Surprisingly little remains in print about the Boston Strangler.
There are two books devoted to the subject, only two of which are
currently in print, and several chapters of another book that are
recommended by The Crime Library.
Susan Kelly’s Boston
Stranglers; The Wrongful Conviction of Albert Desalvo and the True
Story of Eleven Shocking Murders
(Carol Publishing Group, 1995) makes a persuasive argument
that Albert DeSalvo was not the Strangler. She argues that there
were at least two and possibly many more copycat murderers. Index
and bibliography.
A&E
Biography Video: The Boston Strangler
Larry Maneness has just published a novel called Strangler
(Presidio, 1998)
The "official" book on the story,
authorized by DeSalvo and F. Lee Bailey is Gerold Frank’s book The
Boston Strangler (New American Library, 1966). This book makes
an equally persuasive case that DeSalvo was the Strangler, even
though nobody wanted to believe it at the time. This book is out of
print and may be difficult to find.
F. Lee Bailey in his book Defense
Never Rests (Penguin Books paperback; Stein and Day hardcover,
1971) devotes several chapters to the Strangler case. He also takes
the position that DeSalvo was the Strangler. This book also contains
chapters on the Sam Sheppard case in which he represented Sheppard
successfully in his bid to the Supreme Court for a new trial in the
murder of his wife.
Boston newspapers are an excellent source of contemporary
information on the murders as they happened and their impact upon
the people of the city. The Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Record
American had the most extensive coverage.
A major feature film The Boston Strangler premiered in
1968, starring Tony Curtis and Henry Fonda. It is not distinguished
by its accuracy.
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