Customer Reviews

Bad Blood: Freedom and Death in the White Mountains

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Bad Blood does a very good job of showing how in a small town, bad seeds can cause a tremendous amount of harm and destruction. I had read Casey Sherman's previous book (his aunt had been one of the victims of the Boston Strangler) and he has a very strong bias against police officers. In reading this, and recalling the story when it came out I will give Sherman his due for doing the research and avoiding editorializing to a large degree. But having vacationed in the notch the summer after the shooting and talking about it with a local she was convinced that Lilo Kenny was a bad seed who had grudges against so many people and would snap sooner or later.

While his editorializing isn't as obvious here, Sherman does want to bring in Officer McKay's actions under close scrutiny which is understandable. The man may have made some mistakes leading to his result but his greatest mistake was to be at the business end of the gun of someone who felt the law applied only when he chose it too. Sherman also does a great job analyzing the role of the shooter and how me may be one of the real villains of the story as we see later on by his violent and threatening behavior.

Sherman's odd sense that the law is at fault often clouds his writing. I think if he could draw a more unbiased conclusion we would have a much stronger work. I also have to call out the terrible job his editors did in editing this book. Dates are flat out wrong and we seem to jump from before the shooting to after and you're not sure if this is supposed to happen or not. There are obvious errors in the book and hopefully they will be corrected for the paperback version.

Having attended some of the police funerals mentioned in this book (Colebrook, Epsom, and Manchester) and sharing the communities disdain for the killers, I was curious as to why this dynamic was not as apparent in the Mckay case and why there were so many apologists for Liko Kenney (full disclosure upfront: I am a retired Boston area police officer and current attorney). I picked up this book hoping it would go beyond the surface of earlier news accounts and explain why Liko should have been portrayed as anything other than a rogue cop killer. It did not. All this book achieved was to reiterate the differing opinions of Franconia residents regarding the incident. Nowhere in this book did I find any reason why Bruce Mckay should not be treated similar to the other police officers killed in the line of duty or why Kenney is looked at as a sympathetic figure. This book can by broken down into three major parts: 1. The grudge between Liko Kenney and Bruce Mckay 2. The actual police stop of Kenney by Mckay 3. Greg Floyd's actions. I have some issues with all three.

THE GRUDGE: There was alot of smoke regarding the personal grudge between Mckay and Kenney, but no fire. Where was the evidence that Mckay was improperly targeting or harrassing Kenney? Where was the evidence that Mckay posed a real or perceived threat to Kenney? If anything, the only person who could have perceived a threat from the other was Mckay. The sum total of the interactions between the two before the fatal incident happened when Mckay lawfully arrested him in 2003 while showing great restraint. Just listen to Kenney in the 2003 incident. He was irrational and claiming Mckay was targeting him then (although it was their first and only interaction). The author got caught up in the idea that Kenney was a troubled, harmless, free spirit, who snapped after being harrassed by an over aggressive cop. The facts and the reality just do not back up this misguided notion. Despite the authors attempt to show a grudge between the two, I see it as a one sided grudge built in Kenney's mind alone. With the limitied interaction between the two prior to the incident, the author relies on his own spin to beef up the grudge by repeatadly referring to Mckay as being humiliated after Kenney grabbed his testicles. How does the author know this? What police officer would be humiliated by some crazed irrational person grabbing his testicles? Mad, maybe, but humilitated? I think not. There is not a police officer in any town or city in the United States who does not have a person like Liko Kenney in their community. Should they just leave them all alone and look the other way when they break the law? Should all the Liko Kenney types get a free pass when driving around with an expired registration? Painting Mckay as a contributor to his own death based on the facts presented in this book is ridiculous. Even the suggestion is not backed up by any facts.

The biggest problem I had with this book was the authors lack of proper research regarding police tactics and procedure. If Liko Kenney had been brought to trial there would have been plenty of police experts to explain why Officer Mckay did what he did. I'm not saying that there were not tactical mistakes, but most police officers would be able to explain why Mckay did what he did. The authors attempt to analyze the tactics used by Mckay during the stop/chase are lacking. The attempts to associate the tactics used by Mckay with his anger or personal animosity towards Kenney fall short and are unfair. The fact that there were no reality based reasons set forth as to why Kenney felt he was being targeted or harrassed by Mckay (other than speculation and fifth hand scuttlebutt down at the local taverns and Inn's) should have led to the pivotal analysis of the actual fatal interaction, the stop/chase. Relying solely on the opinion of one police officer from Rhode Island to assist in this process was completely inadequate. Maybe a legitimate analysis would not have matched the theme of the book.

THE STOP: The author had a major question: "Why had Mckay put his life in jeopardy over something as insignificant as an expired registration sticker"? The answer: BECAUSE HE IS A POLICE OFFICER AND THAT IS HIS JOB! Mckay was on patrol in a marked police cruiser and observved a motor vehicle violation. It was not like he was waiting at the end of Kenney's street or outside his workplace. Should all police officers ignore traffic violations if they involve someone they have arrested before who may be carrying a gun? Liko Kenney should have been pulled over just like any other person driving down the road that day with an expired registration sticker (and by all accounts would have been by Officer Mckay). Mckay observed the violation and attempted to lawfully stop Liko. What would society be like if police officers were discouraged from doing their job soley becuase the law breaker was a bit of a loose cannon? What evidence exists that Mckay pulled Kenney over for any other reason than the expired registration?

I agree with the suggestion that the best practice would have been to call for backup and conduct a felony stop. That would have been great if that was a realistic option. Franconia is a rural area and has three police officers in the entire department (not all working) and you read how long it took for the first backup unit to arrive. Mckay had a decision to make and that decision was stop Kenney before he reached the Tamarak compound/camp where the situation would have been even more dangerous for the officer (following Kenney and calling for backup as suggested, was not feasible in this case because Kenney was only a short distance from the safe haven and tactical advantage of his camp).

The author treats the ramming of the car by Mckay as evidence of his rage. He points to the fact it was just a minor car stop. The problem with that assertion is that when Mckay rammed the car it was well beyond an investigation for a minor traffic violation it was also for fleeing the original stop. Any police officer is going to rightfully use stronger measures in a fleeing situation. People flee for a reason and it usually involves potential danger to the pursuing officer. Mckay knew Kenney was highly irrational during routine police interactions and also that he was possibly in possession of a gun. Once Kenney fled the original stop Mckay reasonably raised his concern for his safety and used reasonable force to stop the threat. Once Mckay forced Kenney off of the road he attempted to box in the car. Once Mckay faced Kenney's car, Kenney lurched forward in an attempt to flee once again. Mckay cut him off and attempted to immobilize the car by ramming it backward. (stop the threat to him and the public). If Kenney gets by the cruiser the chase is back on and all parties including innocent motorists are put in jeapordy. This action by Mckay is no different than the P.I.T. maneuver seen on all of the police chase shows where a cruiser strategically hits a car to immobilize it. It may have looked aggressive because it was done head-on, but the intention looked the same. to immobilize the fleeing car.

I agree Mckay should have drawn down on Kenney and ordered to see his hands after spraying him. The only thing I can think of is that Mckay caught some of the pepper spray in his face (happens quite frequently) and the natural reaction is to walk away from the threat. Or Mckay wrongly assumed that the pepper spray would completely immobilize Kenney until some sort of back up could have arrived to assist him. It was clear to me that Mckay was trying to stop the threat he perceived and that meant stopping both the car and Kenney. Mistake maybe, evidence of a depraved indifference to Kenney, no.

GREG FLOYD: I also did not hear one legitimate reason as to why Greg Floyd was wrong to do what he did. A lot of talk about his past and his bizzare rants but nothing to show he did not act reasonably in that situation. Let's review the facts: Civilian watches man shoot uniformed police officer four times and run him over twice. Civilian approaches man who is desperately trying to load another round into the gun he just shot the police officer with. Man is doing this while parked on top of still alive police officer. Civilian shoots man to end threat and save police officer. It is simple as that. Unless those facts are in dispute there is no reason to dissect civilians past. All the medications in the world do not change the facts in this case. Is Floyd a likable guy? No. Does that mean he did not act reasonably under the circumstances he faced? No.

THE ONLY person in this sad case who had NO justification for his actions was LIKO KENNEY. Period. Mckay may not have used perfect tactics but in high stress situations when you are alone and facing a threat sometimes mistakes are made. Most incidents where police officers are killed in the line of duty involve tactical mistakes. Tactical errors do not equate to justifications for the killers actions. None of Mckay's tactics or use of force were excessive. Police officers are permitted to use the force necessary to end a threat against them or others. Mckay was trying to effect a lawful car stop. Kenney is the one who prevented that by fleeing the original stop. Floyd obviously has his own issues but acted reasonably in this situation. If Kenney did not want to be stopped by Mckay he should have registered his car, stopped for the police, and if wronged logged an official complaint. Liko Kenney took the law into his own hands and played judge, jury, and executioner. Bruce Mckay deserved better from Liko Kenney, the residents of Franconia, and this author. He died doing his job and was painted in a negative light because everyone wanted to beleive the facade of Body Miller's cousin. SHAME ON EVERY PERSON IN FRANCONIA WHO HAS OPPOSED BRUCE MCKAY'S MEMORIAL.

Someone please explain to me what evidence exists that suggests Mckay improperly targeted Kenney or mistreated him in any way. Please explain to me what evidence exists that shows Kenney could have reasonably been justified in escalating the situation by fleeing the original car stop. Please explain to me what evidence exists that justifies the movement to hold Bruce Mckay partially responsible for being murdered by Kenney.

This book certainly hasn't.

I was fascinated and troubled by this book. The author has set out to do a serious reporting job on the two deaths that took place in Franconia NH in 2007. He has done a great deal of investigation both through his numerous interviews and his historical research. It's a readable and riveting tale with an extremely dramatic narrative. Not hard to imagine this as a book that could be turned into an interesting screenplay. Yet it strikes me that the underlying thesis of the book is flawed. Beginning with the title"Bad Blood" we are to believe that this is the story of a long and deep feud between two men with very different world views. Yet the reporting in the book argues convincingly that is hardly the case. I can only agree with another Amazon reviewer Patrick Collins that the author's account portrays a sociopath with deep seated paranoia on one hand and a good cop on the other. Yes, Officer McKay made some important mistakes such as not wearing his vest and particularly by turning his back after spraying Liko Kenney knowing full well that he carried a weapon and was dangerous. Mistakes are not uncommon in stressful and exhausting police work. But in the end,none of that, however supports the notion of a longstanding blood feud. It's a tragic story, well told and with enough detail to inform the discerning reader that in the end the author has not found the right balance. Read it and decide for yourself.

George A. Hirsch

The author notes at the end of the book claims that is the result of those people "that recognized the need for an unbaised historical account of May 11, 2007" (p. 223) Such may be needed, but this book is not it.

Others have written of the lack of research into police tactics and why Officer McKay acted as he did." The author does include a Rhode Island trooper's assessment of the stop (p. 169-71), but offers no research or discussion about police tactics to put that assessment into context.

Worse, there is no similar assessment by anyone familiar with New Hampshire law on third-party self-defense, or in general about self-defense by citizens to discuss Greg Floyd's actions. Instead, the author presents his personal theory that Floyd murdered Liko Kennedy and was hallucinating due to abusing his medication at the time (see e.g. p. 153, 212-13, etc.)

And the author seems convinced that because the statements of Greg Floyd, his son, and Caleb Macaulay differ differ "at least one of them was not telling the full truth" (p. 215). This reader is astonished that an experienced reporter is not familiar with the frailities of eyewitness memory in the aftermath of a highly stressful incident -- which this certainly was. Nor familiar with good-faith memory errors. It is quite plausible that all three honestly described the situation as they recalled it, and were all to some extent wrong.

For a good general introduction to why the eye is not a video camera and memory is not a DVD, see:
The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us

By the author's own description of the incident, Liko Kennedy had shot a uniformed police officer with his own .45 semi-automatic handgun and run him over, twice, with his car. Officer McKay was still alive at this point. Kennedy was in the process of reloading, or clearing a jam in his firearm when Floyd approached him -- he was not trying to leave. He had not put the firearm down. He was apparently preparing to shoot McKay again.

At that point, Floyd shot him. No challenge or warning was legally required. Floyd was not required to risk that Kennedy would not try to run him down, or might not have a second firearm. Things happen in seconds in a gunfight -- reaction time in that sort of situation makes it hard even for a trained police officer to safely challenge a violent armed suspect and hold him at gunpoint while waiting for backup (which Floyd had no reason to know was enroute). Floyd cannot be expected to take risks that many police officers reasonable would not have. Yet, the author faults him for not standing aside and letting Kennedy administer a coup de grace.

Was Floyd a troubled person? Likely yes.

Did his felony record legally preclude him from taking up a fallen officer's handgun to defend the officer, probably not.

Were Floyd's actions objectively reasonable -- the New Hampshire Attorney General has repeatedly said "yes".

Does the author give any reason to think otherwise -- no.

The community and the families involved deserve an informed, neutral account. Hopefully, they will someday get one.

Bad Blood recounts the tragic story that unfolded when three strong personalities converged on a remote road in New Hamsphire with tragic results. It is a riveting story that explores the clash of these three men as well as the clash of cultures in the White Mountains. I simply could not put this book down once I started it. The author does a fantastic job of painting the personalities of all three men with an even hand, portraying none of them exclusively as hero or villain. As a fan of non-fiction, this book rates among as one of the best I've ever read.

My girlfriend's family owns a vacation home on the same street these killings took place. She and I couldn't put down this book down until it was finished. This book is riveting, well written and fair.

I have never picked up a book and read the story of someone i actually knew, so in my first sentence thank you Mr Sherman. I went to High school with Liko Kenney, he was an amazing friend and the only thing i hated about the book was learning the truth about how he died. This book was so honest and forth right that though i cried my self to sleep reading it i never out it down. Liko kenney was a good man but in the midst of becoming hounded by a small town cop who had nothing better to do than harass him i wished he would have left New Hampshire. But he didnt, and the reason why is because no matter what he loved where he lived he loved his home and wanted to live free or Die. Excellent work Casey. As for Floyd there is a different painting to this picture Floyd was a drunken criminal who should have left well enough alone. Ill never get over the loss of my friend but noww that i know the truth i hold on to this book as a painful memory that i'll never let go of. Rest in Peace Liko---Katie Alvarez

I must agree with the bar patron quoted toward the end of the book, who says something to the effect of, "There's no story here." The quote is much more colorful than that, but I won't reprint it here. Like many of the reviews posted, this book is all over the map. Reviewers criticize this book for being too sympathetic to Kenney and for not giving the readers all the facts regarding McKay's background. I don't think the writer had enough information either way, and I finished the book feeling rather confused as to why it was even written. Whatever fault you can find with McKay's actions or his demeanor as a policeman, I see nothing in the facts here to suggest that Kenney was "driven" to shoot him in the back or run him over twice with his car. He evaded McKay and then reached for a pistol as soon as McKay pepper-sprayed him; just the fact that he kept a pistol on the floorboard of his car suggests he was asking for trouble. His troubled past and problems with his own family suggest someone who was unwilling to respect boundaries and who had little respect for the rights of others.

The story doesn't go much further than that, and the lack of substantive research can be seen in the way Sherman pads this book with numerous digressions into other cases and poetic meditations on the metaphor of the man in the mountain. Maybe if he had been able to interview Caleb (Kenney's passenger), he would have had enough material to justify a book. As it is, I just see a lot of grasping toward ambiguity where none exists.

I found this book to be based on the personal drama and perception of the writer. He did not make an attempt to capture the truth from the inside community. He used the people he interviewed and spun his own tale. I am personally familiar with the fine details of this case and the history of the parties involved. The writer, based on his recent interviews, IMO had made up his mind before ever traveling to Franconia. He made up his mind based on the video of the first encounter of this police officer and a young man. He had his own story to tell. He used people to get info in order to have it look as though he had done his "homework". He used certain material and left out what did not suit his agenda. He did NO research other than wanting to create a good story to have a made for movie drama. All reports that are documented at the State Attorney's office in the manner of severe complaints regarding the policing and court room antics of Bruce McKay are ignored by the writer. These complaints were filed by an attorney and psychologist. They were also ignored by the AG's office. Bruce McKay's co-workers complained about his policing. Numerous complaints were made about this officer over the yrs. All of this is left out of the book by this supposed neutral author to protect McKay's daughter. This is a warped story about the authors personal outlook and opinions and has no resemblance of an attempt to find the real truth.

This book gives some insight to what really happened between the police officer and the young man and what brought everything to such an awful ending.