Duct Tape Killer: The True Inside Story of Sexual Sadist & Murderer Robert Leroy Anderson

by Phil Hamman, Sandy Hamman, Larry Long (Contributor)

“MY MOMMY IS GOING TO DIE,” SHAINA SOBBED INTO THE PHONE. When Piper Streyle failed to show up for work, a coworker called her home. Piper’s three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Shaina, answered and said, “A mean man carried Mommy away.” Then the line went dead. In the tranquil region of southeast South Dakota, word of the young mother who was brazenly abducted from her home in broad daylight shocked residents. Piper was the second woman to vanish, following the startling incident of a young woman who narrowly escaped abduction by fighting for her life on a dark and secluded highway. An intensive search by an elite team of investigators uncovered a secret crime location, but the discovery of a nightshirt cut in half, a burnt candle, and a homemade bondage board revealed the chilling truth behind the missing women. With the help of a quick-witted and streetwise maximum security prison inmate, prosecutor Larry Long and his team were able to piece together the sinister facts of the diabolical crimes. Bestselling authors PHIL AND SANDY HAMMAN , along with former Attorney General LARRY LONG , dive into the grim and demented world of Robert Leroy Anderson, a sexual sadist, rapist, and murderer. Duct Tape Killer is also the story of perseverance and proof that love will not be extinguished by the ruinous evil that seeks to take root in our world.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Crime

199 pages, Paperback

First published January 12, 2020

About the author

Phil Hamman is the co-author of the #1 national best selling true crime book Gitchie Girl. He also has two memoirs published by eLectio Publishing that profile his struggles to rise above a dysfunctional childhood marked with domestic violence and poverty. One serendipitous night drove him from his criminal path and put him on the road to becoming a teacher who mentored and taught students with behavior disorders.

Reviews

[Lindsey Bobier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives a good summary. Wish the authors would have gotten more permissions/stories from family members.

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay.
I hadn't heard of Robert Anderson prior to picking this up, so it was fascinating to learn about this criminal journey.
I had the same issue I always have with true crime books.
Too much unnecessary bits in the book.
This is why I prefer fictional retellings based off true crimes. They flow better and because they need to develop plot and progression it flows nicely and usually doesn't have a lot of unnecessary bits.
Overall decent, not something I will read again.

[Joe Bartmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m certainly not typically a true crime reader. And this book won’t win any literary awards. But, the experience of a “true story” takes on a different meaning when much of that story took place in my home community and includes people I’ve known my whole life. A surreal reading experience, and a sad one.

[Bill reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Leroy Anderson came from a very colorful family. His father was a life long criminal and his brothers were also wards of state prison. Bobby followed in their footsteps after abducting, raping and killing two young women.
The book is a quick and concise read with little excess information which often bogs down true crime tales. Mr. Anderson had a wife and children who never suspected the man to be a sadistic lunatic. DNA had just begun to make its way into our legal system in the mid 1990s when the case occurred.
At least we get a clear end to the story and it is a satisfying one.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the somewhat lurid title, this story of rape, torture, and murder is told with admirable sensitivity (as was the Hamman's previous book GITCHIE GIRL). On the negative side: the disjointed chronology works against the book and some readers will be disappointed with the lack of detail.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Duct Tape Killer was told out of order - I think to build suspense. However, it just made it confusing. Also, it didn't address whether or not the victims' families approved of the book or not.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robert Leroy Anderson was an American murderer and rapist. He was convicted of the kidnapping, rape, and murder of two women: Larisa Dumansky and Piper Streyle. Prior to his crimes against these two women, Anderson and some friends often discussed committing sadistic crimes against women, and attempted to perpetrate them together. Anderson's friend and cell mate testified against him, alerting police to the whereabouts of substantial evidence and giving them insight into Anderson's crimes. I do not want to spoil this book for those who are wishing to read it, but I will say GOOD RIDDANCE to this guy. He fits the profile of a person who would have continued to commit heinous acts against women, probably with increasing frequency.

This book is currently available on Audible Plus, which is where I got this copy from. It was approximately five hours long, which was perfect for me to listen to during my regular shift at work. The story was told in a factual way, and carried on at a decent pace. I much preferred this book to a book that I had previously read by this author (Gitchie Girl). If you are in the market for a quick true crime book, this one is 199 pages, or a five hour listen. It wasn't bad at all.

[Autumn Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Duct Tape Killer by Phil and Sandy Hamman with former Attorney General Larry Long. This book was recommended to me through my local library and revolves around the true story of serial killer Robert Leroy Anderson who preyed on people in my home state of South Dakota in the early 90s. I studied forensics and also love the paranormal, and the authors of this book also authored Gitchie Girl. Gitchie Girl revolves around a multiple homicide (among other things) case, which let to rumors of the site being haunted, but that is a story for a different time 😊

Robert Leroy Anderson had a rough upbringing and he eventually turned into a sexual sadist who enjoyed stalking, raping, and murdering women. Anderson’s crime spree began in the early 90s in and around the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area. Duct Tape Killer leads us through Anderson’s crimes and the intensive investigation and trial that followed his capture.

Without reading the actual case files, it is hard for me to give a real deep review of this book. If we take it for its word, I believe this book gives a very detailed outline of Anderson’s story. The descriptions are not too intense, but still paint Anderson as the deeply disturbed man he really was. On the same topic, I really did feel like it was just an outline and that the authors could have done a deeper dive and really given us details that weren’t already public knowledge from stories seen in local papers and news outlets.

I was not a fan of the layout of this book. I have now seen quite a few books that try to jump from past to present and some do it great and some miss the mark. This one missed the mark for me. Rather than creating a feeling of mystery and intrigue, I really felt more confused than anything. At one point we’d be talking about Anderson in the past, then the present, then all of a sudden he had killed someone, then all of a sudden we were back before he killed someone, and then all of a sudden he killed someone else, and then all of a sudden we move forward to his trial, and so on. In this instance I feel like it would have been much better to stick with a linear path, so we could see how Anderson grew into his sadistic tendencies and how each victim fell prey to those tendencies.

2 stars
Content Warning: Discusses generally torture, murder, and rape.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am from South Dakota, so this book grabbed my attention right away. I enjoy reading true crime books, and this one was exciting because I recognized all the landmarks and town names. I remembered the search for Piper Streyle from when I was growing up, so learning about the back story gave me a new slant on it.

Robert Leroy Anderson wanted to be a serial killer. He had horrid fantasies about torturing and killing women. Luckily he was found and stopped but unluckily he had killed two women before that happened.

I thought this was a great book and very well done. If you are a fan of true crime, this is a good book. If you're from South Dakota AND love true crime, this is a great book.

[Karen Ewing · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up in the Sioux Falls airport on my way home from a recent South Dakota vacation. I had never heard of Robert Anderson or the crimes he committed. It's hard to review a book covering this kind of content. Robert Anderson was a sick individual who ultimately got only what he deserved. His victims received the best earthly justice available. The authors did an excellent job of laying out the facts and evidence, as well as describing the true evil of the horrendous acts perpetrated without resorting to explicit descriptions. The story was not told in chronological order but may have been better for it.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hamman’s writing has improved greatly since Gitchie Girl. This book was well written & the research done on this story obvious. Hard to relive the memories. I remember these happenings. But so glad Robert Leroy Anderson had been caught & found guilty before he could harm other women.

[Julie Wilka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, quick read but I had to put it down multiple times because the details were just too horrific. That someone could be that evil, is unfathomable.

[Turtle Wingate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.6 Stars- I listened to the audiobook version of this. If you enjoy diving into serial killer cases and the court trials that unfold, this book is right up your alley. I found it really captivating and discovered way more about the case than I thought I would.

[Lynsea Montanari · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars really as good as I imagine a true crime book can be. I just don’t think a true crime book will ever be five stars for me so this is pretty much as good as it gets.

[Shelley Eubank · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrator was good. It reminded me of the old FBI Files episodes.
Anderson was clearly evil, evil man. My heart goes out to the families affected by his deeds

[Jana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think it’s pretty pathetic that there are people out there that profit from other people’s tragedy. Btw, these authors or attorney did not contact any of the family members or ask what their concerns were.
Please don’t buy this garbage that glorifies these crimes.

[Aubrey Byrnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a decent book with great facts. Found it hard to follow at times, but the information as fascinating. Interesting to read the facts versus the news articles. Couldn't put it down! Quick and easy read!

[Nathan Helgren · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a fast read, but I felt the cover oversold it. The writing was ok, and done in a very conversational/TV crime show type tone where you didn't feel belabored by too many attempts at filling more pages like you find with some authors.

One on my main problems is, it mentions it is about a demented sexual sadist but within the book it provides very little details of the crimes themselves. There is a lot of coverage on the families and investigations, but it was very light on covering details about the killer. It provided next to no information about the actual crimes which made it hard to reconcile with the description of "one of the worst murders in this state's history". I don't expect every book to be filled with gory details, but the way this one was described on the covers was false advertising in my opinion. I felt like I was watching a Law and Order episode about a crime vs. a well researched true crime book.

The shoehorning in of the author's christian beliefs also seemed a bit unnecessary. Providing details about the families lives and their faith and goals made sense seeing as how one victim's family were devout and trying to become preachers. The section headings with bible quotes, constant mentions of "evil", the assumptive phrases about "no one knows what those two men talked about" and then insinuating it was about sharing their faith a as a tool to cope, Mentions of the devil causing people to be evil and commit crimes, is more about the author's point of view than any real detail of the case.

Had I known the book was more faith focused and less about the crimes going in would I have read it? Probably not. It's not the worst true crime book I read, but I would not recommend it to anyone and I would not read it again. In fact I am a little upset I bought it rather than getting it from a library.

[Natasha Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had previously read “Gitchie Girl”, by these authors previously and could not have expressed my love for the book. In fact I loved it so much I had everyone I could think of read it. And this book was no exception.

Please don’t misunderstand in no way am I supporting what happened to the people in these stories, but I am supporting how the stories were told. Phil and Sandy Hamman did a fantastic job of painting the picture like you were there back then. For someone that had not grown up here in South Dakota, I find these historical true-crimes fascinating since I was never tainted by gossip or the media.

This story truly hit home with me as we live in a small town in SD and have two small ones myself. Growing up in a much larger city things like this never really shocked anyone. But now with living in such a small community where everyone knows everything about everyone it really touched my heart to see such an outpouring of love and support to find a girl that some people didn’t even know. But the thing about small towns, they tend to band together to help those in need and it was throughly shown throughout this book. I cannot wait to see what story these authors will cover next.

For sure recommending this to everyone.

[Mandy Kool · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a hard one to rate and review. Especially since this happened in my hometown and there are minuscule degrees of separation between me and this crime.

It’s a story that, like all true crime, needs to be told, especially to remember the lives the perpetrator took and affected. Mothers who had young children ripped away from their families all because one man had a disgusting desire.

It’s so sad.

I rated it 3.5 stars as I feel the authors could have organized the book a bit better. I would have loved also to hear more about how the families moved on afterwards. We hear just a little bit, but I wanted more focus on their lives.

All in all, it’s one of those crimes that I was, I don’t want to say happy, but relieved? To read about what truly happened instead of the urban legends heard growing up.

There’s this creepy road over by John Morrell’s and the Penitentiary where kids often drove around and tried to scare people with the stories of the murders, but knowing the facts debunked all those local urban legends.

[Alyssa Danielson]

I read this book because I have a personal connection to this case. The story is twisted and devastating, and it’s understandable why it shook the community as hard as it did. It’s hard to imagine someone like Anderson living in our small, tight-knit, Midwestern communities.

The book itself has interesting information, but I thought it was organized in a way that made it difficult to follow at times. I think the authors did this to build suspense, but it ended up annoying me more than anything.

The authors really seemed to have done their research because this book is very thorough. However, I appreciated how they didn’t over-explain the gory details. They were able to get the point across without disrespecting the victims.

[Anastasiya M · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm used to reading true crime novels with a lot more graphic detail, especially when the taglines of the book contain adjectives to describe the person in the way this book did. This book didn't focus as much on the details of the crimes in detail as it did on the life of Robert Leroy Anderson, which was still interesting but not the main focus of the book. The snippet in the beginning of the book was probably an attempt to spark the reader's interest but I didn't like the placing. It felt like I was reading a textbook instead of a well-written novel. While the crimes were brutal, the writing didn't realistically bring it to life while reading.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK read. I was hoping for more, but it is an accurate accounting of the stories published and law enforcement communication I remember from the time the crimes occurred in our community. The story jumping around and not in chronological order may be confusing to those who are not familiar with the crimes. I would have liked more background on Anderson and insight into his childhood. I also would have liked more about the Streyle and Dumanski families, including their thoughts about the book.

[Bonnie Kernene · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting book! I had never heard of this serial killer, so I was drawn to the book, especially with the title. I am glad I did read it, too. It was really good. The research was excellent and it was well-written. I was able to picture the entire story as I went along, which I like to be able to do, even with true crime. My heart truly went out to the victims, their families, and the community. Robert Leroy Anderson was truly a monster and the world is a better place without him. I do recommend the book, especially if you like to read about serial killers. It is a fast read, too.

[Fran · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a South Dakota native, I followed these cases closely at the time of the investigation and prosecution. It was gut wrenching.
I probably wouldn't have picked up this book, except it was chosen as the monthly read for our book club. Overall, very little additional info is shared that wasn't covered by the newspapers and other news media at the time. The writing is condensed and simplistic. It attempts to build suspense by flopping back and forth in the timeline of Anderson's life, the abductions, and ultimate trials, but it really doesn't add much to the theme.

[Daniel Lang · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Duct Tape Killer" provides a chilling account of Robert Leroy Anderson's crimes, but falls short with its unnecessary and preachy religious undertones. The narrative occasionally veers off course, diluting the true crime focus and leaving readers wanting a more objective exploration of the heinous acts committed. The authors' inclusion of religious elements feels forced and detracts from the overall impact, making the storytelling less effective for those seeking a straightforward and unbiased examination of the case.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Held My Interest

I liked the book. I usually can’t read true crimes of rapists because it’s too graphic. The authors handled this well. Like many True Crime novels the trial “revealed” things we already knew, so to me it just gets tedious. The cell mate was an unexpected twist. The book would have only gotten three stars from me had it not been for that little surprise. I’d recommend it.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty average true crime book. I listened to this one. It went pretty quickly but it didn't feel like it was quite enough to make a whole book. It would have probably been better as an article or included in a compilation. It was also a little heavy on the bible verses and religious statements.

[Debby Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking

The sick story of Robert Leroy Anderson is told through the eyes of the witnesses and law officers. It's chilling to learn how he was able to kidnap and torture and murder innocent women. This book will give you a book hangover for days as you pray for this victims and their families.

[Jim Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story and sad

I was not a resident of Sioux Falls when this horrible event occurred however, I was coming here for business purposes from Southern Minnesota so I am well familiar with the case. It is a very sad story and it is a warning for all of us to be vigilant and alert For people like Anderson. The world indeed is better off today without him.