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Silent Witness: The Untold Story of Terri Schiavo's Death
We all watched Terri Schiavo die. The controversy around her case dominated the headlines and talk shows, going all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, the White House, and the Vatican. And it's not over yet. Despite her death, the controversy lingers. In Silent Witness , former LAPD detective and New York Times bestselling author Mark Fuhrman applies his highly respected investigative skills to examine the medical evidence, legal case files, and police records. With the complete cooperation of Terri Schiavo's parents and siblings, as well as their medical and legal advisers, he conducts exclusive interviews with forensics experts and crucial witnesses, including friends, family members, and caregivers. Fuhrman's findings will answer these The legal issues and ethical questions provoked by Terri Schiavo's extraordinary case may never be resolved. But the facts about her marriage, her condition when she collapsed, and her eventual death fifteen years later can be determined. With Silent Witness , Fuhrman goes beyond the legal aspects of the case and delves into the broader, human background of Terri Schiavo's short, sad life.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
25 people are currently reading
555 people want to read
About the author
Mark Fuhrman
10 books96 followersFormer LAPD detective, true crime writer and talk radio host.
He is primarily known for his part in the investigation of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman and his subsequent felony conviction for perjury.
He is primarily known for his part in the investigation of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman and his subsequent felony conviction for perjury.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
May 6, 2015
This book could have been entitled "Michael Schiavo Did It". As far as Fuhrman is concerned he is writing the book to have the public convict Michael Schiavo of beating his wife up so badly she never regained consciousness. Then, years after being in a vegetative state, when he had established a new family, he pulled the plug, finishing the job.
Fuhrman is the investigating detective, coroner, doctor, judge and jury. The book is like a maths theorem in school. There you have a problem and you have to solve it with all the steps your teacher already knows. Fuhrman has convicted Michael Schiavo and now sets out his proof. He knows his evidence wouldn't stand up in a court of law so he writes a book. Yes it is a mystery why a 26 year old woman would suddenly become so ill as to be comatose and never recover and you can understand the Schindlers, Terri's parents, backing up Fuhrman. You can also understand how as practising Catholics they couldn't countenance removing life support or condoning her husband for, after a long time, moving on with his life.
So why did Fuhrman write this book? Because Sean Hannity asked him to. Sean who had campaigned against Michael as a two-time murderer (is it even possible to murder the same person twice?) He supposedly murdered his wife by such extreme abuse as to cause her initial problems and then later to murder her again by pulling the plug on her life support.
"Hannity Won't Admit He Was Wrong About Terri Schiavo
After the release of Terri Schiavo's autopsy today, it's very hard to believe that Hannity would actually have Schiavo's siblings on H&C declaring the autopsy false and continuing the accusations against Michael Schiavo.Hannity spent weeks orchestrating a media circus outside of Terri's hospice. The results of the autopsy should have resulted in an apology from Hannity or at least silence instead of a continuation of the madness." And the commissioning of a book by Fuhrman. Read the whole (short article) here.
I'm sorry for Michael Schiavo being so publicly pilloried. I suppose if he'd been rich he might have sued Fuhrman, but I expect that it was not only lack of money (there are always the contingency vultures that would have taken the case for him) but also being fed up with lawyers and being in the public eye when all he wanted was a family life and to live normally again.
Fuhrman, he of OJ Simpson racist fame should sit down and shut up and stop defaming people and making money out of lies, conjectures and opinions sold as "true crime facts"..
Fuhrman is the investigating detective, coroner, doctor, judge and jury. The book is like a maths theorem in school. There you have a problem and you have to solve it with all the steps your teacher already knows. Fuhrman has convicted Michael Schiavo and now sets out his proof. He knows his evidence wouldn't stand up in a court of law so he writes a book. Yes it is a mystery why a 26 year old woman would suddenly become so ill as to be comatose and never recover and you can understand the Schindlers, Terri's parents, backing up Fuhrman. You can also understand how as practising Catholics they couldn't countenance removing life support or condoning her husband for, after a long time, moving on with his life.
So why did Fuhrman write this book? Because Sean Hannity asked him to. Sean who had campaigned against Michael as a two-time murderer (is it even possible to murder the same person twice?) He supposedly murdered his wife by such extreme abuse as to cause her initial problems and then later to murder her again by pulling the plug on her life support.
"Hannity Won't Admit He Was Wrong About Terri Schiavo
After the release of Terri Schiavo's autopsy today, it's very hard to believe that Hannity would actually have Schiavo's siblings on H&C declaring the autopsy false and continuing the accusations against Michael Schiavo.Hannity spent weeks orchestrating a media circus outside of Terri's hospice. The results of the autopsy should have resulted in an apology from Hannity or at least silence instead of a continuation of the madness." And the commissioning of a book by Fuhrman. Read the whole (short article) here.
I'm sorry for Michael Schiavo being so publicly pilloried. I suppose if he'd been rich he might have sued Fuhrman, but I expect that it was not only lack of money (there are always the contingency vultures that would have taken the case for him) but also being fed up with lawyers and being in the public eye when all he wanted was a family life and to live normally again.
Fuhrman, he of OJ Simpson racist fame should sit down and shut up and stop defaming people and making money out of lies, conjectures and opinions sold as "true crime facts"..
April 16, 2008
This book is an excellent example of publishing companies being willing to produce ANY kind of manuscript if it comes around when a given topic is really hot. Personally, I thought this book was horrible and a complete waste of time. If you like books based almost completely on hearsay and speculation about events that took place over a decade ago with no new evidence generated since that time, then this book is for you!
I picked up this book to read because I thought maybe it would comment on the political firestorm that Terry Schaivo’s death elicited. There was no more than a mention that politics got involved in the case. I think that side of the story would have been more interesting, and more productive, than what the author did focus on, but, Oh well... What the author did focus on was whether or not Terry Schaivo was in a vegetative state because her husband abused her, and her husband's efforts to end his her life. This was a very fruitless avenue to pursue since looking for evidence of wrongdoing in a person who has been in a coma for more than a decade is a longshot at best. When the author mentioned that he'd hoped for some evidence of choking from the autopsy, I was shocked. Apparently, the author was a homicide detective, and I was amazed that he thought he would find physical evidence of choking after more than ten years. Even worse that an author spending so much effort in a blind alley, this author didn't seem to have much privilege to records that may support his premise. (Maybe people holding those records thought as highly of his “investigation” as I did.)
All this author managed to accomplish in this book was to make an argument that Michael Schaivo, Terry's husband, may have been a turd. However, since this guy was friends with Sean Hannity, and since he says that Hannity called him to get him to write this book, it would have been surprising if nothing negative about the case could be written (considering Hannity's political interest in the case).
I picked up this book to read because I thought maybe it would comment on the political firestorm that Terry Schaivo’s death elicited. There was no more than a mention that politics got involved in the case. I think that side of the story would have been more interesting, and more productive, than what the author did focus on, but, Oh well... What the author did focus on was whether or not Terry Schaivo was in a vegetative state because her husband abused her, and her husband's efforts to end his her life. This was a very fruitless avenue to pursue since looking for evidence of wrongdoing in a person who has been in a coma for more than a decade is a longshot at best. When the author mentioned that he'd hoped for some evidence of choking from the autopsy, I was shocked. Apparently, the author was a homicide detective, and I was amazed that he thought he would find physical evidence of choking after more than ten years. Even worse that an author spending so much effort in a blind alley, this author didn't seem to have much privilege to records that may support his premise. (Maybe people holding those records thought as highly of his “investigation” as I did.)
All this author managed to accomplish in this book was to make an argument that Michael Schaivo, Terry's husband, may have been a turd. However, since this guy was friends with Sean Hannity, and since he says that Hannity called him to get him to write this book, it would have been surprising if nothing negative about the case could be written (considering Hannity's political interest in the case).
June 16, 2013
Not a Scientific Forensic Investigation
Fuhrman's bias is apparent from the book's first chapter. He intersperses emotional quotes from the Schindlers and their advocates with factual and clinical statements of fact by Michael Schiavo, George Soros and the other half of the issue. It's a subtle tactic, and it's often effective at garnering grassroots support (one only needs to look at the misplaced sanctimony and indignation of any extremist today). This goes on for several dozen pages (with thinly veiled accusations directed at Michael).
Fuhrman's goal, as a former homicide investigator, is to discover what happened to Terri to cause her collapse (a tall order, given that almost all evidence since her fall in 1990 has been discovered or eternally lost). An interesting fact that was gleaned from his investigations include how Terri did NOT collapse due to a heart attack. OK, so what? In criminal trials, the prosecution has the burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. None of this is provided. This book is filled with conjecture based on testimony so clouded and tainted with anti-choice bias that none of it can be trusted without careful scrutiny. Needless to say, none is provided. There is no cross-examination; only one-sided, anti-Michael vitriol and diatribe.
He accuses Michael of inconsistency when he discovered the body. He either hasn't spoken to a psychologist or doesn't know the first thing about trauma. PTSD isn't the only possible outcome. Memories can be altered, lost or confabulated. It would be rarer for Michael to act normally and recall every detail with surgical precision after seeing his wife unconscious on the bathroom floor.
The conclusion? Nothing but wild speculation as to what happened on the day Terri collapsed for the final time. Save your time. Read the books by Michael and Terri's family. But don't read this obvious attempt to cash in on a tragedy. No one will win if you do.
Fuhrman's bias is apparent from the book's first chapter. He intersperses emotional quotes from the Schindlers and their advocates with factual and clinical statements of fact by Michael Schiavo, George Soros and the other half of the issue. It's a subtle tactic, and it's often effective at garnering grassroots support (one only needs to look at the misplaced sanctimony and indignation of any extremist today). This goes on for several dozen pages (with thinly veiled accusations directed at Michael).
Fuhrman's goal, as a former homicide investigator, is to discover what happened to Terri to cause her collapse (a tall order, given that almost all evidence since her fall in 1990 has been discovered or eternally lost). An interesting fact that was gleaned from his investigations include how Terri did NOT collapse due to a heart attack. OK, so what? In criminal trials, the prosecution has the burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. None of this is provided. This book is filled with conjecture based on testimony so clouded and tainted with anti-choice bias that none of it can be trusted without careful scrutiny. Needless to say, none is provided. There is no cross-examination; only one-sided, anti-Michael vitriol and diatribe.
He accuses Michael of inconsistency when he discovered the body. He either hasn't spoken to a psychologist or doesn't know the first thing about trauma. PTSD isn't the only possible outcome. Memories can be altered, lost or confabulated. It would be rarer for Michael to act normally and recall every detail with surgical precision after seeing his wife unconscious on the bathroom floor.
The conclusion? Nothing but wild speculation as to what happened on the day Terri collapsed for the final time. Save your time. Read the books by Michael and Terri's family. But don't read this obvious attempt to cash in on a tragedy. No one will win if you do.
February 5, 2012
Initially, I thought this book was going to only be about the right to live vs. the right to die. That is far from the case. Also, from what little I remembered about Terri's story, I thought her husband lovingly granted her wish of not living in the state she was in. However, after reading this POV, I have determined that the husband was horrible for SEVERAL reasons; mainly for not allowing ANY types of rehab or stimulation and for refusing to let her parents and family see her whenever they liked. He didn't even allow them to attend her funeral. I am saddened that there wasn't a proper criminal investigation and that the parents weren't granted guardianship. It scares me how much control a guardian can have without consequences...
August 20, 2017
If nothing else, a cautionary tail- whether you would want your plug pulled or you would want to live as long as possible- READ THIS BOOK. If you are interested in investigating death- homicide, natural, questioned or otherwise- READ THIS BOOK.
Forget who the author is or your belief's on end of life situations- just read it. It skips the right to die argument and focuses on how criminal investigations are done when a person is both dead and breathing 15 years after the 'cause of death' maybe even date of death..
It's well researched. It's anatomical, physiological and pathological descriptions are both easy to read and accurate. It also delves into the personal relationships between Terri, her husband, family and friends throughout the ordeal- from the day her brain suffered the trauma that 'killed her', until it was decided her body needed to follow.
I am not a big fan of Monday morning quarterbacking, and I certainly didn't respect Fuhrman initially. I avoided reading the book for months. Despite my interest, I couldn't get over my distaste for the author. I'm glad I did. I couldn't put the book down. It was more objective than I expected.
Despite my captivation with Mrs. Schiavo nee Shindler case at the end of her life, this really described how a homicide detective would have investigated had it not taken decades to describe Terri as deceased, then make it so. It's the fascinating medical and forensic story of a homicide investigation of a case where bio-machinery; a pumping heart, legally obfuscated details of a death. It's also psychologically fascinating as participants and their relationships evolve over 15 years to impact an entirely vulnerable person- who may or may not have been dead yet- and their motivations change while they continue to live.
I will tell you, I have since re-written my own end of life directives, shared it liberally, and assigned legal authority that will trump standard next of kin legalities. Authority was not given solely on the basis of to the person I think loves me most, knows my deepest secrets, or has the most complete medical training- Its the person who has the most open mind and the greatest stamina- it's the fighter in the group that I trust to make tough decisions.
I hope I am never kept alive by machines, I also hope I am never dehydrated and starved to death while my parents watch.
Forget who the author is or your belief's on end of life situations- just read it. It skips the right to die argument and focuses on how criminal investigations are done when a person is both dead and breathing 15 years after the 'cause of death' maybe even date of death..
It's well researched. It's anatomical, physiological and pathological descriptions are both easy to read and accurate. It also delves into the personal relationships between Terri, her husband, family and friends throughout the ordeal- from the day her brain suffered the trauma that 'killed her', until it was decided her body needed to follow.
I am not a big fan of Monday morning quarterbacking, and I certainly didn't respect Fuhrman initially. I avoided reading the book for months. Despite my interest, I couldn't get over my distaste for the author. I'm glad I did. I couldn't put the book down. It was more objective than I expected.
Despite my captivation with Mrs. Schiavo nee Shindler case at the end of her life, this really described how a homicide detective would have investigated had it not taken decades to describe Terri as deceased, then make it so. It's the fascinating medical and forensic story of a homicide investigation of a case where bio-machinery; a pumping heart, legally obfuscated details of a death. It's also psychologically fascinating as participants and their relationships evolve over 15 years to impact an entirely vulnerable person- who may or may not have been dead yet- and their motivations change while they continue to live.
I will tell you, I have since re-written my own end of life directives, shared it liberally, and assigned legal authority that will trump standard next of kin legalities. Authority was not given solely on the basis of to the person I think loves me most, knows my deepest secrets, or has the most complete medical training- Its the person who has the most open mind and the greatest stamina- it's the fighter in the group that I trust to make tough decisions.
I hope I am never kept alive by machines, I also hope I am never dehydrated and starved to death while my parents watch.
February 19, 2014
This book was loaned to me by someone who thought I'd enjoy reading a True Crime story. Which would have been fine but this book IS NOT that. Fuhrman basically wanted to cash in on the media hype of this case and so he wrote this awful book to toss into the fray. His angle? The husband caused her fall to begin with! If you're not familiar with this case, Terri Schiavo collapsed in the middle of the night and during that time, her heart stopped beating. Paramedics were immediately summoned and doctors did all that they could, but she had suffered long term oxygen deprivation to her brain and excessive brain damage as a result. The doctors never could determine what caused her heart to stop beating - but Fuhrman walks you through via BULLET POINT LISTS the various things that *might* have happened, although at the end of each chapter, he reasons why it's unlikely. And then repeats the (very few) facts that he knows about this case. Lather, rinse, repeat.
This is a greedy cash-grab of a book that has zero merit. It honestly looks like it was written in a weekend, and I'd be willing to bet that it was. There is no insight, no support for her family, etc. It is 100% conjecture and I hope that the husband sues Fuhrman for libel.
This is a greedy cash-grab of a book that has zero merit. It honestly looks like it was written in a weekend, and I'd be willing to bet that it was. There is no insight, no support for her family, etc. It is 100% conjecture and I hope that the husband sues Fuhrman for libel.
December 12, 2014
Disappointed.
Present the facts and don't try to persuade me while claiming objectivity. What I had expected was an wo sided review of the facts and people involved but, while I strongly suspect that Micheal Schiavo was somehow much more involved in this horrifying event, I found a strong bias against him throughout the book, so much so that I do not recall one positive comment, perhaps not even a neutral comment about his character made by Fuhrman. Surely even Micheal had some healthy, positive character traits and certainly some amount of his actions, specifically toward Terri's family, merited an unbiased, objective review. Too much Unnecessary and certainly unobjective speculation.
Present the facts and don't try to persuade me while claiming objectivity. What I had expected was an wo sided review of the facts and people involved but, while I strongly suspect that Micheal Schiavo was somehow much more involved in this horrifying event, I found a strong bias against him throughout the book, so much so that I do not recall one positive comment, perhaps not even a neutral comment about his character made by Fuhrman. Surely even Micheal had some healthy, positive character traits and certainly some amount of his actions, specifically toward Terri's family, merited an unbiased, objective review. Too much Unnecessary and certainly unobjective speculation.
January 21, 2015
I have always wondered about the details surrounding Terri Schiavo. Unfortunately, there were only 2 people present at her accident. She is gone so cannot speak, and Micheal is not admitting to anything. Mark Fuhrman does an excellent job giving details and statements helping one understand the best anyone can. I think removing Terri's feeding tube is murder and at one time so did Micheal. She suffered under Micheal's hands before and after the accident, and she deserves nothing less than peace. I hope she is in a better place!
December 11, 2009
It is incomprehensible how Terri was denied the right to live by someone who so obviously did not care one whit about her, but was permitted to claim he did. I say "permitted" because of the utter failure on the part of the main judges in Terri's case to listen to the evidence and see the very clear truth which even an elementary school student could discern if presented with the information.
July 12, 2019
I wish I could give this zero stars. It is one of the worst books I have ever read, and I don't say that lightly. It's a super biased book masquerading as "true crime" or "factual." Do you remember the scene in Home Alone where Kevin lays out his map drawn in crayon to catch the bad guys? This felt like the book version of that. I never post overwhelmingly negative reviews, but I'm doing so with this book in the hopes that no one else reads it. I only finished this book because I ran out of Intervention episodes to play in the background while working and didn't want to start a new series because of an upcoming job change. Please don't give this many any more attention.
June 28, 2013
I expected so much more from Mark Fuhrman. His Monday quarterbacking of how Terry Schiavo became hospitalized was highly speculative and obviously political. He admits there was no physical evidence of an attack but postulates that it could have still happened. This book was disappointing and a pure work of baseless babble.
February 9, 2015
A waste of time. This book was full of conjecture and biased opinions. You finish the book not knowing any more than you did before you read it, other than opinions and hearsay. Very disappointing.
I should have expected this. Any time an author says he wrote a book because a TV pundit (in this case Sean Hannity) said he should, probably tells one that facts are going to be secondary.
I should have expected this. Any time an author says he wrote a book because a TV pundit (in this case Sean Hannity) said he should, probably tells one that facts are going to be secondary.
November 21, 2009
This is funnier than her parents book but still nowhere near as clever as it should be. Fuhrman would seem to be an anti-choice zealot and his hostility toward the forces of reason is truly abhorrent.
Watch -- he's going to be one of those crazy thumpers outside a clinic soon.
Watch -- he's going to be one of those crazy thumpers outside a clinic soon.
February 1, 2014
This book contains a great deal of speculation, but I think there are a few things we can say for certain:
1) This book is about an absolutely appalling situation any way you look at it.
2) It's pretty weird that a seemingly healthy 26 year old collapses in her home with no clear medical explanation. The police certainly dropped the ball on this one.
3) If even half of what Mark Fuhrman says in this book is true, Michael Schiavo is clearly a class A asshole. Who refuses to let his wife's parents attend her funeral or tell them where her ashes are scattered? Seriously. It's pretty obvious that Schiavo refused to divorce Terri and let her parents take over as guardians because he wanted the money from her estate. What a great guy.
4) Fuhrman wrote part 5 of this book just because he likes to hear himself speak. Or think out loud.
5) If Fuhrman really wanted to find out what happened to Terri, he could have waited for the autopsy report to come out. That was kind of a big piece that was missing in his speculation.
And although I never agree with Catholics and the crazy Anti Women's Health Brigade, as someone who works professionally with people with disabilities, I'm not convinced that a feeding tube is "medical treatment." I think the courts were walking a fine line there.
This is a terrible and tragic story. However, most of this book is speculation. I would be interested to read another book about this case that is based on more concrete information, although I think there are many aspects to this story that will always remain a mystery.
1) This book is about an absolutely appalling situation any way you look at it.
2) It's pretty weird that a seemingly healthy 26 year old collapses in her home with no clear medical explanation. The police certainly dropped the ball on this one.
3) If even half of what Mark Fuhrman says in this book is true, Michael Schiavo is clearly a class A asshole. Who refuses to let his wife's parents attend her funeral or tell them where her ashes are scattered? Seriously. It's pretty obvious that Schiavo refused to divorce Terri and let her parents take over as guardians because he wanted the money from her estate. What a great guy.
4) Fuhrman wrote part 5 of this book just because he likes to hear himself speak. Or think out loud.
5) If Fuhrman really wanted to find out what happened to Terri, he could have waited for the autopsy report to come out. That was kind of a big piece that was missing in his speculation.
And although I never agree with Catholics and the crazy Anti Women's Health Brigade, as someone who works professionally with people with disabilities, I'm not convinced that a feeding tube is "medical treatment." I think the courts were walking a fine line there.
This is a terrible and tragic story. However, most of this book is speculation. I would be interested to read another book about this case that is based on more concrete information, although I think there are many aspects to this story that will always remain a mystery.
May 31, 2009
This story is by Mark Fuhrman, the detective in the O.J. Simpson trial that was accused of perjory. Mark is an excellent author. This is written in a documentary form and was put into print within about 5 months of Terry Schiavo's death. T. Schiavo is the beautiful young woman who was found fallen in a bathroom, and was w/o oxygen for a lengthy period of time, leaving her very disabled. Terry's parents believe her husband was responsible for her troubles. She was in a nursing home for 15 years before the feeding tube was removed from her stomach (for the 3rd time). She bascially was starved to death...no water or food. She lived for 14 days, the nurses and Dr's saying because her heart was so healthy. Her parents wanted her left alive, but her husband declared she would want to be dead. This is a very, very sad case. Read and determine what your thoughts are. Mark was not to give a verdict, just present the facts as an outstanding detective would do. The results are interesting, but unable to prove any abuvse after 15 years. Had she died at the time, then it would have bee treated as homicide, but since she lived, life went on "as usua."
January 9, 2018
This was a farce. First of all he has "scenarios" of what might have happened. Michael Schaivo loved his wife. He did not kill her. He did not hurt her or beat her into the persistent vegetative state she was in. He has no proof that any malicious acts were done. She was not able to swallow or recognize people as her autopsy showed. It was basically bull. Two or three Guardian Ad Litems cleared Michael of any wrongdoing with the money from the lawsuits. Most of it went to the lawsuits to have Terri's feeding tube removed. This was only after years and years she had lived in this state she was is in. She was never going to get better, several doctors testified to it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2007
Not as good as his Murder in Greenwich (about Martha Moxley's murder), but I am about halfway through it and it is an interesting, quick read. Update: I finished the book yesterday. It really hits home that the law often has nothing to do with justice and fairness. My only complaint about this book is that he should have waited for the autopsy report to come out before writing it.
May 28, 2008
This got the 5 stars because "It was amazing" what Michael Schiavo got away with... some would call it murder. A hard look at the facts surrounding the Schiavo case. Includes affidavits from nurses who provided care for Terri.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2015
Three stars on the basis that this is more of a medical journal and timeline than anything. The fact that Terri died the way she did still saddens me. Michael killed her, but legally. That is an injustice.
September 9, 2008
Wanted to get some hardcore facts about this case....but I was disappointed - this was opinion and theory driven.
January 17, 2010
For this being the "untold story," we are not hearing anything from Michael Schivao, the husband of Terri who might have had something to do with her collapse and initiated her death. However, the author did try to get responses from Michael and/or his lawyer. The book was written immediately following her death, before an autopsy was even done, so I googled her name to find out the results of her autopsy. The autopsy was unable to find a reason for her collapse but did not indicate she had ever suffered from bulimia, which is what the doctors claimed was the cause of her collapse and because of that claim, no accusations of foul play were fully made.
I knew the basic story of Schivao's case but did not pay much attention to the case. I did tell myself that when I made myself a will, I would also get a living will so I if I were ever in the same position, my family would know my wishes and be unable to do something different. I found the book for a dollar and felt it was worth a read. And it was very interesting, with a lot of information I was unaware of. The author started out being fair to both sides, and as the story went, he apparently became angrier and angrier and lost his fairness- did anyone edit this book? He obviously felt Michael was the cause of her collapse through physical abuse, that he was a control freak who tried to keep her family and any stimulus away from her, and who lied about her wishes to have her die.
I thought the story was interesting, but cannot agree with the title, because we are only getting one story, backed up by as much evidence as possible. It's not exactly he "untold story," it's "everything we know at the time of her death plus some opinions, but no comments directly from the husband." Of course, in the twelve plus years he had, he had plenty of time to talk, and his stories were full of holes. So you decide.
I knew the basic story of Schivao's case but did not pay much attention to the case. I did tell myself that when I made myself a will, I would also get a living will so I if I were ever in the same position, my family would know my wishes and be unable to do something different. I found the book for a dollar and felt it was worth a read. And it was very interesting, with a lot of information I was unaware of. The author started out being fair to both sides, and as the story went, he apparently became angrier and angrier and lost his fairness- did anyone edit this book? He obviously felt Michael was the cause of her collapse through physical abuse, that he was a control freak who tried to keep her family and any stimulus away from her, and who lied about her wishes to have her die.
I thought the story was interesting, but cannot agree with the title, because we are only getting one story, backed up by as much evidence as possible. It's not exactly he "untold story," it's "everything we know at the time of her death plus some opinions, but no comments directly from the husband." Of course, in the twelve plus years he had, he had plenty of time to talk, and his stories were full of holes. So you decide.
August 14, 2013
Silent Witness is the first book by Mark Fuhrman that I have read. It was definately 1 sided to say the least. If what was written about Michael the husband is true then he is a very cold hearted man. I think he was only after the money. He was aware that he would inherit the money that was left from Terri's trust. Obviously if she died sooner than he would see more dollars since the money would no longer be going towards her medical care. Another reason why I say he is cold hearted is because he got engaged to a woman and was moving on with his life, (rightfully so I am not knocking him down for that), so if he was moving on and even had 2 children with his fiancee why didn't he sign over the right's over Terri to her family?- Money perhaps??? Yes I think this is why he kept the rights to what happened to her because if he lost that control he would not inherit the money from her trust. The cruelest thing he did was after Terri died, he would not allow her parents at funeral and would not tell them where her remains were at or buried. That is just sickening!!
I honestly can't say I believe he did something that caused terri to fall down, but I do think his actions were just mean and cold (if what is written in this book is true). Unfortunately I discovered while reading this book that Mark Fuhrman is not a man of ethics either so I am hesitant to really take his word in everything he wrote in this book. The book was mostly about the cause of death and the different type of scenarios that could have played a role in her final state. I expected more depth in this book and it fell short of my expectations. 2 stars out of 5.
I honestly can't say I believe he did something that caused terri to fall down, but I do think his actions were just mean and cold (if what is written in this book is true). Unfortunately I discovered while reading this book that Mark Fuhrman is not a man of ethics either so I am hesitant to really take his word in everything he wrote in this book. The book was mostly about the cause of death and the different type of scenarios that could have played a role in her final state. I expected more depth in this book and it fell short of my expectations. 2 stars out of 5.
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March 8, 2014My overall review on "Silent Witness: The Untold Story of Terri Schiavo's Death" is that it was an alright book. The author's writing style went into detail about many of the causes that could have caused her collapse, but not a for sure reason why she collapsed. This was the main reason why I did not like the book. It went into less detail about her personal life than I thought it would. Other than that, I thought the book was well written and the quotes from Terri's friends and family made the book more interesting. Knowing it was a real story about the controversy of a girl's unknown cause of collapse that later led to death made it a good read. I would recommend it to anyone in high school or older who enjoys mystery and drama. I would rate it a 7 and a half out of 10.
October 21, 2013
I really liked this book but it was hard to read because in all this Terri Schiavo couldn't speak for herself to say what really happened to her. The book was very interesting because it quoted from the actual sources like police reports, depositions, and published interviews to show what was happening during her ordeal. Some of them were even provided in full as appendixes to the book. But in all there are no solid answers in this book even though it does provide a good amount of background on Terri Schiavo's life before she collapsed.
January 6, 2012
This book could have been half the length since Mark Fuhrman continued to repeat facts, theories, and court statements throughout. However, it was a great writing to encapsulate the time line and activities throughout Terri's life. As he states - no one was looking out for what she wanted or needed. If Mark Fuhrman's account of the facts and statements is truly un-biased, then her husband Michael Schiavo should be strung up and left to rot.
September 13, 2016
Haven't finished this book yet, but it's very odd. It's not a typical true crime - there really isn't any legal or police portion yet...and there is a lot of medical definitions. I hope it gets better!
It didn't get much better. It didn't go much into the trial or the investigation, which are my favorite parts. It was just a review of an existing case with no resolution or solutions. Not good, and most likely won't read Fuhrman's other books based on this.
It didn't get much better. It didn't go much into the trial or the investigation, which are my favorite parts. It was just a review of an existing case with no resolution or solutions. Not good, and most likely won't read Fuhrman's other books based on this.
July 1, 2008
I read this entire book in an afternoon while sunbathing. It was fascinating and (obviously) a fast read. It was interesting to find out that Terri Shiavo did not have a heart attack and that before this happened, no one--not her parents, siblings, friends, or doctor--thought she was bulimic, and they still don't. The only thing they found wrong with her was her potassium level was low.
June 4, 2012
I liked the objective spin on this book. The author is right, you might not like Michael Schiavo, but does that mean he killed his wife? I like the different proposed senarios and the review of the facts. I would've liked to hear from him and the author did attempt to contact him as well as his attorney, but to no avail.
February 18, 2008
I read this book in conjunction with Micheal Schiavo's book, "Terri". While I learned about detective's methods of solving crime, I felt the Schindlers (Terri's parents) got Furman to write this book to make Micheal look like he tried to murder the morning she suffered brain damage.
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June 17, 2008I thought there would be some more information in it. Although I didn't realize that her parents weren't allowed to take pictures when she was being starved and dehydrated to death. I can't believe a judge allowed that, when everyone else would be taken to court to child/adult abuse.
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