from bullies, and she’ll always be the little sister who cried because she saw me crying.” He wiped away tears with the back of his hand.
- Her arms, legs, and neck soon filled with scars from repeated needle stabs. When her veins collapsed and vanished, she asked friends to stab her between her toes. When that stopped working, she injected straight into the skin, a practice known as “skin-popping” that led to lesions and the occasional abscess. She went back to long-sleeved shirts and dresses to hide the scars
- Years of heroin use had caused Chelly’s veins to severely retreat, and she increasingly turned to skin-popping to deliver the drug into her system. Many users along San Bernardo bore scars from longtime heroin use; none had it worse than Chelly. Both her legs, from ankles to upper thighs, were covered in painful, blistery scars, as bacteria infected and consumed nearly every inch of her lower extremities. Though never diagnosed, Chelly likely had necrotizing fasciitis, also known as “flesh-eating disease.” Her legs reeked of rotting meat, and a gaping wound yawned just under her left knee, revealing pink flesh to the bone, like the open mouth of a shark. The pain in her legs was so severe that Chelly tiptoed rather than walked everywhere to lessen the impact of her feet hitting the ground.
Pat Roth, the manager at the Relax Inn, liked how Chelly respected the property and protected him and Nora from the more unscrupulous characters around town. She was also one of the few sex workers in his orbit who would pay back the money he lent them. But secretions from her legs were ruining the linens in her room.
- She was all I had, bro,” he said, his voice cracking. “She was all I had. You took the last living member of my family . . .” He glanced back at his sheet. “You know, she would always be the six-year-old girl who would walk her eight-year-old brother to the restroom because I was scared of the dark. She would always be the little sister who defended me from bullies, and she’ll always be the little sister who cried because she saw me crying.” He wiped away tears with the back of his hand.
June 19, 2024
Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Dey Street Books, and Rick Jervis for the advanced reader copy of the book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.
I was about a third of the way through The Devil Behind the Badge when I had to call my daughter-in-law who grew up in Laredo, Texas, and ask her if it was as bad as this book was making it seem. We all know that drugs are a problem everywhere, but this was making it seem like drugs and prostitution were openly ignored by local law enforcement. She assured me it was not that bad and it was a rather nice city.
The Devil Behind the Badge tells the story of a series of killings in a twelve-day period in 2018 targeting sex workers in Laredo. The perpetrator was a Border Patrol supervisor whose mental deterioration seemed to go unnoticed by those he worked with. Rick Jervis reported on the killings, manhunt, and trial for USA Today and through that coverage and additional interviews has crafted a thrilling story to read. It took me a bit to get into it. That first third of the book set the scene for what was going to happen for the most part, and the book got much better from there.
I read a review that was critical of the author for how he portrayed Juan David Ortiz, the man who murdered four sex workers in a twelve-day period. All I can say is that person must not have read the book. Jervis is fair in that he paints Ortiz as guilty, but also gives background of what might have led him to this point. Ortiz served his country as a Navy Corpsman in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was on the front lines of the Iraq invasion, and as a medic saw a lot of the worst part of the war. He came back from there still wanting to serve his country. Part of his motivation for joining the Border Patrol was to help the migrants who were crossing the border.
How did he go from that to a serial killer? You’ll have to read the book.
To read my full review please go to The Devil Behind the Badge by Rick Jervis – To Protect and Serve
I was about a third of the way through The Devil Behind the Badge when I had to call my daughter-in-law who grew up in Laredo, Texas, and ask her if it was as bad as this book was making it seem. We all know that drugs are a problem everywhere, but this was making it seem like drugs and prostitution were openly ignored by local law enforcement. She assured me it was not that bad and it was a rather nice city.
The Devil Behind the Badge tells the story of a series of killings in a twelve-day period in 2018 targeting sex workers in Laredo. The perpetrator was a Border Patrol supervisor whose mental deterioration seemed to go unnoticed by those he worked with. Rick Jervis reported on the killings, manhunt, and trial for USA Today and through that coverage and additional interviews has crafted a thrilling story to read. It took me a bit to get into it. That first third of the book set the scene for what was going to happen for the most part, and the book got much better from there.
I read a review that was critical of the author for how he portrayed Juan David Ortiz, the man who murdered four sex workers in a twelve-day period. All I can say is that person must not have read the book. Jervis is fair in that he paints Ortiz as guilty, but also gives background of what might have led him to this point. Ortiz served his country as a Navy Corpsman in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was on the front lines of the Iraq invasion, and as a medic saw a lot of the worst part of the war. He came back from there still wanting to serve his country. Part of his motivation for joining the Border Patrol was to help the migrants who were crossing the border.
How did he go from that to a serial killer? You’ll have to read the book.
To read my full review please go to The Devil Behind the Badge by Rick Jervis – To Protect and Serve
December 4, 2024
This book was nuts! In Loredo, Texas, sex workers are turning up dead. It’s unclear if there’s a serial killer on the loose, or a series of unfortunate events - either by suicide or drug overdose. As the cops search for an explanation, a local border patrol agent makes a mistake and all attention turns to him.
This book reads like a true crime podcast…giving the reader tons of backstory on the murder victims, the life of sex workers, drug addiction, and the families of these lost women. It was an intense read that felt like a play-by-play manual.
In the end, it’s a really sad story with a lot of victims. Was Ortiz a cold-blooded killer or a victim of military PTSD and/or pharmaceutical drugs? Does it matter? There are a lot of avenues to explore in this one, but ultimately, it’s a story that ends in tragedy for a lot of people.
If you like narrative nonfiction and true crime stories, this is a book you surely won’t be able to put down!
This book reads like a true crime podcast…giving the reader tons of backstory on the murder victims, the life of sex workers, drug addiction, and the families of these lost women. It was an intense read that felt like a play-by-play manual.
In the end, it’s a really sad story with a lot of victims. Was Ortiz a cold-blooded killer or a victim of military PTSD and/or pharmaceutical drugs? Does it matter? There are a lot of avenues to explore in this one, but ultimately, it’s a story that ends in tragedy for a lot of people.
If you like narrative nonfiction and true crime stories, this is a book you surely won’t be able to put down!
February 18, 2025
The border patrol is a touchy subject these days and this book doesn’t do anything but make it worse.
This guy was a war veteran(Iraq/afghanistan) who ended up murdering women who were sex workers.
Now do I think his PTSD/multiple medications he was on were the cause of this? No, hell no. I think he had always hated women and this was his way of sickly showing it. He cheated on his wife with a one night stand before this happened. So that shows you how much respect he shows women.
Recommend the book it is a good read.
This guy was a war veteran(Iraq/afghanistan) who ended up murdering women who were sex workers.
Now do I think his PTSD/multiple medications he was on were the cause of this? No, hell no. I think he had always hated women and this was his way of sickly showing it. He cheated on his wife with a one night stand before this happened. So that shows you how much respect he shows women.
Recommend the book it is a good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2025
True crime...maybe I should make it my new thing?...I mean especially if it shows how ridiculous the Border Patrol is in its hiring practices. The level of research and gruesome detail in this book made it a non-stop page turner. Read like something only a bunch of writers could cook up in a hollywood story-board room. Really incredible and horrific. If you like true crime then this one is a must read. Trigger warnings all over the place though which the author does give you right at page one.
November 26, 2024
It's hard to write true crime well without it feeling degrading, especially when centered around sex work and the justice system, but this one was great
January 12, 2025
A captivating, non-fiction, true-crime novel following a serial killing border patrol agent in South Texas. Well written, honors the four victims.
June 4, 2024
This book was too much for me. It's a horror and a tragedy, and Rick Jervis just I'm sorry but Rick you are probably not the author to write this. It's certainly a thing that happened and should be out there in some way, but the writing, it is not polished or absorbing. It has this metronome quality to it, obviously trying to rack up a page count on this one. Rick is a journalist and I have to say, I do not think there's enough of a story here to warrant a book. It's a ton of background information, a lot of speculation unless Juan Ortiz has admitted to saying some very specific things, but it could probably just be a long newspaper article. Maybe a multi part piece or a podcast. It's just misery on a grand scale for way too long. Cut out the gratuitous horror and you've got about 50 pages maximum. There is a lot of biographical information and it's all painful and I just wasn't sure what the point of reading or especially writing any of it was. It feels like Rick was going for Truman Capote but this is just not that, at all. Not by a long shot. I don't think the author was able to interview the killer so we aren't getting any kind of insight into what made him operate. There is conjecture and it boils down to shitty beer and PTSD.
The murderer here isn't saying or doing anything that necessitates a book. It seems like from the beginning the authorities were after him pretty dilligently, there's no conspiracy or a societal failure that needs looking into. It's just tragedy. I hope the proceeds here are going to some kind of outreach program to help people get clean. This story just isn't worth the steady onslaught of despair that you are going to endure. The guy kills a bunch of addicts who are sex workers, and is caught. The end.
The murderer here isn't saying or doing anything that necessitates a book. It seems like from the beginning the authorities were after him pretty dilligently, there's no conspiracy or a societal failure that needs looking into. It's just tragedy. I hope the proceeds here are going to some kind of outreach program to help people get clean. This story just isn't worth the steady onslaught of despair that you are going to endure. The guy kills a bunch of addicts who are sex workers, and is caught. The end.
April 29, 2025
I'm a sucker for a good true crime novel, especially about a serial killer. This one was top notch. I liked that the author dived into the childhood/lives of the victims. It gave them a voice in this awful case. showed that even the most vulnerable people in our society were once beautiful children with hopes and dreams for their future. they had reasons to live and families that loved them.
When a sex worker is found dead in the middle of the Texas desert, investigators had no idea how the next two weeks would unfold and who would be responsible. A decorated navy corpsman vet and current boarders control agent devlopes a dark side that leads him down a dark path. 4 women who were unfortunate to cross his path are left dead in the desert. One lucky women was able to barley escape and make contact with a local sheriff's deputy busting the case wide open.
When a sex worker is found dead in the middle of the Texas desert, investigators had no idea how the next two weeks would unfold and who would be responsible. A decorated navy corpsman vet and current boarders control agent devlopes a dark side that leads him down a dark path. 4 women who were unfortunate to cross his path are left dead in the desert. One lucky women was able to barley escape and make contact with a local sheriff's deputy busting the case wide open.
October 8, 2024
Took me a long time to get into picking up this book. The author went into extreme detail on everything to really get the reader feel like they understood the setting and the people. I would have rated it higher if it was more captivating to read right away.
April 12, 2025
Excellent book.
November 13, 2024
Brutal reality of how little (American) border agents are vetted following 9/11 with the rush to hire border agents. This is a serious case of PTSD and over medicating and how that impacts the way that people function in the world (and how dark they can become).
November 13, 2024
Possibly my favorite audiobook reader.
December 23, 2024
Part 4 was far more prolonged than it had to be. Nonetheless, the stories of the victims and their families, along with some education around border control are the highlights of this book
February 7, 2025
3.5
I cannot believe I had not heard of these events until reading this. The thorough storytelling allows readers to follow along, feeling like in real time of these horrific events. Highlighting failures of systems and the targeting of sex workers, this was almost a difficult read.
I cannot believe I had not heard of these events until reading this. The thorough storytelling allows readers to follow along, feeling like in real time of these horrific events. Highlighting failures of systems and the targeting of sex workers, this was almost a difficult read.
May 24, 2025
This book had to take a backseat as it caused a little bit of anxiety ha ha. About a serial killer border patrol agent in Texas in 2018. It freaked me out a bit because I’m familiar with some of the towns where my parents go that were discussed in this book and made it seem a bit more surreal. Overall 2 stars because was disturbing.
January 11, 2025
Very good, coherent, and respectful storytelling like this is very rare in this genre, but they nailed it on this one.
December 6, 2024
3.9–so close, so why not 4 stars?
On the plus side, “The Devil Behind the Badge” is impeccably researched. Rick Jervis is a talented, dedicated reporter who brought forth the victims and humanized their lives. As he points out in the epilogue, women are more likely to be murdered by a serial killer, and sex workers 18 times more likely within that group.
On the contrary side, that meticulously researched and reported backstory on everything from those involved to the institutions broke the narrative. The murderer’s actual apprehension, interrogation, and trial felt anticlimactic. As I read, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I might’ve reorganized and edited material to keep suspense and heighten interest. Comparing it to “Under the Bridge,” a true crime book I gave 5 stars, the difference is a concisely defined social ill that provides a framework. Jervis’s epilogue holds the key—that lingering question of “why?”.
All that being said, this would make a hell of a podcast. Between Jervis’s reporter chops, his incredible info, audio storytelling’s ability to roll out a narrative in different ways, and the fact that he’s an engaging speaker, “The Devil behind the Badge” could be an award winner. I’d listen, and I’ve already read the book.
On the plus side, “The Devil Behind the Badge” is impeccably researched. Rick Jervis is a talented, dedicated reporter who brought forth the victims and humanized their lives. As he points out in the epilogue, women are more likely to be murdered by a serial killer, and sex workers 18 times more likely within that group.
On the contrary side, that meticulously researched and reported backstory on everything from those involved to the institutions broke the narrative. The murderer’s actual apprehension, interrogation, and trial felt anticlimactic. As I read, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I might’ve reorganized and edited material to keep suspense and heighten interest. Comparing it to “Under the Bridge,” a true crime book I gave 5 stars, the difference is a concisely defined social ill that provides a framework. Jervis’s epilogue holds the key—that lingering question of “why?”.
All that being said, this would make a hell of a podcast. Between Jervis’s reporter chops, his incredible info, audio storytelling’s ability to roll out a narrative in different ways, and the fact that he’s an engaging speaker, “The Devil behind the Badge” could be an award winner. I’d listen, and I’ve already read the book.
September 29, 2024
The author follows the sex workers on the streets of Laredo, Texas. He brings their humanity to the forefront. They had families, people who loved them. But drug usage seems to go hand in hand with the sex trade. Some are in and out of rehab quite off. But the programs are not great and are not successful. How the murderer, a border patrol agent, went from a strong Christian background to wanting to eliminate sex workers is there for all to ponder. The fact that he killed some workers that he knew, liked, and personally cared about is a mystery. Gives the reader a lot to seriously think about.
March 1, 2025
This book is a gripping story about a serial killer who turns out to be a Texas Border Patrol officer. Jarvis delves into the lives of not only the killer, but also each of his victims. I appreciate how the author showed the human side of the victims. Too many times, they are marginalized because of their circumstances. The story is well written and compelling. As difficult as the subject matter is, this is a good read for those who like true crime.
August 27, 2024
1.5 ⭐️
Wayyyyy too much conjecture and artistic license, particularly as the author acknowledged he never interviewed Ortiz. I’m surprised the publisher didn’t address that. Author also missed the opportunity to delve into some deeper issues.
Wayyyyy too much conjecture and artistic license, particularly as the author acknowledged he never interviewed Ortiz. I’m surprised the publisher didn’t address that. Author also missed the opportunity to delve into some deeper issues.
October 17, 2024
I received a copy of this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway.
Before reading this book, I did not know about this serial killer, a Border Patrol agent named Juan David Ortiz who killed four sex workers within twelve days. The author does a good job of setting the scene in Laredo, where the murders took place, and exploring the backgrounds of the murder victims, showing them as real human beings who were brutally killed by a law enforcement agent abusing his power. The narrative is told in a straightforward, easily understood way, like something you might expect from a journalist like the author is. There's a lot of detail about the sex worker scene in Laredo and also the investigation and manhunt to catch the perpetrator. The author acknowledges that he wasn't able to get an interview with any Border Patrol agents or the murderer himself, which is a shame, since those could've been such interesting perspectives.
The author describes the background of both the killer and his victims, and I appreciated that the victims' lives weren't just an afterthought like in other books. He portrays them as real, flawed human beings who lived in some tough circumstances, but he also portrays them very sympathetically, making their cruel deaths that much more tragic. He includes a lot of stories from their loved ones, and how they also came together at the eventual trial of the killer, which was heartwarming after reading about such horrific crimes. The author explores the killer's background and family life, and I appreciated that he's honest that nobody can really know why Ortiz did what he did, but he also provides a lot of information so that the reader can come up with their own guesses as to how this man became so messed up.
The author is honest about the fact that he couldn't get any interviews with Border Patrol agents, which is understandable since they probably do not want to talk about how they unknowingly hired and worked with a serial killer, but it's still disappointing that we didn't get any insight from Ortiz's coworkers. It would have been interesting to know their thoughts on how he was behaving at work during the time he was committing the murders, as we only get glimpses into what he was like at work through some minor interactions that people outside of his department had with him. We also don't get any testimony from Ortiz himself, and while it's understandable that he would have no incentive to tell the author anything for this book, it would've been interesting to get a bit more inside of his mind.
Overall, I found this book to be an engaging narrative of a terrible crime spree, with enough background information to really humanize all of the people involved but without bogging down the story. I just wish the author had been able to include something from the killer's or his coworkers' side that would've offered at least a little bit more insight into an incomprehensible string of murders.
Before reading this book, I did not know about this serial killer, a Border Patrol agent named Juan David Ortiz who killed four sex workers within twelve days. The author does a good job of setting the scene in Laredo, where the murders took place, and exploring the backgrounds of the murder victims, showing them as real human beings who were brutally killed by a law enforcement agent abusing his power. The narrative is told in a straightforward, easily understood way, like something you might expect from a journalist like the author is. There's a lot of detail about the sex worker scene in Laredo and also the investigation and manhunt to catch the perpetrator. The author acknowledges that he wasn't able to get an interview with any Border Patrol agents or the murderer himself, which is a shame, since those could've been such interesting perspectives.
The author describes the background of both the killer and his victims, and I appreciated that the victims' lives weren't just an afterthought like in other books. He portrays them as real, flawed human beings who lived in some tough circumstances, but he also portrays them very sympathetically, making their cruel deaths that much more tragic. He includes a lot of stories from their loved ones, and how they also came together at the eventual trial of the killer, which was heartwarming after reading about such horrific crimes. The author explores the killer's background and family life, and I appreciated that he's honest that nobody can really know why Ortiz did what he did, but he also provides a lot of information so that the reader can come up with their own guesses as to how this man became so messed up.
The author is honest about the fact that he couldn't get any interviews with Border Patrol agents, which is understandable since they probably do not want to talk about how they unknowingly hired and worked with a serial killer, but it's still disappointing that we didn't get any insight from Ortiz's coworkers. It would have been interesting to know their thoughts on how he was behaving at work during the time he was committing the murders, as we only get glimpses into what he was like at work through some minor interactions that people outside of his department had with him. We also don't get any testimony from Ortiz himself, and while it's understandable that he would have no incentive to tell the author anything for this book, it would've been interesting to get a bit more inside of his mind.
Overall, I found this book to be an engaging narrative of a terrible crime spree, with enough background information to really humanize all of the people involved but without bogging down the story. I just wish the author had been able to include something from the killer's or his coworkers' side that would've offered at least a little bit more insight into an incomprehensible string of murders.
April 1, 2025
Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist gets a tip about the arrest of a serial killer in Laredo TX and leaves a family vacation to cover it. That starts him, and readers of this books, on a five-year journey to investigate, research, and relive the stories that led to this arrests and what came after it.
That's to say, this book takes both a micro and macro scope to these murders, as well as the commonalities between them, the person committing them, and the setting they occurred around.
The book starts you off with a bang, the big break in the case, then rewinds to each individual character's POV and personal history that led them to their inevitable involvement in this case.
We get the entire history of Laredo TX, life on the border between US and Mexico, as well as the cultural and socioeconomic implications of that imaginary line.
Then we're taught the origins and evolution of both the Border Police as well as the US Army, by way of Afghanistan post 9/11, that led our killer to join the BP in Laredo with a head full of PTSD and prescribed pharmaceuticals.
Finally, this book is anchored around the victims, as we get to know them, their difficult childhoods, their tenuous families pulled apart by poverty, addiction, housing issues, and the sex work trade that supports the addictions while distancing them from their families, children, and health.
Those five stories collide as we're introduced to the Texas Rangers pursuing the killer, the cold leads, the stressful arrest, and then the drag of discovery, COVID delays, and the trial. Wow.
This book moves along like a David Simon documentary / thriller, with action then backstory, and procedural, with a layer of history and sociology. It's compelling, but ultimately hard to recommend because of how sickening so much of what humans do to each other and themselves.
These true stories of border patrol horror stories, military war crimes, sex trade abuses, and more are the Devil Behind all of us and there's no real 'motivation' or 'justification' for these terrors, just because bad people in power exist and always will - frankly depressing!
That said, I learned a great day through my fingers covering my eyes, and am grateful for the dogged work of author Rick Jervis, and given this is his first book I hope it won't be his last.
Plus, I can see this easily becoming the next prestige tv show.
That's to say, this book takes both a micro and macro scope to these murders, as well as the commonalities between them, the person committing them, and the setting they occurred around.
The book starts you off with a bang, the big break in the case, then rewinds to each individual character's POV and personal history that led them to their inevitable involvement in this case.
We get the entire history of Laredo TX, life on the border between US and Mexico, as well as the cultural and socioeconomic implications of that imaginary line.
Then we're taught the origins and evolution of both the Border Police as well as the US Army, by way of Afghanistan post 9/11, that led our killer to join the BP in Laredo with a head full of PTSD and prescribed pharmaceuticals.
Finally, this book is anchored around the victims, as we get to know them, their difficult childhoods, their tenuous families pulled apart by poverty, addiction, housing issues, and the sex work trade that supports the addictions while distancing them from their families, children, and health.
Those five stories collide as we're introduced to the Texas Rangers pursuing the killer, the cold leads, the stressful arrest, and then the drag of discovery, COVID delays, and the trial. Wow.
This book moves along like a David Simon documentary / thriller, with action then backstory, and procedural, with a layer of history and sociology. It's compelling, but ultimately hard to recommend because of how sickening so much of what humans do to each other and themselves.
These true stories of border patrol horror stories, military war crimes, sex trade abuses, and more are the Devil Behind all of us and there's no real 'motivation' or 'justification' for these terrors, just because bad people in power exist and always will - frankly depressing!
That said, I learned a great day through my fingers covering my eyes, and am grateful for the dogged work of author Rick Jervis, and given this is his first book I hope it won't be his last.
Plus, I can see this easily becoming the next prestige tv show.
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