Customer Reviews

A Descent Into Hell: The True Story of an Altar Boy, a Cheerleader, and a Twisted Texas Murder

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Once again, Kathryn Casey gives me a gripping story to follow. And once again, she expects me to not read between the lines and take everything at face value.

Again and again she refers to Jennifer Cave as "Colton's friend." Yet, I feel certain we are supposed to assume there was indeed a sexual relationship between the two, at least initially, which is hinted about during Casey's discussion of motive. She mentions throughout the trial that the prosecution had no idea about this side of the story so it was never presented as motive (the idea that Pitonyak wanted Cave and she no longer wanted anything more to do with him). Does the prosecution ever find out? How did Casey come across this information so easily but a team of investigators could not?

I don't know, but something about this area of the story left me feeling let down and unfulfilled....so many unanswered questions and too much speculation. Aside from this, it was a great read.

I didn't find this book either terrible or terribly interesting, but a decent account of an interesting case. The author competently walks us through the story, doing her best to flesh out the minimally interesting characters, detail the investigation and document the trial - just like one expects in a book like this.

What bothers me about the Ann Rule school of true crime is the need writers feel to give their stories a tragic scope. Most people involved in crimes are just like the rest of us - not all that interesting and far from perfect. In true crime books,though, the chronically unemployed, meth-head dropout has to be a radiant angel beloved by all. The screwed up loser with a backwards baseball cap selling dope to college kids and trying to be a gangsta is portrayed as evil incarnate. I mean no offense to the real people hurt in this case, I just don't like their story turned into a simplistic cartoon about good vs. evil. (end of rant)

This is a decent true crime story, of about average quality, that will pass the hours for fans of the genre.

I have swayed away from True crime in the past few years because most of the books just are not well researched and are just kind of boring. Not so with this book,Ms.Casey draws you in from the first page and lets you feel like you know the people in this book.It is a very sad story a must read for parents with college aged children,Parents period.Then you will want to pass it down to your children who are old enough to read it so they can learn the TRUE dangers of Drugs.So sad.Lifes ruined and a beautiful soul no longer with us because of drugs.My heart goes out to the families.My soul feels hurt by what was done to Jennifer and I hope one day her family can just remember the good times.
Beware..When you buy this book be prepared not to do anything else but read.I had not heard of this case until I picked this book up and for two nights I have had very little sleep(so excuse my typos) I have stayed awake until the wee hours unable to put this book down.Probably the best written True Crime book I have read in years. Kudo's Kathryn Casey!

It's a familiar story: over-privileged white boy gone gangsta. The unfamiliar part finds him murdering and dismembering his platonic girlfriend egged on by his equally white, equally annoying gangsta moll eggs him on. True Crime Divinity Kathryn Casey shows us that Colton Pitonyak and Laura Hall, the two white kids in question, are poster children for Just Say No to Drugs.

Few true crime authors are as reliable as Kathryn Casey and only her name on the cover could convince me to read a book in which the disposal of the corpse involves the liberal use of cutlery. Where a lesser writer would focus on the heinous crime, Casey shows the descent of victim Jennifer Cave and killer Colton Pitonyak into hell courtesy of drugs. In a way the amount of hard drugs these two seemingly normal kids were doing by their freshman year is more shocking that the murder. Casey does an especially good job of showing how a "nice girl" like Jennifer Cave drifted into self-destruction.

Nice is not a word anyone will ever apply to Pitonyak or Hall. Having transformed himself into the drug king of the University of Texas via his own consumption and drug dealing, Colton looked for more ways to model himself on Scarface. Because that movie ended so well for Tony Montana and his little friend. Naturally this amounts to Colton going around telling other economically insulated white boys about his time in county jail, his gangsta ways, and his favorite rap song of the moment. Just when Colton couldn't seem to be any more of an idiot he hooks up with the true monster of the book, Laura Hall. Pitonyak was a drug addled mess living a fantasy, Laura Hall is a beast who thought that helping her boyfriend dispose of a body was romantic. It's one thing to do it, it's something else to brag about it. On Facebook.

There is one thing wrong with this book. The obligatory salacious subtitle is lamer than usual. Colton Pitonyak and Jennifer Cave stopped being altar boy and cheerleader, respectively, by middle school so describing them thus makes as much sense as "the girl who wanted to be a teacher and the boy who wanted to be a fireman when they grew up". Could Harper Collins just switch to decaf before they publish their next true crime?

Other than the subtitle, however, this book is pure ambrosia for true crime fans. Kathryn Casey's books just keep getting better. Highly recommended.

Kathryn Casey tells a tragic story of drugs, obsession, murder, and dismemberment. As are all of Casey's books, DESCENT is impeccably researched and no stone is left unturned with regard to the individual histories of the offender and the victim. On the surface, the murder appears senseless... until you enter the dark world of Colton Pitonyak. A brilliant student turned drunken punk, turned drug dealing thug, Pitoniak not only sold drugs, he used street drugs daily and popped prescription pills like candy.

Jennifer Cave was a bright, caring young woman but she too destroyed a promising future with drugs. Addicted and unable to right the course of her future, Jennifer paid for her mistakes with her life. Sadly, if not for her use of meth, Jennifer never would never have met Pitonyak.

Some argue that Jennifer and Pitoniyk were good friends. Perhaps. But Jennifer also admitted, "The relationship was all about drugs." In addition, Jennifer recognized that Pitonyak was a dangerous individual whom she could not and should not trust. After being threatened with a knife, Jennifer told many that she would never spend time with Pitonyak alone again. However, her resolve was short lived. (As the time of Jennifer's death grows near, Casey employs a masterful use of suspense and with a sense of growing dread, I felt compelled to continue reading toward the tragic conclusion of this story.)

In a impulsive drug fueled rage, Pitonyak killed Jennifer. However, it is the rest of the story that is truly compelling. Enter Laura Hall. Hall was obsessed with Pitonyak and admired his bravado, his criminal history, and his carefully constructed drug dealer image. Hall loaned Pitonyak money throughtout the course of the relationship and did him favors. In return, Pitonyak used Hall. Often derisive toward Hall, Pitonyak borrowed money, sent Hall on personal errands for him, and banged her when he felt like it. He also requested her help following Jennifer's murder.

Forensic evidence would suggest Hall assisted Pitonyak in attempting to dismember Jennifer's body. Given the post-murder bragging Hall did, one could reasonably assume the plan to dismember the body was hers. At a minimum, she participated. There is less historical information about the person Hall was before this horrific crime, but the existing information suggests she was quite mentally and emotionally unstable if not obsessive, somewhat delusional, and tending toward the antisocial.

On a particularly painful note, Jennifer's mother, Sharon Cave, lamented frequently that Jennifer was murdered just as she was "...beginning to turn her life around." Maybe. But Jennifer's history was unstable and she eventually found herself a college dropout, unemployed, and homeless if not for the generosity of friends. Similarly, while Jennifer had spoken of recovery from her addiction, autopsy analysis revealed drugs in her system. She may have lessened her use of drugs, she may have wanted to stop, but she had not stopped. Haunted by a poor self-image and living with the consequences of drug abuse and addiction, every decision Jennifer made led her one step closer to death. This is not to say she is responsible for her own death. Only Pitoniak is to blame. But it was horrifying to read about a bright, attractive young woman who spiraled into the black hole of addiction.

My only complaint about the book is the subtitle. Sure, Pitnonyak was an altar boy... FOUR YEARS prior to the murder. And Jennifer had not worn a cheerleading uniform in at least that long. The subtitle suggests the roles of altar boy and cheerleader are current ones. Hardly. This is the very kind of trashy hype that detracts from the True Crime genre as a whole. At best, it is unnecessary. At worst, it is misleading. For True Crime fans everywhere, ignore the subtitle and enjoy the read... and the ride. Kathryn Casey is one of the very best.

My true crime reading habit started years ago with classics such as In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, and Helter Selter, by Vincent Bugliosi. Much as I would like to quit the habit, books such as A Descent into Hell keep me turning the pages. I offest the subject matter with spiritual memoir reading and angel oracle decks.

Be forewarned, this case is graphic and horrible but Casey has a way of dealing with the bad stuff without sensationalizing.This story could be about anyone's family. The families of both victim and perpetrator (young adults in their 20's) are so mainstream, we recognize them immediately. Parents have talented kids who try out,but get lost in, the party/drugs/alcohol lifestyle. If not motivated to get back on track, awful things can happen. This is an important study in the psychology of being too caring (almost Stockholm syndrome)and of not following one's intuition. My heart goes out to the Cave family. When you lose a daughter, we lose a daughter.

The newest release from Kathryn Casey titled A Descent Into Hell: The True Story of an Altar Boy, a Cheerleader, and a Twisted Texas Murder is not the best of Casey's work.

While the murder of Jennifer Cave by Colton Pitonyak is, without doubt, a horrible crime, essentially this is a story of two people hooked on drugs whose relationship ended with a horrible murder. What adds to the story is that Pitonyak hacked up the body and then fled to Mexico with another junkie girlfriend, Laura Hall. (And what needs to be mentioned is that, unlike America with its illegals, Mexico happily tossed their felonious butts back across the border in record time!)

The bit in the title referring to the "altar boy" and "cheerleader" is a bit misleading as these were roles maintained by the victim and killer when they much younger; long before their days of strung out college students. These references should have actually been "spoiled brat" and "troubled teen" respectively.

Is it worth reading? Sure. Let's face it, true crime readers don't have nearly the pickings that fiction readers do. Just don't expect it to be the best you've ever read.

I found myself unable to put this book down - but that is mainly because Kathryn Casey is a very skilled writer, not because the main characters are particularly interesting. I have read all of Ms. Casey's books now, and some of the sociopaths she writes about are absolutely riveting - if you have read She Wanted It All, you'll know what I mean.
A Descent Into Hell tells the tale of two bright, middle-class university students with promising futures whose lives were utterly destroyed by drugs. As much as I usually sympathize with victims, I found myself feeling exasperated by Jennifer, whose friends and family tried so hard to help her turn her life around. When she finally lands a great job with a law firm which could have been the beginning of a wonderful new life, her self-destructive tendencies take over. On the night before she starts her new job, instead of going to bed early as she'd promised her roommate, she goes out partying and doing drugs with her violent and unstable pal, whom all her friends had warned her about. The result is, sadly, almost inevitable.

The book was fairly written, but the story seems to be more about Jennifer's mother and her feelings, thoughts, etc. than who Jennifer was in life. Could have been a better book if the author had bothered to interview Jennifer's friends and relatives other than her mother. It seemed to be written through Sharon's eyes. Kathryn, you could do better.

I read the author's other book about the serial rapist and the wife about a week ago and was blown away with the authors writing style

I don't read many true crime except for an ocasional Ann Rule book.

Enough about me, Kathryn Casey is the type of writer that can take a story with hundred's of facts, details, characters and make you really "feel" the whole experience and drama without getting lost or bored. I only bought this book on the strength of reading one of her other stories just to see if it was just a fluke that what I read was her best writing. Well, this book topped that book.

I RARELY/NEVER shed a tear reading books. What can I say, I'm a man. I actually shed a tear 2 times and semi-cried one time reading this story. I'm glad I was alone because my wife would of thought I was losing it.

I plan on reading all of her stories now. If you read True Crime either casually or often READ THIS BOOK.