Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter [Paperback]

Melissa G. Moore (Author), M. Bridget Cook (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 2009

Throughout her life, Melissa Jesperson Moore had to hide her true identity. She had pretended that life was perfect after her parents divorced and she was suddenly uprooted from everything familiar and loving. She had to be silent, and to pretend not to be disturbed or upset by her father's actions. Those experiences prepared Melissa to hide the deepest, darkest secret of all. As she began making different choices, building a successful and loving life on her own, her heart began to fill with rays of hope, though she could never quite rid herself of the dark shadow of secrecy and shame. Then one day, her beautiful, innocent daughter looked into her eyes and said, "Mommy, everybody's got a daddy. Where's your daddy?" Shattered Silence is an astonishing, true narrative of personal and spiritual transformation. From her secret life as "the daughter of The Happy Face Serial Murderer" to a woman that bared her soul and inspired millions, Melissa leads the reader on the vulnerable, compelling, and sometimes very raw journey of what it took to shatter the silence, and claim her own life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

At age 15, Melissa Moore learned that her father, Keith Jesperson, was a serial murderer. And for the next 15 years, she tried to keep that painful fact a secret. Now 30 years old and author of the recently released book; Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter, Moore has spent the past year finally liberating herself from the guilt and shame she felt over her father's past. I know I'm in the perfect place at the perfect time, telling my story to those who have been searching for answers within the dark crevices of their own souls, Moore wrote, "I know that I'm bringing light into that darkness. I know that I'm literally breaking the chains of horror, secrecy and devastation." But the light wasn't always there and signs of the darkness to come began for Moore at the age of 6 when she found a litter of kittens. She vividly recalls how her father asked to see the kittens, grabbed them and hung them on the clothesline. I remember saying, 'Daddy, please stop. These are my kittens. Please stop.' I kept screaming it,' Moore said.'I saw that he had a smirk on his face. And that he was really enjoying what he was doing to my kittens.' Moore said she raced into the house to get her mother but it was too late: The kittens were already dead. When Melissa was 10 her parents divorced, and five years later her mother called the whole family together for a meeting she would never forget. [Moore's mother] said, 'Your dad is in jail.' And she had this look that said, 'We're not going to talk about this. This is really hard.' And my brother said, 'For what?' and she said, 'For murder,' Moore said. It wasn't just one murder, it was at least four, all women. Jesperson was the serial murderer known as the 'Happy Face Killer' the label given for the happy faces he drew on letters to the media. Although Moore did not want to believe it, she said she immediately thought of the kittens. 'That's when I knew that what my mother had just told me was true,' Moore said. Jesperson was convicted and is currently serving three consecutive life sentences in prison in Oregon. What followed were years of keeping her shameful secret and worrying that people would think she was like her father, all the while knowing she wasn't. When she fell in love with Samuel Moore, she shared her secret with him. The two started a family together and life was pretty normal, Moore said, until the day her own 5-year-old daughter, Aspen, asked about her grandfather. 'She came home from school and asked me 'Mommy, everybody has a daddy, where's your daddy?' The innocent question made Moore realize she needed to talk. 'I have not dealt with my past, I've avoided it,' she said. 'I've been running away from it. I've been keeping a secret. I have to do something.' Melissa said she began searching for the help she needed to cope with her guilt. Finally, she emailed Dr. Phil McGraw about taking part in his 'Get Real Retreat.' She said writing that email that day was so liberating, she wrote about it in her book. 'As I pressed 'send,' I knew I was changing my life forever and maybe that of many others,' she wrote. 'Magically, some of the darkness within began to lift.' Moore said she found relief when she appeared on 'Dr. Phil. 'You have nothing to be ashamed of,' McGraw told her. 'You have done nothing wrong. You didn't kill anyone.' From 'Dr. Phil' to her new book, to a family that can now be open about the past, the dark shadow of her father's misdeeds may always hang over the family. But, Moore said, at least she has found a way to let the light in. --ABC News By LIZ SINTAY and KATIE BOSLAND Dec. 2, 2009

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.; 1 edition (September 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599552388
• ISBN-13: 978-1599552385
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,625 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Relationships > Child Abuse
  • #92 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > True Accounts > Serial Killers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shattered Silence, September 23, 2009

By 

Kris Zobell (Utah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter (Paperback)

This book is about hope and new beginnings from an individual affected by the bad choices of those close to her. This book does not glorify the crimes committed by the guilty parties, but instead honors the courage and survival of an innocent victim. The author describes both the internal and external hardships, adversities, and trials associated with her life circumstances. I felt her pain, despair, and eventually her triumph over those circumstances. This book gives hope to anyone that struggles with their own self-worth, that has been a victim of crime, and / or needs courage to survive what life has dealt them. The authors did such a great job putting this story to words that I feel like I know Melissa personally. She is an uplifting, spiritual person and I thank her for her willingness to share her story with others.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Empowering and Inspiring!, September 23, 2009

By 

Mike Tilley - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter (Paperback)

A very inspiring book created from the author's experiences that many would consider a 'hopeless' upbringing. It's beautiful to experience Melissa's triumph over childhood events and relationships that once 'shattered' from secrecy created the space for her to blossom as a rose and truly experience the beautiful dance with life she now experiences. The authors effectively place the reader in Melissa's shoes in an amazing way such that the reader comes away empowered to be the light and love that genuinely creates peace and joy in this life's journey! Thank you for your willingness to risk and be your inspiring contribution in my life and thousands of others!

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shattered Silence, September 17, 2009

By 

T. Allen "angel_eyes6703" (West Jordan, Utah) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter (Paperback)

Wow! I was interested in the story right away. I have seen this lady on Dr. Phil and Oprah and was so intrigued. I couldnt put the book down. It was so inspiring to see how she made different choices then her family and turned out to be so compassionate. This is a must for your collection.