Ginette B. (Niteowl7) reviewed on 10/2/2005 + 242 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 3

James Wood was apprehended and tried for the murder of 11 year old Jeralee Underwood as she went about collecting payment for the newspapers she delivered in her neighborhood. Unfortunately, that day, Wood was visiting a friend who lived just a few houses down from the Underwoods. Impulsively, when Wood spotted Jeralee, he decided he had to have her. In broad daylight he grabbed her, threw her on the back seat of the car and quickly took off. He was able to make her obey by showing his gun. James Wood had only lived in Pocatello, Idaho for 8 months but had grown up there. Little did he know what a close-knit community Pocatello was and police as well as residents were relentless in searching for Jeralee and her abductor. He was living with a cousin who became suspicious of James' behavior and went to the police. Caught off-guard, James was easily apprehended by police. Through homicide detective Shaw's empathetic seeming rapport with James, Shaw was able to get a confession from James about Jeralee's sexual assault and murder and where her body was hidden. Shaw was also able to get James to confess to the rape of several women where he had traveled as a truck driver as well as several murders of women and children. Detectives later were able to estimate that James Wood had murdered at least 40 women and children while travelling about the country. The interviews between Shaw and Wood are fascinating as they reveal a sociopathic mind and Wood's distorted twisted thinking. Jeralee's death and her manner of death are sure to cause anyone to be outraged. Her parents' anguish as they waited for news of Jeralee's whereabouts is heartbreaking. They had one consolation that many parents of victims don't. Their pastor, the congregation and the community itself rallied around to comfort, provide meals, form search parties and generally just be available for the Underwood's. Jame Wood received the death penalty and as of the copyright of this book (1998) he was still on death row.

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