True Crime author Kevin Sullivan Reflects On His Connection To A Serial Killer This piece was previously published with a typo that mis-dated the below picture of Ted Bundy at 1984, when he would have been in prison in Florida. According to Kevin Sullivan, the picture below was taken in 1975 or 1976 in Utah. Ted Bundy was never supposed to be a part of my life. I’d first heard about the guy after his escape from Colorado, and I remember … [Read more...]
The SketchCop Michael W. Streed on The Night Stalker
A close call, with a close and famous case. Reading about famous true crime stories can be frightening. Being directly involved or on the fringe of one can be equally concerning. Throughout my career, I have been involved in many murder cases, but the one that hit closest to home occurred in the early 1980’s during Southern California’s Night Stalker investigation. During The Night Stalker’s murder spree, serial killer Richard Ramirez … [Read more...]
The Sketchcop Michael W. Streed on What a Real Cop Thinks of TV Cops
What a REAL Cop Thinks of TV Cops Many people just love reading about true crime and watching police procedural shows on television. ‘Real’ cops – not so much. Police officers spend so many hours a day living the real thing, many of them loathe spending more time watching it, or reading about it, after a long day spent inside their squad cars. Personally, I have been a big fan of TV cops. It started when I was a kid. In the 60’s and 70’s, … [Read more...]
Michael W. Streed: True Crime Stories from a Forensic Artist
Michael W. Streed is an internationally-recognized forensic facial imaging expert based in Southern California. For 35 years he has blended his rich law enforcement experience and artistic skills to provide forensic facial imaging services to some of the largest, most diverse, police agencies in the United States, including the Los Angeles and Baltimore City Police Departments. During his distinguished law enforcement career Michael … [Read more...]
The SketchCop Michael W. Streed on Writer’s Block
The SketchCop on writer’s block. When I wrote SketchCop – Drawing A Line Against Crime, I found that one of my biggest challenges was writer’s block. After a career spent writing millions of words, onto tens of thousands of pages of police reports, you would think that it would be simple for me to write a book. Not true. Writers block is a something I experienced many times. If you don’t believe me, think back to when you were stuck staring at … [Read more...]
Richard Godwin Discusses Lawlessness in Crime Fiction
LAWLESSNESS IN CRIME FICTION, Richard Godwin. An author frequently gets asked how did you come to write this book? In a way this post tackles that but in the wider context. This forms part of a series of posts about Savage Highway. I wrote Savage Highway because I wanted to explore lawlessness and injustice, but also for the reasons I discuss here. Historically debates about art and its cultural significance are thematically cloned … [Read more...]
Burl Barer and Frank Girardot’s A TASTE FOR MURDER Cover Contest
Help Us Finalize A Cover For Burl Barer and Frank Girardot's New True Crime Book A TASTE FOR MURDER Please vote on the cover for Burl Barer and Frank Girardot's A TASTE FOR MURDER, that you think works best for the synopsis below. The synopsis: Frank Rodriguez, a much-loved counselor of troubled teens, lies dead on the bedroom floor. His wife and step-daughter are in shock, and so is the medical examiner when he performs the autopsy. … [Read more...]
Michael W. Streed on the Impact of New Forensic Technology
Making faces and the impact of new forensic technology Technology continues to affect the way we live and work. Each day, companies are developing new tools and computer software programs that propel industry and help create products that make our lives easier. In my industry, technology is changing the way we create a criminal’s face. For example, 100 years ago, if a frontier lawman wanted to make a poster of a wanted criminal, they only … [Read more...]
Richard Godwin’s SAVAGE HIGHWAY Cover Contest
Help Us Finalize A New Cover For Richard Godwin's New Thriller SAVAGE HIGHWAY Please vote on the cover for Richard Godwin's SAVAGE HIGHWAY, that you think works best for the synopsis below. The synopsis: Women are disappearing on the highway, a drifter hunts the men who raped her, and a journalist discovers law has broken down in the area. On a remote highway in Arizona women are disappearing at truck stops. Journalist Johnny Sullivan … [Read more...]
Bradley Nickell’s REPEAT OFFENDER Named Best of 2015 in True Crime
Bradley Nickell's true crime book, REPEAT OFFENDER, was named "Best of 2015" in True Crime by Suspense Magazine! REPEAT OFFENDER follows Las Vegas Police Detective Bradley Nickell as he brings you the inside scoop on the investigation of the most prolific repeat offender Las Vegas has ever known. Daimon Monroe looked like an average guy raising a family with his diffident schoolteacher girlfriend. But just belowthe surface, you’ll learn he was … [Read more...]
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