The Cases That Haunt Us

Rating:
Summary: It's About Time
Review: I initially picked this book up to read what John Douglas had to say about the Jonbenet Ramsey case. I'll comment on that as well. But the remainder of the book was just as interesting and engaging. Well researched, balanced, very well written and non-biased. Douglas never disappoints.

But best of all, he is among the first I know of to go against the 'court of public opinion' and to remind us that we have a doctrine in this country entitled "innocent until proven guilty." He clarifies why we would be well served to allow the Ramsey's that basic right. I agree with his conclusions about the Ramsey's innocence and am grateful for his public stance in stating what the facts bear out rather than going along with a media-made popular and well oiled agency strategy intended to cover up departmental blunders.

Imagine the collective apology as a culture we will owe the Ramsey family when we discover that Douglas is right.

Thanks John Douglas, for your hard work, your excellent book and your integrity in standing up for a family that is (carefully and understandably cautiously) doing everything within their power to solve the tragic murder of their young child. If your readers ever find themselves in the position of the Ramsey family, and they certainly could, I hope they are so lucky as to encounter investigative professionals as well informed and courageous as you.

Rating:
Summary: A Hotly Contested Book
Review: I bought this book about a week ago--both my wife and I have finished reading it already, and we spent most of the week reading over each other's shoulders (or "borrowing" the book when the other wasn't looking). Douglas has a lot of interesing things to say, and Olshaker is an excellent writer. Their collaboration has produced a book that is nearly impossible to put down.

The most controversial part of this book will be the last chapter, in which Douglas sets out his views about who killed JonBenet Ramsey. He will be pounced on by many irate readers who are just absolutely, positively certain that one (or both) of the Ramseys did it--these readers will give the book an undeserved "one star" rating not because the book isn't terrific but because they disagree with Douglas' conclusion.

For my part, I found Douglas' defense of the Ramseys to be diplomatic, well-reasoned and persuasive. After reading Steve Thomas' JonBenet: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation, I was convinced that the crime was not committed by an intruder. Douglas made me think twice about that conclusion and has moved me back to sitting on the fence.

For those who are ready to hang the Ramseys from the nearest tree, remember that the standard of guilt in America is "beyond a reasonable doubt." The only thing that is "beyond doubt" about the Ramsey murder is that an understandably inexperienced Boulder police department allowed the crime scene to be turned into a world class mess within the first few hours of arriving at the Ramseys' home, thus insuring that, short of a confession, the real killer would never be brought to justice. (Douglas once thought that having a child murdered was the worst thing that could happen to someone; now he believes that the worst thing that could happen to someone is to have a child murdered and be wrongly blamed for it.)

And for those who are focused to the point of obsession on the Ramsey murder, Douglas reminds us that 804 other children were murdered in the year JonBenet died. As Douglas says, those are the cases that should really haunt us.

Rating:
Summary: INSIGHTS FROM THE MINDHUNTER
Review: Not since his first work, MINDHUNTER, have I read a Douglas book this interesting. Mindhunter set the pace for all the profiling narratives that followed. Although nobody does it better than Douglas, his subsequent works were somewhat lacking because they did not grab the reader with the same tenacity as his first novel. He takes a somewhat new direction with THE CASES THAT HAUNT US and in turn a better book surfaces.

In CASES THAT HAUNT US Douglas looks at some of the more infamous murders of all time and adds his professional perspective. Whereas he can offer nothing new (after all there have been thousands of books on Jack the Ripper for example), he does weigh some of the more mentioned theories and shows their strenghts and more often than not, their weaknesses. He picks some of the all time chilling real life horror stories....Jack the Ripper, The Zodiac, The Boston Strangler, The Lindbergh Kidnapping, and even the infamous Jon Benet Ramsey case. All the chapters are intriguing and well thought out. He does an outstanding job of showing how some of the conventional thinking on these cases is flawed and in turn relays his years of hands on experience in the field. Along the way, he peppers his views with recollections of cases he has touched.

The main point of controversy in this book in sure to be the Ramsey killing. It is no secret that Douglas was called in to offers his thoughts on this tragic event by the lawyers representing the Ramseys. While I do not agree that he sold out as some would insist, I do question his desire to hire himself out to the main suspects in this grisly event. (in all fairness to Douglas he does contend that after the initial consultation fee he refused to accept further payment and even paid for subsequent flights to Atlanta). This chapter should not prevent anyone from reading the book. Rather, it ranks as one of the more interesting sections of this work. Douglas offers his own insights and makes convincing arguements for an inturder theory. You dont have to agree with the man to respect his logic, reasoning, and experience.

Overall the book reads at the speed of light. All of the chapters with the possible exception of the Lizzy Borden case are well written and really grab the reader's attention. True crime fans will have to read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent read
Review: The book is a good read - - interesting cases and I know that this is the best book to date on the Ramsey case (not counting the Ramseys' own book which I think is in a class by itself).

I finished studying the Ramsey chapter late last night and have to say it was the most informative and real description of the case released to date. I am calling now to find out if he will be signing books in my area - I want to go thank him for his honesty and persistance even when there was public pressure to be quiet.

All of the chapters are good - but my addiction is Ramsey - - and for anyone following THAT case, this is a MUST read. He has met the Ramseys, as I have, and he has met the same innocent people I have.

He has studied the evidence, spoken to many of the people who are VERY lose to the case and has come to the most logical conclusions - and he explains them in a way anyone can understand.

A must read!

Rating:
Summary: John Douglas Sold Out
Review: John Douglas sold himself out to the Ramseys. Acting as a paid consultant, he met with them and reviewed evidence and the crime scene. He criticizes colleagues and other law enforcement that believe the Ramseys are guilty. Mr Douglas did not work for the Boulder police or the D.A. so the evidence he reviewed was that which was made available by the Ramseys.

If this isn't tainted, I don't know what is.

The rest of the book rehashes old cases and does not offer any new information. It's a waste of time and money. Mr Douglas should be ashamed of himself for selling out.

Rating:
Summary: Douglas delivers another interesting read...
Review: John Douglas gives us a fascinating new glimpse into some old, and not-so-old crimes. He explores the legendary Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, the Lindberg kidnapping, and the recent murder of JonBenet Ramsey. At first I wondered why he was rehashing ground that has been covered so many times, but after reading just a few pages, I realized how much I didn't know about these crimes. Douglas isn't afraid to give his opinion about these murders, even if it conflicts with conventional wisdom. A must have for true crime readers!

Rating:
Summary: Another great book from top profiler John E. DOUGLAS
Review: As die-hard true crime buff I have read most of FBI top profiler John E. DOUGLAS' books, so THE CASES THAT HAUNT US was mandatory reading for me.
This time, he revisits some of the most shocking and infamous crimes of the last 120 years, and takes a new approach towards them utilizing modern criminal behavioral analysis and profiling. The book offers a vast array of cases in chronological order, starting with the notorious prostitue killer Jack the Ripper in 1889 's London's Eastend, and encompassing 1892's Lizzie BORDEN case (BORDEN was tried for murdering her father and stepmother with an axe, but aquitted), the tragic case of the LINDBERG kidnapping and the horrifying deeds of the Zodiac killer, a Californian serial killer of the late 1960ies/early 1970ies, up to the murder of six-year old JonBenet RAMSEY on Christmas Eve 1996 (the only case in the book in which DOUGLAS was personally involved).
It is true that several cases were never solved with no perpetrator brought to justice, and it is impossible to prove DOUGLAS's conclusions one way or another. Often decades have passed, and none of the people involved in the crime are alive. However DOUGLAS' conclusions are based on experiences and knowledge gained in a long career in law enforcement as profiler and head of the FBI's Investigative Support Unit (ISU). His observations and conclusions are absolutely convincing. Needless to say that they often contradict popular perceptions of particular cases. Take for example the Jack the Ripper case - I don't want to repeat here what the authors have to say (and hereby spoil your reading pleasure), but unsurprisingly the killer in DOUGLAS' view is NOT the type of "glamourous" murder (like Prince Eddie, the Duke of Clarence, supported by some kind of fancy conspirators) so often found in books and films about this haunting crime.
DOUGLAS'in-depth analysis of the cases with meticulous attention to details makes for fascinating reading.
My favorite chapters are the ones on Jack the Ripper and the horrible murder of JonBenet RAMSEY.
There are some pictures in the books, but with the exception of some maps I did not find them very helpful or interesting.
The book is well-written.
If you are a true crime fan like me, you will dig it!

Rating:
Summary: Eminently detailed, sure to inspire a mystery lover.
Review: The book The Cases That Haunt Us, by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker, goes into great deal over ever single object in the cases. For every piece of evidence the book presents, it gives multiple reasons why that evidence is significant. After they have put all of the evidence together, they write how they think the entire crime happened and list all of the possible suspects. As they go through all of the suspects, they state why it is likely for some to have committed the crime, and unlikely for other to have done it. I would suggest this book to anyone that really likes to try to solve mysteries that a book presents. At the end of every section, it doesn't tell you exactly what happens, it lets you decide for yourself. I found it to be a bit too boring for my tastes, but others who more enjoy this genre will surely like it.

Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: I enjoyed reading this book very Much!John Douglas Digs into Old Cases as well as Cold cases ,Jack the Ripper,Lizzie Borden,JonBonet Ramsey and others and gives his spin on things.Very interesting reading for True Crime Buffs..I Liked it alot..Thanks Mr.Douglas!

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: A very good book, hard to put down. I was hoping Mr. Douglas was going to tell us the who-dun-it in each case, but most of the cases are very old, and instead, he told us how he would have handled them with today's technology and personality profiling. Still, very interesting.