When Jim Dunn got the heart stopping call every parent dreads: "Your son has disappeared" on a Sunday night, it set into motion a six year nightmarish odyssey of desperate searches. Frustrated, Dunn turned to Dr. Richard Walter, a forensic pathologist and criminal profiler, who consulted Scotland Yard, studied DNA evidence and blood spatter patterns and then pointed out who he deduced killed Scott Dunn and why.
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*Starred Review* One bedroom, showing blood that could not be washed away, provides most of the forensic evidence and forms an indelible image of horror in this gripping true-crime suspense story. In 1991, Scott Dunn, a 24-year-old Lubbock, Texas, man, disappeared. No body was found. No weapon was found. But a photographic forensic test using the chemical Luminol found his blood all over the walls, ceiling, floor--even the doorknobs in his bedroom. Journalist Evans meshes the story of the young man's murder (involving admirably clear explanations of forensic science and legal hurdles) with the story of Dunn's father, James, whose love for his son propels him to push the investigation forward for the following six years. By placing the emotional weight of the book on the grieving father, a living victim, Evans gives the book an emotional wallop that many true-crime stories lack. From the moment James receives a strangely unemotional phone call from Scott's live-in girlfriend stating that Scott has disappeared, readers will be caught up in the father's deep foreboding. Even though the action takes place over a period of six years, with much of it marked by frustrations stemming from police inaction and outdated Texas law, this quest story never loses its suspense or its emotional hold on the reader. A brilliant and utterly gripping mix of crime-scene investigation and courtroom drama. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fascinating true story,
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This review is from: Trail of Blood: A Father, a Son and a Tell-Tale Crime Scene Investigation (Hardcover)
Trail of Blood tells the story of the murder of Scott Dunn, and how the mysterious Vidocq Society was able to help Texas law enforcement bring his killers to justice even though Scott's body was never found. This is a great book not only for the technical details and the ins and outs of the legal system, but also for all the fascinating people involved. The victim, Scott Dunn, was a talented guy with a magnetic personality. His killer Leisha Hamilton is a psychological case study with an amazing ability to manipulate and lie. Scott's father, James Dunn, doggedly pursued justice even when it seemed like there was nothing the police could do. Finally, the Vidocq society's forensic psychologist provides insiight into the criminal mind of Scott's killers.
Trail of Blood is a great read, and sure to satisfy anyone with an interest in true crime stories.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fathers, sons and .... others....,
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This review is from: Trail of Blood: A Father, a Son and a Tell-Tale Crime Scene Investigation (Hardcover)
This book reads like a fiction mystery novel, it keeps you on edge and you just can't wait to see how it turns out.
Jim and Scott Dunn have a very good, long distance father-son relationship. They talk frequently by phone. Scott is an attractive 24 year old young man who had learning problems in school. However, he is a wiz at installing stereos and restoring old cars. He loves his cars and he excels in his job. Scott had recently called his dad to tell him that he was in love and had just become engaged to be married to Jessica. Then, Jim gets a call from Leisha, who tells him Scott has disappeared, leaving his most prized possessions, his car which he had named Yellow Thunder, and a boat. When asked who she is, she says "Oh, I have been living with Scott for a while". Jim is in shock. He has never heard of her. Who is Leisha? How does she figure in Scott's disappearance? Leisha is a woman who manipulates men to do what she wants, she plays one against another. She lies when it suits her. Jim vows to find his missing son, but soon he begins to expect foul play. Jim is a determined father, trying to solve this mystery. He prods police and other experts, to keep the investigation alive. He never quits. He is determined to find his son, dead or alive. There are lots of technical data and lots of tedious facts, but the book is never boring.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Blood, Sweat & Tears,
By
This review is from: Trail of Blood: A Father, a Son and a Tell-Tale Crime Scene Investigation (Hardcover)
On May 16, 1991 R. Scott Dunn, then 24 vanished. The only person who appeared to have any insight as to his whereabouts was the gruesomely named Leisha Hamilton, with the equally gruesome personality as reported in this book.
Scott, then 24 was highly regarded for his proficiency at electronics and repair. He took great pride in a restored Chevrolet Camaro, which he named "Yellow Thunder." In 1991-92, Scott, who was living in Lubbock Texas at the time was engaged to be married. However, he was living with Ms. Hamilton who sounded like a master manipulator. She called Scott's father, Jim to inform him that his son was missing. Each encounter she had with Jim and local law enforcement people was an exercise in manipulation and cruel, inappropriate comments. Although she claimed to be in love with Scott and expressed pleasure at sharing an apartment with him, she was actively involved with another man and even tried to lead authorities to suspect him as being involved in Scott's disappearance. Jim Dunn is a man one can respect. He is to be commended for his dogged persistence and untiring diligence in working with law enforcement and the Vidoq Society. It is through their hard work that they were able to bring Leisha Hamilton to justice, although Scott's body has not been recovered at the time of this review. Mike & the Mechanics' 1989 song "The Living Years" which is about fathers and sons appears to underscore this book very well. It was truly heartwarming to read about a father and son who loved and had respect for one another.
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