Dying for Daddy

The True Story of a Family's Worst Nightmare

By: Carlton Smith

Narrated by: Dustin Tucker

Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

From the best-selling author of The Search for the Green River Killer: the account of the family tragedy that became one of California’s most shocking murder cases.

On a picturesque street in Sacramento County, California, three healthy saplings stand side by side. But what they symbolize are the deaths of three innocent people - two of them children. The man who took their lives, then planted trees in their honor, was their own husband and father.

Hearts went out to Jack Barron when his wife, Irene, died mysteriously in her sleep. Soon after, his two young children were also found dead in their beds. Barron claimed they suffered from the same rare genetic disorder as their mother. But when his 52-year-old mother died, also of asphyxiation in her sleep, law enforcement officials finally took action: The fatal pattern was impossible to ignore.

Was this “devoted” father really a heartless murderer? Did he suffer from a bizarre syndrome known as Munchausen by proxy, whereby a parent kills a child to gain sympathy? With firsthand interviews and exclusive inside information, author Carlton Smith paints a chilling portrait of a man driven to commit the most unspeakable of acts.

©1998 Carlton Smith (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

Wish it covered the trial

I enjoyed this book and the narrator was good. The only thing I didn't like was that the book ended with the man still in jail awaiting trial. I would have liked to have heard about how that turned out. Overall good book though.

slow and repetitive

the story was dragging on, especially towards the end. Way to long, some of the details described do not add to the story, just add word count.

Dragging

The last 5 chapters were a constant repeat. I literally skipped 2 chapters towards the end and it was still dragging.

unbelievable

so sad that Sacramento didn't get it right the first time those poor children

Jack (Jackie) was my first cousin we used to see him allot when we were kids but hadn't seen him since my mom and dad divorced and his mom and dad divorced (our dads were brothers) and to here this story is just horrific don't know what it takes for one to act out like that but I feel that the system finally got it right

my heart goes out to the parents and siblings of Irean I'm truly sorry for there losses



Lina Barron

Dragged out

This story was dragged out. The reader was horrible! There was no change in his voice, all just one tone. I know it’s a true crime story, but when someone finds out someone is dead they don’t just say “blah blah died, let’s go to the house” they say “Josh! Blah blah is dead! How could this happen?!? Let’s go over there now! (While crying or panicked) because of the reader just reading in his monotone voice this seemed very dragged on. Very long. Certain things were just repeated over and over.

written in 98' audible 19'

I was unaware of the subject of this book. it was a sad crazy story you come to understand. it's told well. I liked it and only wonder if there is an update of info yet. it was released on audible as I think just recorded in 2019, but book was written I think back in 90s (1998 I think).
still an interesting and unbelievable turn of events in this story.

unsatisfying ending

so what happened then? it desperately needs a satisfying ending, an update something. it was ok for an introduction to the case. I wouldn't mind more in depth info.

All over the place

I felt the storyline went off topic a lot and had a lot of detail about information that really didn't support the overall story. It dragged on at times.

Don’t waste your time

This is a very uninspired boring book. There’s a lot better contact for free I’m just about any murder podcast there’s no mystery to this book there’s no great twist at the end in fact it’s an old book you even have to Google and I actually happened to the guy. I returned a few bucks on Audible but I do believe I’m going to return this one I tried I really did the narration was fine but the story was boring.