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"Death In the City of Light" - True Crime Book Review about a Serial Killer in Nazi-Occupied Paris

12/12/2012

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"Death in the City of Light" is a true crime book by David King about a serial killer who murdered dozens of people in Nazi-occupied Paris, France during World War II. 
Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied Paris
The crimes committed by the accused serial killer and physician, Dr. Marcel Petiot, were truly horrible.  In addition to being gruesome, his crimes targeted some of the most vulnerable people during World War II - those who wanted to escape the Gestapo. 

Dr. Petiot was seen by those who knew him alternately as a charming humanitarian or a creep.  Dr. Petiot made a reputation for himself by providing free services to the poor.  He was also known to service drug users and was investigated more than once for improperly proscribing medication to addicts.

Petiot effectively used the Nazi occupation of Paris and the French Resistance movement to recruit new victims, prevent too many questions from being asked, and cover his crimes.  Once he is discovered and captured, the central question of his trial becomes whether his murders were committed for the Gestapo, the Resistance, or himself.

The book loses a lot of steam when the trial starts about halfway through.  Normally I'm fascinated by how a foreign country's criminal justice system and trial process compares to the United States, but this one got too bogged down in details.  Also, the author made a point of focusing on the defendant's "witty" remarks in court and the trial audience's delight in him, which was hard to take after learning of all the disgusting things he had done. 

More interesting were some of the procedures used in the French criminal court which were very different from a U.S. criminal trial.  For example, the first part of the trial was basically dedicated to an interrogation of the defendant by the trial judge and lawyers.  By contrast, in the U.S., we have the Fifth Amendment, which protects criminal defendants from ever having to speak in a criminal trial and even prevents the lawyers from commenting on his failure to testify.

Also, several of the victims in the French criminal trial were represented by civil attorneys who actively participated in the trial.  They questioned witnesses and presented evidence.  In the U.S. court system, criminal and civil trials are completely separate.

One of the things I was most struck by was the apparent lack of order in questioning and argument during the French trial.  The defendant and lawyers would speak up, question witnesses, and make arguments seemingly without structure or order.  If this is really the way of a French criminal trial, it is hard to imagine how anything could get accomplished with such a system.  Especially with so many lawyers involved and given lawyers' love of hearing themselves talk!

As far as foreign true crime serial killer books go, I preferred "The Monster of Florence" by Douglas Preston.
The Monster of Florence
Check out my review of "The Monster of Florence" here.

Overall, however, the story underlying "Death in the City of Light" is simply too disturbing and intriguing to ignore. 
Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied Paris
(Click the images or links above to check out the books for yourself.)

Also, get your free ebook revealing the Top 7 Mistakes Made by Writers of Crime, Mystery, and Legal Drama.
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True Crime Book Illuminates the Italian Justice System in a High Profile Serial Killer Case Known as the Monster of Florence

5/31/2012

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High profile cases are generally not the best examples of a criminal justice system at work.  I would certainly not want someone judging the American criminal justice system on the basis of the O.J. Simpson and Casey Anthony trials, for example. 

With that caution, Italy's investigation into a serial killer known as the Monster of Florence (il Mostro di Firenze), as presented in a gripping true crime book, The Monster of Florence, by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi, was nothing short of absurd.  
Although not well known in America, the Monster of Florence is one of the most famous serials killers known throughout the world.  The Monster preyed on young couples who used the hills surrounding Florence as an intimate escape. 

While the targeted couple was in the heat of passion in their car, the Monster would shoot the man, then the woman.  He would drag the woman from the car and cut out her vagina.  In later crimes he would also rip off the woman's left breast.

These horrific crimes, committed over a period of years, terrified people living in the Tuscany hills, and created a frenzy to find the killer or killers.

The book follows the decades of investigation and prosecution of several people accused of being the Monster, or being someone criminally associated with the Monster.  The investigators' theories evolve from a lone serial killer to a family of killers to a vast satanic consipracy involving most of Florence's upper class.  Even the book's authors were swept up in the investigation.

The authors convincingly present their own theory of the crimes and suspect.  My one complaint is that I wished the book had explained a little more was the Italian criminal justice system.  From the bits and pieces discussed, it appears the Italian system is very different from the U.S. system in some key respects (the prosecutor is a judge, a trial is heard by a panel of judges not lay jurors, an appeals court can hear new evidence). 

It would have been interesting to have a little more background on that.  Otherwise, I found the book to be a fascinating case study.  It's a must-read for any fan of true crime.  Despite the complexity of the story, it was a quick and enjoyable read.

There were also some interesting parallels for anyone who followed the Amanda Knox story (American exchange student Amanda Knox and her Italian boyfriend were convicted of murdering her roommate Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy).  The main prosecutor who believed in and investigated the satanic consipracy theories of the Monster killings was also Amanda Knox's prosecutor, and he advanced similar theories in that case.

For fans of The Silence of the Lambs (my favorite serial killer book and movie ever) and Hanibal, author Thomas Harris apparently followed the Monster investigations and used the case as inspiration for his books (click the images to order from Amazon). 
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Film's Powerful Impact on a Real-Life Afghan Crime Story

12/2/2011

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Afghan President Hamid Karzai pardoned an Afghan woman serving a 12-year prison sentence for having sex out of wedlock after she was raped by a cousin.  A judge had earlier offered to release her if she agreed to marry the rapist, but she refused.

The woman's story was highlighted in a European Union documentary on Afghan women jailed for so-called "moral crimes."  However, the European Union blocked release of the film because of fears the women featured in the film would be in danger if it were shown.

Even though the documentary film was blocked, the Afghan woman's case drew international attention to the plight of many Afghan women 10 years after the overthrow of the Taliban.  Half of the women in Afghan jails are victims of rape or domestic violence.

The woman's attack (and crime) was only brought to light because of the resultant pregnancy.  She had the baby in prison and began raising her in prison, which is common for women inprisoned in Afghanistan.

More than 5,000 people recently signed a petition urging Afghan President Karzai to release the woman.

On Thursday, Karzai's office said in a statement that Karzai had agreed to pardon the 21-year-old woman.  Initial reports were that the pardon was based on the woman finally agreeing to marry her attacker.  Today, however, the woman's attorney stated that the woman would not have to marry her attacker as a condition to being freed.
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Amanda Knox Case Highlights Different Italian Justice System

10/3/2011

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American college student Amanda Knox was tried and convicted of murdering her roommate and British exchange student, Meredith Kercher.  Knox and Kercher were both studying in Perugia, Italy.  Knox and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, who was also convicted of the murder, have appealed their convictions.  The appeal is now being considered.

The Knox case highlights a few of the differences between the Italian appeal process and the American apellate system. 

First, in Italy, the parties are allowed to present new evidence to the court on appeal.  In Amanda Knox's case, experts testified about flaws in the DNA evidence.  In America, an appeal strictly reviews what happened in the trial court.  No new evidence is permitted.  If new evidence in the case is uncovered, it may be brought in a writ of habeas corpus.

Second, the defendants in an Italian appeal are permitted to make statements.  Knox proclaimed her innocence and pled with the jurors for her freedom today.  Such statements are unheard of in an American appeal, or even at trial. 

On appeal in America, the attorneys for each side present legal arguments primarily in written briefs.  The attorneys may then give oral arguments to the court, but even that is sometimes optional.  Just as there is no new evidence permitted, no witnesses or statements may be heard.  Even in an American trial, a defendant may not make a statement unless he or she testifies, as any other witness, and submits to cross-examination by the other side.

Finally, an Italian appeal is decided by eight "jurors."  The jurors consist of six members of the public and two judges, including the judge who presided over the appeal.  In America, an appeal is decided solely by judges.  There are no jurors involved.  There is usually a panel of three judges in the intermediate appellate court.  There may be as many as seven or nine judges in the highest court.  The California Supreme Court has seven justices, for example, and the United States Supreme Court has nine.

In short, an Italian appeal is more like a second trial, whereas an American appeal is a strict review of the original trial.
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    Blythe Leszkay is a successful and experienced criminal attorney, criminal law professor, and consultant to writers and filmmakers.  See About Me.  This blog is intended to answer common criminal law questions, dispel misconceptions, and explain misunderstood criminal law concepts.  It is also a place to discuss any crime or law related topics of interest.  Contact me for a free initial consultation on your film or writing project.

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