Famous Crimes Revisited: From Sacco-Vanzetti to O. J. Simpson

by Henry C. Lee and Jerry Labriola

Book Overview

Looks at legendary crimes of the twentieth century, including the Lindbergh kidnapping, the O.J. Simpson case, and the JonBenet Ramsey case. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1928782140
• ISBN13: 9781928782148
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Strong Books
• Length: 303 Pages
• Weight: 1.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Be well informed.

Doctor Lee brings you to and through the crime scenes so much better than a TV show.

Famous Crimes Revisited

Drs. Lee and Labriola have added a new dimension to their investigative study of high profile, 20th century crimes-- the interplay between forensic science and the human factors which may influence the outcome of a case. The authors have written an important social commentary within the context of a detailed discussion of forensic evidence. This book is a must for all readers!

still stuck on the OJ trial

The new book "Famous Crimes Revisited" offer excellent insight into several major crimes of the 1900s. More could have been added to the JonBenet Ramsey case, but I think the intent of the authors was not to give all the details, but only offer new facts and food for thought. True-crime readers will love the way the authors provide new evidence without taking sides. It is up to us to evaluate the facts and decide guilt or innocence. If you want thought-provoking, new information, then this book is for you. I thought it was fantastic.

Emotions Bear Witness

Investigations into high profile crimes reveal the best and the worst in human behavior. Everyone searches for logic behind heinous acts that defy logic, because such acts express emotions run amok. Witnesses, friends, victims, perpetrators, their families, and even the investigators themselves get infected by irrationality and conjecture in their determined efforts to set things right. Personal biases contaminate the evidence as surely as faulty collection techniques do. Conflicting news reports shape public opinion, which weighs in to further obscure the truth.Doctors Lee and Labriola, authors of "Famous Crimes Revisited," revisit the facts from several, past headline cases; they also revisit the social and emotional factors affecting the people and times surrounding each case. Our system of justice, after all, does not operate in a vacuum; it does not operate solely in the rarefied air of rationality. People bring both hearts and minds to a crime scene, and each tells a different version of the truth. Dr. Lee imagines himself traveling back in time to attend the trials and review the evidence in each case. In each location he meets up with the fictitious Sam Constant, who represents the voice of public opinion. Dr. Lee raises many fascinating questions about the outcome of each case, giving examples of conflicting testimony and possible alternative interpretations of evidence. Would the availability of modern forensics have led to important breakthroughs on either side?As a psychologist, I found the case reviews riveting. Hats off to Lee and Labriola for taking a fresh look at past criminal puzzles and fitting their pieces together in new and thought-provoking ways. By the light of hindsight, they light the way for criminal investigations in the future.

This is a great book!

Dr. Henry Lee's new book, "Famous Crimes Revisited", is for people who want to think. It gives us evidence that was not considered in the original trials, but could have changed the outcome if it had been considered. The authors also discuss the impact of popular opinion on the trial's outcomes. It is an insightful and thought-provoking read that makes one wonder how anyone could ever get a fair trial. Don't miss this great book!