Deadly Lust

By Marie Vernon and McCay Vernon

Sex Slayings Throughout its long and colorful history, St. Augustine, Florida has been home to pirates and villains, marauders and despots. But it wasn't until the late 1980s that the city's red-light district, known locally as Crack Head Corner, became the hunting ground for a serial killer whose brutality knew no bounds. A Killer's Taunts On November 29, 1988, Anita Stevens, 27, climbed into a stranger's vehicle, thinking to turn a quick trick to fund her drug habit. She was the first to die. Over the next six years, six more prostitutes would fall victim to the same phantom killer, slain by gun, blunt objects, a strangler's noose--and the murderer's bare hands. His signature was the obscene poses in which he arranged his half-nude victims. Final Justice Frustrated by false confessions, investigators sifted through a myriad of suspects until a Christmas Eve, 1996 murder in Asheville, North Carolina led them to the real killer: William Darrell Lindsey. Twice-married, a father of five, Lindsey had drifted across the South for years. Wherever he went, rape and murder followed. He admitted to seven sex slayings, but experts believe that the death toll was somewhere between twelve and twenty. Here is the chilling true story of a fiend whose sadistic lust was the most depraved addiction of all. Includes 16 Pages Of Shocking Photos McCay Vernon, Ph.D., is a psychologist whose career has been concentrated in the fields of deafness and forensics. He is the author of seven books, over 300 articles, and award-winning documentary films and television productions in those fields. Although his path never crossed that of William Darrell Lindsey, Dr. Vernon attended the same high school, delivered the local paper to Lindsey's family, and shared many acquaintances with the killer. Marie Vernon is a freelance journalist whose columns, feature articles, and book reviews have appeared in such major newspapers at the "Baltimore Sun, Cleveland Plain Dealer, " and "Atlanta Journal-Constitution." The Vernons live near St. Augustine, Florida.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786021454
• ISBN13: 9780786021451
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Pinnacle Books
• Length: 348 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

Well Written Account Of Serial Murder

This book covering serial killings in the late 80/90's in the St. Augustine, Florida area was very well researched and written. Numerous references, eyewitness accounts and interviews with the victims and murderers family/friends make this a very good read. Especially interesting was the background material provided on the victims involved which left this reader with a real sense of who the woman were and how they got to the place in time that they unfortunatly met the worthless killer. One update/correction on the story: Madacsi and Motes, the two men convicted of attempted murder for a previous incident involving one of the serial killers ultimate victims - Diana Richardson - was given life sentences for their crimes by the state of Florida on the charges. The book states they were given 20 yrs. for the crime. Regardless, a recommended read.

Excellent true crime

As an avid true crime reader I found these authors wrote an exceptional book, which contains a great deal of insight into the whole field of understanding serial killers. Made excellent reading and did not get bogged down in a great deal of stuff about the legal system, which I find boring, but instead on the victims and the subject. Of the same caliber as Ann Rule and Wm Phelps ..

Very well written thriller, very good pictures

True story of a serial killer on the loose. He (William Lindsey) admitted to seven killings, but possibly caused many more accross the United States. Very good summer reading.

MJC in MD. Good enough to read again!

A great read, Unique-has personal touch (local authors) combined with extensive research and clever documentation of data. Organization and structure was excellent and differed from other S.K.books because of subtle fusion of authenticity and creativity. As avid reader of S.K. books found this one interesting and informative, reflecting the successful collaboration of a scientific writer and a novelist whose ability to "turn a phrase" and hold reader's attention is remarkable. Characters described and developed well, thus producing a sound, scary and accurate profile of an S.K. and gutwrenching sympathy for the victims & families. Fascinating portrayal of St. Augustine's dark side, the crack cocaine culture and characters who inhabit & perpetuate it's squalor. A great read-hope to her more from the Vernons.

gripping story of a serial killer in FL

This book is about a serial killer in St. Augustine, FL - it combines a mix of police reports, psychological profiling, and interviews with people who knew the killer and the victims to tell the story of this man and the crimes he committed. Very well written - a fascinating read and so timely, given the recent capture of the BTK killer.