Silent Witness: The Untold Story of Terri Schiavo's Death [Hardcover]

Mark Fuhrman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 2005

We all watched Terri Schiavo die. The controversy around her case dominated the headlines and talk shows, going all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, the White House, and the Vatican.

And it's not over yet. Despite her death, the controversy lingers. In Silent Witness, former LAPD detective and New York Times bestselling author Mark Fuhrman applies his highly respected investigative skills to examine the medical evidence, legal case files, and police records. With the complete cooperation of Terri Schiavo's parents and siblings, as well as their medical and legal advisers, he conducts exclusive interviews with forensics experts and crucial witnesses, including friends, family members, and caregivers.

Fuhrman's findings will answer these questions:

• What was Terri and Michael Schiavo's marriage really like?
• What happened the day Terri collapsed?
• What did Michael Schiavo do when he discovered Terri unconscious? How long did he wait before calling 911?
• What do medical records show about her condition when she was first admitted to the hospital?
• What will the autopsy say?

The legal issues and ethical questions provoked by Terri Schiavo's extraordinary case may never be resolved. But the facts about her marriage, her condition when she collapsed, and her eventual death fifteen years later can be determined.

With Silent Witness, Fuhrman goes beyond the legal aspects of the case and delves into the broader, human background of Terri Schiavo's short, sad life.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1ST edition (June 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060853379
• ISBN-13: 978-0060853372
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,331,642 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Fuhrman is a crime expert for FOX News and a New York Times bestselling author. Before FOX, Fuhrman was an on-air consultant for ABC, CBS, and Court TV.

Fuhrman served as a Los Angeles Police Department detective for 20 years, rising to fame as a key investigator and witness in the notorious O.J. Simpson murder trial. He lives in Idaho.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 112 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Worth Purchasing, August 20, 2005

By 

Anne (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silent Witness: The Untold Story of Terri Schiavo's Death (Hardcover)

The author admitted at the beginning of the book that he wrote it in a short period of time, in fact, before the autopsy report was released. There is nothing new in this book. I believe it was written quickly before interest in Terri Schiavo faded and with hope that it would become another Murder in Greenwich, but I doubt that anything will come of it. If you must read it out of curiosity, rent it from your public library or get it from someone who already spent too much for it.

83 of 121 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Save Your Money, July 3, 2005

By 

Lifetime Reader (HMB CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silent Witness: The Untold Story of Terri Schiavo's Death (Hardcover)

I've read previous books by Fuhrman and for the most part have been impressed. Because of that and the promise on the dust cover to answer questions such as what was Terri and Michael Schiavo's marriage really like, what happened the day Terri collapsed, what will the autopsy say, and so on, I bought the book. After this, I doubt that I will ever buy another book by Furhman again.

This book offered no insight into the person that Terri was, nor her marriage with Michael. It answered no questions whatsoever, nor did it provide any insight into any of the key people involved in this story. The first 100 pages are a quasi technical write-up on various medical issues, some known to not even be associated with Terri's condition such as asphyxia and heart attacks. It's just verbiage to fill up the space.

Any major event in the story is repeated at least once, sometimes more often. This is another method to fill up space to try to cover the fact that there's nothing substantial in this book. This book really doesn't offer anything except Furhrman's speculations (six of them to be exact).

Furhman gets to the point of the book on page 223 (out of a total of 226 pages) when he says "Only Michael Schiavo knows the answer to these questions." Save your money, I just told you the bottom line of the book. That is really all he has to offer.

24 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mark Fuhrman Knows What He Writes!..., August 5, 2005

By 

Colleen J. Schanz "CAJS' Book in Hand" (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Silent Witness: The Untold Story of Terri Schiavo's Death (Hardcover)

I always go in with a open mind, I too followed the story of Terri Schiavo and was leaning alot towards Michael Schiavo but after reading the book and putting 1+1=2 together I have my own personal views on the way she died. Mark Furhman gave a clear written view of the book explaining each and every point from the start of the book to the end. I thank him for writing the book at a laymen's level for all to read. I do give this book five stars and look forward to a follow up when they give a full report of her autopsy. Mark Fuhrman was an experienced detective long before he became a writer. Many authors have little or no law enforcement training. Mark Fuhrman is an author who tells it like it is, and has brought the life of Terri Schiavo for all to see and understand what Terri and her family have gone through. I will continue to read any book written by Mark Fuhrman.