Murder In The Heartland

by M. William Phelps

"The most disturbing and moving look at murder in rural America since In Cold Blood." – Gregg Olsen



On a December night in 2004, a 911 operator in Nodaway County, Missouri, received a frantic call from a woman who'd found her pregnant 23-year-old daughter in a pool of blood on the living room floor. Most shocking of all, the dying woman's unborn baby had been viciously ripped from her womb.




"Get ready for some sleepless nights."--Carlton Stowers




Across the border in Melvern, Kansas, Lisa Montgomery showed off a beautiful newborn she proudly claimed as her own. While some shared her excitement, others harbored suspicions. Meanwhile televisions across the nation broadcast the first Amber Alert for an unborn child.




"Phelps is a first-rate investigator." – Dr. Michael M. Baden




Newly updated with the latest surprising developments, Murder in the Heartland goes behind the scenes of two picture-perfect American towns forever changed by one horrifying act of violence. With exclusive access to key witnesses, family members, and potential victims who narrowly escaped a similar gruesome fate, M. William Phelps tells a classic American tale of unthinkable murder and the quest for justice.




Includes 16 Pages Of Shocking Photos




As seen on Dateline and Sixty Minutes




A Featured Alternate of Doubleday Book Club and the Mystery Guild

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Audiobook, True Story, Mystery, Psychology

371 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Crime, murder and serial killer expert, creator/producer/writer and former host of the Investigation Discovery series DARK MINDS, acclaimed, award-winning investigative journalist M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 30 books and winner of the 2013 Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award and the 2008 New England Book Festival Award. A highly sought-after pundit, Phelps has made over 100 media-related television appearances: Early Show, The Today Show, The View, Fox & Friends, truTV, Discovery Channel, Fox News Channel, Good Morning America, TLC, BIO, History, Oxygen, OWN, on top of over 100 additional media appearances: USA Radio Network, Catholic Radio, Mancow, Wall Street Journal Radio, Zac Daniel, Ave Maria Radio, Catholic Channel, EWTN Radio, ABC News Radio, and many more.

Phelps is also a member of the Multidisciplinary Collaborative on Sexual Crime and Violence (MCSCV), also known as the Atypical Homicide Research Group (AHRG) at Northeastern University, maintained by NU alumni Enzo Yaksic.

Phelps is one of the regular and recurring experts frequently appearing on two long-running series, Deadly Women and Snapped. Radio America calls Phelps “the nation’s leading authority on the mind of the female murderer,” and TV Rage says, “M. William Phelps dares to tread where few others will: into the mind of a killer.” A respected journalist, beyond his book writing Phelps has written for numerous publications—including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant—and consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter.

Phelps grew up in East Hartford, CT, moved to Vernon, CT, at age 12, where he lived for 25 years. He now lives in a reclusive Connecticut farming community north of Hartford.

Beyond crime, Phelps has also written several history books, including the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling NATHAN HALE: The Life and Death of America’s First Spy, THE DEVIL’S ROOMING HOUSE, THE DEVIL’S RIGHT HAND, MURDER, NEW ENGLAND, and more.

Reviews

[Misty Marie Harms · Rating 3 out of 5]

December 16th, 2004 Bobbie Jo Stinnett, eight-months-pregnant mother-to-be, had been found bleeding on her family room floor—her unborn baby gone. 150 miles away, in Melvern, Kansas, Lisa Montgomery proudly showed off “her” new baby, duping many while arousing the suspicions of others. I don't know how someone could rip an unborn child from the womb. It just is evil. And that is why she sits on death row as her date with the needle is approaching.

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. I finished this book last night. As someone who did not know anything of this case I really wish true crimes would change the way they build up a story.
Nothing wrong with the writing. As always Matt Phelps is doing a phenomenal job. No my problem is with the way the story is build.
Lately when you read a true crime book, after you read the first few pages you will already know, who was murdered, how, and by who. Why not build this story from the beginning. build a little suspence?
I wanted to know more about Lisa, but only at the end of the book her youth and her marriage comes in to play. But when that happens, you read a little bit about her past, but then he does not continue but after each chapter we were brought back to the now. Very annoying.
Still ended up with a lot of questions but I do think M Phelps did a great job what he was dealt with.Great author. Now I am off to search internet to find out what happened with Lisa.
3.5 out of 5 . 7.5 out of 10

[Joanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing is terrible. Here's an example :
"Faced with the confinement of four walls, barbed wire, and steel toilets, Lisa turned to God and opened her heart to the Lord."

I have heard of people finding religion while imprisoned, and formed my own ideas about why. To think it was those steel toilets.

[Misty Fogg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Compelling story, terrible editing. Stretched out story (450 and this does not even include the trial), over the top "scene setting" and descriptions (calling a federal building akin to a 5 star hotel on the Las Vegas strip and taking a paragraph to do so is laughable), and many glaring mistakes like using form instead of from. Then this version had an updated section where he is calling out his haters. Like literally mentioning an Amazon reviewer and how he is sure she came to his book signing. So weird.

[Larry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I was pretty disappointed in this book. The jacket had all the usual praise for the author, yet I found it read like it was written quickly, and spent too much time on superficial things, rather than take the chance to go in depth on things like legal issues, medical issues, etc.

The beginning part is basically a timeline leading to the crime itself, then at the end, the author turns to a back and forth in time from Lisa's youth to her early marriages, to the aftermath leading to the trial.

No one in this book comes off very sympathetic except for, of course the victims, one of Lisa's daughters (who coincidentally, is the one that cooperated the most with the author, and who he goes out of his way to praise in the acknowledgments) and the sheriff in charge of the local investigation.

Save your time, get on line and read some of the news articles, they have all the same facts without the agenda.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good read about one of the sickest crimes ever. The author breaks a large, complex story into bite-sized pieces so it worked out to be a quick read despite the thickness of the book. I was a little thrown by the photo section, which had a single, blurry snapshot of one of the victims, then 2 of a survivor of the crime followed by 13 -- count 'em, 13 -- photos of the criminal as if she were the most fascinating creature alive. I wish the book had included the outcome of the proposed changes to the law resukting from this nightmare scenario but you can't have everything. Well written by today's standards. I recommend this one.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't the first book I'd read about woman attacking and stealing a pregnant womans baby and while they all are absolutely horrible- this really scared me. What this nutcase did to this woman and how she left her for dead and then paraded the baby around as her newborn leaves me without words. Phelps is an amazing t.c. writer and he really brings this story out in my opinion. I'm just glad the police found this little baby before this nut could do any more damage.

[Tabitha Rohm · Rating 5 out of 5]

As you know, I love M. William Phelps anyways ... but, I did thoroughly enjoy this book of his. The way he gets deep into his victims and suspects minds and their lives just astounds me. It is almost like being there.

This was one cruel woman. I don't think she ever for a moment realized the pain that she was inflicting on others around her ... the pain she put her kids through, her parents through, and especially her husbands. There are some of us out here that would give anything to have a husband to devote all our time and love to and then you have men that give it all up for a woman like this. I just sit and shake my head at the way the world works in such mysterious ways.

[Read With Chey · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sad, sad story.

I thought the POV of this book was interesting because it felt very centered on Lisa’s children and the way they saw their mother and were coping with everything. As is typical with true crime books, there was WAY more focus on the perpetrator rather than the victim, but I think it was in part to protect the baby and her father. It didn’t feel sensationalized, it just felt like a real account.

Overall I enjoyed this as an audiobook and thought the story was both harrowing and very interesting. While I appreciated that it was written so soon after the actual crime, I would have been interested to know the author and family’s take on Lisa getting the death penalty and ultimately getting executed.

[Sadie · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my favorite authors but I hate when a book comes out before the trial, but shame on me for not looking into that first. In any event it’s a heartbreaking story and told the way Phelps always tells a true crime story, like he’s hanging out in your living room and telling you what happened.

[Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of back and forth between perspectives. I felt like this could have flowed better.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written book about a heinous crime

[Alana Cooksley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t really care to know all of the details this went into. Kind of boring

[Nancy Schalk · Rating 3 out of 5]

An absolutely horrible true story of a heinous murder. The book reads like a Dateline story from television.
The author does a good job of relating the incident and the people involved. I rated it low because of the horror of it all.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping, Harrowing, and Well-Researched

Murder in the Heartland is a deeply unsettling yet compelling true crime account of one of the most horrifying cases in recent history. M. William Phelps masterfully breaks down this complex and gruesome crime into digestible sections, making for a surprisingly quick read despite the book’s length. His attention to detail and ability to present the facts in a straightforward, non-sensationalized way makes this book stand out in the true crime genre.

The crime itself is almost too disturbing to comprehend—Lisa Montgomery’s actions are beyond horrific, and the brutality of what she did to her victim left me shaken. Phelps does an excellent job of capturing not just the crime but also its devastating impact on the families involved. The perspective focusing on Lisa’s children and their understanding of their mother was particularly interesting and added a unique depth to the narrative.

As is often the case with true crime books, there was more emphasis on the perpetrator than the victim, which can be frustrating. While I understand the reasoning behind this approach—especially considering the need to protect the baby and her father—the balance still felt a bit off at times. Additionally, the photo section was disappointing, featuring an overwhelming number of images of Montgomery rather than the victims, which felt unnecessary.

One aspect I would have loved to see explored further was the aftermath of the case, particularly the legal changes that were proposed in response to this tragedy. It would have also been interesting to get the author and family’s thoughts on Lisa Montgomery’s sentencing and eventual execution. That said, I appreciated Phelps’ thorough research and his ability to present the story with empathy and integrity.

This is not a book for the faint of heart—some of the details are incredibly graphic and disturbing. However, for true crime readers who can handle the subject matter, it’s a well-written, insightful, and thought-provoking account of a truly horrifying crime. Phelps continues to prove why he’s one of the best in the genre, and despite some minor drawbacks, this is a book I’d definitely recommend.

[CiderandRedRot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes a good true crime book takes an horrific event as a jumping off point to explore society, grief, the nature of humanity...this book doesn't do that. It's a pretty straightforward recap of the supremely nasty and pointless murder of Bobbie Jo Stinnett, much like a Wikipedia or Crime Library entry but with more background research. Murder is a senseless event but, despite the headline grabbing nature of Lisa Montgomery's crime, this story is firmly rooted in bland middle America, which should make it all the more disturbing but instead just ends up being rather, well, dull.

The book was published as the trial was unfolding; as a result, it doesn't reach a decisive end with Montgomery's sentencing, instead just trailing off as we start to get a grip on her character. Montgomery is shown as having an established pattern of manipulation and lying, rooted in her dysfunctional upbringing, but - perhaps due to the premature publication date - Phelps never seems to get a grasp on the reasons behind why she did what she did. It's apparent that much of what Phelps learned about Lisa came via her ex-husband Carl Boman (who presumably also controlled access to their children) and her mother Judy Shaughnessy, and a better book would have taken a more objective take on their recollection of events.

Similarly, although anyone with a heart would feel for Stinnett and her family, she never emerges from the page as a fully-developed person, instead limited by the grieving community's version of her as a good, wholesome mid-western gal.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

From back cover:

"On a December night in 2004, a 911 operator in Nodaway County, Missouri, received a frantic call from a woman who'd found her pregnant 23-year-old daughter in a pool of blood on the living room floor. Most shocking of all, the dying woman's unborn baby had been viciously ripped from her womb.

Across the border in Melvern, Kansas, Lisa Montgomery showed off a beautiful newborn she proudly claimed as her own. While some shared her excitement, others harbored suspicions. Meanwhile televisions across the nation broadcast the first Amber Alert for an unborn child.

Newly updated with the latest surprising developments, 'Murder in the Heartland' goes behind the scenes of two picture-perfect American towns forever changed by one horrifying act of violence. With exclusive access to key witnesses, family members, and potential victims who narrowly escaped a similar gruesome fate, M. william Phelps tells a classic American tale of unthinkable murder and the quest for justice."

[dejah_thoris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good recounting of a horrific crime written shortly after the case broke but before the final verdict. Short chapters make for easy audio or regular reading. My only complaint is that midway through the book Phelps starts switching back to Lisa Montgomery's upbringing and then back to the trial in alternating chapters. At first this was very confusing because there are few people that overlap both periods of her life, so I almost thought I had two audiobooks! After coping with it for awhile, I wondered why Phelps didn't just describe her life from the beginning instead of trying to add background information during the trial by presenting a second narrative from her first husband. (Probably because the insane crime is a better lead.) Or if we needed that information in his voice, why not make it one continuous section instead of cutting it up? Overall, a good true crime read, just pay attention for that shift.

[Tanya T]

A good book. Well written. Yes, a bit disappointing that more was not said about Bobbie's life and what her family and friends have gone thru since her murder. Not really the author's fault as he states in an interview i read in a magazine for the review of this book. He said Bobbie's family wanted privacy and did not want to give the Author very much info about her life and the aftermath of her death. He decided to respect their wishes, this author also said he was going to issue an updated book after the trial was over. I have not heard anything further on Lisa Montgomery's trial. Though i enjoyed the book, i don't think Lisa Montgomery deserved so much of her story being told , Bobbie's life should have been more in the spotlight!

[Katherine Tomlinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anyone who read or saw reports of this heinous crime in 2004 was fascinated by it. The primal urges behind the crime, the deranged-looking killer (the author carefully refers to her as the “alleged murderer,” but since she gave a four-page confession, and was found with the baby in her possession, it doesn’t seem likely there was another perp), all these elements combine for a human horror show. So Phelps’ book should have been riveting. It’s not.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book I read by M. William Phelps and I became a fan of his. Lisa Montgomerry had to be born with a deranged animalistic mentality to murder Ms. Stinnet and then remove her unborn baby in a beastly manner. I praise the Skidmore law enforcement officials on their actions taken to go all the way to Melvern Ks to rescue and save the baby. A tragic story written into a good book. Mr. Phelps style of writing kept me glued til I finished reading the book.

[Lennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In December of 2004, pregnant Bobbie Jo Stinnett was murdered by Lisa Montgomery who then took her unborn baby from her womb. Lisa later showed off the baby as her own. Of all the true crime stories that I have read, this was probably the most horrifying because it shows you how far someone would go to have a baby. If you like Ann Rule, then I think you'll enjoy this book.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phelps is a good writer in this genre; I've seen a reviewer mention that the story focuses too intently on Lisa's ex-husband, but he is the author's principal source of information, without whom he could never have written the book.

[Kristy Neville · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually like true crime books... I was not impressed with the writing in this book. I felt like we were jumping back and forth constantly and I was confused at times. It was ok but I'm not sure I would recommend it.

[Laurie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found the writing to be rather poor in my opinion... To be honest I always tend to feel that way after I've read a book by Phelps. There's something about the "flow" of his writing that just seems off, and he seems to contradict himself a lot. Just my opinion!

[Kathleen Marie]

I have been reading True Crime books the past 8 months and love them.. The autor Ann Rule is the best one so far.. M. William Phelps is next in line.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hard book to read because it wasn't very interesting but I didn't want to abandon it either. This woman was bat shit crazy!

[Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

In case you were wondering how I really feel, this book seriously SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so dry and the author jumped around so much. That is time I will never get back.

[Eva Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story, love your books

[Lenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent true life crime story. Woman who wants baby strangles a pregnant woman and cuts hers out and steals it.