The Zebra Murders: A Season of Killing, Racial Madness, and Civil Rights [Hardcover]

Prentice Earl Sanders (Author), Bennett Cohen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2006

The riveting story, told by San Francisco's first black police chief, of the racially-motivated serial killings--black on white--that terrorized the city in the winter of 1973-4, and how it was solved.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This look at a largely forgotten reign of terror in San Francisco in 1973 and 1974 is an interesting if superficial true police procedural. Sanders, the SFPD's first African-American chief of police, was one of the lead detectives on the case code-named the Zebra Murders, involving a group of African-American men who, apparently racially motivated, were targeting whites in vicious random acts of violence that claimed 15 lives. The book reads less like an objective assessment of these events than a memoir of Sanders's experiences with the investigation and his role in a civil lawsuit against the SFPD to combat rampant racial discrimination. Oddly, about halfway in, the authors break the linear narrative with information derived only at the case's end, rather than lay out the police work and discoveries as they happened. The efforts to compare the police tactics with post-9/11 targeting of Muslims will strike most readers as labored despite Sanders's insistence that the killings were acts of political terror, not mere serial killings. Nonetheless, this serves as a useful introduction to the case. (Oct.)
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Review

"A riveting read . . .THE ZEBRA MURDERS is notable for its steady, measured prose, and its unblinking reporting of the people, cultures, and events of that turbulent time. . . . Much more than a straightforward true crime report." -- Lisa's List, WHRO Radio, September 29, 2006

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing; First Edition first Printing edition (September 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559708069
• ISBN-13: 978-1559708067
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,305,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sanders May allow some Zebra Murderers free on the Streets of America, October 10, 2006

By 

Louis E. Calabro "Louis Calabro" (San Mateo, CA.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Zebra Murders: A Season of Killing, Racial Madness, and Civil Rights (Hardcover)

There is so much in the book that can be considered a distortion of the facts its hard to know where to begin. Most importantly, remember, ALL the killers were not prosecuted. They remain free on the streets of America.
And, Sanders may have contributed to them never being prosecuted. The FBI currently has an "uncaptured" Zebra suspect under surveillance.

Here's what Sander's has done to maybe prevent a prosecution from going foward. He claims that a box of Zebra reports (and evidence?) inadavertently arrived at his home when he retired as Chief of Police. He then writes in his book that he allowed the co-author of his book, Bennett Cohen, to look at the Zebra reports (and evidence?).

As a long time Homocide Inspector (Detective) he knows that he could have compromised the case. The box should have been immediately returned to the Police Department. A Police Department investigation is need to determine how he came into possession of the Zebra boxed reports--and have they been returned.

We fear that this story about how the box arrived at his home may be a coverup in that he may have allowed co-author Cohen to see all of the files that he ordered placed in his office while he was Chief of Police, in anticipation of writing this book.

All of his effort just to glorifiy his name ( as he does throughout the book) makes his career a sad commentary for any young African American person looking for a legitmate black hero to emulate. They need and deserve legitimate black heroes as role models. His failure to immediately return the box of Zebra case files shows him as man who lacks integrity, lacks a good sense of "professional ethics" and is less than a responsible law enforcement representative. Louis Calabro, Retired San Francisco Police Lieutenant.

39 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Unfactual, October 12, 2006

By 

Ray Batz (Incline Village, NV) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Zebra Murders: A Season of Killing, Racial Madness, and Civil Rights (Hardcover)

Former San Francisco Chief of Police Sanders' book comes up short on meeting most standards of objectivity. I am personally acquainted with a number of retired San Francisco police officers who worked on the Zebra case. All recall that Sanders played, at best, a minor role in solving the case and bringing the killers to trial. Sanders' lack of objectivity and obvious attempt at self promotion render his book a less than factual read when compared to the Clark Howard book, "Zebra" written in the early '80s.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a good book!, January 6, 2007

By 

Jeffrey B. Falzone "demedici" (michigan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Zebra Murders: A Season of Killing, Racial Madness, and Civil Rights (Hardcover)

I bought this book with the hope of enhancing my limited knowledge on this critical time in the city of San Fransico that took place back in the 1970's. I did read Clark Howards book on the same subject about 25 years ago. After reading Mr Sanders version of the events I wonder if they were both writing about the same incident. Needless to say, Mr. Sanders book leaves one with the feeling that the real crime was the fact that the Mayor of S.F. and the police were using every means at there disposal to put a stop to these horrible crimes.
One fact that seems to be at odds with Mr. Sanders is the fact that after months of frustration, the police were able to create a crack in the case within a week of finally taking drastic actions in regards to a dragnet in the area where most of the killings took place. This is in direct contrast to the point that Mr. Sanders makes throughout the book which is to say that the then S.F. police department was completely corrupt and unable to solve crimes because they were so at odds with most of the citizens of S.F. A point most everyone else disputes.
I believe the fact that the crime was solved only after the police applied direct pressure speaks for itself in terms of whatit really took to put a stop to these killers.
I would not recommend this book to anyone who is searching for a truthful, insighful and accurate telling of this tragic chapter in the city by the bay.