If You Really Loved Me: Two Teenage Girls and a Shocking Double Murder

by Kevin F. McMurray

Book Overview

Carl and Sarah Collier feared their cold and wild granddaughter, Holly. But when they forbade Holly from spending time with her 16-year-old female lover, Sandy, they set in motion a horrifying plot... Holly and Sandy asked around for a gun. They made a to-do list, and they told their friends what their plans were. Then, on a summer night in Georgia, they unleashed an ambush. The scene they left behind would stun hardened investigators... Carl and...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312937954
• ISBN13: 9780312937959
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: St. Martin's True Crime Classics
• Length: 247 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

Murder in the Family

The story of two teenage girls committing a double homicide makes an interesting story in itself. But when one considers the fact that the teens were more than friends and their atypical family backgrounds, this has the potential to be a very interesting read. Though some readers seem to believe this book contradicts media sources of the time, generally accepted facts now seem to suggest this book to be a truthful source. When Holly Harvey and Sandy Ketchum fatally stabbed Holly's grandparents in a seemingly drug induced rage, it was a sensational news event of the most unforunate circumstances. Some might point to the poor family structures of the two girls that allowed them to partake in such an act. While the author does not directly spell out the motive as some readers might want, the motivation is directly implied throughout the book. I think the average reader could easily see this. My one objection with the book is the poor formatting of the final chapters. In a interview via letter with Sandy Ketchum, the author list all the questions first, before listing all the answers together. So if the reader wants to know what Sandy is talking about, he/she has to flip back a few page to rediscover the question. Aside from this somewhat aggrivating flaw, I found this book hard to put down.

Informative delivery of a horrific crime.

The subject matter was so horrific that I just had to buy this book. I read it from cover to cover in one day. I feel the author gave a well-rounded account of what happened. There was no need to sensationalize as the facts alone were almost incomprehensible in and of themselves. Of the greatest interest was the author's inclusion of a question and answer section, done in letter form, with one of the girls. Sadly, the other girl was unable to participate as she was still a minor at the time this book was written. I believe that this story will always stay with me. Even 20 years from now I will still be interested to see if either of the girls are released. Buy it. Read it. It will leave you wondering "Why?" There really didn't seem to be an explanation of this brutal act. This is what leaves you unsettled. Good Job!

Nature vs. Nurture

A- teenage- girl "In Cold Blood". When you read about a crime like this in the newspapers, you wonder how it could have happened. McMurray lays it all out - step by step complete with biographical details of all the players. He does it in the unbiased style of a journalist so the reader can draw his own conclusions. There is plenty of material here for those who want to debate whether it is nature or nurture that produces an evil child.

An Insider's Perspective

I am a lawyer involved in this case, and Kevin McMurray's book is factually accurate in every respect. Moreover, there is plenty of information in his work that did not appear in the media. Also, I can state with authority that the local media got about half the facts correct, if that much. If you're expecting a lurid condemnation of the girls with no reference to their backrounds, then this book is not for you. Stick with fiction. If you want to read a sensitive treatment of a very difficult case and trajedy, then buy and read this work. You might gain some insight into how something like this can happen. No catastrophe such as this, happens as a result of one cause. Many factors went into bringing about this event, and Kevin's effort is the only one so far that even tries to get to the heart of the matter. Finally, Court TV, Grace, Abrams and the rest are not places where reliable objective factual information can be obtained. Maybe at one time these outlets had value. All they do now is sensationalize and add noise to the situation. They contribute nothing of value to the discussion. If you want to know what actually happened read this book.

Fascinating and Appalling Story

I stayed up late last night, unable to put this book down. I only wish it had gone on longer, but then I wouldn't have gotten any sleep at all. I was mesmerized by the details of the killers' tawdry, brutal childhoods and the depravity of the murders, especially the description of the ruthless slayings from one of the murderers' own mouths. All the characters were made real: the murdering teenagers, the relatives who tried to help them, the cops who hunted them down and the lawyers who fought to defend them. I love true crime books, and this is one of the best I've read in years. If you're looking for a gripping page-turner, this is the book for you.