The Pennsylvania Turnpike Phantom Killer: John Wesley Wable

by Richard Gazarik

Death on the Turnpike

Discover the bloody story of John Wesley Wable's 1950s killing spree that rocked Western Pennsylvania, and left truckers and drivers alike frightened of the turnpike. After a series of murdered truck drivers and a high-speed interstate chase, Wable's gruesome criminal story also involves a thrilling court case and unresolved mysteries to do this day.

Author Richard Gazarik details the incredible true crime narratives of the man dubbed the "Pennsylvania Turnpike Phantom Killer."

Genres: Local History

130 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2022

Reviews

[Carson Devitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for work.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this case. My one gripe about this book is that it was a little bit hard to follow. The layout of the book made it confusing when things were re-told in the trial chapter. I also struggled to follow all of the murders and people in the trial but that could just be my fault.

Overall, I think Richard Gazarik did a good job gathering all the facts and information to retell the the Turnpike murders. It was a captivating story and relevant to me as I am from PA and have traveled the Turnpike many times before. Also it was a short read so he didn't make us read tons of added information to understand the trial.

[Lara Brenckle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at a somewhat forgotten chapter of Pennsylvania history. The book is a quick read, with lots of interesting details that had me reading portions out loud to my spouse. I learned several new things historically, which I definitely enjoyed. The fact the author is a journalist was one of the book’s strengths, as I appreciated the organized and factual approach to the topic.

[Sarah Pfeiffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was gifted this local true crime read for Christmas. While the case was moderately interesting, the author bounced around tangentially related topics in a way that made any sort of plot impossible to follow.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hadn’t heard of this true crime story so I jumped on this book. The story was told pretty quickly and the rest of the book was just history about the courthouse, the lawyers and judges, the death penalty in PA. It went on a lot of tangents where I learned a few things but didn’t have any relevance in telling this story. There were so many pictures of the courthouse, other serial killers, electric chairs…. I think the author may have just realized the story wasn’t big enough to fill a whole book?

The writing is well done, the story just wasn’t focused.

[Konstantin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, fascinating biography about a local Pennsylvania serial killer.