The Slleping Lady by Robert Graysmith


Review by Elleanore G . Vance


In the United States the years before the internet and DNA evidence had quite a few serial murderers, each with his or her own specific pattern. Some killed for decades, others racked up a huge body count in a surprisingly short period of time. Between 1979 and 1981, an unassuming middle-aged man joined the ranks of Jeffrey Dahmer, Dennis Rader, and Roger Kibbe.

This is the story of David Carpenter, largely known as the Trailside Killer, and his victims proven and alleged. From the author of the notorious Zodiac book, former cartoonist of the SF Chronicle, we meet the victims,and find them scattered like forgotten toys all over Mount Tamalpais. It is my belief that Mr. Graysmith was present at both trials. The amount of detail is amazing,  even if it brings to mind the Conspiracy Guy meme. When one considers the era this book was written in, it is downright breath-taking! Before modern computer technology, Graysmith was likely surrounded by stacks upon stacks of reference material as he wrote. (Not helping the Conspiracy Guy thing, right?) I shudder at the thought of just how much of this book existed only on bar napkins or other discardble bits.

As we follow along and meet all of the victims Graysmith attributes to the Trailside Killer,  connected by evidence of sexual assault,  i personally got more and more angry. You see,  Carpenter squeezed himself through a loophole really early on when he was allowed to plea away charges of sexual assault against a woman he knew and was caught in the act of attacking.  That meant he didn't need to register as a sex offender upon his release.  A recent case involving a former police officer who used the authority of his badge to *ape women may end up posing a similar risk. (Link below)

Because of that loophole, which has yet to be closed,  Carpenter wasn't even on the suspect list for a very long time.

Carpenter did not kill for the sake of killing. He murdered because he needed to *ape, and killing his victim silenced them. It was quite tidy. In many instances, Carpenter got away having been seen by few at great distances, if he was spotted at all.

Meanwhile, Graysmith fellates the officers involved, comparing them to hunky movie stars, which is groan-worthy.

This was quite a well written book and I certainly kept turning the pages. But. The testimony that finally fingered Carpenter and the methodology of the collection of the murder weapon had me hollering for a DNA test on any remaining genetic material. According to Wikipedia, we found it in 2009. Graysmith might have been wrong about the Zodiac, but he seems to have placed his chips on the right horse here.

⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5



https://www.pennlive.com/crime/2021/09/pa-cop-who-coerced-women-into-performing-sex-acts-cant-be-forced-to-register-as-a-sex-offender-us-court-says.html

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