Dead Men Walking tells the incredible stories of those men and women who have lived their lives behind bars with the constant threat of death by fellow prisoners, or by state execution, hanging over them. What is it like to live out your days inside one of the toughest prisons,knowing you'll never again see beyond the exercise yard?Is it really possible to make friends or form relationships inside?What should you do if you've been sentenced to die for a crime you did not commit?This book examines the life-stories of men who claim to be innocent, men who were eventually proven innocent and those who are so dangerous that life simply has to mean life.
CONTENTS: PART ONE : LIFERS including Machine Gun Kelly, The Bostons Strangler, Charles Manson, Son of Sam, The Yorkshire Ripper, Dennis Nilsen, Jeffrey Dahmer PART TWO : HIGH PROFILE EXECUTIONS including Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Derek Bentley, The Night Caller, James Hanratty, Gary Gilmore, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy PART THREE : DEATH ROW USA including Ray Krone, Nick Yarris, Richard Allen Davis, Kenny Richey, Michael Morales, Richard Ramirez, Karl Chamberlain PART FOUR : WOMEN ON DEATH ROW including Ruth Snyder, Ruth Ellis, Velma Barfield, Aileen Wuornos
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Bill Wallace is a former detective inspector and crime scene investigator from Glasgow, who began a career in true crime journalism after retiring from the force.
If you're interested in stories about the men and women on Death Row and the men and women who have been put to death, the cases in this book provide more detail than many others.
I found some misinformation in the book, such as stating that Judi Buenoano was only the second woman, after Karla Faye Tucker, to be executed in the United States, completely ignoring Velma Barfield who was executed in 1984.
The common theme with most of the people featured in this book is parental abuse or neglect. Of course, this does not excuse crime but most of the people mentioned have had horrific childhoods. The death sentence is neither here not there to me, but authorities need to be certain.
This was an interesting story of crime and punishment in the United States. short stories of criminal cases and their outcomes.a good read. would have liked it to be more in-depth.