Failure of Justice

A Brutal Murder, an Obsessed Cop, Six Wrongful Convictions

By: John Ferak

Narrated by: Kevin Pierce

Everyone felt the same way: Small-town Nebraska widow Helen Wilson didn't have an ounce of meanness in her body. Then, on February 5, 1985, one of the coldest nights on record, the unthinkable happened. The 68-year-old resident was murdered inside her second-floor apartment. But why?

Local residents were horrified. What type of monster would target a vulnerable widow to fulfill his homicidal sexual fantasies? The crime scene was eerily ritualistic. The trail of evidence turned frustratingly cold until an astonishing breakthrough occurred four years later. A torn scrap of money recovered at the crime scene became the presumed smoking gun that helped solve the hideous crime. The news of six arrests was absolutely stunning to the locals in this easygoing blue-collar community of 12,000 residents. But why were six loosely connected misfits who lived as far away as Alabama, Colorado, and North Carolina being linked to the rape and murder of a beloved Nebraska widow?

As they sat in jail, the constant threat of Nebraska's barbaric electric chair frightened these troubled souls, except for one of them. Joseph White remained defiant in his fight to prove his innocence. It didn't matter. All six of the condemned were convicted of murder and sent away to prison for the ghastly crime. The town moved on, convinced that justice had been served.

For more than 25 years, the Beatrice 6 rotted in prison. In 2008, DNA tests proved that there'd been a terrible failure of justice, but what would it mean to the prisoners?

©2016 John Ferak (P)2016 WildBlue Press

Critic reviews

"John Ferak has carved his necessary true-crime niche with another fascinating exploration of unalloyed evil in overlooked places, and a dysfunctional judicial system. A chilling piece of journalism." (Ron Franscell, author of The Darkest Night and Morgue: A Life in Death)

A good true story I

A real incredible story of a, only in real life, whole town and a Sheriffs department can be high jacked into railroading helpless people though a bazaar gruesome murder case, and more.

Sad

Another sad story of complete miscarriage of justice in this country! Wake up America, prisons are a highly profitable industry!

good book

sad to think that those who are sworn to protect can manipulate the system to fit their own agenda and yet it happens all the time.

Sobering listening

Wow, such a difficult book to listen to because of the stories of those involved in the case. The writing and narration are outstanding but the story is truly heart breaking.
How can 6 people be wrongly convicted for a murder they did not commit? How can they be put to trial and imprisoned and spend years behind bars while innocent? How can they be released then have to fight for compensation for the time they were wrongfully imprisoned? If you were in their shoes would you "confess" or would you maintain your innocence?
This is a sign of a good book - made me think and question. Amazing listening!

Great Book Exposing Police Corruption.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definitely, especially if they were fans of "Making of Murderer" (show on Netflix) or "Predator" by Jack Olsen. This book is written in a similar vein but with an entirely different event. The book is well-written and well performed.

Who was your favorite character and why?

This is a non-fiction book so the characters are real people. This is a memorable story populated by colorful people. The police officer who is a die-hard fan of "Starsky and Hutch" and tries to interrogate suspects based on the show comes to mind. This officer also based most of his case on interviews with a local gossip which he failed to record in any way. You can't even make this stuff up.

Which character – as performed by Kevin Pierce – was your favorite?

Sadly, Lobo, the main suspect in this book is a memorable tragic figure. This murder investigation interrupted his life just as he had make some positive headway in his otherwise troubled life.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The entire book moves you from shock at the horrific crime to disbelief at the direction the investigation takes to horror at how the whole thing works out.

Any additional comments?

This is a great book. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.