The Serial Killer's Apprentice: And 12 Other True Stories of Cleveland's Most Intriguing Unsolved Crimes [Paperback]

James Renner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 2008

“James Renner is genuine. He cares about these victims . . . When it comes to true crime, this is the kind of writer we need.” — Crime Shadow News

An investigative journalist cracks open 13 of Northeast Ohio’s most intriguing unsolved crimes and attempts to crack open dark secrets that have baffled Clevelanders for years, including:

• Abduction—In 2003, sixteen-year-old Georgina DeJesus disappeared on a West Side street corner, almost exactly one year after teenager Amanda Berry vanished just blocks away.

• Stolen Identity—Joseph Newton Chandler of Eastlake was not who he claimed to be. Some think he was the Zodiac killer; others say he was D.B. Cooper, or even Jim Morrison.

• Suicide or murder?—Joseph Kupchik hid gambling problems from friends and family until he was found at the bottom of a nine-story parking deck in downtown Cleveland—with multiple stab wounds.

• Heist—In 1969, Lakewood bank employee Ted Conrad nabbed $215,000 from the vault one day after his twentieth birthday. The FBI still shows up at his high school reunions.

• Controversy—Jeffrey Krotine was thrice tried for the grisly 2003 murder of his wife and ultimately acquitted, to the frustration of Cuyahoga County prosecutors, detectives, and even jurors.

These stories venture into dark alleys and seedy strip clubs, as well as comfortable suburbs and cozy small towns, where some of the region’s most horrendous crimes have occurred. Renner’s unblinking eye for detail and unwavering search for the truth make this book a gripping read.

Editorial Reviews

Review

James Renner is genuine. He cares about these victims. They have become a part of him. He’s not writing from a distance with apathetic cynicism. He’s right in the heart of the cases, digging and searching for answers. When it comes to true crime, this is the kind of writer we need. (Crime Shadow News 20081215)

Renner’s book is chilling because it reminds us that the bad guys often get away. Instead of the neat closure that we find at the end of every “CSI” and “Monk” episode, we have nothing but a pile of frustrating questions . . . This book is for the true-crime aficionado that understands the frustration of a cold case . . . It is for those of us that find the ice-cold splash of reality intellectually more refreshing than the perfect neatness of fiction. (Professor Plum crimecritics.com 20090108)

This is a great book for true crime aficionados who don’t necessarily require a tidy ending . . . Renner has a great, documentary-like feel to his storytelling—you experience the cases firsthand as he sorts through the clues, theories, conjecture and intrigue. (Michelle McNamara truecrimediary.com 20090216)

Takes the imagination to a dark and chilling place. This, Renner’s second book, shows off his talents in the [crime reporting] genre: an investigator’s persistence, a strong sense of mystery-suspense storytelling and a direct and restrained style that can both pull back to describe a crime scene and turn sympathetic to illuminate victims’ vibrant but lost lives . . . Renner’s writing is gripping, well researched and hard to put down. (Erick Trickey Cleveland Magazine 20090301)

Not for the faint of heart. This well-written book delves into 13 true and as yet unsolved Northeast Ohio cases—many involving grisly murders . . . Renner tracks down leads as he reviews the cases and confronts suspects. Although new techniques, such as analyzing DNA may someday be used to discover what really happened, Renner’s book makes clear that today the truth stubbornly remains elusive. (Laura Kennelly Morning Journal 20081214)

Most of [Renner’s] mysteries are as enticing as any you are likely to see on any network crime show. The only difference is that in these real crime stories, the guilty remain at large. (Terry Mapes News Journal 20090125)

A most fascinating book. I know journalists are constantly told to stay objective, but it’s obvious that these cases have touched Mr. Renner on a personal level . . . I highly recommend this book to any true crime fan. It is one of the best I have read in a long time. (Trench Reynolds CrimeNe.ws 20090318)

About the Author

James Renner is a novelist, freelance journalist, and blogger. In his spare time, he hunts serial killers. His true crime stories have been published in the Best American Crime Reporting and Best Creative Nonfiction anthologies. His film adaptation of a Stephen King story was an official selection at the 2005 Montreal World Film Festival. A graduate of Kent State University, Renner lives in Akron, Ohio.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 235 pages
• Publisher: Gray & Company, Publishers; 1 edition (October 31, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598510460
• ISBN-13: 978-1598510461
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #234,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Renner spends his spare time hunting serial killers and writing about his misadventures. His true crime stories have been published in the Best American Crime Reporting and Best Creative Nonfiction anthologies.

Sometimes he pretends to smoke cigarettes because he wants to feel relaxed but is too afraid of the harmful effects to actually smoke.

His debut novel, The Man from Primrose Lane, was published by Sarah Crichton Books in March, 2012.

He lives in Akron, Ohio.

http://jamesrenner.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Deeply researched True Crime book. January 17, 2009

By Hugh C. Howey

Format:Paperback

Renner's book is chilling because it reminds us that the bad guys often get away. Instead of the neat closure that we find at the end of every CSI and Monk episode, we have nothing but a pile of frustrating questions. Boxes stuffed with evidence and empty prison cells. In his 13 unlucky chapters we meet grieving friends and family desperate for closure. We are presented with enough accused that some of them must be innocent while all suffer the stigma of guilt. And we are introduced to the hardworking men and women that devote a lot of time to unraveling these mysteries with often frustrating results.

If you want the pleasure of chasing a bad guy and nabbing him, this isn't your tale. This book is for the true-crime aficionado that understands the frustration of a cold case. It is for the amateur sleuth that wants to paw through Renner's facts hoping to find a missed clue. It is for those of us that find the ice-cold splash of reality intellectually more refreshing than the perfect neatness of fiction. This book will color your awareness of the cases covered on news sites like DreaminDemon.com and give you a new-found respect for the men and women in law enforcement.

The 13 crimes are a varied bunch. You have a dead stripper that nobody cares about, a high-profile bank robber that people compared to D.B. Cooper, and everything in-between. There is a man that seemed very likely to have killed his wife, but enough doubt and missing evidence to stay a conviction. There is an apparent suicide that doesn't seem at all apparent to Renner, the boy's family, nor myself. There is the titular case of Robert Buell, who was put to death for raping and killing women in the early 80's. Strangely, though, he was abducting women in their 20's and young girls not yet in their teens. This is extremely abnormal, and the case gets twisted when we find out that Buell had a nephew living with him and that the two used to talk about grabbing women and having their way with them. And yet the nephew was never investigated...

Two of the stories feature potential D.B. Cooper suspects, the infamous thief that parachuted out of a Boeing 727 with $200,000 in cash, never to be seen again. And one mysterious suicide victim, Joseph Chandler, is most certainly NOT Joseph Chandler. To this day, nobody knows who the man was, but some have suggested that he may have been the Zodiac killer. Similar lovebird killings occurred in Ohio while "Chandler" lived there, and the name Joseph Chandler is shared with one of Jack the Ripper's victims, a killer that the Zodiac refered to in his letters to the police. This interesting detail caught blogger Steve Huff's eye who wrote on his website that it was a "tangential link, easily dismissed as coincidence... Still, hair stood up on the back of my neck when I saw it". The man's identity is still unknown.

The case that I found the strangest was that of Attorney General Ray Gricar's dissappearance. His car was found empty with cigarette ash in the passenger side on April 15th. No trace of him was ever found other than his laptop and hard drive (removed) in a nearby river. What drives me crazy is that on the last page of the story Renner tells us about a novel that an acquaintance of Gircar's wrote before his death. In the novel the murder scene is an empty car. It took place on April 15th. The vital clue in the book was the presence of a bit of cigarette ash. Ray Gricar didn't smoke.

This is a book you buy for the stories more than the storytelling. It is written with minimal flourish, as if they are long newspaper features rather than short stories. I think this style worked well for the subject matter, as Renner seems to take great pains in staying out of our way as we draw our own conclusions.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read! December 25, 2008

By Cynthia A. Artino

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I heard Mr. Renner on a Cleveland radio station and just had to buy this book. It is very well written and very interesting. Not too much detail that is hard to understand, but interesting details that keep you glued to the book. I hope Mr. Renner writes more like this.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Book December 4, 2011

By Anna Marie Shaughnessy

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I had prompt delivery from seller. The book is very interesting since I was born and still live in Cleveland area. The Beverly Jarvos, Maple Hts. killing still wears on my mind since I am from Maple Hts. and my mom still lives there.