Customer Reviews

Murder In Spokane: Catching a Serial Killer

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

This book is interesting because it allows us some further insight into the personality of Mark Fuhrman, one time LAPD detective, and fall guy for the prosecution in the O. J. Simpson debacle. It is interesting to see how Fuhrman's loyalties and perspective have changed from the siege mentality of a beleaguered cop to the free and easy skepticism of a freelance journalist. One thing is clear: he has extended his fifteen minutes of fame by becoming a writer of true crime tales destined for the best seller list. This is his third. I didn't read Murder in Brentwood (1997), having had my fill of the Simpson tragedy, but I did read Murder in Greenwich (1998) and it wasn't bad. This is an even better book, more skillfully written, about murders committed by Robert Lee Yates Jr., a sickie who might be dubbed the "Ordinary Joe" of serial killers, if one can ever say that a serial killer is ordinary.

This is also interesting from the point of view of an ex-detective from the big city, trying to have some significant impact on a sensational case. Fuhrman and his buddy, Spokane radio talk show host, Mike Fitzsimmons, provide us with some insight into what it's like playing detective in their spare time while second guessing the police on a weekly basis over the radio. Fuhrman insists that he's still a cop at heart, but don't tell that to the Spokane police (or to the cops in Greenwich, Connecticut either). Regardless, his critique of the way the Spokane police handled this string of murders is well worth reading. His main point is that faulty police work allowed Yates to remain free long after they should have had the goods on him. As Fuhrman puts it, "The task force was supposed to be chasing a killer. Instead they became file clerks" as they "relied on blood tests and databases to do their work for them" (p. 259). By the time they figured out who the murderer was, a man right under their nose, "They had already wasted two years, and watched ten women die," women that Fuhrman insists would not have been killed had the police done their job. "Whether it was laziness, incompetence, or just simple human error, the task force could have caught Yates back in September 1997" (p. 239). As it actually happened, Yates was not arrested until April 18, 2000.

Fuhrman believes that the police department's failure to give information to the public about the crimes was one of the reasons the killer stayed at large. Fuhrman argues strongly that the more information about the killings that the police put out on the street, the better the chances are that somebody will step forward with something that will help them catch the killer. This is the clear public service message of this book. All the material about police errors and misdirections and butt guarding are important for the public to know, but are nothing new. To rake the cops over the coals because they COULD have caught the killer sooner serves a public purpose, but it is a small one. Police work, as Fuhrman knows, is not an exact science, and mistakes, sometimes tragic, will be made.

Fuhrman implies (e.g., quoting Fitzsimmons on pages 69 and 70, but denies it himself when on the radio, page 125) that the reason the police did not put more energy into finding the killer was the fact that he was only killing prostitutes and drug addicts. Again, it's hard to doubt that there is an element of truth to this accusation. Imagine if the daughters of the landed gentry of Spokane were the victims. I think every resource of city, county, state and the FBI would have been summoned, and no crime scene would have been left unprocessed until tomorrow. (Crime scenes left unprocessed overnight was one of Fuhrman's pet peeves. Several times the Spokane police just cordoned off the crime scene and went home to dinner and a night's rest before finishing the job.)

For those readers looking for information about the serial killer himself and insights into his behavior and what might have made him the sexual psychopath that he is, this book will be a disappointment. Fuhrman isn't interested in Yates's motives. While his identify was unknown and Fuhrman and Fitzsimmons were speculating on the air what he might be like, Fuhrman's interest was understandably high. Fuhrman played the profiler game and put his head into the mind of the killer and came up with the idea that this guy was fairly sophisticated. "This guy is definitely an organized murderer...This is a streetwise guy. You've got to show this guy a little respect for the way he comes in, commits the crime, slips out, and nobody knows the wiser...I see this guy as being very organized, fairly intelligent...Clever, cunning." (pp. 93-94). When it turns out that, except for the killings, he is an average sort of joe, Fuhrman was clearly disappointed. "The fact that he was so ordinary only made me wonder why they hadn't caught him a long time ago" (p. 232).

There is plenty of the well known Fuhrman arrogance here. He's clearly the star of this book, even though he was on the periphery of the case. His knowledge of police procedures and in-station politics is a plus. He's able to see through the press releases and the public posturing to what is really going on in the police and sheriff's departments. The fact that he points out how the case could have been solved sooner is also a plus, and a huge embarrassment for Spokane law enforcement. But the bottom line is the police did get the killer and they convicted him.

That doesn't always happen, as Fuhrman knows only too well.

This book is not nearly as good as Murder in Greenwich, where Fuhrman focuses on the case at hand and actually puts the clues together to solve a murder.

In Murder in Spokane, you think the same situation is going to happen. Then you realize about halfway through the story that he isn't analyzing clues at all, but is focusing on his personal experiences with the police denying him information. Overall, this book is much more self-centered than Murder in Greenwich. Fuhrman simply doesn't have access to real clues in the Spokane situation, he is totally out of the loop and not involved in the investigation. Unlike Murder in Greenwich, where he was doing a real investigation from start to finish.

I do not recommend this book. It is about Mark Fuhrman's personal experiences when the murders were happening, not about the murders themselves. Fuhrman also has nothing to do with finding the killer, unlike his previous books. There is also almost no detail about the murders or crime scenes. One would expect details, but since Fuhrman can't gain access to the police files, there are no details. You would think at some point he could file a FOA request for info, but he doesn't. He also doesn't point out that the first murder victim was wrapped in an Army blanket, and that the murderer turned out to be in the Army. I thought this was an important correlation.

Oh well. Maybe the with next book Fuhrman will get closer to the case, instead of sitting on the sideline like in this one.

I debated with myself whether to give this 3 or 4 stars. If I could, I'd give it 3 1/2. Let me start by saying that the first book I read by Mark Fuhrman was "Murder in Greenwich", which I loved by the way. I gave it five stars. It was a real page-turner. Next, I read "Murder in Brentwood", which was also very good (four stars). Needless to say, I was very much looking forward to his next book, so I got it even before it came out in paperback, which I never do! Now, for the review. I did enjoy reading this book. However, it wasn't nearly as compelling or exciting as the other two. While he did have a good story to tell, it just wasn't as interesting to me as his others and it wasn't something that kept my full attention. Why? I'm not exactly sure. Maybe because there weren't as many twists and turns in this story. Maybe it was because I didn't develop a real connection to the victims because there were so many. On the other hand, as much as I would hate to admit it, it could be because the cast involved did not include the likes of the rich and famous. If you liked his other books, you should find this one enjoyable, but I would suggest waiting for the paperback.

I thought the book was very good. I have read 2 books now by Mr. Fuhrman. I am not sure if the Spokane PD/Task force was just inexperienced or incompetent. After the first few bodies showed up being prostitutes, my first thought was why the police didn't set up surveillance at East Sprague with decoys also. They also seemed stubborn and afraid to involve other people because of embarrassment. I don't understand how Ted Bundy, The Green River Killer, and the Spokane killer could dispose of that many women before being apprehended. It's incredible. What are the cops doing up there in the Pacific Northwest? It takes 20 years and approx. 49 murders before a suspect is arrested in the Green River killings. The Spokane killer disposed of about half of that himself. Anyway, Mark raises some good points and this case could have been solved much earlier, saving many lives. I enjoyed it and can't wait until the next Fuhrman book.

Some of the reviews of this book are poor, but in my opinion, that's because the readers didn't understand what this book was. It's not Murder in Brentwood, it's not Murder in Greenwich. Murder in Spokane is a very unique, probably once in a lifetime opportunity, to follow a murder investigation of a serial killer while it's in progress. During the early and middle stages of the investigation, we see Mark Fuhrman grow critical of the handling of the investigation by Spokane police, and then, ego or no ego, we see him apologize and eat crow for his earlier criticism. But it doesn't end there - in fact, I was rather shocked by the ending, and it confirmed what I expected - Mark knows his stuff !! It's refreshing to see an author admit they were wrong in prior conclusions. His viewpoint changed, but he didn't try to justify or make excuses, and that's rare. This book is more like a diary or chronology of events then a story, but there's still plenty of drama. Considering Mark is on the outside, and the powers that be wanted it to stay that way, he was remarkably on target with his assessments and conclusions. Well, that's the third Fuhrman book I've read, and it too will remain a permanent part of my library. Bring on the next one Mark !!!

I'm reading backwards...Murder in Greenwhich and the book on the O.J. Simpson murders are in my bookshelf, but I haven't yet read them.

Although Mark Fuhrman has the ego of John Douglas, and though he really interfered obnoxiously in the police investigation, his descriptions of finding murder victims set my hair on end. I couldn't sleep the night I read it. I think Fuhrman is an excellent writer. Perhaps it's best he resigned his detective position. His details, research, thoughts were all quite excellent. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in true crime.

Another excellent book by a an experienced practitioner in law enforcement. Mark points out how society feels less concerned about throw-away people, i.e., prostitutes, alcoholics, drug users, etc., than it does about so-called "regular" people such as bank presidents or dentists or book pblishers. He also illustrates quite clearly how egos and territory comes into play during investigations, and how politics and the media can change the working environment of the police officer. Mark has probably made some mistakes in his life, as we all have, but more than makes up any shortcomings with his writing and investigative skills, and his obvious love of the beautiful Idaho-Washington area. Being an experienced police officer, I can honestly tell you that this book is worth the price. New detectives should consider buying it, just to avoid some of the novice mistakes and to get some new ideas for their next case. Aloha from Saipan.

I'll admit it- I love true crime books as a genre. I've read a lot of them, from Ann Rule classics to the ones they keep on the end caps of supermarket checkout counters.
"Murder in Spokane" is by far among the best of its class. Having enjoyed Fuhrman's previous effort, "Murder in Greenwich", I read this book expecting little more than to be engaged for several hours. What I received instead was a unique insight into an investigation- although this book doesn't offer much in the way of getting to understand the killer's motivations or the backgrounds of his victims, Fuhrman brings the reader into the development of homicide detective work. You see the benefit of his years of experience from the outset through the struggles with the Spokane Police political machine, to the case's conclusion years later. As with his other books, Fuhrman demonstrates a subject matter expertise not really found elsewhere in true crime books. "Murder in Spokane" should be on the reading list of anyone who appreciates the struggles of law enforcement and wants insight to the process of investigation.

I was disappointed because we never got to know the criminal and the victims. It was all about Fuhrman's dissatisfaction with the investigation. His points were valid but it's not the kind of true crime I really enjoy.

Wow! The last time I was too scared to put a book down was Ann Rule's The Stranger Beside Me,Ted Bundy. Last night, Murder in Spokane kept me going until 2:36 a.m. What an incredible book! It's a fast-paced story of horror and error which points out, in some cases apologetically, the basic negligence of task force members to conduct a thorough investigation. Political ego, bungling of clues and the fact that "it's just hookers", allowed this case to fester into at least 18 shallow graves of rotting flesh and bone that were once loving daughters, wives or mothers. Fuhrman writes the story as the case unfolds under the guise that he would be included and his help welcomed. When the Sheriff retracts and refuses to divulge even public information, Fuhrman writes from his own investigative experience during the killings and voices frustration with a closed-mouth task force who didn't even give potential victims a description of the killer's car. After repeated snubs in response to offering the investigatimg team help, Fuhrman and his news partner, well-known and respected Mike Fitzsimmons, embark on collecting tips themselves from radio listeners. Clues abound with an eyewitness placing a suspicious vehicle at the scene of one body drop. 17 months pass before this clue is followed-up by local law enforcement! This book is dedicated to the victims but written with the hard-edged knowledge of an experienced homicide detective. Local politicians and elected law enforcement hate the man who exposed the scam.

In response to the book, local Sheriff, Mark Sterk, was crying from the roof-tops trying to discredit Fuhrman. He couldn't. Facts are, who doesn't follow up on eyewitness accounts placing a victim in a specific vehicle shortly before her grisly death? Who doesn't follow up on a suspicious vehicle sighting placing it at the scene of a body dump? According to Fuhrman, whoever controlled this information is responsible for delaying the investigation and allowing at least 10 other prostitutes to meet their own torturous ends. I agree.