Born Evil: A True Story of Cannibalism and Serial Murder

by Adrian Havill

Homeless and living in his truck, forty-year-old Hadden Clark often drew stares in Bethesda, Maryland. He also slept with a teddy bear, and, dressed as a woman, strolling through town, he carried 28 carving knives, a straight razor, and a gun in his truck. When the reclusive loner was arrested in 1992 for the stabbing murders of two local girls, no one was surprised. It was after his incarceration that the surprises came, popping up like half-buried corpses.

While serving a seventy-year sentence, Hadden confessed to having a split personality, dominated by a psychotic mother and daughter who were vying for attention. He also admitted to murdering at least a dozen more women-- the ones he could remember-- cannibalizing them, using their leftover body parts as fishing bait, and burying their remains everywhere from a local cemetery to a sand dune on Cape Cod. Authorities didn't believe him-- until Hadden took them on a personal four-state tour.

Adrian Havill's Born Evil is a terrifying true crime story of split personalities, cannibalism and serial murder.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Serial Killer, Mental Illness, Biography

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 9, 2001

About the author

Adrian Havill is a writer born in Bournemouth, England.
He began his writing career in 1962 for US News and World Report.
In 1984, he began writing biographies of subjects as diverse as O.J. Simpson and Jack Kent Cooke.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

If all the "Masters of Horror" got together to produce the most gruesome, sickening tale of all time, it would pale in comparison to what this living, breathing individual did...leading authorities on a four-state manhunt while leaving bodies and parts of bodies in his wake. You feel like you should shower for a month after closing the cover. An unbelievably creepy, disturbing and nightmare producing tale, and not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach. Hadden Clark was a truly evil and disturbed man. The narrative was slowed down some with all the trial info but it was still horrific. This is not fiction nor is it a book that you can close the cover and easily forget about. Believe me when I tell you that this is NOT for everyone...but if you like true crime it will interest you.

[Ms BooksAholic · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not a good book for me. It wasn't one thing that turned me off but it was just several things throughout the book. After reading the cover Born Evil: A True Story of Cannibalism and Serial Murder, you'd think it was going to be intense. Well needless to say it was far from interesting or intense. The beginning of the story started out okay. Then it started going into details regarding other characters, some such as family members. I think that's fine to show background of Hadden's family but for me it was a little to much on them and not enough on Hadden. While in the midst of keeping track of all these people you somewhat lose track of the main born evil man himself. For me it seemed like the whole case was dragged out. Especially the main part where the investigators are interviewing him and so many pages are just him stating, I want to speak with my lawyer. Wow, I just wanted to throw the book across the room ;) By the end of the book I'm like enough already lets get this over with please! Throughout the whole book the discuss two main females he murdered but he suppose to be a serial murder and then they wait til like the last five pages to write about some of his other murders. That just didn't make sense to me. To me it merely seemed like someone had written a fiction story. Seemed to be a lot of say so. In ending this review I was not satisfied with this book at all.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually quite enjoyed this book. I felt it was very descriptive and detailed. It kept my attention the whole time . It touched on his background as to why he is like he is. Hes a very evil man who got away with so much.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say that I liked this book much compaired to other serial killer books I've read. This was very much a story rather then a look at why he did what he did. I also felt like it was an attack on the law enforcement agencies who came into contact with him. I did like that the victims where given a voice, it's uncommon for the analytical type books to talk about the victims life. If you're interested in the psychology behind serial killers, like I am, then you're hoing to be disappoined. However if you're interested in the story of a killer you're likey to enjoy this book more.

[dejah_thoris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hadden Clark is a little weirder than I like my serial killers but Havill's book is well-researched.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a riveting read for all true crime fans. This author wrote a detailed descriptive story about a truly sick/crazy/evil serial killer. I highly recommend it.

[♥ Marlene♥]

I am 100% sure I have read this book and I used to own it. Probably gave it away

[Nat PlainJanetheBookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great thorough read about a super interesting case. I read this one back when I was 14/15 so decided to go back and re-read. Mind blowing that Hadden has an older brother who murdered and dismembered a work colleague as well 😳 my only disappointment was that there wasn’t enough court reporting. Done well, I really enjoy added court details. I annotated the hell out of this one 😂 PS I personally and professionally despise the word ‘evil’ 😖

[Ronan Pate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, the author organized it in a creative way. Tons of information that I wasn't aware of. Not a super long read either.

[Casondra Mackeller-Stille · Rating 2 out of 5]

The interviews with the police were so cringe and almost made me stop reading it all together. Sad story, but horrible horrible police interrigations!!

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent true crime book about serial killer Hadden Clark. I wish that the author had been able to give more background on Hadden’s upbringing because that may have helped me understand why his entire family was so messed up. He was not the only killer in the family which seems odd since he had lots of economic advantages which included the best of educational opportunities. It seems that his life spun out of control early in his childhood and neither parent attempted to get him help. Perhaps he was simply born evil but I couldn’t tell from this book.

[Sydney Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I've lived in Maryland almost 7 years and as a true crime fanatic I'm shocked I'd never heard of this guy before. The book is well written and interesting and it's crazy actually knowing the locations of some of these crimes.

I do wish the book went into a bit more detail on some of his other crimes, especially when it drops right at the end that he may be responsible for the Lady of the Dunes murder in Massachusetts, but it was still a fascinating and quick read.

[dilan · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's not interesting at all! Feels like Adrian Havill found a worse way to tell a story of a serial killer. I was expecting more from Hadden. How he committed murders and more details about it. But it was just an unnecessarily detailed background of his background and victims. Throughout the book, there are only two victims that discussed. Since the cover and back says he is a "Serial Killer" I was expecting more about victims and Hadden's words from interviews.

[Patricia Atkinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

hadden irving clark was from Bethesda Maryland he had a split personally Kristin bluefin 37 and the other personally was nichole who was kristens evil daughter... he killed people and ate them his brother brad was very smart and as he got older his life took a turn for the worst and he snapped and he also started killing people.... the book dragged in places and it was easy to lose interest but not a terrible book ...

[Rissa1516 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting, it went into the different lives of the people involved. Of course it looked through Hadden's life and family, but also into his victim's lives and families. This book also only went into detail of two of Hadden's murders, which suprised me, I was expecting more detail on just Hadden. But overall, interesting book.

[Jeannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a fast read, I did have trouble keeping track of everyone at first. It amazes me how someone this troubled and mind you, EVIL, could escape notice by the authorities for so long. It scary to know there are people like this walking around out there in the world!!

[Dale Stonehouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I have gotten hardened to criminal violence, for Hadden Clark just struck me a a pitiful character with no feelings for himself or others. A zombie killer. Perhaps the failure to investigate further his multiple personalities and the roles they played in his urge to kill is what was missing.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

VERY unusual case that makes the police look terrible. Read this one -- there are very few like it out there.

[David Carniglia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good true crime story, well-told and fascinating. This is one of those situations where the whole family, the Clarks (with the exception of Alison), is nuts. Hadden, Brad, and Geoff were more sociopathic than their parents, but here's proof that financial success and education are incidental to behavior, personality, and decency.

Hadden is do narcissistic that he just doesn't bother to comprehend that when he victimizes people that his actions are real, and cause deliberate harm. In not even thinking of the murders here, but the nasty revenge he visits on people whom he's taken advantage of, and can't deal with the consequences. Trashing someone's house because he's been, well, a trashy tenant, is so low and mean-spirited.

His obsessive need to control and dominate people, especially females, leads to the murders of the young woman Laura, and the child Michele. I often wonder how people like Hadden can function in any sense; this guy shows that people in general don't expect to have to worry about being used, so he gets breaks, second chances, the benefit of the doubt, etc.

No doubt that Hadden endured abuse of every kind when growing up, and thereafter. It's hard to say how positive a medical/psychological intervention might've have been. Sadly, there was really nothing consistent in whatever snippets of support he did have. He started acting out his sadistic tendencies early on; probably only removal from that toxic family could've realistically helped him.

That wasn't about to happen, so he just got worse. The fact that Hadden's brothers' behavior differed from his only in degree, not in kind, shows the unusual depth of what in an earlier age might've been called a family curse.

One thing about his trial for Laura's murder that I didn't quite get was his confession. Not the stuff that the cops shook out if him, but when he accepted the 2nd degree plea bargain, and then blurted out his statement ("I killed her by means of suffocation..."). Did he lose that deal automatically because he confessed? Subsequently, he's denied admission to the mental health facility, Patuxent (as opposed to 'regular' prison), as though it were still a possibility, at the discretion of the judge.

Later, though, Hadden turns up at Patuxent anyway. Not that it helps him; the cellmates may have their own motives for snitching on him (regarding his boasting about Michele's murder), but, for all that, they come off looking rather upstanding.

This is a fascinating read; a unique sort of true crime story that's as much an indictment of a sick family than just an individual.

[Leann Waite · Rating 1 out of 5]

There's no other way to say it; this book was terrible. I've never read anything by this author before, but I do read a lot of true crime and this one has to be one of the worst. And it's not that wasn't an extremely interesting story to tell her, there was! But wow this book was so all over the place, overlydetailed when it was completely unnecessary, and yet vague and often silent on the parts of the story that mattered the most! Pages upon pages were used to in detail describe how the detectives and investigators interrogated Hadden (some very amateur techniques used here as well), and yet couldn't spend more than a page or 2 hinting at the possibility of other victims. Multiple insinuations about Haddens alter personalities without ever giving any evidence of these personalities other than someone's opinion! The author did a better job telling the quick story of Haddens brothers crimes than the actual story that the book was supposed to be about! Even the note on the front of the book "a true story of cannibalism" and yet never any sufficient evidence that Hadden every cannibalized anyone!
This is a perfect example of why not every true crime fan can be an author.

[William Engle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but it’s one of those books that serves better as a quick weekend read. When I don’t prioritize books like this and read them voraciously, they end up feeling like a chore. I think it’s just the fact that I need to prioritize reading more. Regardless — not bad at all. Could have used some more of that gross nitty-gritty that a good crime writer isn’t afraid of peppering in, and honestly a little more detail regarding the author’s own correspondence with Hadden Clark would have been fantastic. However, as it stands it’s a fun read that goes down like a good cocktail. You don’t need it, but it sure does make the rest of the courses taste a whole lot better.

[Michael Kollet · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a little slow at time and didn't get into many of the crimes but over all I thought it was worth the read

[Brianna Lober · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and such a captivating read - I couldn't put it down. It was well researched and written in a story-like fashion making it easy to follow and understand.

[Erin D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wild disgusting true story, but the writing is pretty boring.

[Jay Burke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read countless true crime books but this wasn't even in my top 50

[DeAnna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book, but either Havill is a poor writer, or he suffered from poor editors and/or proofreaders.

Aside from the errors in the book, this one was a bit different than the other true crime I have read. While I have no doubt that Hadden I. Clark is in fact guilty of the crimes for which he was convicted, I am left with a sense of injustice, both for Mr. Clark, and for Mr. Truitt, known throughout most of the book as "Jesus," a cellmate of Mr. Clark's at Western Correction Institution in Maryland, where Mr. Truitt remains.

I believe Hadden Clark is guilty, but I also believe he is a person who is severely mentally ill, and perhaps even suffers from some form of intellectual disability. I believe, as the book demonstrates, that he would've been better served in a mental institution over a correctional facility. I do not believe Mr. Clark could be rehabilitated at this point in his life, I do believe that if he had received the proper mental health care, or any mental health care at all for that matter, many of his crimes may have been prevented. Mental illness is certainly no excuse for criminal behavior to the degree of Mr. Clark, but prison is certainly no cure.

Regarding Mr. Truitt, or "Jesus," who is still incarcerated as of the writing of this review, I feel he has been done injustice. He provided the authorities with a lot of information regarding Mr. Clark. Mr. Clark believes that Mr. Truitt is in fact the Christian savior, and therefore trusts him more than perhaps any other person on the earth, and made him want to confess his wrongdoings. Mr. Truitt cooperated with police and prison authorities, reported information to them at the risk of his own safety, and has, in fact, had to spend a long portion of his term in solitary confinement for his own protection, both from Mr. Clark and from the general population of inmates at the facility. Despite his cooperation and helpfulness in the matters regarding Mr. Clark, his probation has been denied repeatedly.

True crime is an interesting genre, and I have found that when reaching the end of a true crime work, the reader is often left with the sense that justice was served, or at least attempted to the best ability of the involved authorities. Not so with this work. The reader is left with a sense of disappointment in the authorities of the state of Maryland. While I don't feel much sympathy for Mr. Clark, he is a murderer after all, I do feel that he didn't receive fair and impartial justice. Mr. Truitt's state of affairs is almost worse, a man who committed a crime, was convicted, and has tried to make amends for that in the only ways he can, by cooperating with authorities regarding Mr. Clark. Mr. Truitt is certainly no saint, he himself took a life, I do feel that he is more deserving of sympathy from the reader, and perhaps also from the Department of Corrections of the state of Maryland, which seems to ignore and discount the ways in which he has assisted authorities over his many years in a correctional institution.

Read for yourself, should you care to, and see what conclusions you come to for yourself.

[Jessica White · Rating 4 out of 5]

**THIS REVIEW HAS BEEN TAKEN DIRECTLY OFF OF MY BLOG A READER'S DIARY**

Hadden Clark was born evil. But don't let the title description fool you, this is not a story of "A real-life Hannibal Lecter." This is a story about Hadden Clark and his misfortunate childhood that led him to split personalities who kill for the fun of it. Supposedly, Hadden has killed around 15 young girls between the ages of 6 and 30. In Born Evil, we watch Hadden's life laid out before us. The abuse from his mother, his wrecked home life, and his time spent in the military. To Hadden, all things fall apart. That one tragic afternoon when Michelle Dorr wandered into Hadden's brother's yard changed everything. Charging Hadden with Michelle's death took much longer than charging him with Laura's death did. Laura and her family employed Hadden and he still ruined their lives.

Honestly, this novel takes place more in the court room and behind closed doors than it does telling the actual details of the crime. Born Evil may not be the fastest paced read, but it is still quite intense.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guy had an interesting family life, and that is what most of the book was about. His brother was a normal, successful businessman that went nuts. He was trying to have an affair with a co-worker, and she changed her mind, and then he just snapped... he killed her and then grilled her body part and ate it. He is in prison for life. But Haden, he was a wimpy little kid that was mistreated by his family, and he killed twice, both for revenge for being treated badly. But he wasn't all "serial killer" and all, but the book gave the impression that we were going to find out about a lot more, but no, it was a buzz-kill. I will trade this in to a used bookstore.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't remember enough about this book to leave an actual review. The only reason I even know I've read it is because I recognize the name of the criminal and some of the things he did, the cannibilism, using parts for bait while fishing, the tour he took the detectives on, etc.
I don't remember it being one of the "best" t.c. books I've ever read but I would say, from memory, that it's worth reading.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting story but as others have pointed out it delves too deep into the lives of his family members and does not focus so much on hadden clark himself.the story line is somewhat disjointed but because the story was interesting i continued to read on. Not a favourite but not altogether bad