The Prom Night Murders: A Devoted American Family, their Troubled Son, and a Ghastly Crime (St. Martin's True Crime Library) [Mass Market Paperback]

Carlton Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2009 | Series: St. Martin's True Crime Library

In 1989, a shocking tragedy shattered an otherwise peaceful small Indiana community. Much-admired pastor Robert L. Pelley was found slain in his home. In his basement were the huddled, blood-soaked bodies of his wife and daughters, executed by shotgun at close range. The doors to the house were locked, and there were no signs of forced entry. Meanwhile, the pastor’s son, Jeff, was nowhere to be found…

Police had a hunch that Jeff was responsible for the massacre, but they didn’t have enough evidence to convict. The case went cold…until, more than a decade later, when law officials resolved to finally try to unravel the truth about Jeff and to establish a motive—that he was angry toward his father for grounding him on prom night. Then it would be up to prosecutors to prove that Jeff was responsible for THE PROM NIGHT MURDERS

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

A HORRIFYING FAMILY MURDER

In 1989, a shocking tragedy shattered an otherwise peaceful small Indiana community. Much-admired pastor Robert L. Pelley was found slain in his home. In his basement were the huddled, blood-soaked bodies of his wife and daughters, executed by shotgun at close range. The doors to the house were locked, and there were no signs of forced entry. Meanwhile, the pastor’s son, Jeff, was nowhere to be found…

A TEENAGE SON SHROUDED IN SUSPICION

Police had a hunch that Jeff was responsible for the massacre, but they didn’t have enough evidence to convict. The case went cold…until, more than a decade later, when law officials resolved to finally try to unravel the truth about Jeff and to establish a motive—that he was angry toward his father for grounding him on prom night. Then it would be up to prosecutors to prove that Jeff was responsible for THE PROM NIGHT MURDERS

 

* With 8 pages of startling photos *

About the Author

Carlton Smith wrote the New York Times bestselling The Search for the Green River Killer. An award-winning journalist for The Los Angeles Times and The Seattle Times during the 1970s and 1980s, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in investigative reporting in 1988. His books include Mind Games, Cold Blooded, Cold as Ice and In the Arms of Evil. There are more than two million copies of his books in print.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's True Crime; First Edition edition (April 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312947240
• ISBN-13: 978-0312947248
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #291,346 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent if Unsolved, August 16, 2009

By 

liberal zen "liberal artist" (nc) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Prom Night Murders: A Devoted American Family, their Troubled Son, and a Ghastly Crime (St. Martin's True Crime Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

I agrre with this being an excellent book...a complete page-turner. And yes, the reviewer who wrote that the story leaves you wondering is right. I really think there was more to the story than the police found out and possibly the wrong person was convicted. Very mysterious goings-on in Florida that cannot be ignored.. How was the author supposed to solve the puzzle when the police disregarded all the dark implications of the Florida link? Too many police/prosecutors want the easy solution and a case cleared, regardless of the wrong person being incarcerated.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars extremely interesting story; very well told, July 26, 2009

By 

D. Firestone (Palmyra, Pa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Prom Night Murders: A Devoted American Family, their Troubled Son, and a Ghastly Crime (St. Martin's True Crime Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read at least 100 true crime stories as an adult. Most are good, some are duds and a few are outstanding. This was outstanding. The story is fascinating - and horribly tragic. It really is a whodunnit. Other reviews suggest parts of the book leave the reader without unanswered questions and unsatisfied curiosities. However, that IS part of the story. The police never did investigate EVERYTHING so there aren't answers to everything. This is one of those cases where your own consicence will tug at you as you read it. I rarely leave reviews for books however this story moved me to do so and it is one of the few books I've ever said are must-reads. Hope this helped and I hope you like the book if you invest the time in reading it.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars okay, but by no means great, February 3, 2010

By 

anonymous (New Mexico) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Prom Night Murders: A Devoted American Family, their Troubled Son, and a Ghastly Crime (St. Martin's True Crime Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

The premise of the story, the plotline and characters, sounded interesting from the cover, but the book never delivers. I am sure the characters were interesting but the author never really lets the reader get to know them. They are all one-dimensional at best. Even the main character, Jeff Pelley, is not developed enough to really hold the reader's interest in my opinion. I am sure there was a great story there, but the author spent too much time telling the facts and paperwork, not enough time on the people, who they really were and what made them tick, what lead them to this tragedy. Too bad.