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Twilight of Innocence: The Disappearance of Beverly Potts (True Crime (Kent State University Press))

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"Twilight of Innocence: The Disappearance of Beverly Potts" by James Jessen Badal is the spellbinding account of a community's search for a 10-year-old girl who vanished without a trace less than a block from her Cleveland home.

Born in 1941, Beverly Potts lived with her family in a quiet Cleveland suburb. On a summer evening in August 1951, she walked to a park just a few doors from home to see a local talent show with her best friend, Patsy. Her disappearance later that night led to what Badal calls "the largest manhunt in Cleveland history" and raised "the chilling possibility that she had been grabbed literally within sight of the family house."

Badal investigated the case by sifting through old newspapers and police files. He describes the dynamic interaction among the three vying newspapers in Cleveland -- an intriguing story in itself -- along with the city's political machinations. The author retraces the shy girl's activities just before she disappeared and provides an exacting timeline of events. He talks about the public's reaction to the crime: Many helped in the search while crowds gathered in front of the family home to get a glimpse of the "gloomy house where tragedy struck."

The authorities tracked down all known sex offenders, drained a pond, sent divers into Lake Erie, did flyovers in planes and led basement-to-attic searches. They followed up on cryptic messages and false leads and even took calls from psychics and extortionists. As Badal says, the hoaxes ranged "from the merely stupid to the heartlessly cruel."

Decades after the crime, police were still investigating, interviewing serial killers and molesters. Even today there are a lot more questions than answers. The ordeal was so horrendous for Beverly's mother that she "died, quite literally of grief, in 1956," says Badal.

We tend to think of the abduction of children as a modern phenomenon, forgetting that it's always been a terrifying fact of life.

I started this book knowing that the case was never solved and I still couldn't put it down. The details are positively haunting and the complex character studies make it easy to realize that these were real people who actually went through this ordeal, who truly lost their little girl. What in the world happened to her?

I just finished reading Mr. Badal's account of the disappearance of Beverly Potts and I whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in true-crime unsolved mysteries. The author does an excellent job of synthesizing the newspaper accounts of the time with the surving police files dating back to the time of Beverly Potts' disappearance in 1951. Additionally, the author interviews a few of the key surviving people from the time period of the disappearance, including Ms. Potts' sister, Anita.

Because this is an unsolved disapperance, inevitably the reader is left somewhat frustrated because of the lack of closure...just like Beverly's family and the countless others who have been involved with this case in the last half-century.

If there is one criticism I have about the book is that there is no real original research by the author. The author states in the introduction that his intention was not to try and solve this case or make any bold guesses as to whodunit, and he stays faithful to this philosophy. However, I believe the unresolved nature of the topic demands that at least some theories regarding the disapparance are put forward and explored in more detail.

I would definitely have liked to see more interviews with former neighbors, "witnesses" and surviving officers who worked on the case (or even their families) to try and provide more "off-the-record" information.

The author also reveals that a large section of the official Cleveland police files were removed by a police detective who worked the case because he apparently had planned to pen his own memoirs about this case. The memoirs were never written, the detective is presumably deceased, and there is no mention of what ever became of the missing files. Somewhat frustratingly, the author does not reveal what attempts, if any, he made to track down these presumably important files.

After reading the book, my own humble opinion/theory is that Beverly was likely abducted by a neighbor on Linett east of W. 117th. Her abduction by someone in a car does not seem as plausible. Given Beverly's apparent shy nature, it is likely that she was approached by someone she new and trusted who asked her to come onto his/her property momentarily for some seemingly innocent reason, and then took her against her will before she could cry out for help. Chillingly, the author relates that Anita Potts was told by a detective at the time who was investigating Beverly's disappearance (and who subscribed to this theory) that it was possible that Beverly's remains may one day be discovered after the homes in that area are bulldozed.

Anyway, The book tops out at about 185 pages and is a very fast read. Even if you are not a native Clevelander you will still enjoy reading this book immensely.

"Twilight of Innocence-The Disappearance of Beverly Potts" is a well written, haunting account of the disappearance 10 year old Beverly Potts, who vanished on her way home from a festival in her neighborhood park in Cleveland, OH the night of Aug 24, 1951. I am not from Ohio but still found this book very interesting,and I find myself reading it again and again. Recently while on vacation with my family, we passed through Cleveland, and I decided to make the detour to see the park and neighborhood this story took place. One cannot realize how close everything is until one goes there.It is hard to believe that no one saw anything. Beverly did not have far to walk at all, and I agree with the theory that she was most likely abducted by a neighbor, and may very well be buried somewhere on that same street. I got quite an eerie feeling walking around the park, and looking at the home Beverly never made it back to that night. The author does a very good job of taking you though the story detail by detail, day by day. One can feel the anguish of her parents and sister,Anita, who graciously shared pictures and did interviews for this book.

A quote by Patsy Swing, Beverly's best friend and one of the last people to see Beverly alive, has stayed with me and it still shows the pain Patsy feels. She said Beverly "was my very very best friend.."

Even though the book ends without us knowing what happened to Beverly, I think we can make a very good guess and maybe someday, when the area is searched again and /or bulldozed, we just may get our answer.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in old unsolved missing persons cases. Once you read this, you will never forget Beverly.

This book is haunting and I know I will never forget Beverly Potts.
I grew up in a neighborhood in Pa not unlike the one she lived in. (in the early 60's).
I recommend this book but caution you that it really makes you feel as if you were there and will break your heart.
The worst part is that there is no end to it.

I was born in Cleveland, Ohio and was 7 years old when Beverly Potts disappeared. I remember all of the parents warning us about coming home before dark, not talking to strangers or going with any strangers, or "you will end up like Beverly Potts."

So, when I saw this book I had to read it because Beverly's disappearance was a very integral part of my childhood. It is a comprehensive, well researched, well written account of a tragic incident that impacted many lives. If you are like me and are familiar with the case, this is a must read. If you are interested in unsolved mysteries this is also a must read.

I went on the internet to see if the Beverly Potts case had ever been solved - I saw the book and ordered it. I was 3 at the time of her kidnapping, we lived next door (in the duplex) and I was the little girl Beverly babysat (mentioned in the book) My parents often told me about her kidnapping and my mom told me that Beverly asked if she could take me up to Halloran Park for the Showagon. Being a overactive and bratty 3 year old, my mom told her I'd be too much of a handful for her. My parents are both gone now and I wish I was able to ask them more questions about it, because we lived next door to her for 3 more years after the kidnapping. Then we moved to W118th St. for 2 years than moved to Parma Heights. My mom's picture was in the paper with several of the neighbors cooking food to take over to the Potts home. We also had a photo of Beverly (the one in the book with her hair in braids) I found them recently when we were moving and that's what started me thinking about her.
My husband and I were in the area over the weekend, so we drove by the house. It brought back a feeling of de javu'. Both of the houses are in pretty rough shape, as are most of the homes in that area because they are so old.
I was glad to have read the book. I believe that she is with God and her parents - so there really is a happy ending.

"Twilight of Innocence" by James Jessen Badal, tells the story of the disappearance of 10-year old Beverly Rose Potts from a park in Cleveland, Ohio in 1951.
Using police reports, newspaper articles, and eyewitness testimonies, Badal does a good job of establishing, as near as can be determined, a timeline and possible scenario(s) of the baffling mystery of Beverly's apparent kidnapping. What makes this story so compelling is the fact that, with so many people around, logic tells the reader that someone must have seen something, and yet to this day, not a single shred of physical evidence has turned up to explain what happened that dark night in August, 1951.
At around 9:30 (or so) on the evening of Friday August 24, 1951, Beverly Potts was watching a vaudeville-type show in Halloran Park in Cleveland. These shows, called Showagons, were put on by local entertainers, and featured music and dancing. Beverly, being the daughter of former Vaudeville performers, was entranced by the show, and told her best friend Patsy Swing she wanted to stay until the end of the show. Patsy had to be home early, so she left before 9:30, walking the short distance alone back to the street where she and Beverly lived.
From here, the story gets confusing. Several people claim they saw Beverly walking across the park toward Linnet Avenue where she lived (a distance of only a quarter mile or so). Some said they saw her alone, others claim they saw her stop to talk to some men in a black coupe with a loud muffler and bad paint job (one woman told police that she saw a young girl tied up in the back of a car driven by a man in his forties leaving the park, but this was never confirmed by any other witness).
What makes this mystery so compelling is that, whatever happened to Beverly, it happened when there were several hundred people also leaving the park after the Showagon ended, and within shouting distance of her home. There was no apparent struggle, no screams or shouts, and little that aroused suspicion. It was as if Beverly was there one second, and gone without a trace the next.
Badal keeps the action moving. He tells about numerous theories and false leads the police investigated (as well as the idiotic cranks and publicity seekers who made their jobs more difficult). Unfortunately, they were all dead ends. In the end, Bedel concedes, no one knows exactly what happened to Beverly.
By far, the saddest aspect of the book is the effect her disappearance had on her family. While Beverly's older sister was able to pick up the pieces and live a normal life, Beverly's mother never got over her disappearance, and died five years later. Beverly's father lived until 1970, but one of the most touching parts of the book tells about a neighbor who was born after the event, who described Mr. Potts as "the lonely man who lived alone in the house on Linnet Avenue."
Badal floats many interesting theories about the crime, but unless or until a body is discovered, what really happened to Beverly Rose Potts will remain a sad, tragic mystery.

There is a tendency to idealize the distant past. Adults were trustworthy and children safe, and the vast majority of honest people were at very little risk as they went about their daily lives. All of these proved to be fatal assumptions on a long ago August night in Cleveland. In this book, James Badal takes on another unsolved crime and does his customary excellent job of marshalling the facts and then stepping aside to let the reader draw his own conclusion.
Badal very effectively evokes a time and a place and the fabric of a neighborhood and a way of life that have changed beyond all recognition. His protagonist walks past us, in to the middle distance, and then vanishes before our eyes.
After the passage of sixty years , will it ever be possible to find out how, and why ? This book may be as close as we ever get -

this book is so well written it feels like you are listening to a story from your own past

Here are the known facts outlined in the book: In 1951, a 10 year old girl disappears from a crowded city park less than 2 blocks from her home. There are no eye witnesses to any crime. There is no crime scene. The body of Beverly Potts is never located. There were never any viable leads or credible suspects.

I had one, albeit important, reservation prior to purchasing this book. Do the known facts support a full length book? Sadly, they do not. While there are some positive comments I can make about the book and its author, problems exist.

There is no doubt that James Jessen Badal completed extensive research. His sources are meticulously documented at the end of each chapter and these chapter notes are sometimes as interesting as the primary text of the book. In addition, there is the inclusion of a helpful map and many, many interesting photographs spread throughout the text, a refreshing departure from the typical "center photo section" of most True Crime books. Finally, the author successfully imparts real feeling and sorrow for the victim and her surviving family members.

However, there are some legitimate problems with this sad story. The first half of the book soon becomes boring and rather tedious as initial sightings and reports ultimatley lead nowhere. The second half of the book is somewhat more interesting simply because of the number of creeps, crooks, and cranks who either falsely confess to the abduction and murder of Beverly Potts or whose names are given to police investigators - sometimes years later - by embittered ex-wives or frightened female partners who long suspected their husband or boyfriend was the killer. And, while these individual suspects may be mildly interesting in and of themselves, the fact remains that no viable leads ever came from any of this information. Nothing plus nothing equals nothing.

There are some theories presented about what may have happened to a little girl on her way home from a summer park gathering but, unlike some other reviewers, I found no theory any more credible than another. There simply is not enough information to even support intelligent conjecture. In the end, the reader is left with a flat, "cold" feeling about this cold case.