A Descent Into Hell: The True Story of an Altar Boy, a Cheerleader, and a Twisted Texas Murder

by Kathryn Casey

Book Overview

Bright, attractive, and both from good families, University of Texas college student Colton Pitonyak and vibrant redhead Jennifer Cave had the world at their beckoning. Cave, an ex-cheerleader, had just landed an exciting new job, while a big-money scholarship to UT's prestigious business school lured Pitonyak to Austin. Yet the former altar boy had a dark, unpredictable streak, one that ensnared him in the perilous underworld of drugs and guns...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061230871
• ISBN13: 9780061230875
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

A Descent Into Hell

Great reading.

Sad Story

I finished reading this quite a while back, and so can't recall anything that stood out -- either positive or negative. I'll have to be more diligent in writing reviews within a day or two of having finished reading them.

How drug addiction lead to a murder on a college campus. The author is one of my favorite true crim

If you like a detailed look into the lives effected by this tragedy then you will like this book. It also is a cautionary tale of what can go wrong when your young adult starts living independently.

One word - Intense

I read the author's other book about the serial rapist and the wife about a week ago and was blown away with the authors writing style I don't read many true crime except for an ocasional Ann Rule book. Enough about me, Kathryn Casey is the type of writer that can take a story with hundred's of facts, details, characters and make you really "feel" the whole experience and drama without getting lost or bored. I only bought this book on the strength of reading one of her other stories just to see if it was just a fluke that what I read was her best writing. Well, this book topped that book. I RARELY/NEVER shed a tear reading books. What can I say, I'm a man. I actually shed a tear 2 times and semi-cried one time reading this story. I'm glad I was alone because my wife would of thought I was losing it. I plan on reading all of her stories now. If you read True Crime either casually or often READ THIS BOOK.

Great True Crime Writing

My true crime reading habit started years ago with classics such as In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, and Helter Selter, by Vincent Bugliosi. Much as I would like to quit the habit, books such as A Descent into Hell keep me turning the pages. I offest the subject matter with spiritual memoir reading and angel oracle decks. Be forewarned, this case is graphic and horrible but Casey has a way of dealing with the bad stuff without sensationalizing.This story could be about anyone's family. The families of both victim and perpetrator (young adults in their 20's) are so mainstream, we recognize them immediately. Parents have talented kids who try out,but get lost in, the party/drugs/alcohol lifestyle. If not motivated to get back on track, awful things can happen. This is an important study in the psychology of being too caring (almost Stockholm syndrome)and of not following one's intuition. My heart goes out to the Cave family. When you lose a daughter, we lose a daughter.

A Total Page Turner

Kathryn Casey is among the top true crime writers. This book was excellent as are her others. The photo section was especially great as the pages were black semi gloss with white text and black/white photos. It was very well done. I have a library of over 500 books and rate Kathryn Casey as one of my top 4 favorite authors with Ann Rule, Carlton Stowers and M William Phelps. I read this book in two days. If I could, I'd give it more than 5 stars!

YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN!

I have swayed away from True crime in the past few years because most of the books just are not well researched and are just kind of boring. Not so with this book,Ms.Casey draws you in from the first page and lets you feel like you know the people in this book.It is a very sad story a must read for parents with college aged children,Parents period.Then you will want to pass it down to your children who are old enough to read it so they can learn the TRUE dangers of Drugs.So sad.Lifes ruined and a beautiful soul no longer with us because of drugs.My heart goes out to the families.My soul feels hurt by what was done to Jennifer and I hope one day her family can just remember the good times. Beware..When you buy this book be prepared not to do anything else but read.I had not heard of this case until I picked this book up and for two nights I have had very little sleep(so excuse my typos) I have stayed awake until the wee hours unable to put this book down.Probably the best written True Crime book I have read in years. Kudo's Kathryn Casey!

BEST TRUE CRIME BOOK IVE READ IN YEARS!!

I am an avid true crime reader, and thought i would never find a writer i liked more than ann rule. although ann is great, i have a new favorite in katherine casey. she depicts the victim in such a way that you feel like youve met her and have been touched by her, as she touched many other lives in her far too short 21 years. jennifer cave was a caring, empathetic, beautiful girl with a loving and open heart who wanted to help everyone in trouble, including her friend, drug addicted and wannabe gangsta, colton pitonyiak. she fell upon hard times, using drugs and drifting from job to job, but managed to keep up her sunny disposition to the outside world. her friend colton was in love with her and got violent when she told him she didnt return his feelings, but she continued to be his friend. the terror and anguish colton and his obsessed wannabe-girlfriend, laura hall, depressed upon the cave family is unspeakable and heartbreaking. i felt physically ill when i learned how evil these two sorry excuses for human beings are. the family of jennifer cave is about as deserving of a good, happy life as one can be, and they now must suffer due to the selfish and horrific actions of colton and laura. i can feel the deep seated pain they undergo everyday after losing their beloved jennifer, and felt like, even though noone wants to speak ill of the dead and always speak kindly about those who were lost, no matter what their personality, they spoke of jennifer as she really was- a very special person- someone who radiated light and had a truly beautiful spirit. had jennifer lived and applied herself to school, she would have made a great doctor or counselor- certainly a career where she would help those truly in need without an ounce of judgement. i always feel sorry for the victim in cases i read, and alwasy feel the horrendous injustice of a young life lost, but this victims sometimes sad life and pure heart was particularly gut-wrenching and i cried many times while reading this (i havent cried in years while reading a book) the outcome of both trials were sufficient for some, but i thought the sentence was far to light for each monster involved. this case has really left an impression on me ,and think it will on most.