FROM BLOOD TO VERDICT Three Women on Trial

Softcover. A family of four, found murdered in their home 2 days before Christmas, their bodies set on fire. A two years old girl, her body hidden in the woods by her mother. A prominent lawyer killed with a shotgun wielded by the wife he had abused. Such scenes of violent crime were anything but common in the rural academic atmosphere of Ithaca, New York. But in less than a year, these true stories splashed across the pages of Ithaca's newspapers again and again. In each case, the suspect brought to trial was a local woman. The author delves deeply into the lives of these 3 defendants and the victims, interviewing friends, trial witnesses, police, attorneys and jury members. The result is an account of personal and public pain, set against the background of a ritualised, fragmenting legal system. Featuring Shirley Kinge, Christine Lane and Debra Dennett. Illus., Chronology and Index. 287pp. trade size softcover. From the library of true-crime writer, Wilfred Gregg, with his personal b/plate. F. with no creasing to covers.