Customer Reviews

Righteous Carnage: The List Murders in Westfield

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is so good and so rich with details and confidential information that it begs to be made into a movie! The story itself is like something from the Twilight Zone. I rarely read books twice....But I've read this one twice. According to the author blurbs in the back of the book, these authors each actually live within a mile of the murder mansion, and their intimacy with the neighborhood, the mood of the community, and their access to police and witnesses really comes through. If you only read one more true crime book in your life, this one should positively, absolutely be it.

John Emil List was deeply religious - so he reasoned that if he murdered his mother, wife, and three children (his family was financially strapped, his wife ill and the children rebellious) they would go to heaven rather than hell. After committing the premeditated and cold blooded crime, List disappeared for almost eighteen years, until a neighbor recognized him on "America's Most Wanted". A compelling and shocking read. Unbeknownst to List, the painting on the ceiling of the ballroom was a signed Louis Tiffany. He could have sold that off and his financial problems would have been past tense.

If you're fascinated by true-crime stories, this one will chill your bones. It's amazing that John List was able to escape undetected for more than 18 years until the TV program "America's Most Wanted" profiled his case. Go behind the scenes and see how John List eluded authorities for all that time.

John Emil List was a man of faith. He read the Bible daily, taught Sunday school and prayed often. He did everything he could to shelter his wife and three children within the Lutheran faith. Though he ultimately failed, it is the way he dealt with his failure for which he will be remembered.

List supported his family as an accountant. He was promoted regularly and eventually accepted a vice-presidency for a firm in New Jersey. Though far beyond their means the family bought an 18-room mansion and moved John's mother to the third floor apartment. The house was magnificent, the crown jewel being a beautiful ballroom with a Tiffany's lead glass ceiling The List's, however, could never afford to properly furnish or heat the sprawling home and footsteps echoed through the lonely halls.

John lost his job as vice president and eventually ended up selling life insurance. This kept the family afloat for awhile, but as bills continued to pile up the three mortgages John had taken on the house remained unpaid. John's client list dried up and he was left unemployed, brooding in the cavernous house.

Benford and Johnson successfuly detail the life of an extremely pious and desperate man, and the frame of mind that drove him to murder his entire family - one by one.

This is one of the best true crime stories I have ever read. The thing that I like about it, is it dosen't sugar coat the facts, and doesn't dismiss John List of his crimes. It does however paint a picture of a man who had his life spin out fo control. On one hand, you feel sorry for Mr. List, but under no curcumstances can you dismiss his actions. A POWERFUL read!

I purchased the book after seeing a story about these murders on a TV news program. I was prepared to think John List is just a horrible, cold-hearted monster. The authors do not sugar coat the facts. However, they do present the murderer as a multi-faceted individual whose life spun out of control. I wouldn't call the book spell-binding or riveting. It is easy to read and interesting. I appreciated the lack of sensationalism and bias. A good story about a tragic event.

I actually grew up in Westfield and remember (though just barely) when these murders actually took place. The authors definitely know the area well and use this knowledge to involve the readers in every detail. When I was a boy, we used to dare each other to run up to the house. It's definitely a piece of true-crime history and one that is described very well here.

On November 9th, 1971 a monster came alive in an elegant mansion in an exclusive New Jersey town called Westfield and cold-bloodedly murdered his entire family. Then, with the corpses for company, he had a little dinner, washed the dishes, and went upstairs to sleep.

'Righteous Carnage' is the true story of John Emil List, a quiet and mild mannered accountant who systematically murdered his mother, his wife, and his own three children. He walked away the next day, and managed to elude police for eighteen years before the TV show 'America's Most Wanted' flushed him out of his hiding place. While his family rotted, List created a new life and even remarried, enjoying his freedom.

One of the more gruesome pieces of evidence in this case is a letter left by John List addressed to his pastor, in which he confesses to killing his family. This book contains that entire letter, plus the lengthy sentencing by Judge Wertheimer, along with eight pages of black-and-white photos.

While the story is extremely interesting, and the authors cover all the angles, there are times that the prose drags and some of the writing takes on the feeling of being "filler". Overall, if you're a fan of true crime, this book is a must-have for collector, being the story of a true monster who walks among us. Enjoy!

I grew up in Westfield, NJ and belonged to the same theater group Pat the daughter (one of the victims) in this tragedy did. This event deeply affected my life. My sister's best friend lived accross the street and my father had the same occupation John List had, I lived two streets away. The judge in the case noted that this had a profound impact on the youth in Westfield as the kids contemporary's must have felt that perhaps they too could suffer the same fate as the List children. I remember this event being the wake up call of lost innocence and our idyllic hometown was forever changed. The desperation Mr List experienced was unbearable, but his selfish act is still unthinkable. An even more compelling read when it is part of one's personal history.

This is a tragic case in so many ways. Bullied at school and overly protected by his mother as a child John List grew up following a rigorous Lutheran dogma. While leading a Christian lifestyle as an adult List had difficulty holding a job that would support him in a way required by the mansion-style home he purchased in New Jersey. His elderly mother lived with his wife and family. John's wife was suffering from the effects of syphilis, and his children were at an age when rebellion began to rear its ugly head. Feeling that God had failed to answer his prayers of help John chose an unhealthy option to save his family from the perils of sin. He felt he had to kill his mother because she would not be able to deal with the deaths of the rest of the family. He couldn't let his wife survive because she would be unable to provide for the rest of the family in his absence. The three children must die in order to save them from a life of sin. Ending their life now would send them onward to Heaven. He couldn't kill himself because he felt he would then be eternally damned. If he lived he could call upon God to forgive him and they would all be eventually reunited in Heaven when he passed away at a future date. Unable to accept welfare for him and his family John chose instead to eliminate the family. This was the thinking John List used to justify killing his family in November of 1971. John didn't know it, but God did provide assistance for him in the form of a Tiffany ceiling in his home that would have brought him a minimum of $100,000 back in 1971. While it would not have eliminated the problems he was having with the rebellion of his daughter and one of his sons it certainly would have been of great help had John only known that financial assistance for him was right above his head in his New Jersey home. This is one of the very best crime books I have read (Judgment Ridge is still my favorite), and I feel fortunate to have been able to purchase it in hardcover from the Amazon marketplace.