Deep in the Woods: The 1935 Kidnapping of Nine-Year-Old George Weyerhaeuser, Heir to America’s Mightiest Timber Dynasty

by Bryan Johnston, Roger Wayne (Narrator)

It is a crime even the FBI must have considered fantastic and absurd.

In 1935, nine-year-old George Weyerhaeuser, heir to one of the wealthiest families in America, is snatched off the streets two blocks from his home. The boy is kept manacled in a pit, chained to a tree, and locked in a closet. The perps—a career bank robber, a petty thief, and his nineteen-year-old never-been-in-trouble Mormon wife—quickly become the targets of the biggest manhunt in Northwest history. The caper plays out like a Hollywood thriller with countless twists and improbable developments. Perhaps the most astonishing thing of all, though, is how it all ends.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History, Audiobook, Book Club

9 pages, Audiobook

Published October 19, 2021

About the author

Bryan was a television and video writer/producer for nearly three decades during which he received 11 Emmys along with several other national awards. He is the author of several books and has written for numerous magazines and websites. He was also blessed with being an on-air movie reviewer for ten years--according to Bryan the greatest gig on the planet.
He currently lives in Lake Forest Park, Washington, just outside of Seattle with his wife, two kids and one very large Goldendoodle. He is a devout movie lover, sports fan and avid reader. He hopes the Seattle Mariners make it to the World Series before he dies, and he's still bugged the referees didn't even give the Seahawks a chance to win Super Bowl XL. Bryan bats right, throws right and has a terrible sweet tooth that he believes will be his undoing. His favorite color is purple (which thrills his daughter), he takes immense pride in his Norwegian-ness, and never did learn to hit the curve ball. (According to Negro League legend, Buck O'Neil, it's because they were throwing it right) He had a pretty dreadful jump shot but a surprisingly passable low-post game. He loves prime rib, ice cream and has discovered that asparagus, when prepared correctly, is actually quite good. He'd played competitive softball for thirty years and believes one of the greatest moments in life is when they dim the lights before a movie. Bryan is a mediocre golfer.

Reviews

[Donald Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good comprehensive report on one of the biggest events in Tacoma history. The book is well written and moves the story along quickly and concisely. A few typographical errors about the lawyers. I wish books like this one would share more about the "players" during the many years after the "main events". A true crime story is hard to put down especially when you know and can see some of the places which were part of the story.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love true crime and didn’t know anything about this crime-kidnapping. The author did a stellar job introducing me to the facts and background of all parties involved. With current crime they don’t always share information about everyone. This not only told me about the event it had an interview of sorts and and interesting thing that happens years later.
I learned a lot about the FBI and J Edgar Hoover, why and how people were hanged back then and many current events of the time.
I highly recommend it if you like true crime. I chose to listen to this book on audio and Roger Wayne narrated this and did an excellent job. This was 8 hours and 36 minutes long.
Thanks Tantor Audio via Netgalley.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bravo. Well done.

A wonderful piece on a high profile crime in 1935 in Tacoma, Washington that I knew nothing about. It is a well researched book with lots of twists and turns and some good courtroom reporting along the way.

It is not a story that is as ghoulish as the title might suggest. When I bought the book I thought a lot about the Lindbergh kidnapping that happened just a few years earlier and ended so tragically.

There is a final revelation in the last chapter that no one could have seen coming.

4.5 stars

[Lisa Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so very well researched and written. I appreciated how the author formatted the story to allow the reader to become entrenched in the story. Apparently, my grandfather was one of the FBI agents to work on this case so I had a personal interest in the story. I love that the author interviewed George Weyerhaeuser in 2019- it added a "today" side to the story.

[Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars I’m rating this book based solely on my enjoyment of it. It was a superbly researched and written true crime. The story of the Weyerhaeuser kidnapping in the early 20th century was one I hadn’t heard of prior to reading this account. The book details the kidnapping, the efforts made to get the boy back and the eventual arrest and trials of the guilty parties.

There was also some interesting historical information about Hoover and his involvement in leading the search for the boy and kidnappers. My only reason for three stars is that I found the actual kidnapping event upon which the story was based, to be not very noteworthy. The kidnapping of any child is big news and a tragedy but the story itself wasn’t all that captivating as a book. The crime was pretty straightforward and short lived so there wasn’t a ton to write about.

I encourage others who gravitate towards true crime to read or listen to this book as my rating is based on personal preference. The storytelling was thorough and factual. The audiobook performance was well narrated. Just wasn’t a historical event that wowed me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tantor Audio for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[Poptart19 (the name’s ren) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is an interesting true crime story I had never come across before: the 9-year-old son of a logging magnate is kidnapped for ransom in the 1930’s era of notorious criminal gangs & violent crimes. This book is well researched with an easy to follow narrative. Unfortunately, aspects of Margaret’s portrayal (she was the wife of one of the kidnappers) felt one-dimensional & a bit condescending, which is my main complaint with the book.

[What I liked:]

•This is a compelling true crime story, one I hadn’t heard before & is well worth the reading. George’s story, both what he endured & his life after the traumatic kidnapping, is touching. The details of the FBI as an emerging federal agency with new investigative techniques was quite informative. The involvement of the press in shaping public opinion & publishing illegally spurious allegations as hard facts was interesting too.

•The level of research is professional. The writer includes a personal interview he did with George (the kidnapping victim) 80 years after the incident, as well as excerpts from press coverage of the crime, letters written by the public to the FBI to “help” solve the case, & accounts from police interviews & the FBI agents involved in the investigation to give a well-rounded portrayal & analysis of events.

•The narrative gives details on all aspects of the story in a way that enhances it, without drowning itself in dry facts that distance the reader. I especially enjoyed the account of George’s encounter with the Boniface family & his reunion with his pet mice. The details of how the FBI tracked the ransom money by the serial numbers was really engaging too.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•At times the scenes with dialogue that included the characters’ emotions & thoughts felt a bit hokey or overdone. It didn’t obstruct my enjoyment of the book, but it could have been more nuanced.

•The portrayals of the kidnappers (Harmon & William) & the accomplice (Margaret, Harmon’s wife) were heavy-handed & not very nuanced. William is the stone cold criminal who manipulates Harmon & Margaret; Harmon is the easily influenced small time con trying to go straight; Margaret is the utterly naïve young wife brainwashed by religion into blindly obeying men. This seemed like a gross oversimplification. As the story progressed, I felt that Harmon was manipulative of Margaret & callous himself, not just a misdirected & well-meaning guy trapped by William’s deviousness.

•Margaret’s portrayal in particular was shallow & reductive. The narrative is annoyingly repetitive about how sheltered & pure she was (basically TSTL), to the point that it felt condescending to both Margaret & the reader. I get that she was young & trusting, but I didn’t need to hear it in every paragraph.

•It also felt presumptive of the writer to chalk up her cooperation with the kidnapping plot to blind loyalty & obedience to her husband. William threatens to kill her & George when she starts asking questions, so wouldn’t part of her compliance possibly be out of fear? The writer seems to think unquestioning obedience of male authority is the only response Margaret is capable of, & reminds us of this at every turn.

CW: sexism, child kidnapping

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Crime of Greed

This is the true story of the kidnapping of nine year old George Weyerhaeuser written like a novel. It is very informative and although it bogs down in spots it is an interesting story.

The characters are not what you would think they would be for such a large kidnapping. They were not part of a gang or notorious at all. They were broke and looking for an easy way to make some quick money. A bank robber, his friend a petty thief and his wife a teenage girl were not who you would think of for this crime.

The two men tried to keep the young wife out of everything , however, she figured it out . She thought her husband's friend was a kind generous person, until he wasn't.
The young boy, George, was a smart boy and obeyed the kidnappers. He wasn't hurt, but he was imprisoned in some very scary places.

There was a huge amount of information on the FBI and how the case was handled, how the FBI worked and many of the hundreds of leads that they had to follow up on. What is surprising is the way in which the trio of criminals was finally caught and brought to justice.

Thanks to Bryan Johnston, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a complimentary copy for my honest review.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge true crime fan. TV shows, podcasts, books.....always into one story or another. I had never heard of this case -- the kidnapping of George Weyerhaeuser in 1935 -- before I listened to this audiobook. The story is very interesting and definitely kept my attention from start to finish!

Narrated by Roger Wayne, the audio is just over 8.5 hours. Wayne does a great job of reading. He keeps a nice pace, and his voice is pleasant. He kept the story an entertaining listen. I really enjoyed this book! Johnston definitely did a lot of research into this case and covers it from beginning to end with much detail. This is the first book by Johnston that I've read. I will definitely be reading more!

I'm not going to say anything about the case to avoid spoilers. There were definitely some events I didn't expect and can only guess at the extreme fear, stress and feelings of helplessness the parents must have experienced!

**I listened to a review copy of this audiobook from Tantor Audio. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

[Darcia Helle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crime was a lot easier to get away with in 1935, but even then it wasn’t wise to kidnap a wealthy family’s child. And these kidnappers were far from the wisest criminals of their time.

I’d call this book creative nonfiction. The facts are well researched and represented, but the author takes a lot of liberties with dialogue, moods, and thoughts, so the story reads like a crime novel.

I love historic true crime that fully immerses me in the era, and Bryan Johnson does that exceptionally well. I could envision all of the events as they played out.

My only issue is that I felt the author presumed too much regarding the kidnappers’ roles in events, which wasn’t backed up by evidence. This is particularly true of Margaret, the wife of one of the kidnappers. Johnson portrays her from start to finish as the obedient, somewhat dense and oblivious, mormon wife who never questions male authority. This might be true, but there are alternatives. She could have remained silent out of fear or she could’ve been complicit out of desire for the money she so eagerly spent. I just didn’t see any facts backing up the blind obedience theory.

Overall, though, I found this to be a well written, fascinating story.

*I received a review copy from Post Hill Press.*

[Sandy Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book after reading a newspaper article. I had never heard of the kidnapping and ransom of a boy from a rich family WA back in history in 1935. It was interesting to me since I am from WA and the story takes place both the west and east side of the state. I lived close to many to the towns mentioned in the story.Not sure if the book would be interesting if a person is not from the area. The ending has a surprise twist you don't really expect.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this true crime story to be very well written and really interesting. I found the people in the book to be absurd at times, but that is what made it ring true. I also loved the way it all turned out. I am sure you can do your research and know the results, but I don't want to spoil the story. Some of the decisions that were made or blindly followed left me shaking my head, and the way George reacted to the entire ordeal were both perplexing and a little awe-inspiring. Overall this book delved deeply into the circumstances surrounding a crime of opportunity of the kidnapping of a young boy in an era of economic turmoil and it did so very well.

I received this book at my request for my unbiased opinion.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1935 nine-year-old George Weyerhaeuser, son of one of the wealthiest timber families in America, was walking home alone from school. He notices a car stopped in the road and a strange man walking toward him. He is picked up, put in a car, blindfolded, and hidden in the woods. J Edgar Hoover and the FBI started an intensive search and the entire country anxiously followed this case.
This is a true crime that reads like fiction that took place "next door" in the state of Washington long before I was born. I especially enjoyed the history of this era of time ... it is well-researched and was hard to put down. I did some further reading online and found that George Weyerhaeuser passed away last June at the age of 95. Despite what he went through as a child, he was a kind and forgiving man.
This was a book club pick for a Pacific Northwest author.

[Tami · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story grabbed my interest mainly because I am familiar with Weyerhaeuser Lumber through my husband and my father, who both have worked in the industry. I had never heard about the kidnapping, but my father had and I enjoyed being able to share details of the book with him.
I'm really glad to know George had a long and prosperous life.

[Trisha Yost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on a true story, a very interesting rendition based off of a lot of facts. I enjoyed this but wouldn't read it a second time.

[Alex Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is it with so many true-crime stories in the Pacific Northwest?

[Allison Tester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched but spent a ton of time on the relationship with the press and their coverage, lots of time on random instances that were never proven as actually related, focused much less on the victim. Also, was anyone involved with this book related to Margret? Because they did a lot of work to make her look innocent.

[J Kromrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC. I am reviewing this book in audio format.

Bryan Johnston's "Deep in the Woods" is a gripping true-crime narrative that transports readers to a bygone era—a time when the wealthy and powerful were not immune to the darkest corners of human nature. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, this meticulously researched account delves into the shocking abduction of young George Weyerhaeuser, scion of the timber dynasty.

In 1935, nine-year-old George Weyerhaeuser is snatched from the streets just blocks away from his opulent home. The perpetrators—a motley crew comprising a career bank robber, a petty thief, and a nineteen-year-old Mormon wife—hold George captive in a pit, chained to a tree, and locked in a closet. The audacity of their crime reverberates across the Northwest, launching the largest manhunt in the region's history.

Johnston weaves a tale that reads like a Hollywood thriller, complete with unexpected twists and improbable developments. The characters—both the victim and the captors—are vividly portrayed, making us question the boundaries of human resilience and cruelty. As the FBI races against time, the tension escalates, leaving readers breathless.

Roger Wayne's narration adds an extra layer of intensity. His voice captures the urgency of the search, the fear in George's eyes, and the desperation of the captors. Wayne's ability to evoke emotion draws listeners into the heart of the story.

"Deep in the Woods" explores themes of privilege, survival, and the lengths to which ordinary people can be pushed. It's a tale of contrasts—the vast wealth of the Weyerhaeuser family juxtaposed with the stark brutality of the kidnapping.

Johnston's meticulous research and Wayne's compelling narration make "Deep in the Woods" an unforgettable journey. Whether you're a true-crime aficionado or simply love a riveting story, this book will keep you turning pages (or listening if you have the audiobook) long into the night.

This novel is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a chilling reminder that darkness can lurk even in the most idyllic landscapes. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a thrilling, thought-provoking read.

[Sandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1935, nine year old George Weyerhaeuser, part of the wealthy timber family, was kidnapped while walking home from school. His kidnappers made contact and demanded the largest ransom recorded to date. He was kept in trunks of cars, chained to trees in the forest and down in a pit, then imprisoned in a small closet. After the ransom was paid, George was released and reunited with his family.

The kidnappers were a pair of ex-cons and a nineteen year old Mormon girl who had recently married one of them. Although they threatened to kill the boy, there didn't seem to be any real intent to do so. Throughout it all, George kept his cool and after his return, seemed remarkably unaffected by the trauma.

The married couple were quickly caught after passing some of the ransom bills. The other man, who was the originator of the plan and the leader of the group, evaded capture for a time. All were brought to trial. The married man was given forty-five years while his wife, whose lawyer and even the judge believed was fairly innocent, pled guilty and was given a shorter prison sentence. The leader when eventually captured and tried was given life in prison.

This was an interesting true crime case. Although I follow true crime fairly closely, I had never heard of this case, although I had heard of the Weyerhaeuser family. The kidnapping occurred not long after the Lindbergh kidnapping and that case influenced both the family in its decision to pay the ransom and in the actions of the local law enforcement and the FBI who were involved. Readers will learn much about the creation of the FBI and how J. Edgar Hoover viewed crime and criminals. George grew up to lead the family business and surprisingly, gave a job to the married man when he was released from prison. The epilogue followed all the participants through later years. This book is recommended for true crime readers.

[Marsha Rafalski · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded to 4.0

The 1920s and 1930s which are known for the First World War, the 18th amendment which launched Prohibition and the crushing poverty of the Depression followed by the Dust Bowl created a spike in the crime rates across America. One especially heinous act in this crime wave was kidnapping and they came to be know as the “Kidnap Years” or “the “Forgotten Kidnapping Epidemic.” During this period, kidnapping of members of the wealthiest families (especially children) in America became common place. The best known of these was the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh’s infant son in 1932. There was already legislation in process to address this particular crime which became the “Federal Kidnapping Act of 1932” (aka the “Lindbergh Law”).

This book examines the kidnapping of 9-year old George Weyerhaeuser in 1935. The Weyerhaeuser family was a timber dynasty. George was abducted from the street as he walked home from school by two men (Harmon and William) and their accomplice. Margaret was Harmon’s naive, religious young wife. All of them are somewhat dense and I was amazed at how how they managed to do it. In fact, I wondered if the author used this example just to illustrate how widespread the practice was and how unremarkable those who engaged in it were. I’ll give away a spoiler—George is safely returned and actually was interviewed by the author as a 94-year old. The author thoroughly researched the book and the development and growth of the FBI which reached its height during the “Forgotten Epidemic” was especially well written. This is an excellent example of nonfiction which reads like fiction.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep in the Woods tells the story of the 1935 kidnapping of 9-year-old George Weyerhaeuser, heir to a huge timber family. Taken off the streets one afternoon, George was kept manacled in a hole, forced to ride in the trunk of a car, chained to a tree, and finally kept in a closet. His family was ready to do whatever the kidnappers demanded to get George safely back. The FBI was determined to track down the kidnappers and make them pay, while the media printed any supposed information on the story they could get their hands on, regardless of whether it was true.

Whenever a book’s blurb says something like, “Perhaps the most astonishing thing of all, though, is how it ends,” I tend to think of it as hyperbole, but in this case, I must say I 100% did not expect the ending to this story.

I definitely recommend this story to fans of true crime. Johnston did an excellent job of laying out the facts and presenting the story, and Roger Wayne did a phenomenal job narrating the audiobook. I enjoyed learning about how the more renowned Lindbergh case had affected laws and the procedures for handling this case.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

[Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was brilliant, I enjoyed every minute of it. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was amazing and make it very easy to engage with this book. This is a non fiction book however, it was wrote that well that it flows like a fiction book making it so easy to listen to and enjoy. This is in fact my first true crime book and will definitely be reading more if they are all as good as this book. This book sounded as if it was very well researched and full to the brim with those small important details. The boy that was kidnapped in his later year gave the author an interview making this book all the more appealing. The ending really surprised me but it just shows the growth of people and there willingness to help others. I couldn't help but be in awe of the communities that came together to prove evidence of the kidnappers movements. This make the book so much more interesting and gripping leading to a brilliant sense of tension.
So much praise goes to the author and publishing team for bringing us such a gripping, edge of your seat read that I and I'm sure others will engage in an thoroughly enjoy. Can't wait to read more now.

[Mary Keen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book! I put it on hold because George Weyerhaeuser has just died at age 95, just a year after Bryan Johnson interviewed him for this book --and George said he should hurry up since he was 94.

All was interesting from the kidnappers' planning to their capturing and then hiding young George, and finally their trials and sentences. I was especially interested since the landmarks and various locations are familiar to me, making this seem more real as far as the time and distances.

It was less upsetting to read what happened since i knew that George had survived and done well in his life.

A side story was about J Edgar Hoover and the FBI in 1935. Since i've been aware of him, he's been an arrogant fool, doling out unfair treatment, then his cross dressing, etc.

So I was in favor of renaming the FBI bldg. and removing his name from it but reading about the FBI's early days when J Edgar was effective in finding the criminals, overseeing their trials, etc during which his focus on records and organization was impressive.

Recommend this to anyone, especially those living in the Pacific NW!

REad about 1/2 on Kindle, then finished up on Overdrive.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is wild. Imagine Master Minds meets Mad Money in this case that’s the first big time kidnapping case after the Lindbergh kidnapping and the FBI reform with J. Edgar Hoover. For a relatively cut and dry case it really went off the rails multiple times. There was Lizzie Borden/Mayra Hindley type media reporting, a fugitive on the run, connections to Whitey Bulger, Charles Manson, “Machine Gun” Kelley. This took so many last second turns. It listens/reads like a documentary with an old timey narrator and was very entertaining for a case that should have been open and closed in a much shorter amount of time. This was also extremely well researched with quotes, articles, interviews, FBI history, criminal history and other connected or relevant case histories.

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy to listen in exchange for an honest review.

[Cornmaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting enough true crime story about a kidnapping, eventual release, and the manhunt/court proceedings that followed of an heir to the Weyerhaeuser fortune. Happened in 1935 during the Depression, and when the Lindbergh baby kidnapping was still fresh in everyone's minds.

I found it a bit too detailed, especially in the courtroom proceedings, but I did enjoy the backstory of the rise of the FBI under J Edgar Hoover, and his passion for using whatever modern technology was available to solve crimes. Another part of this story was the narrative about newspaper reporting at the time, which closely matches that of reporting in the late 19th century.

I was also fascinated by how seemingly untraumatized George W. was from the event. Amazing.

The reader for the audiobook didn't make it riveting at all; too dry.

[Mmtimes4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1935,George Weyerhaeuser, heir to one of the wealthiest families in America, is snatched off the streets two blocks from his home. The boy is kept manacled in a pit, chained to a tree, and locked in a closet. The perps—a career bank robber, a petty thief, and his nineteen-year-old never-been-in-trouble Mormon wife—quickly become the targets of the biggest manhunt in Northwest history. The caper plays out like a Hollywood thriller with countless twists and improbable developments. Perhaps the most astonishing thing of all, though, is how it all ends.GR description

This was March's book club choice for NW author. I really enjoyed the story. It presented facts without being textbook, well researched. I was not aware that this had happened. So cool that he got to interview George at the age of 94.

[Mindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

George Weyerhaeuser is an intriguing and memorable person--both as a young boy and as a grown man. This is an interesting story, but unfortunately author Bryan Johnston's heavy-handed writing style got in the way of that story. He distracts from the story by repeatedly inserting his own commentary throughout.

In other places, the writing just leaves readers scratching their heads. For example, after young George has been grabbed off the street, thrown into the back of a car with a heavy blanket over him, driven for an hour, emerges to see men in hoods peering at him, is marched through a wilderness, is blindfolded . . . and then they come to a stream, where George finally "felt the pinpricks of fear."

Or lines like "She wasn't overly familiar with guns . . . But she knew enough to know that she didn't like them pointing at her."

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author researched every possible detail of the case and the time--the kidnapping, the hunt, the trials. In that sense, the book is an immersive read, taking you into 1935 Pacific Northwest. That amount of research is also the story's weakness, as if the author tried to include as much of it as he could. Not every detail is all that interesting or important, yet each is given equal weight. As far as I can tell, this happens because the story has no overall theme, no arc of action to give the main events some meaning. It's all "this happened and then that happened." If you're interested in the characters or feel some empathy for them, then the book will be enjoyable; but I didn't get an answer to the question, "Why does this matter?" in terms of a story. I have great respect for what Mr. Johnston did but not for the results.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the subject matter was interesting and basically well told, there were far too many extraneous details which distracted from the story. I enjoyed learning about the background of the kidnappers (especially the 19 year old wife of one of the men) and how she didn't have a clue that her husband and his "friend" Bill (aka Swede) were plotting to kidnap George Weyerhaeuser, the 9 year old son of the lumber magnate.

The first half of the book where the plot comes to fruition with taking and moving George held my interest. But once the boy was recovered, the details of how they found the perpetrators and their subsequent arrest and trials was factual, but did not make for compelling reading.

[Chuchimichurri Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got interested in this book because I live very close to the house George was helped and taken back to his parents.
The book was good narrating the events George went through.
It is amazing how the press can fabricate and throw off the information, causing speculation and lies about events. This has been a tragedy and their goal is to keep the circus performing. Invent things, talk about people that were not involved in the kidnapping for the sake of creating drama. This has not changed too much nowadays with social media. Although has increased the toxicity in society.
On the other hand we had the psychopath of Huber looking for making himself important , screaming that he wanted justice when in his own wat he manipulated the FBI for his own gain. The corruption of the system and the legal justice has been always corrupt. Lawyers making efforts to no have the information correct and finding the woman guilty before even the evidence was presented.
An excellent well documented book and enjoyable to read.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

How did I get to the age I am and never know about this story? I grew up close to the Weyerhaeuser corporate office, driving by all the time and flying kits on the big expansive lawn.

We had our share of stories with the Green River Killer, Ted Bundy, etc. but I never knew about 9 yr. old Weyerhaeuser being kidnapped and held for ransom.

The author did a good job of telling the story, keeping the narrative going, being balanced with what is fact and what is not.

If you start the book and decide not to finish, go to the last few pages and read.

Wow! Just Wow!