In Spite of the System: A Personal Story of Wrongful Conviction & Exoneration

by Gary Gauger

A RIVETING ACCOUNT OF JUSTICE AND FREEDOM

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1993 Gary Gauger's elderly mother and father were brutally murdered on their farm in Richmond, Illinois, just a hop skip and jump away from where we bought a house in 1994. I remember reading about the case in the local newspaper, especially when Gauger was convicted of his parents' murders and sentenced to death. I also remember when Gauger was released from prison six years later, having been exonerated with the help of Larry Marshall, a professor at Northwestern University, who filed Gauger's appeal with the help of his university students. Eventually, two members of a violent motorcycle gang were convicted of the murder. By the way, that is not a spoiler. Gauger divulges the true murderers in the first chapter. Gauger's twin sister runs a gift shop on the old homestead, a place where my husband and I have browsed several times. The local tie-in is what propelled me to start this book, but Gauger is a very intelligent, gifted writer, and the story of his experiences with the local police force, who focused on solving the case rather than justice, is compelling. The roles of the prosecutor and the judge in the case make the story even more heartbreaking, maddening, and shocking. I finished the book in a day, because it was totally engrossing. How Gary Gauger has continued his life with a sane mind and a forgiving heart is inspirational.

[Steven Holty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I played Gary in The Exonerated in Midland, MI. His book was an excellent resource.

[Judi Urban · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book on how the system can go so wrong!

[Marty Baureis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story of something that happened in my county.

[Hannah Quick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story about the true wrongful conviction of an Illinois man.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never been genuinely engrossed in a required reading for any class before I opened this book. It's a genuinely infuriating and captivating story, no matter what genre you're into.