Customer Reviews

The Vampire Killers: A Horrifying True Story of Bloodshed and Murder

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

By now, nearly everyone who followed the "vampire murders" of 1996 in Eustis, FL, knows about confessed killer Rod Ferrell and how the case against him and his Kentucky cult wound down.

But Clifford Linedecker returns us to the beginning, when all anyone knew was that on Nov. 25, 1996, someone fatally bludgeoned Richard Wendorf, 49, on his living-room couch and his wife, Naoma Ruth Queen, 54, in their kitchen.

Linedecker recaptures the various parties' moods as the case unfolds because his chief sources are the local newspapers that reported it fresh.

By far, most of what is in "The Vampire Killers" came from a newspaper. I should know. I wrote some of the original stories Linedecker used. I covered the case from Day 1 for The (Leesburg, Fla.)  Daily Commercial, and I can recognize my phrases in the book, as well as those from my counterparts on The Orlando Sentinel.

The reader new to the case can catch up on pretty factual news coverage in between the author's passages of commentary. But I was hoping the first book out on this case would advance my own understanding of it, and not just parrot it back to me.

Being an avid reader of both vampires and true crime, I picked up this book with great interest. My fave TV series" Forever Knight" is mentioned twice in passing, which gives you an indication of the half-done research done here. Basically the author goves an overall good synposis of what happened, but omitted ( as I found out in other books) some info, such as the possible emotional shock of one of the four accused of the murders.

Background info, such as cult mind thinking and exactly WHY the group went as far as they did is not looked into here. It is an okay resource into the case, but incomplete.

I thought the overall story was well written, but I was disappointed that the book was published before all the sentences were handed down. It left me wondering and curious as to the fate of Dana and Che. Another mystery is the fact that the book I bought has a 5th picture on the front of a boy who from the best of my knowledge is not in the story at all. Who is he? I purchased this book at Lambert Field gift shop, St. Louis, MO

When I quickly thumbed through "The Vampire Killers", I couldn't wait to read it as homicides and vampires are two of the subjects I find to be the most fascinating. Sadly, I was extremely disappointed. Don't get me wrong -- the idea of a teenage vampire cult leader is startling, beyond wicked -- but Linedecker, being the talentless oaf that he is, managed to bore me half to death with his uninspiring, unmoving content. Thankfully, there are other authors out there who manage to do a decent job of writing about the stories that Linedecker ruins all together. If you'd like an interesting view of the Wendorf murders, then ditch this book and read "The Embrace" by Aphrodite Jones instead.

Since I have already reviewed the book (see below),I shall here answer a twice-asked question.

The first printing, indeed, bore the photo of a fifth teen. He was Jeremy Hueber, Heather Wendorf's boyfriend. In NO way was he connected to the vampire cult. He was a normal kid, now a college student and local theater usher. The author alerted the publisher to the fifth kid and St. Martin's Press recalled the first batch --- 26,000 copies -- and reissued the second cover you see here. Jeremy was considering a libel suit, since the cover implied he was a vampire, but never filed it. Those of us who have the first cover may wish to hang onto them, as they might become collector's items.

I remember this story from back in the early 90's as one of those crimes that makes you cringe and at the same time makes one wonder where in the world did these kids come from. Well, it all started right here in my own home state of Kentucky. Known for fast horses, great bourbon, and a winning basketball team, Kentucky also is famous for many crimes that baffle the mind. This was one of those such crimes. A group of teenagers living in a small town with nothing to do but dream of becoming vampires and eventually doing the unthinkable...being involved in a gruesome murder. This book is very descriptive in telling how these kids drifted into a world of blood lust and falling under the spell of the groups ring leader and head "vampire".

I have to say that I remember this sad story like it happened yesterday. This is a very good book with alot of accurate information. I am going to have my 15 year old daughter read, so she will know that you really have to stay alert on who you hang out with. I read about 2-3 books a week (all on True Crime) and I find it hard to put this book down.

I also have the book where there is 5 kids on the cover rather than 4. I dont know who he is either. I have spoken to Jaden Murphy online, also his friends. I have also recieved a letter from Rod, which was very artistically written. He is a smart young man, and I do not think he deserves death for what he did.