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Scrapped: Justice and a Teen Informant
"Scrapped captures the barren roads and fallow fields of Oswego County the way Capote captured Finney County, Kansas in In Cold Blood." –Tom Barbash, New York Times bestselling author of The Dakota Winters
Criminal defense lawyer Lisa Peebles was taken aback by a secretly recorded phone call and police interrogation video that surfaced in a 20-year-old kidnapping case. They held the stench of a cover-up. She recruited an investigative reporter to help unearth the truth and exonerate Gary Thibodeau, the man convicted in the 1994 kidnapping and murder of 18-year-old Heidi Allen.
Justice and a Teen Informant exposes the underbelly of a system built more for finality than justice. It's the true story of Peebles' pursuit of new evidence against three new suspects and her discovery that Heidi had lived a double convenience store cashier and undercover informant. The sheriff's office hid the truth after her death as the real killers roamed free. Peebles became a de facto prosecutor to prove their guilt and Gary's innocence. As Heidi's family stood by the sheriff, her remains were likely secreted right under their noses - probably inside a scrapped van and shipped to a car shredder in Canada.
Criminal defense lawyer Lisa Peebles was taken aback by a secretly recorded phone call and police interrogation video that surfaced in a 20-year-old kidnapping case. They held the stench of a cover-up. She recruited an investigative reporter to help unearth the truth and exonerate Gary Thibodeau, the man convicted in the 1994 kidnapping and murder of 18-year-old Heidi Allen.
Justice and a Teen Informant exposes the underbelly of a system built more for finality than justice. It's the true story of Peebles' pursuit of new evidence against three new suspects and her discovery that Heidi had lived a double convenience store cashier and undercover informant. The sheriff's office hid the truth after her death as the real killers roamed free. Peebles became a de facto prosecutor to prove their guilt and Gary's innocence. As Heidi's family stood by the sheriff, her remains were likely secreted right under their noses - probably inside a scrapped van and shipped to a car shredder in Canada.
487 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 29, 2021
143 people are currently reading
1497 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
April 13, 2022
What a twisted story this was. Crazy true crime and “justice”. A very good read for those interested in the criminal justice system in all its glory. These stories always surprise me, but then again not really. They are scary to imagine really happening, but they do and seem to be not nearly as rare as we hoped they were. This is a sad comment on things regarding the wrongful conviction of a man, and the pain for both his family and the victim’s. It was a bit long with some repetitive areas. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 5, 2021
So sad...
I would recommend this book to everyone. It was well written. I honestly couldn't put it down. It makes me sad to think Gary passed away for something he never did. I am so very happy to have moved out of that county. Lisa and John did an amazing job for Gary. Even if the outcome was not what we all wanted it definitely was not time wasted. Be proud of yourselves.
I would recommend this book to everyone. It was well written. I honestly couldn't put it down. It makes me sad to think Gary passed away for something he never did. I am so very happy to have moved out of that county. Lisa and John did an amazing job for Gary. Even if the outcome was not what we all wanted it definitely was not time wasted. Be proud of yourselves.
January 28, 2024
As a native Syracusan, I'd always admired O'Brien's work in the local newspaper; and as a court reporter, I had a front-row seat witnessing the dedication and top-notch legal representation and advocacy by Peebles and the Federal Defenders office. So I'm not surprised they did a great job with this book. It's a tragic story, and a frustrating one. I will never forget the Heidi Allen case, and the Thibodeau brothers. We all bought into the story told by law enforcement and believed these guys were guilty right from the start. But as we've all learned (haven't we?), things aren't always what they seem, and many in law enforcement have blinders on once they've decided they know who's guilty. Truly heroic efforts by Peebles and her team. Maybe someday the truth will out.
September 17, 2021
Review
Just WOW! I had to stop reading a few times, I was so angry with the court, judges, DA. What the brothers and especially Gary went through is a travesty! Oakes should have been tried for all of his efforts to keep Gary in prison till his dying day!
Just WOW! I had to stop reading a few times, I was so angry with the court, judges, DA. What the brothers and especially Gary went through is a travesty! Oakes should have been tried for all of his efforts to keep Gary in prison till his dying day!
April 10, 2024
What. The. Hell. I don’t even want to get pulled over in this county anymore. I have so much respect for those seeking the truth even when it’s dangerous. What a heart breaking and enraging account of our justice system, local and otherwise. The last chapter gives a detailed account of what the evidence says happened to Heidi. It gives me chills thinking of how many times I passed the “where’s Heidi” billboard, and all the places mentioned in this book.
October 29, 2021
I think I may be losing my enthusiasm for true crime stories. I read the first few chapters but found them such slow moving and too chock full of details. I skimmed a few more chapters and skipped many pages, particularly relating to the first trial and the wrongful conviction of an innocent man - another examples of police and investigators getting fixated on getting a 'result'. As a consequence, all other avenues of exploration of (conflicting) evidence were ignored. And so a man who was in no way responsible for the crime was imprisoned and allowed to remain there until his death by those who had decided to get away with murder.
Fast forward and the case is reopened due to a sequence of circumstances instigated by an event - the testimony of a prison guard who was certain the now dying man who'd been inside for 25 years was innocent. Sadly, once again I found the ensuing chapters laborious and again too full of details, particularly description of conversations - both covertly recorded and openly detailed - word for word. More skimming and skipping of chunks of text. Jumping to the final chapter gave me the result. As did the epilogue. The real perpetrators were nabbed. The whereabouts of the victim were confirmed although her remains were long gone. Justice was served for Heidi.
Maybe the book will appeal to those who avidly devour true crime works written in lavish detail. I used to enjoy these stories. Maybe it was because there was so much detail in this book that I became bored by the minutiae. It wasn't a terrible book. Just not my cuppa tea.
Fast forward and the case is reopened due to a sequence of circumstances instigated by an event - the testimony of a prison guard who was certain the now dying man who'd been inside for 25 years was innocent. Sadly, once again I found the ensuing chapters laborious and again too full of details, particularly description of conversations - both covertly recorded and openly detailed - word for word. More skimming and skipping of chunks of text. Jumping to the final chapter gave me the result. As did the epilogue. The real perpetrators were nabbed. The whereabouts of the victim were confirmed although her remains were long gone. Justice was served for Heidi.
Maybe the book will appeal to those who avidly devour true crime works written in lavish detail. I used to enjoy these stories. Maybe it was because there was so much detail in this book that I became bored by the minutiae. It wasn't a terrible book. Just not my cuppa tea.
September 4, 2023
Before my review... A lot of other reviews here have the complaint that there is "too much information". I think that complaint is beyond asinine.
Scrapped took me a lot of time to complete. Often I had to put it down, sickened and angered. I needed to take a lot of breaks to stomach everything. And I spent the last three chapters (and the epilogue) in tears. This is a tough, but necessary read.
This book is the only thing we have that is willing to tell the truth. I grew up in this town, I live and work here now; and everyone has always known the truth. We will never forgive or forget the grave injustice our Sheriff's Office, DA, and court selfishly caused. I truly believe that they caused the unnecessary suffering and death of not only Heidi and Gary; but of the victims of the 2010 double murder. They let three murderers with lengthly criminal backgrounds go free. We can only hope one day they choose justice over protecting bad choices. Poor Heidi's case, both then and now, reminds us that in this county, the worst people will be protected by the people who should be protecting the innocent. I hope that one day Oswego County will have more than just its citizens and this book telling the truth regarding what happened to Heidi Allen.
Scrapped took me a lot of time to complete. Often I had to put it down, sickened and angered. I needed to take a lot of breaks to stomach everything. And I spent the last three chapters (and the epilogue) in tears. This is a tough, but necessary read.
This book is the only thing we have that is willing to tell the truth. I grew up in this town, I live and work here now; and everyone has always known the truth. We will never forgive or forget the grave injustice our Sheriff's Office, DA, and court selfishly caused. I truly believe that they caused the unnecessary suffering and death of not only Heidi and Gary; but of the victims of the 2010 double murder. They let three murderers with lengthly criminal backgrounds go free. We can only hope one day they choose justice over protecting bad choices. Poor Heidi's case, both then and now, reminds us that in this county, the worst people will be protected by the people who should be protecting the innocent. I hope that one day Oswego County will have more than just its citizens and this book telling the truth regarding what happened to Heidi Allen.
October 20, 2021
TOO LONG
This story did not have to be this long. It took me forever to read it. It lost my interest so many times, and was so repetitive, I felt I was reading it over and over. This being a true story about proving the innocence of a man with obvious evidence of the guilt of at least 3 men, and a judge who was one-sided, made for a very disappointing turnout. I don't have much faith in the justice system.
This story did not have to be this long. It took me forever to read it. It lost my interest so many times, and was so repetitive, I felt I was reading it over and over. This being a true story about proving the innocence of a man with obvious evidence of the guilt of at least 3 men, and a judge who was one-sided, made for a very disappointing turnout. I don't have much faith in the justice system.
October 24, 2022
Wow! This is a remarkable expose of deep state corruption and incompetence. It is not rare. It is unbelievable how officials get away with it. I'm originally from Syracuse but had moved away long before this case so I had never heard of it. I was aware of local corruption as a young person. Sad. This is very well told so that all the threads come together and make sense.
May 21, 2024
A good read for something that happened so close to home
July 19, 2022
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
Warning, reading this book is likely to raise your hackles and ignite your ire.
In 1994, convenience store clerk, 18 year old Heidi Allen, was kidnapped from the store (she was working alone at the time). Her body has never been found.
When local man Gary Thibodeau heard about Heidi's disappearance from the store, he went directly to the police to see if he could be of any help. He knew he had been in the store and purchased something from Heidi shortly before she disappeared. Little did Thibodeau realize what would happen next.
Through circumstantial evidence, a failed justice system, and law enforcement and local judicial personnel who may have a stake in getting this resolved quickly, Gary Thibodeau and his brother are charged with kidnapping and murder. Gary's brother is acquitted for lack of any real evidence. Gary, however, with the same evidence, is found guilty and sent to prison.
Twenty years later, criminal defense attorney Lisa Peebles hears about his case and the more she looks into it the more it looks like Thibodeau was railroaded. The prosecution's withholding of crucial evidence that might exonerate him, the lack of evidence against him alone should be enough to get a new trial. It was never mentioned, for instance, that Heidi had been a police informant and an officer accidently left her name and 'informant' note on a piece of paper outside the store where she worked.
Peebles enlists the help of an investigative reporter to do some digging, uncovering evidence (20 years after the fact!) that the police claim did not exist, including the likely whereabouts of Heidi's remains.
But what seems like it should be a slam-dunk for the defense is an uphill battle just to get a new trial. Meanwhile, Thibodeaux, presented here with compelling evidence to prove he's innocent, is slowly dying in a prison hospital ward.
This book is like a car wreck - you can't help but want to see what is happening, even though it disgusts you.
Peebles and O'Brien make a very strong case on behalf of Thibodeaux, and stronger still against those who have maliciously withheld evidence or not investigated properly or have denied Thibodeau his rights. Still, we have to remember that this story is being told from Peebles' point of view, and as a lawyer, she's used to arguing strongly to make her client appear innocent. Could so many courts continually have it in for Thibodeau?
I know how I feel after reading this ... exhausted and angry. It makes me want to stand up and say something, or do something to right a wrong. But how? What can someone like me do? That's a big part of the frustration. Gary Thibodeau struggles to be heard in legal court, but thanks to this book, he'll prevail in the court of popular opinion.
Looking for a good book? Scrapped: Justice and a Teen Informant by Lisa Peebles & John O'Brien is a thorough, in-depth look at the struggles of our legal system just to have an innocent man get a new trial even after the prosecution admits to having withheld evidence. It's frustrating and activist-instigating.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
Warning, reading this book is likely to raise your hackles and ignite your ire.
In 1994, convenience store clerk, 18 year old Heidi Allen, was kidnapped from the store (she was working alone at the time). Her body has never been found.
When local man Gary Thibodeau heard about Heidi's disappearance from the store, he went directly to the police to see if he could be of any help. He knew he had been in the store and purchased something from Heidi shortly before she disappeared. Little did Thibodeau realize what would happen next.
Through circumstantial evidence, a failed justice system, and law enforcement and local judicial personnel who may have a stake in getting this resolved quickly, Gary Thibodeau and his brother are charged with kidnapping and murder. Gary's brother is acquitted for lack of any real evidence. Gary, however, with the same evidence, is found guilty and sent to prison.
Twenty years later, criminal defense attorney Lisa Peebles hears about his case and the more she looks into it the more it looks like Thibodeau was railroaded. The prosecution's withholding of crucial evidence that might exonerate him, the lack of evidence against him alone should be enough to get a new trial. It was never mentioned, for instance, that Heidi had been a police informant and an officer accidently left her name and 'informant' note on a piece of paper outside the store where she worked.
Peebles enlists the help of an investigative reporter to do some digging, uncovering evidence (20 years after the fact!) that the police claim did not exist, including the likely whereabouts of Heidi's remains.
But what seems like it should be a slam-dunk for the defense is an uphill battle just to get a new trial. Meanwhile, Thibodeaux, presented here with compelling evidence to prove he's innocent, is slowly dying in a prison hospital ward.
This book is like a car wreck - you can't help but want to see what is happening, even though it disgusts you.
Peebles and O'Brien make a very strong case on behalf of Thibodeaux, and stronger still against those who have maliciously withheld evidence or not investigated properly or have denied Thibodeau his rights. Still, we have to remember that this story is being told from Peebles' point of view, and as a lawyer, she's used to arguing strongly to make her client appear innocent. Could so many courts continually have it in for Thibodeau?
I know how I feel after reading this ... exhausted and angry. It makes me want to stand up and say something, or do something to right a wrong. But how? What can someone like me do? That's a big part of the frustration. Gary Thibodeau struggles to be heard in legal court, but thanks to this book, he'll prevail in the court of popular opinion.
Looking for a good book? Scrapped: Justice and a Teen Informant by Lisa Peebles & John O'Brien is a thorough, in-depth look at the struggles of our legal system just to have an innocent man get a new trial even after the prosecution admits to having withheld evidence. It's frustrating and activist-instigating.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
March 30, 2022
I've always been drawn to wrongful conviction stories. There's just something about the idea of an innocent person wasting away in prison for something they didn't do. Wrongful convictions happen for a variety of reasons. Coerced confessions, false testimony, mistaken eyewitness accounts, prosecutorial misconduct, and poor police work are just a few reasons. But, no matter the reason, it is a long and challenging process to correct the error once a wrongful conviction occurs.
One of the biggest obstacles in fighting wrongful convictions is the obstruction from those who made the original errors. They make motions denying DNA testing. They claim that new witnesses who come forward with new information are not credible. Appeals courts seldom reverse lower court decisions. No one wants to admit an error. No one wants to be the guy who lets a guilty person go free. It's an uphill battle with few successes.
The story told in the book Scrapped is about the wrongful conviction of Gary Thibodeau. Gary and his brother Dick Thibodeau were charged with the kidnapping and murder of eighteen-year-old Heidi Allen. Dick Thibodeau made one of the last purchases at a convenience store where the victim worked. Witnesses claimed to have seen Heidi being dragged into a light blue or white van. Dick Thibodeau owned a white van. Witness accounts were that two or more people were involved in the kidnapping.
Both Dick and Gary would ultimately be arrested and put on trial for the kidnapping and murder of Heidi Allen. Dick was acquitted. Gary was not. Prosecutors used the same shaky evidence in both trials. The one difference was that Gary had had some minor run-ins with the law.
That's the setup. The remainder of the book concerns the efforts of the two authors, Lisa Peebles and John O'Brien, to learn the truth and hopefully free an innocent man.
For Gary to go free, one of three things had to occur. First, the authors could locate Heidi's remains and prove that the people they believe committed the murders were guilty. Secondly, they could interview new witnesses who could point to the real perpetrators. And lastly, they could show that the original investigators made substantive errors and hid evidence from the defense. The authors did all three.
One thing you hear a lot from detectives and prosecutors when confronted with the possibility that they may have convicted the wrong person is, "well, the jury thought we got it right." In this case, their answer was they got it right in Gary's case and blew it in Dick's trial.
I won't give away the ending. You can decide on your own whether or not the police, prosecutors, and jury got it right.
One of the biggest obstacles in fighting wrongful convictions is the obstruction from those who made the original errors. They make motions denying DNA testing. They claim that new witnesses who come forward with new information are not credible. Appeals courts seldom reverse lower court decisions. No one wants to admit an error. No one wants to be the guy who lets a guilty person go free. It's an uphill battle with few successes.
The story told in the book Scrapped is about the wrongful conviction of Gary Thibodeau. Gary and his brother Dick Thibodeau were charged with the kidnapping and murder of eighteen-year-old Heidi Allen. Dick Thibodeau made one of the last purchases at a convenience store where the victim worked. Witnesses claimed to have seen Heidi being dragged into a light blue or white van. Dick Thibodeau owned a white van. Witness accounts were that two or more people were involved in the kidnapping.
Both Dick and Gary would ultimately be arrested and put on trial for the kidnapping and murder of Heidi Allen. Dick was acquitted. Gary was not. Prosecutors used the same shaky evidence in both trials. The one difference was that Gary had had some minor run-ins with the law.
That's the setup. The remainder of the book concerns the efforts of the two authors, Lisa Peebles and John O'Brien, to learn the truth and hopefully free an innocent man.
For Gary to go free, one of three things had to occur. First, the authors could locate Heidi's remains and prove that the people they believe committed the murders were guilty. Secondly, they could interview new witnesses who could point to the real perpetrators. And lastly, they could show that the original investigators made substantive errors and hid evidence from the defense. The authors did all three.
One thing you hear a lot from detectives and prosecutors when confronted with the possibility that they may have convicted the wrong person is, "well, the jury thought we got it right." In this case, their answer was they got it right in Gary's case and blew it in Dick's trial.
I won't give away the ending. You can decide on your own whether or not the police, prosecutors, and jury got it right.
November 3, 2023
2 victims, 1 murder
It's rare for me to get so caught up in a book, that I stay up all night reading, but I couldn't put down this intense and well written book. I don't want to give any spoiler alerts, so I'm keeping it brief. So many people beyond the actual murders bare some responsibility for Heidi Allen's death, including IMO her own family. The ineptitude, and possible cover up that followed is outrageous. One last note, it's heartbreaking to me that people are so reluctant to do something, anything in a situation like what happened that Easter morning. Two separate people could have possibly saved her life., but they never even called the police. It haunts them to this day; it should.
It's rare for me to get so caught up in a book, that I stay up all night reading, but I couldn't put down this intense and well written book. I don't want to give any spoiler alerts, so I'm keeping it brief. So many people beyond the actual murders bare some responsibility for Heidi Allen's death, including IMO her own family. The ineptitude, and possible cover up that followed is outrageous. One last note, it's heartbreaking to me that people are so reluctant to do something, anything in a situation like what happened that Easter morning. Two separate people could have possibly saved her life., but they never even called the police. It haunts them to this day; it should.
January 9, 2022
Lisa Peebles was definitely relentless in her quest to prove Gary’s innocence. Had all of the players not gotten away with covering up, ignoring or simply lying about relevant evidence there could have been a chance for justice.
Unbelievable
Oswego county - has hit the high meter for corruption and the good ol boy’s club mentality.
Basic fact is even if Peebles couldn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt her suspects were guilty - a jury never heard any evidence to decide. Prosecutors had no evidence and just made up the story to get it over with and a man possibly ( probably) innocent never had a chance. Hope they all sleep well at night now
Unbelievable
Oswego county - has hit the high meter for corruption and the good ol boy’s club mentality.
Basic fact is even if Peebles couldn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt her suspects were guilty - a jury never heard any evidence to decide. Prosecutors had no evidence and just made up the story to get it over with and a man possibly ( probably) innocent never had a chance. Hope they all sleep well at night now
October 15, 2021
Riveting account of the murder of a teenage confidential informant for the police. Two brothers were arrested although there wasn't a shred of evidence against them. One was convicted of her murder and died in prison. He was innocent. An attorney did everything she could to get his conviction overturned but no success. It is heartbreaking to think that an innocent man spent years in prison and died there without ever being released. The worst part is that the murderers haven't been charged. Police corruption is a cancer that needs to be surgically removed.
March 2, 2022
This is a brilliant read! Right out of the pages of history. This is a look at our world of law enforcement - even for those readers out there who may not want to look. I was captivated by this novel. It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention. This novel is well researched and documented. The facts are out there, and we all need to take a look at it. Take a look and you will want to take a second look at things that you might just accept as fact. I highly recommend this novel.
April 29, 2022
This story was incredible...
And heartbreaking to read. I loved that this book focussed on how they were trying to right a wrongful conviction. I found myself getting so upset and frustrated with the research that seemed to obviously prove that Gary was innocent.
I loved the alternating chapter perspectives. This is an incredibly well written and detailed account of this appeal process.
If you love true crime, you need to read this book. This story is tragic with a young women going missing and never being found and man spending years in prison for something he did not do.
And heartbreaking to read. I loved that this book focussed on how they were trying to right a wrongful conviction. I found myself getting so upset and frustrated with the research that seemed to obviously prove that Gary was innocent.
I loved the alternating chapter perspectives. This is an incredibly well written and detailed account of this appeal process.
If you love true crime, you need to read this book. This story is tragic with a young women going missing and never being found and man spending years in prison for something he did not do.
May 14, 2023
Engaging
I am a fan of true crime and read it pretty often. This is one of the better books I've read recently. Normally, it is a mistake for authors to write themselves into the story. In this case, I thought the authors did a reasonable job of providing their perspective without making themselves the subjects of the story. It was a bit tedious when the authors each described the same mundane occurrence, but fortunately, that was not frequent. This was also one of the best edited books I've read in some time.
I am a fan of true crime and read it pretty often. This is one of the better books I've read recently. Normally, it is a mistake for authors to write themselves into the story. In this case, I thought the authors did a reasonable job of providing their perspective without making themselves the subjects of the story. It was a bit tedious when the authors each described the same mundane occurrence, but fortunately, that was not frequent. This was also one of the best edited books I've read in some time.
October 1, 2023
I sometimes read true crime stories out of curiosity and in hopes the guilty party will be brought to justice. I certainly don't think that happened in this story and I find it incredible that the man convicted of this kidnapping and supposed murder was ever convicted in the first place. That's my take on the story and ending. In regard to the book and author's writing style, it was not my favorite. There was much repetitive and unnecessary back story to some of the people that it sometimes became confusing and hard to follow. If it's not pertinent, leave it out.
October 12, 2022
Having just moved into Oswego County, this book is disturbing on so many levels. One would think that in this country, where we claim to be better than other countries, that every allowance would be made to allow for a fair trial; that every opportunity to show that the right person was convicted would be allowed. This was not the case for Gary Thibodeau. I just can't believe how this all played out, and now there is no way to know the whole story. Sad, just sad.
October 13, 2022
They say it can't happen now a days
This book is a must read for anyone who thinks an innocent person cannot be found guilty now a days. It boggles my mind that there are police and DAs out there that are more concerned with winning than finding out the truth, but unfortunately they are out there. It also bothered me that the innocence project refused to get involved because there wasn't any DNA.
This book is a must read for anyone who thinks an innocent person cannot be found guilty now a days. It boggles my mind that there are police and DAs out there that are more concerned with winning than finding out the truth, but unfortunately they are out there. It also bothered me that the innocence project refused to get involved because there wasn't any DNA.
July 11, 2023
A personal account of a sad case that illustrates how our justice system favors the initial decision rather than justice. How it will do everything possible to avoid admitting that any mistake was made. Had read (and presented about to students) the Heidi Allen case for years, and it was good to get the inside scoop from the public defender and the investigative reporter who tried to get the system to do the right thing.
February 19, 2022
What a terrific and heartbreaking story about how the law and judicial system completely accused and tried a man against all of the evidence pointing to a different person. It was horrifying to read what happened and what the individual went through. This is a great true crime novel.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 21, 2024
No Justice for Gary the Innocent!
It was a little hard in parts to read bc I don’t understand all the legal jargon but very interesting. Such a sad and heartbreaking ending for Gary. If anyone ever cared it was Lisa Peebles who fought for his release! Amazing what she had to go through when it seemed so clear he was not involved!
It was a little hard in parts to read bc I don’t understand all the legal jargon but very interesting. Such a sad and heartbreaking ending for Gary. If anyone ever cared it was Lisa Peebles who fought for his release! Amazing what she had to go through when it seemed so clear he was not involved!
December 18, 2024
This book was personal to me because it happened very close to home when I was a kid. It was mind blowing to me how corrupt the sheriffs and others involved were, and how little they cared about the truth. An innocent man paid the price for this and justice still hasn’t been served to the guilty parties.
September 17, 2021
Very detailed review
This book held me spellbound for hours. If it were not true, it would not be believable. Courage and determination against a brick wall. But I won't say which wins.
This book held me spellbound for hours. If it were not true, it would not be believable. Courage and determination against a brick wall. But I won't say which wins.
November 28, 2021
Innocent till proven guilty
Innocent man and family suffered due to incompetence of police and prosecutor. Not only a kidnapped victim but also an innocent man . a lot of injured people in this
Innocent man and family suffered due to incompetence of police and prosecutor. Not only a kidnapped victim but also an innocent man . a lot of injured people in this
February 20, 2022
Was it justice or unjustice for a man the system seem guilty. Even with all the details pointing another way still does not help. Years later when this case reopened justice will prevail. To bad the one found guilty can’t truly walk free. Yet the one/s who did this horrible crime roamed free.
March 1, 2022
I received an ARC of, Scrapped, by Lisa Peebles & John O'brien. This is a sad story, nobody is a winner in this story. I would of liked more information about Heidi, the real victim, whos body was never found.
February 21, 2023
Scrapped
Excellent story told through the eyes of a newspaper reporter and a lawyer determined to bring justice to a man wrongly imprisoned for a kidnapping and murder of a teenage girl. The corruption and perjury of small town America is hard to believe.
A real page turner.
Excellent story told through the eyes of a newspaper reporter and a lawyer determined to bring justice to a man wrongly imprisoned for a kidnapping and murder of a teenage girl. The corruption and perjury of small town America is hard to believe.
A real page turner.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews