Legendary LAPD Homicide Detective John St. John walked among the dead for nearly a half-century.

Known as “JigSaw John,” he pursued monsters that had an insatiable appetite for blood and suffering.

Jane Howatt, a suburban housewife and aspiring writer, wanted to trade her tennis racket for something more meaningful.

St. John didn’t need company, and he sure didn’t want a young unpublished author in his way.

But something about Howatt’s curiosity—earnest, unspoiled, insistent—broke down his guard.

St. John worked the evidence; Howatt worked the story.

The result is “JigSaw and Jane: Thirteen Years of Murder & Mayhem with Badge Number One.”

St.John empathized with crime victims because he was one of them.

As a young jailer, a prisoner ambushed him with an iron bar ripped from a bunk.

The prisoner savagely beat St. John to the brink of death, leaving him blind in one eye.

In another life, JigSaw and Jane would have barely noticed each other in a supermarket aisle.

Instead, they found themselves peering into crime scenes of LA’s most brutal and sensational crimes together.

This is their story.

Click here to purchase my “Texas Crime Stories” audiobook. It downloads into your podcast app.

Click here to purchase the Paperback & Kindle editions on Amazon.

Schedule me to speak at your social meeting or corporate event.

My presentation, “Evil Walks Among Us,” features stories about serial killers and notorious criminals and personal safety tips.

Step into the storied halls of the Texas Prison Museum and uncover the gripping tales of infamous inmates, daring escapes, and the history of justice in the Lone Star State.

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This isn’t the kind of story I usually tell.

The police didn’t converge on the scene with sirens blaring and guns drawn.

But what happened inside a Dallas apartment complex was just as devastating and just as unforgivable as a cold-blooded murder.

In 2015, a silent killer slipped into the home of two young children. Not through malice, but through neglect, greed, and a rusted furnace exhaust pipe no one wanted to fix.

The carbon monoxide gas that leaked out of it took their minds, leaving them permanently brain-damaged, trapped in silence.

For nine years, their mother fought a legal battle against apartment owners and their insurance company, which denied everything.

What followed was a story of delay, deception, and courtroom drama that will outrage even the most hardened true crime listener.

This episode is a departure from my usual reporting, but it’s one I had to tell.

Because sometimes, the deadliest crimes aren’t committed with a weapon.

They’re committed with indifference.

Legal Resources Mentioned In This Story:

Ted B. Lyon Personal Injury Lawyer

Science Resources for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Dr. Lindell Weaver

Science.org

Click here to purchase my “Texas Crime Stories” audiobook. It downloads into your podcast app.

Click here to purchase the Paperback & Kindle editions on Amazon.

Schedule me to speak at your social meeting or corporate event.

My presentation, “Evil Walks Among Us,” features stories about serial killers and notorious criminals and personal safety tips.

Step into the storied halls of the Texas Prison Museum and uncover the gripping tales of infamous inmates, daring escapes, and the history of justice in the Lone Star State.

41% Off Cozy Earth Sheets, Pajamas and More

20% Off Eric Javits Designer Hats Worn by True Crime TV Detectives

20% Off HyperNatural Men’s Polo Shirts

15% Off TONA Activewear Designer Gym Leggings

15% Off STAND+ Comfort Shoes For Extended Standing

10% Off AKILA Sunglasses and Eyewear

Most predators don’t pounce—they pick.

They observe.

They wait.

And they choose the person who looks the easiest to catch.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to make sure you’re not the one they choose.

From FBI profilers to a former producer for CBS 48 Hours, I’ll walk you through the red flags predators look for and how to shut them down before they ever get a chance.

This isn’t about paranoia. It’s about awareness. And once you know what to look for, you’ll make it very difficult to be chosen.

Because survival starts before the crime ever happens.

Links:

Robin Dreeke — Stop Pause Observe

Katherine Schweit

Tase Bailey

Claire St Amant

Click here to purchase my “Texas Crime Stories” audiobook. It downloads into your podcast app.

Click here to purchase the Paperback & Kindle editions on Amazon.

Schedule me to speak at your social meeting or corporate event.

My presentation, “Evil Walks Among Us,” features stories about serial killers and notorious criminals and personal safety tips.

Step into the storied halls of the Texas Prison Museum and uncover the gripping tales of infamous inmates, daring escapes, and the history of justice in the Lone Star State.

41% Off Cozy Earth Sheets, Pajamas and More

20% Off Eric Javits Designer Hats Worn by True Crime TV Detectives

20% Off HyperNatural Men’s Polo Shirts

15% Off TONA Activewear Designer Gym Leggings

15% Off STAND+ Comfort Shoes For Extended Standing

10% Off AKILA Sunglasses and Eyewear