THE RITA NITZ STORY: A Life Without Parole

Hardback. The April 1988 murder and decapitation of 23yr old Michael Miley in rural southern Illinois horrified and enraged local residents and law enforcement officials, some of whom suspected the homicide was a hate crime. The author has written an in-depth personal investigation into Miley's murder, for which Rita Nitz was sentenced to life in prison as an accomplice. Born in 1959, Rita was 30 when she was sentenced in 1989. Her husband, Richard Nitz, was convicted of the murder. Detailing the crime and its aftermath, the author uncovers a disturbing set of facts that illuminate a possible miscarriage of justice. Was Rita Nitz involved in the murder of Michael Miley? The author doesn't purport her guilt or her innocence but instead details the plight of a troubled woman who was a victim of sexual abuse and domestic violence at the hands of family members and spouses and who may also have been a victim of inadequate legal representation and a judicial system more interested in delivering the maximum punishment than in serving justice. In a journey that included consultations with experts in prosecutorial conduct, jury psychology and forensic evidence, the author discovered details that were withheld from the jury and the public during the trial in 1989. Illus., Appendix and Sources. 182pp. 8vo. h/back. From the library of true crime writer, Wilfred Gregg, with his personal b/plate. With small black remainder mk. to lower edges o/w Nr. F. in f. dw.