Starkweather: Inside the Mind of a Teenage Killer (Paperback)

~ (Author) "In January 1958, a nineteen-year-old Nebraskan, Charles Raymond Starkweather, accompanied and assisted by his fourteen-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, murdered ten people in eight days..." (more)
Key Phrases: murder spree, betty jean, Elmer Scheele, Charles Starkweather, Robert Jensen (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A non-exploitative, non-judgmental documentary of a sociopath as queer as a three dollar bill . . . like nothing I have ever seen. -- Kirkus Reviews

Allen’s book undoubtedly is the most thoroughly researched and best-written account of Starkweather and his short-lived reign of terror. -- Lincoln Sunday Journal and Star

William Allen has produced a meticulously researched documentary… Aesthetes of mayhem will appreciate Allen’s nose for nuance. -- The New York Times

… illuminates Charlie Starkweather from the inside and the outside. -- The Washington Post

Product Description

In January of 1958, seventeen-year-old Charlie Starkweather killed eleven people in a grisly spree of cold-blooded murder in his hometown and neighboring towns in Nebraska. The story shocked America and cast Starkweather and his fifteen-year-old girlfriend, Caril Fugate, in the crime scene spotlight, a vivid embodiment of the dark side of the heartland. First published in 1976, this revised edition contains previously classified notes from Starkweather's prison journal and transcripts of the interviews between Starkweather and the prison psychologist, conducted as the teen awaited execution. Allen also provides further evidence that Fugate, often regarded as a kidnap victim, was indeed an accomplice in the murders.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Emmis Books (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578601517
• ISBN-13: 978-1578601516
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #225,114 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars actually, reviewing the orignial pressing..., November 23, 2008

By	W. E. Amos (Cordova, TN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

An easy read, a bit dated now many years after the first edition, but still a nice history of that week in January and subsequent events. Allen tells a nice story without glorification of starkweather, and plenty of first hand observations noted. It is the definitive look into this case.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bleck..., April 5, 2008

By	M. Madaras (Sugar Land, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The subject matter was very interesting, but I noticed so many obvious mistakes. It was so distracting. There was one section that was missing the last half of a descriptive paragraph. I have never seen a book like this before. It was like they published the book with out copy writing it. If you can get past that I'm sure you'll love it.