Betrayal of Trust in Fort Leonard Wood Murders

Frozen Tears: The Fort Leonard Wood MP Murders

Author: J.B. King and Sandra Linhart

Publisher: Red Engine Press

Publication Date: October 19, 2019

Length: 315 pages

About the Author

J.B. King had a long and successful career in law enforcement. He was a member of the Missouri Highway Patrol and served as sheriff of Pulaski County for eight years. Mr. King has written two books about the Civil War in Missouri and a book about his law enforcement career.

Military Game Warden Kidnaps, Rapes and Murders 

This is a true-crime account of the events that took place in the early morning hours of January 13, 1977. Four teenagers were pulled over on a lonely road near the south gate of Fort Leonard Wood by MP/Game Warden Johnny Lee Thornton. He shot the two young men, Wesley Hawkins and Anthony Bates, and took the young women, Juanita Deckard and Linda Needham, to a game warden cabin and raped them. He then shot the women and left all four of the victims buried under the snow in the woods. 

Juanita Deckard was wounded but was able to walk for six hours through the snow and rugged terrain to find help from a rural home near the base. Miss Deckard was able to identify Johnny Lee Thornton and he was found guilty in federal court.  He was sentenced to three life terms and is currently held in federal prison.

My Thoughts

I don't usually read true crime books. I tend to change into a paranoid mess and start hearing strange noises at night when I read books like this one. This is a story that nightmares are made of.

However, I had a personal connection to Plato, Missouri. In 1977, I was working as a school librarian in the Union R-XI School District. My younger sister had just graduated from college and accepted a job working as a teacher in the Plato R-V School District. Plato is located about ten miles south of Fort Leonard Wood. I remember visiting my sister on a Saturday and spending the entire day hiking secluded trails in the Mark Twain National Forest. 

This story is shocking. These young people were taught to respect the authority of a police officer and had no reason to believe that their trust would be betrayed in such a horrible way. Things like this did not happen in rural southeastern Missouri. I don't think anyone could have been prepared for what happened that night.

The authors did an excellent job collecting interviews, news articles, court records, police reports, and medical records that pertain to this case. Their research was very thorough and they presented information that has not been previously made public.

I hope this book is chosen for a movie deal. 

MY RATING - 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I borrowed a digital copy of this book with my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

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Los Angeles Central Library Fire 1986

The Library Book

Author: Susan Orlean

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Publication Date: October 16, 2018

Length: 336 Pages










About the Author
Susan Orlean has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1992. She is the author of seven books, including Rin Tin Tin, Saturday Night, and The Orchid Thief, which was made into the Academy Award–winning film Adaptation.

Fascinating History of the LA Public Library
This true story begins on April 29, 1986...the day of a devastating fire at the Los Angeles Central Library. Susan Orlean investigates a mystery that has never been solved: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library...and if so, who?

Ms. Orlean shares extensive research in this riveting book about the history of the library, the library architecture, the library employees, library patrons, the library culture and the accused arsonist, Harry Peak.

My Thoughts
I worked as a school librarian for many years, so the title of this book piqued my curiosity. The author tells of her childhood love of reading and her frequent visits to a public library in her neighborhood. She wrote this book as a tribute to libraries and the important role they play in our society.

They say that truth is stranger than fiction, and that is certainly the case with this book. In her quest to investigate the library fire, Ms. Orlean traces the history of the library back to 1926. She explores the library culture and the personalities of the people who held leadership positions at the library and the librarians who spent their days performing the duties required to serve the library patrons. She investigates the challenges the library has faced in recent years and shares her thoughts about the future of the library.

The author can't understand why anyone would intentionally start a fire in the library. She is not convinced that this was actually a case of arson. However, she admits that this is probably a mystery that will never be solved. Harry Peak, the main suspect in the arson case, was arrested but released because of lack of evidence. He later died of AIDS.

I found this book extremely informative, enlightening and even entertaining. The author did an amazing job mixing the intrigue of the fire mystery and the more unremarkable history of the library.

I believe this book will be on the shelves of many libraries and all library enthusiasts will devour the pages and be hungry for more. Highly recommended!

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

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