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Doc: The Rape of the Town of Lovell

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Another dangerous sexual predator is free, practically in my own community. I don't live in Lovell, but I live in the Big Horn Basin. As a kid when this happened, I never really had a grasp of the depth of John Story's deviant acts until I read this book! This is not about the Mormon church versus the rest of the world as some people in Lovell still argue to anyone who will listen to this day; no, this is about a man who took advantage of his power and position as a trusted family doctor as an opportunity to rape women. This is about woman who, for whatever reasons, were conditioned as children to serve their fathers and to respect males. Young newlywed women who automatically knew to obey their husbands and believed they were nothing without their men. Women who never questioned a male's right to absolute authority. Sadly, these are also woman who never knew the extent of their own ignorance until it was too late.

The events were shocking in the 1980's when they ripped apart Lovell to the point that the wound still has not healed 20 years later. But it was the release on parole of a monster, of the so-called "doctor," that prompted me to finally read this book.

I now know and work with the attorneys in this book which made reading it all that much more exciting--the Honorable Gary Hartman, Scott Kath, the late Honorable John Dixon, Charles Kepler, and William Simpson and I know of Loretta Kepler, Kathy Karpan, and Terry Tharp. The author took some liberties with a few things; for example, Mr. Kepler is not a burly man nor is he a large man, Ms. Kepler is a charming and beautiful woman despite the plain-jane description to the contrary, Judge Hartman did not have a pistol under his robe when the jury verdict was delivered, and, really, Scott Kath is a much more interesting character than Olsen makes him out to be in the book. Furthermore, some of the nasty and degrading descriptions of town people were gross overstatements whereas some of the nicer descriptions were clever understatements of the true problems in Lovell--domestic abuse, alcohol, and to this day men with multiple "wives" and dozens of children.

However, having said that, those did not detract from this very well written book.

As a closing note for those who have read this, remember the exam table? Last year John Story's wife, Marilyn, picked up the "table" from the evidence room at the Big Horn County Courthouse. The table was a key factor in facilitating John Story's rape of literally hundreds of women during so called pelvic examinations. However, John Story no longer has a medical license nor can he ever hold a medical license again as a convicted felon. What does this man, who will surely be classified as a high risk registered sex offender, need with a fancy examination table when he does not have a medical license? Does he think he can sell it on eBay? Or is he starting a home based business?

I guess, this may only be the first story in a series of events yet to happen.......

I have been a fan of Jack Olsen for years, starting way back when he wrote brilliant pieces for "Sports Illustrated." He has the gift of taking non-fiction and bringing it to life on the printed page. I am convinced he could write about an old grocery list and make it interesting.

Lovell, WY, a small insular, highly religious farm community was ripped apart when one of the leading citizens, Dr. John Story, was accused of sexual harassment and rape going back twenty years. He was a general practitioner with OB/GYN a large part of his practice. By the time he came to trial, more than 100 former patients admitted they felt they had been mistreated or raped under the guise of a pelvic examination.

My first thought was how could this have been so widespread and gone on for so long without anyone knowing, complaining, or accusing? The answer is the nature of Lovell itself. The majority of the citizenry belonged to the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) or to a very strict fundamentalist church of which Dr. Story was a founding member. Particularly with the LDS women, there is a strong bias in favor of male superiority. They are taught that men (and only men) can become priests of their church and give absolution; rarely is male authority questioned. Along with this background is an incredible innocence and ignorance about sexual functions. It wasn't until a leading church member started asking hard questions after her more enlightened daughters complained to her, that the scope of this crime emerged. The women thought two to three hour examinations were normal and all had taken for granted these examinations took place without the presence of a nurse.

It made very painful reading to see how difficult it was for these women to be taken seriously. The Medical Registry of Wyoming was hostile toward their efforts, but finally gave them a hearing. The leaders of the church, who did not want the church to formally be involved in the issue, did not support them. It took the dedication and incredible hard work of a local sheriff and District Attorney for the county to finally bring Dr. Story to trial. The town split in two along religious lines. The fundamentalist group said it was a "Mormon conspiracy." People who had been friends and neighbors for years were now bitter enemies.

Mr. Olsen has created a page-turner with his balanced narrative that includes many direct interviews with the leading participants. I felt pity for Dr. Story's devoted wife and for many of his well-meaning followers and patients. However, what stands out most in my mind is the bravery and endurance shown by his victims and their willingness to stand by their beliefs and principles.

In the early 1980's in Lovell, WY, women came forward with stories of having been raped or taken advantage of by the town's doctor. John Story, was highly respected within the community not only as a doctor, but as an elder in his church. The women he targeted were young, vulnerable, or considered minority citizens who wouldn't say anything or wouldn't be believed. Story was able to "dilate" women for 25 years before enough of them finally got the courage to speak out and push for his license to be revoked. Thanks to the sheriff and the DA, the women were taken seriously and charges were brought against Story. During the investigation, it was discovered that over the years a handful of women had reported that Story had molested them, but were told to go home and be quiet about it, or just weren't believed. Delving further into Story's background, it appeared that he molested over 100 women during his practice. The ensuing trial caused such division in the town, that it never recovered to its former close knit community. Jack Olsen did a wonderful job in researching the background of everyone involved, as well as the charges and trial of John Story.

A fascinating account of a sociopath, a man in a position of utmost trust. He used that trust to gain access to more and more victims over more than two decades. Will we ever look at doctors the same way?

DOC is one of the most horrifying true stories of the abuse of power and trust that I have ever read! Dr. John Story chose to build a family practice in the small Wyoming town of Lovell, where there were no other doctors available and where half the population were fundamentalist members of the LDS or Mormon church. Known for his concern for his patients and strong morals rooted in the Baptist religion, Dr. Story was also known by many women as a doctor who ordered frequent pelvic exams that often lasted 30-45 minutes or longer. Preying upon the vulnerability of a population of women that possessed little sexual knowledge or experience, Dr. Story began raping his female patients. He never allowed a nurse or another third party to be present in the examining room during these pelvic exams, most of which were performed on Mormon women or women who used his clinic for a single visit while passing through town. In this way, he assurred himself years of unrestricted access to female patients who would be unilikely to understand what was happening or too afraid to report the sexual assault.

When two brave sisters united in an effort to alert the Wyoming Board of Medical Examiners to this abuse of position and power, many more women began to come forward. By the time police investigators and the district attorney were ready to bring Dr. Story to trial, there were 50 confirmed victims of sexual abuse or sexual assault, and another 50 cases involving women who were willing to speak of their experiences but were unwilling to be involved in any legal proceedings. If this sounds almost unbelievable, consider that these were ONLY the women who came forward!

The Wyoming Board of Medical Examiners denied ever receiving complaints about Dr. Story prior to those filed in 1983. However, one women produced a copy of the letter she mailed to the board in 1972. Another woman stated that she notified the board of the sexual abuse of her daughter well before 1983. In addition, the Board of Medical Examiners also refused to review this case until there were at least 5 separate complaintants. (Apparently, one rape victim is permissable, but 5 rape victims... well, that could be a problem!)

Although his license was revoked, Dr. Story was allowed to continue to practice during the appeals process and continued to practice until he was arrested and convicted on sexual abuse and sexual assault charges in a court of law. Never at a loss for words, Dr. Story continued to proclaim his innocence from prison and those who supported him continued to believe that such a "good and moral man" was incapable of these atrocious crimes.

It is interesting that some of the defense theories presented were outrageous and would have required absolute idiocy to accept. If Dr. Story were the unfortunate victim of a "Mormon Conspiracy," would not every non-Mormon professional also have been targeted? No one was targeted for punishment other than Dr. John Story. The defense also claimed that it would be physically impossible to rape a woman who was lying in a prone position on an examining table for a pelvic exam. My response to that? Like hell it would!

Story did go to prison, but his arrogance knows no bounds. With an ego the size of Mt. Rushmore, Story is a despicable man. Although a prison term of 15-25 years hardly seems adequate, I hope his "time" is spent less than comfortably. I hope Dr. Story was gang raped two or three times. I hope he was impotent during every conjugal visit with his long-suffering and naive wife. I hope no one ever called him "Doctor" again.

For those of you who have never read a Jack Olsen book, DOC is an excellent first choice. The daunting 542 pages read like a book of 250 and was never boring. It is unfortunate this spectacular book is no longer in print, for it is True Crime masterpiece!

Dr. John Story has been a general practitioner in Lovell, Wyoming for decades. The little town's one industry is its sugar factory, and its social life doesn't just center in its churches; its churches quite literally are Lovell's social life, so being put out of one's fellowship must be avoided at any cost. Many of the local residents are Baptists, the fundamentalist kind, like Elder Story as he is also known. Many more are Mormons, including Arden McArthur. Almost from Story's arrival in town onward, rumors about him have circulated; but Arden has never listened, and has trained her children not to do so, either. Whenever she sees "Doctor" (he hates having his title shortened to "Doc," and hates being "first named" even worse), the two friends engage in friendly but passionate debates about their respective beliefs. Sure, Dr. Story gives a lot of pelvic exams (including to patients who come in for treatment of sore throats, for high school physicals, and suchlike). True, those exams drag on for hours sometimes, and there's never a nurse in the room. But Arden tells herself, and her daughters when they complain, that "Doctor" is just being thorough. They're lucky to have such a caring physician, who's saved countless lives over the years and who absolutely refuses to be hurried while he's with a patient.

There's another side to Dr. Story, but people who see it either learn not to talk about it or they move away. When the moment comes for Arden McArthur to realize her mistake, she finds herself up against her own church's hierarchy as well as just about everyone else in town. Or so it seems to her at first - but as Arden starts digging, the until now silent citizens of Lovell begin talking to her. The more she learns, the madder she gets. It sometimes seems like a fool's crusade, because being shunned by one's church in Lovell means social isolation. Eventually it gets downright dangerous, as Story's supporters - egged on by well-meaning but clueless religious and civic leaders - escalate from shunning to violent threats. As a trio of brave public officials investigate what sounds to them like a series of rapes, and Story goes on practicing while appealing the Medical Board's decision to revoke his license, women reared to submit themselves to male authority without question start realizing that they do have recourse. Women kept too ignorant of sexual matters to describe Story's actions in anything but the most euphemistic terms learn that denying what happened won't make it go away; and those who have kept silent for years join Arden McArthur in fury at realizing that their silence has allowed Story to victimize others who might have been warned. Through it all, Story maintains his innocence. When it finally comes to trial, the rape case splits Lovell apart; and afterward, as "Doctor" files his appeal, those who go on believing in him mount a defense that moves the case into national press limelight.

What could easily have become nothing more than another sensationalistic "true crime" book turns instead, thanks to author Jack Olsen's skilled storytelling, into one of the saddest and yet most hopeful human dramas I've ever read. Easy to live through with the victims? No. Of course not! But worth the discomfort? Absolutely. If ever a story proves the Biblical claim that "the truth will make you free," this one surely does.

Doctor John Story was a strange, yet well-liked man in the Lovell, Wyoming community situated in the Big Horn Basin.

Considered a fine, upstanding Christian man, he treated many of the town's residents; including those from the large Mormon population.

But there was a side he kept hidden. One that hated Germans, Mormons, and the indigent with such a passion that he believed he could lord over them, sexually violate them, and get away with it.

Or so the story goes.

Beloved true crime writer Jack Olsen takes readers into a town that lives a 1950s lifestyle in a 1983 world; where the free love of the hippies bypassed this deeply religious community.

Although in 2009 it appears that time has healed many wounds, the criminal conviction of John Story based on testimony alone - no physical evidence - almost created a war in the streets of this little town.

Even with 542 pages, Doc: The Rape of the Town of Lovell is a fast read. With an unbiased writing style and colorful details, Jack Olsen created a true crime masterpiece that won the 1990 Edgar Allen Poe award.

Unlike most true crime books, readers will disappointed to find there are no photographs contained within of those involved in this case. However, with intense descriptions, it's not difficult to conjure up your own images.

Doc is a must read for true crime fans!

What I liked the most about this book is that it did not take the stance against any religion. I'm sure most would be expecting this to be a Mormon-bashing session or Christian-bashing session depending on which side of religion the author is on. However, religion was never the focus of why this person did what they did and I commend Mr. Olsen on that. It would have been so easy to do that with this situation.

This book was one of the best real crime books I have read. It kept my attention and I couldn't put it down. I love to read about all kinds of events in history that I had no idea about and this was an eye-opening one for me. Superbly written and displayed in events.

This is the story of an unimaginable crime. What kind of person (regardless of 'Doctor' or otherwise) could do such things to so many women? I don't know what was harder to understand - the mindset of the doctor, or the mindset of the community. The town's dirty little secret tore apart many families and many lives. Jack Olsen is a master storyteller, and makes it hard to put the book down.

I read this book back in 1990 but let someone borrow it and never got it back. It is an awesome story. I could not believe that people would let religion lead them to believe everything a doctor tells them. This book keeps your attention and I believe every woman should read it so that they might not get caught up in something like this.