Murder In Brentwood (Paperback)

by Mark Fuhrman (Author)
Key Phrases: planted glove theory, second search warrant, defense card, Swiss Army, Mark Fuhrman, Los Angeles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
This book yields two surprises that have nothing to do with what made its author so notorious, but which have plenty to do with how public bureaucracies fail. First, it includes Furhman's contemporaneous crime scene notes (with observations as meticulous as any TV sleuth's), which make mention of a "visible fingerprint" Furhman saw on the Bundy back gate (and discussed with his partner at the time). Second, it reveals that Lange and Vannatter, the detectives from "downtown" who took over the case from Furhman, didn't check out the print that night or subsequently, and indeed never read Fuhrman's notes at all. That's why you didn't hear about the fingerprint during the criminal trial. (When authorities returned to sample blood from the back gate two weeks later, the print was gone.) In short, the main lesson of this book is an organizational one worth remembering: it doesn't matter if the grunts do a good job, if the big-shots don't follow up. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
Some will be troubled that the flawed Mr. Fuhrman is finding renewal in his book. But at least he is providing a badly needed, if one-sided retrospective on how his role unfolded. It is not necessary to absolve him to know that something was lost when Mr. Fuhrman fell out of the case -- The New York Times Book Review, Craig Wolff --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (December 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821758551
• ISBN-13: 978-0821758557
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (106 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #180,615 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A strong vindication., July 14, 1999

By A Customer

Although the writing is basic and somewhat repetitive, I found this to be an insightful book regarding the investigation of the murders in Brentwood. As any educated person can tell, Mark Fuhrman was the scapegoat of this century. He was strung up and left out to dry by many, namely the "dream team" defense for OJ Simpson. But lets look at the basic facts, Nicole and Ron are dead. DNA blood samples from BOTH bodies are found in OJ's Bronco, OJ runs from police or attempts suicide?, OJ can't even get his alibi straight, and Detectives Van Natter and Lange don't seem to find this strange? Well because of their mistakes and others (namely Marcia Clark and Fung) Fuhrman became the "fall-guy."

I don't care what Fuhrman did, said or wrote in a screen play lined with racial ephitats 15 years earlier. Two people are dead and the a miriad of evidence points to only one suspect. Clearly the American justice system has failed Nicole and Ron. So has the media, so has the LAPD. But they all also failed Mark Fuhrman. Hang tough, Mr. Fuhrman, you have been vindicated in my book!

45 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Things the public didn't know., November 16, 2000

By	PVS "mizjori" (Englewood, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews

I enjoyed reading Murder In Brentwood. Mark Fuhrman, the infamous former LAPD detective provides evidence that the O.J. Simpson murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were not investigated appropriately. Mark Fuhrman who was the first investigator at the murder scene talked about evidence that were overlooked from the crime scene, from O.J. Simpson's home, and also from his car. Mr Fuhrman discussed the reasons certain witness were not called to testify. Mark Fuhrman outlined what he thought happened on June 12, 1994, at South Bundy Drive, the home of Nicole Brown. I found myself at the crime scene following step by step through Mark Furhman's detailed account. I highly recommend this book.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing and fascinating. Very enlightining., February 17, 1998

By	michael wells (fort mccoy, florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder in Brentwood (Hardcover)

Before I read Murder In Brentwood I was not sure wheteher O.J. was guilty. Now I am.I had believed Mark Fuhrman to be a racist. Now I know that he is not. That was an illusion created by the scheme team. I could not put the book down.I felt a lot of outrage from reading it. Outrage over our atrocious criminal justice system and over the fact that a good man and cop was destroyed so that an obviously guilty celebrity could go free. Mark Fuhrman was an outstanding police officer as his distinguished service record clearly indicates(he received more than 55 official commodations in 20 years) and he was no racist. In the book he tells of how hard he once fought to clear a black man of a murder charge because he believed the man to be innocent.He tells how it is impossible to a racist and a good cop. But most of all he makes it clear just how absurd the defense's conspiracy theory really was. The prosecution should have let him present closing arguments. At the book's beginning, Detective Fuhrman walks us through the gruesome murder scene at Bundy and gives us a fascinating insight into detective work. He tells us of how evidence was mishandled and walks us through Vannatter and Lange's interogation of O.J.pointing out their many mistakes. He shows how nearly everyone was intimidated by O.J. and his celebrity status. It is at times a frustrating read but it is always fascinating.The last page of the book where he says that even had he known the nightmare awaiting him, he still would have answered that call at 1:00a.m. and vigorously investigated the case doing all that he could to solve it because what else could he do, he was a cop is one of the most enlightening and moving things I have ever read.