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Vigilantes and the Media: 8 Horrific True Crime Stories of Vigilantes
Have you ever imagined the life of a vigilante to be exciting?
Do you see them as righters of wrongs and seekers of justice?
Or are they something more sinister?
Vigilantes occupy a curious space in our collective psyche. On one hand, they are seen as almost modern knights, seeking truth and justice where the law has failed, while on the other they are no better than the criminals they seek, operating outside of normal societal conventions.
In this book, Vigilantes and the 8 Horrific True Crime Stories of Vigilantes, we examine the lives of real vigilantes who often had their own agendas,
Manuel Pardo Jr, who killed drug dealers and other criminalsPedro Filho, who tackled Brazil’s murderers and rapists with a ruthless brutalityPatrick Drum, who killed pedophiles for funBernard Goetz who became tired of New York’s subway muggers and exacted his own revengeBarry Gilton and Lupe Mercado who took revenge on a gang only for their own sordid lives to be revealedEach of the cases examined is true and each one of the vigilantes portrayed has their own shocking secret and motive behind their actions.
Read on and be amazed at how these people took the law into their own hands, often for the most spurious of reasons and often for their own gain as well.
Do you see them as righters of wrongs and seekers of justice?
Or are they something more sinister?
Vigilantes occupy a curious space in our collective psyche. On one hand, they are seen as almost modern knights, seeking truth and justice where the law has failed, while on the other they are no better than the criminals they seek, operating outside of normal societal conventions.
In this book, Vigilantes and the 8 Horrific True Crime Stories of Vigilantes, we examine the lives of real vigilantes who often had their own agendas,
Manuel Pardo Jr, who killed drug dealers and other criminalsPedro Filho, who tackled Brazil’s murderers and rapists with a ruthless brutalityPatrick Drum, who killed pedophiles for funBernard Goetz who became tired of New York’s subway muggers and exacted his own revengeBarry Gilton and Lupe Mercado who took revenge on a gang only for their own sordid lives to be revealedEach of the cases examined is true and each one of the vigilantes portrayed has their own shocking secret and motive behind their actions.
Read on and be amazed at how these people took the law into their own hands, often for the most spurious of reasons and often for their own gain as well.
103 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2019
160 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Ryan Becker
39 books82 followersRyan Becker is a True Crime author who started his writing journey in late 2016. Like many of you, he loves to explore the process of how individuals turn their darkest fantasies into a reality.
Ryan has always had a passion for storytelling. So, writing is the best output for him to combine his fascination with psychology and true crime. It is Ryan’s goal for his readers to experience the full immersion with the dark reality of the world just like how he used to do it in his younger days.
Now with his small team, Ryan wishes to push the storytelling even further with other passionate writers and together they can leave a mark on the reader with their various storytelling styles.
To reach out or just to say hi you can email him at Ryanbecker@ryanbeckerwrites.com.
Ryan has always had a passion for storytelling. So, writing is the best output for him to combine his fascination with psychology and true crime. It is Ryan’s goal for his readers to experience the full immersion with the dark reality of the world just like how he used to do it in his younger days.
Now with his small team, Ryan wishes to push the storytelling even further with other passionate writers and together they can leave a mark on the reader with their various storytelling styles.
To reach out or just to say hi you can email him at Ryanbecker@ryanbeckerwrites.com.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 15, 2021
This was a great true crime book!
A different take on people carrying out vigilante justice against criminals as they thought they were making the world a better place by not having these criminals walk the streets. This book also has a media crime story which is a crime that was committed by a man that watched a tv crime show.
I will give a small taste of what to expect within with just a couple or so stories:
Mark Twitchell - he was known as the "Canadian Dexter" as he killed criminals and he mirrored the tv crime show "Dexter" for his pattern of committing crimes.
Michael Anthony Mullen - this man decided he would rid the world of pedophiles so he went on a crime killing spree taking out as many as he could.
Manuel Pardo, Jr. - this man wanted to kill drug dealers and he took a few of them off the streets.
All of the stories were very good and it was interesting to me because I have never heard of any of them before. The author, Ryan Becker, gives a small detailed account of each killer with their upbringing and background then tells the story of the murder sprees they all went on as they thought that justice was being served their way. Giving this one four Crime Caper stars.
A different take on people carrying out vigilante justice against criminals as they thought they were making the world a better place by not having these criminals walk the streets. This book also has a media crime story which is a crime that was committed by a man that watched a tv crime show.
I will give a small taste of what to expect within with just a couple or so stories:
Mark Twitchell - he was known as the "Canadian Dexter" as he killed criminals and he mirrored the tv crime show "Dexter" for his pattern of committing crimes.
Michael Anthony Mullen - this man decided he would rid the world of pedophiles so he went on a crime killing spree taking out as many as he could.
Manuel Pardo, Jr. - this man wanted to kill drug dealers and he took a few of them off the streets.
All of the stories were very good and it was interesting to me because I have never heard of any of them before. The author, Ryan Becker, gives a small detailed account of each killer with their upbringing and background then tells the story of the murder sprees they all went on as they thought that justice was being served their way. Giving this one four Crime Caper stars.
March 20, 2019
Interesting subject, not often written about
I haven’t read a true crime novel on this subject before and looked forward to it. Unhappily, the book seemed to be written quickly and lacked proper editing. Also, the book was incredibly short, being only 61 pages on my Kindle. There were some interesting crimes I’d like to know more about, especially dates and the ages of all involved which were often lacking. The story of Bernard Goetz was perhaps the best written of the bunch and I recall the incident when it had happened. This story in particular carried the reader through with substantial info.
I haven’t read a true crime novel on this subject before and looked forward to it. Unhappily, the book seemed to be written quickly and lacked proper editing. Also, the book was incredibly short, being only 61 pages on my Kindle. There were some interesting crimes I’d like to know more about, especially dates and the ages of all involved which were often lacking. The story of Bernard Goetz was perhaps the best written of the bunch and I recall the incident when it had happened. This story in particular carried the reader through with substantial info.
July 15, 2023
Its a pretty bad read
I wanted to like this book. I will give the authors credit for finding some cases i had not heard of before. The information in the book is good but the book is so poorly written that it is hard to read. Firstly the book is about serial killers not vigilantes. I'm not sure how they decided on the title, unless somehow the authors thinks that all the people killed deserved it. There are numerous sentences that don't make sense as written and even places where the wrong words are used. This book would benefit from some editing and a proof reader, it reads like something I wrote in high school and I almost failed English.
I wanted to like this book. I will give the authors credit for finding some cases i had not heard of before. The information in the book is good but the book is so poorly written that it is hard to read. Firstly the book is about serial killers not vigilantes. I'm not sure how they decided on the title, unless somehow the authors thinks that all the people killed deserved it. There are numerous sentences that don't make sense as written and even places where the wrong words are used. This book would benefit from some editing and a proof reader, it reads like something I wrote in high school and I almost failed English.
March 8, 2019
How many of you have ever seen the classic 1938 version of Robin Hood starring Errol Flynn?
Just as the only the Saxon nobleman who had possessed the fortitude to stand up against King Richard’s traitorous brother Prince John who had seized the throne, while the king had been held imprisoned in Austria, in order to allow the Normans to oppress the Saxons and raise taxes for his own nefarious desires for power, had been [Sir] Robin [of Locksley] Hood.
Gaining a group of loyal followers, Robin became a thorn in Prince John’s side, frustrating him at every possible opportunity, trying to make sure the King’s justice would be maintained and attempting to undo/prevent things that would be contrary to what would have been considered right under King Richard. And by doing these things they would rightly be considered to be vigilantes as they went against what would be considered to be proper in the eyes of the Norman rulers.
What the author Ryan Becker and his assistant James Parker have done in this book, is to update the Robin Hood character, with today’s real life vigilantes, individuals who while on one hand would stop to go after the scourges which plague our society today, such as drug dealers, murderers, pedophiles, rapists and the like; but who, in attempting to deal with these sordid individuals wound up breaking the law themselves.
While the fictional Robin Hood and his followers got pardoned by King Richard for trying to keep the Saxons safe from the Normans, each of the 8 modern-day Robin Hoods in this book have their exploits discussed, including their ultimate arrests and convicts. Readers are enlightened in the manner in which these modern vigilantes sought to take the law into their own hands, to right a perceived wrong, and then to have their bogus or own self-servicing reasons for what they did revealed.
For wanting to give their readers an insightful, well-researched reading experience regarding these true crime stories, and how the media covers them, I’ve this book and its authors, 5 STARS.
Just as the only the Saxon nobleman who had possessed the fortitude to stand up against King Richard’s traitorous brother Prince John who had seized the throne, while the king had been held imprisoned in Austria, in order to allow the Normans to oppress the Saxons and raise taxes for his own nefarious desires for power, had been [Sir] Robin [of Locksley] Hood.
Gaining a group of loyal followers, Robin became a thorn in Prince John’s side, frustrating him at every possible opportunity, trying to make sure the King’s justice would be maintained and attempting to undo/prevent things that would be contrary to what would have been considered right under King Richard. And by doing these things they would rightly be considered to be vigilantes as they went against what would be considered to be proper in the eyes of the Norman rulers.
What the author Ryan Becker and his assistant James Parker have done in this book, is to update the Robin Hood character, with today’s real life vigilantes, individuals who while on one hand would stop to go after the scourges which plague our society today, such as drug dealers, murderers, pedophiles, rapists and the like; but who, in attempting to deal with these sordid individuals wound up breaking the law themselves.
While the fictional Robin Hood and his followers got pardoned by King Richard for trying to keep the Saxons safe from the Normans, each of the 8 modern-day Robin Hoods in this book have their exploits discussed, including their ultimate arrests and convicts. Readers are enlightened in the manner in which these modern vigilantes sought to take the law into their own hands, to right a perceived wrong, and then to have their bogus or own self-servicing reasons for what they did revealed.
For wanting to give their readers an insightful, well-researched reading experience regarding these true crime stories, and how the media covers them, I’ve this book and its authors, 5 STARS.
March 19, 2019
Ryan Becker strikes again and this time he brings with him James Parker!
When I first read the summary for this book I thought I wouldn’t like it, but I should’ve known better. It is written by Ryan Becker after all. I don’t think I have ever given Ryan back or anything less than five stars on my reviews. He writes such interesting stories and gives details you can’t learn anywhere else. It seems to me he does great research and being a member of his email newsletter and following him on good reads it seems he is really appreciative of his fans/readers. So if you are a true fan of true crime you will be glad you bought this book. It is full of stories that instead of shaking your head and wondering how people can do that do you find yourself wondering if you agree with what they did or not. It is a great great book!
When I first read the summary for this book I thought I wouldn’t like it, but I should’ve known better. It is written by Ryan Becker after all. I don’t think I have ever given Ryan back or anything less than five stars on my reviews. He writes such interesting stories and gives details you can’t learn anywhere else. It seems to me he does great research and being a member of his email newsletter and following him on good reads it seems he is really appreciative of his fans/readers. So if you are a true fan of true crime you will be glad you bought this book. It is full of stories that instead of shaking your head and wondering how people can do that do you find yourself wondering if you agree with what they did or not. It is a great great book!
March 10, 2019
Very well written
As always very well written and enjoyed it very much. The only issue was I wish it was longer!!! But I must admit while reading some of these stories I find myself not only understanding why they committed these crimes. Also I don't know why the story about the guy that shot the man while the news was recording him arriving back after being extradited... If I rem correctly he killed the guys son. But it was caught on the news. Then you had the lady that's child was molested and she shot the person on courtroom steps because she thought he wasn't punished enough... People like that I can understand the anger and wanting justice!!!
As always very well written and enjoyed it very much. The only issue was I wish it was longer!!! But I must admit while reading some of these stories I find myself not only understanding why they committed these crimes. Also I don't know why the story about the guy that shot the man while the news was recording him arriving back after being extradited... If I rem correctly he killed the guys son. But it was caught on the news. Then you had the lady that's child was molested and she shot the person on courtroom steps because she thought he wasn't punished enough... People like that I can understand the anger and wanting justice!!!
March 16, 2019
A Book That Makes You Think
This book was about people that decided to murder people they thought were the cause of problems in the world. They each had a focus, a type of person they thought deserved to die. All these people were initially hailed as heroes in the media for hurting evil people. Then we find out their motives weren't so clear. This book tells each story clearly and presents multiple ways of looking at their actions; were they good guys for killing horrible people or just killers bidding their motives. I enjoyed this book and learning about the many cases I had not heard of.
This book was about people that decided to murder people they thought were the cause of problems in the world. They each had a focus, a type of person they thought deserved to die. All these people were initially hailed as heroes in the media for hurting evil people. Then we find out their motives weren't so clear. This book tells each story clearly and presents multiple ways of looking at their actions; were they good guys for killing horrible people or just killers bidding their motives. I enjoyed this book and learning about the many cases I had not heard of.
March 20, 2019
As a Ryan Becker fan I may be a bit biased. I have Vigilantes and the Media 5 stars. It reminded me of some of his other work. Oddly enough with the subject material, there is a strange comfort I get from Ryan’s books. They are not overdone. Always an easy read, possibly too easy for some, but I do appreciate how well they flow. My only hang up would be birthdates and ages. Some chapters went into detail of the victims ages but the reader was never told how old the offender was at the time of the crime or when they were born. I think this is important for visual and story line. Not important enough to drop a star though.
March 10, 2019
Interesting take
This book is well researched and written well. Mr. Becker and Mr. Parker did an excellent job. I had only really heard of one of their cases. Its topic vigilantism, hero or not. I must say that while reading this, it did make you stop and ponder. Great one, guys. I look forward to your next one. Thank you.
This book is well researched and written well. Mr. Becker and Mr. Parker did an excellent job. I had only really heard of one of their cases. Its topic vigilantism, hero or not. I must say that while reading this, it did make you stop and ponder. Great one, guys. I look forward to your next one. Thank you.
March 19, 2019
8 tales of people doing the wrong things for the "right reasons"
Do people invent justifiable reasons to commit a crime? This is sometimes the case. It's something you keep asking yourself when you read this book.I enjoyed asking that a lot.
Do people invent justifiable reasons to commit a crime? This is sometimes the case. It's something you keep asking yourself when you read this book.I enjoyed asking that a lot.
March 22, 2021
Doesn't contain any vigilantes?
Author freebie. Suitable for adults. Resumes of serial killers, not vigilantes. These authors have also included a bit of moralizing,though not a lot.
Author freebie. Suitable for adults. Resumes of serial killers, not vigilantes. These authors have also included a bit of moralizing,though not a lot.
March 26, 2023
It was an easy read and the stories were interesting, but I don't know where the author got the idea for the title. There is no vigilante justice here. I only found that one story had the word vigilante in it.
June 1, 2023
Wrong Title
The book covers several true crime stories, but there is absolutely nothing about Vigilantes. So if you're ok with that, it's not a bad crime book. The writing could use a little polishing, but my guess is most readers won't mind.
The book covers several true crime stories, but there is absolutely nothing about Vigilantes. So if you're ok with that, it's not a bad crime book. The writing could use a little polishing, but my guess is most readers won't mind.
March 10, 2019
Books are getting less and less interesting! There were three or four good details and several stories I had never heard about. Very short read..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2019
Can't get enough
Stories are interesting, short and informative. Vigilantes are sometimes a needed evil. Guess mankind is regressing. Looking forward to more.
Stories are interesting, short and informative. Vigilantes are sometimes a needed evil. Guess mankind is regressing. Looking forward to more.
April 14, 2019
Another top notch true crime thriller
Ryan Becker not only tells the tales but takes a hard look at the motives behind them. His research is amazing.
Ryan Becker not only tells the tales but takes a hard look at the motives behind them. His research is amazing.
June 8, 2021
A very interesting book
Truly a must have for the true crime enthusiast. Very interesting and definitely a page turner. Well written and holds the reader's attention.
Truly a must have for the true crime enthusiast. Very interesting and definitely a page turner. Well written and holds the reader's attention.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews