Freed to Kill: The True Story of Larry Eyler [Hardcover]

Gera-Lind Kolarik (Author), Wayne Klatt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1990

An account of the murdering spree of Larry Eyler, who kidnapped, tortured, and killed at least twenty-three young men, describes how Eyler managed to evade capture for three years, his apprehension, and his release on a technicality. Reprint.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starting in 1982, Eyler, a homosexual, reputedly tortured and killed some 25 men, most of them street hustlers, principally in Indiana and Illinois. He was picked up by the Indiana state police, detained for 12 hours and released. In due course he was charged with murder in Waukegan, Ill., but a judge dismissed the case, determining that the evidence was inadmissable under rules governing the proper mode of gathering evidence--the Exclusionary Rule. Eyler next killed a 15-year-old male hustler in Chicago, which led to his conviction in 1988. His death sentence has yet to be carried out. Kolarik, a one-time assignment editor for a Chicago TV station, played a pivotal role in the Eyler case, as she saw a link between the Indiana and Illinois murders. And in this tense, judicious brief, written with the broadcast editor of Chicago's City News Bureau, she recaps the gruesome case and the legal complexities which allowed an apprehended serial killer to be set free to take yet another life. Photos not seen by PW .
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Eyler was suspected by the Chicago and Indiana police of being responsible for the gruesome murders of 21 male drifters. But in their zeal to nab Eyler, the Indiana state police violated Eyler's constitutional rights. Incriminating evidence that the police had gathered was ruled inadmissible by the court, and Eyler was set free. Six months later, Eyler brutally kidnapped and murdered 15-year-old Danny Bridges, a crime for which he was sentenced to death. The authors use the Eyler case as a forum to show the difficulties of balancing the rights of the individuals with the rights of society. This is a vividly written and very thought-provoking book, a good choice for both true crime and legal-issues collections.
- Sandra K. Lindheimer, Middlesex Law Lib., Cambridge, Mass.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 379 pages
• Publisher: Chicago Review Pr; 1st edition (October 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556520921
• ISBN-13: 978-1556520921
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,061,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellently written, spell-binding account, November 12, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Freed to Kill: The True Story of Serial Murderer Larry Eyler (Paperback)

I met Ms. Kolarik at a writer's seminar in NYC many years ago & read the book after meeting her. The book was written so well that it felt as if I were there, watching Larry Eyler go through the motions of his killing sprees. It was a terror-filled journey through the eyes of a troubled killer, captivatingly captured through Ms. Kolarik's skill as a writer. If you're a true-crime reader, this book is a MUST-read!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very tragic story, July 25, 2000

By 

"tonlo" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Freed to Kill: The True Story of Larry Eyler (Hardcover)

I cannot believe Larry Eyler was set free to kill again. This story haunted me for nights, very well written, very thourough details. I feel so sorry for of course the victims but even more for their families. Larry Eyler died in prison of aids I'm not sure if he ever confessed. There was a conspiracy theory that he had an accomplice that has never been caught, if anyone has any info let me know.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable, July 2, 2002

By 

MJ (Metropolis, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Freed to Kill: The True Story of Serial Murderer Larry Eyler (Paperback)

I was first introduced to this book by my boyfriends mother in 1990. She is the birth mother of Steve Agan, one of Larry Eyler's victims. She was very upset when we finally obtained a copy and read the gruesome details of her sons death. When I read this book, I felt for their family, for all the families of all the victims. When Steve was killed, I believe it was his father and his stepmother who identified the body.