The serial killer whisperer : how one man's tragedy helped unlock the deadliest secrets of the world's most terrifying killers

by Earley, Pete.

Format: Print Book 2012
Availability: Available at 6 Libraries 6 of 9 copies
Available (6)
Location Collection Call #
Bethel Park Public Library Nonfiction 364.152 EA
Location  Bethel Park Public Library
 
Collection  Nonfiction
 
Call Number  364.152 EA
 
 
C.C. Mellor Memorial Library Non Fiction 364.152 Ear
Location  C.C. Mellor Memorial Library
 
Collection  Non Fiction
 
Call Number  364.152 Ear
 
 
CLP - East Liberty Non-Fiction Collection HV6515.E17 2012
Location  CLP - East Liberty
 
Collection  Non-Fiction Collection
 
Call Number  HV6515.E17 2012
 
 
Carnegie Library of McKeesport Nonfiction 364.1523 Ea76s
Location  Carnegie Library of McKeesport
 
Collection  Nonfiction
 
Call Number  364.1523 Ea76s
 
 
Northern Tier Regional Library Nonfiction 364.152 EARLE
Location  Northern Tier Regional Library
 
Collection  Nonfiction
 
Call Number  364.152 EARLE
 
 
Shaler North Hills Library Non-Fiction 364.1523 E
Location  Shaler North Hills Library
 
Collection  Non-Fiction
 
Call Number  364.1523 E
 
 
 
Unavailable (3)
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Community Library of Allegheny Valley - Harrison Non Fiction CHECKED OUT
Location  Community Library of Allegheny Valley - Harrison
 
Collection  Non Fiction
 
Status  CHECKED OUT
 
 
Scott Township Library Nonfiction CHECKED OUT
Location  Scott Township Library
 
Collection  Nonfiction
 
Status  CHECKED OUT
 
 
South Park Library Nonfiction CHECKED OUT
Location  South Park Library
 
Collection  Nonfiction
 
Status  CHECKED OUT
 
 
Summary
From New York Times bestselling author Pete Earley--the strange but true story of a man who suffers a traumatic brain injury and as a result is given the ability to converse with the world's most terrifying criminals.

After suffering a horrific head injury, fifteen-year-old Tony Ciaglia discovered he could no longer control his emotions or social responses and found himself incapable of feeling disgust at the antisocial behavior of others. Eventually therapy and medication helped Tony largely overcome his emotional instability, and when his therapist suggested he develop a hobby, Tony acted on a whim and wrote to an imprisoned serial killer. To his astonishment, the killer wrote back.

Tony's hobby eventually turned into a full-blown obsession, and soon he was corresponding with dozens of serial killers who revealed heinous details about their horrendous crimes--even those they'd never been convicted of. The killers opened up to Tony; they trusted him, considered him a friend. Unable to feel disgust at the revolting stories, Tony began to fear that the potential for killing without guilt lurked within him, and he became suicidal. Ultimately, Tony found redemption and purpose by helping law enforcement officials solve crimes his connection uncovered, and before long, investigators from around the country were calling on him for assistance with cold cases.

The Serial Killer Whisperer is not only the story of how Tony learned to use his gift in the interest of justice, but it is also an inspiring--albeit sometimes terrifying--tale of healing and closure for a man who has struggled to lead a normal life.
Published Reviews
Booklist Review: "In 1992, at age 15, Tony Ciaglia received a head injury that left him in a coma for nearly 20 days. When he awoke, the bright teenager was . . . different. There were memory issues, behavioral issues, mood swings, and a new, seemingly obsessive interest in serial killers, with whom Tony felt something akin to fellowship, if not compassion. This unusual and frequently unsettling biography explores Ciaglia's relationships with serial killers, with whom he began corresponding after his accident such people as child-killer Arthur Shawcross, Night Stalker Richard Ramirez, Susan Smith (who murdered her own children), and Hillside Strangler Kenneth Bianchi. Eventually, Ciaglia began approaching police departments about unsolved cases. Proceeding from information he gleaned from letters from his correspondents, he has convinced police to reopen several cold cases. Earley warns readers that the book is not for the squeamish, and he's right. There are many unexpurgated excerpts from letters written by the killers that are, at times, deeply disturbing. A unique and compelling personal story and a fascinating exploration of the unsettling subculture that has grown up around serial killers.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist"
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Publisher's Weekly Review: "Tony Ciaglia's life changed forever when a traumatic brain injury at 15 left him uninhibited and struggling to control his temper and emotions. Searching for a way to connect, Tony turned to the unlikeliest of pastimes: writing letters to serial killers. Edgar winner Earley (Comrade J) intersperses Tony and his family's continuing struggles to adjust to life as a TBI survivor with excerpts from Tony's pen-pal correspondence. While he received letters from over 30 killers, his primary communications were with Arthur Shawcross, Joseph Metheny, and David Gore. Shawcross and Metheny describe in lurid detail the pleasure they derived in raping, torturing -and often eating-their prostitute victims. Tony's brain injury made it impossible for him to judge the convicts' heinous actions and the closer he became to his "best friends," the more convinced Tony became that he could help bring closure to families by drawing out details from the killers about unsolved cases. While Tony's recovery story is inspiring, the sheer amount of graphic sexual sadism and violence is overwhelming: the warning "not for the faint of heart" is an understatement. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved."
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Additional Information
Subjects Ciaglia, Anthony -- Correspondence.
Serial murderers -- Correspondence.
Serial murderers -- Psychology.
Serial murders.
Publisher New York :Simon & Schuster,2012
Contributors Ciaglia, Anthony.
Language English
Notes "A Touchstone Book."
Description xviii, 317 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
ISBN 9781439199022 (hbk.)
1439199027 (hbk.)
9781439199039 (pbk.)
1439199035 (pbk.)
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