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Erie's Sensational Murder Trials
Herein are fascinating tales of murders that shocked Erie, Pennsylvania. Accounts of their trials will captivate readers, and are stories told only in a way a judge can tell them!
276 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 11, 2022
This review was published in the June 2022 issue of the Erie Reader:
Judge Dan Brabender has compiled a collection of murder trials that occurred in Erie spanning 1895 to 1975, that contains murder cases presented as “only a judge can tell them.” And as you make your way through the book, where the stories of murders span from abjectly disturbing to those riddled with grey area, Judge Brabender truly shows you the full picture, from crime to sentencing. Jam packed with details from psychological files and studies, the genealogy and biographies of the murderers, victims, lawyers and bystanders, as well as any appeals, executions, or commuted sentences, Brabender leaves no stone unturned in presenting these sensational cases.
Largely, Brabender leaves his personal opinions out of the book: he presents the stories in a way that lets you come to your own conclusions, while making sure his reader takes into account the social atmosphere of the time period when the crime occurred. Brabender himself was only personally involved with adjudicating one of the murderers in the book, upon appeal (in which he upheld the sentence of life in prison without parole).
The first two stories in the book concern two extremely brutal, disturbing, graphic murders rife with psycho-pathological behavior, but before one feels too overwhelmed, he switches the narrative and tells a story of an accidental murder of political intrigue and corruption, set during prohibition. The book feels very balanced in that regard, allowing the reader some respite between episodes of brutality.
While there are some stories that are quite disturbing, there are others whose proceedings will fill you with the rage of injustice: like the aforementioned accidental murder in 1921, where the defense built their entire case on the fact that the shooter and witnesses were Black, therefore they “must have done it.” Or the concluding story set in 1925, where a 22 year old man was rejected for marriage by a 14 year old girl, killed her father out of shame and revenge, and (spoiler alert) only served 5 years, largely because the jury believed his “impassioned love” for the victim’s daughter justified his behavior.
Brabender also, when applicable, places the scene in the present day, clarifying the locations involved by describing what is currently in its place. Overall, I was totally riveted by this book. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened with each case and found myself not really able to put the book down until it was finished. Brabender has completed a massive research project in his book, and any lover of true crime, especially a local Erieite, will find themselves intrigued
Judge Dan Brabender has compiled a collection of murder trials that occurred in Erie spanning 1895 to 1975, that contains murder cases presented as “only a judge can tell them.” And as you make your way through the book, where the stories of murders span from abjectly disturbing to those riddled with grey area, Judge Brabender truly shows you the full picture, from crime to sentencing. Jam packed with details from psychological files and studies, the genealogy and biographies of the murderers, victims, lawyers and bystanders, as well as any appeals, executions, or commuted sentences, Brabender leaves no stone unturned in presenting these sensational cases.
Largely, Brabender leaves his personal opinions out of the book: he presents the stories in a way that lets you come to your own conclusions, while making sure his reader takes into account the social atmosphere of the time period when the crime occurred. Brabender himself was only personally involved with adjudicating one of the murderers in the book, upon appeal (in which he upheld the sentence of life in prison without parole).
The first two stories in the book concern two extremely brutal, disturbing, graphic murders rife with psycho-pathological behavior, but before one feels too overwhelmed, he switches the narrative and tells a story of an accidental murder of political intrigue and corruption, set during prohibition. The book feels very balanced in that regard, allowing the reader some respite between episodes of brutality.
While there are some stories that are quite disturbing, there are others whose proceedings will fill you with the rage of injustice: like the aforementioned accidental murder in 1921, where the defense built their entire case on the fact that the shooter and witnesses were Black, therefore they “must have done it.” Or the concluding story set in 1925, where a 22 year old man was rejected for marriage by a 14 year old girl, killed her father out of shame and revenge, and (spoiler alert) only served 5 years, largely because the jury believed his “impassioned love” for the victim’s daughter justified his behavior.
Brabender also, when applicable, places the scene in the present day, clarifying the locations involved by describing what is currently in its place. Overall, I was totally riveted by this book. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened with each case and found myself not really able to put the book down until it was finished. Brabender has completed a massive research project in his book, and any lover of true crime, especially a local Erieite, will find themselves intrigued
August 30, 2022
This book was so easy to read. Important dates and names were printed boldly. I remembered several of the murders and was fascinated with the details behind the headlines. Judge Brabender did a great job bringing these stories to the public. I can only hope he will write another book highlighting more of Erie’s sensational murder trials.
May 19, 2022
Wonderfully written. The intricate details of the cases and the trials is amazing. The details of the players in each case ensures you have all the details of their lives before during and after really adds to it! I highly recommend!!!
October 2, 2023
This book was well written. Judge Brabender has a way of making you feel as if you were there watching and listening to all that was going on during the trial. I am from Erie and although I don't remember a lot of these trials, some names were familiar. I highly recommend this book. Enjoy!
April 30, 2025
Great stories! Interesting look into over a century of Erie history. Some of the stories have way too much extraneous information in them though and can drag on.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews