From the dense woods of the Appalachian Mountains comes this true tale of deception, murder, and greed in a tiny West Virginia town. M. M. Stoddart returns to the scene of the decades-old murders of Glenn Roberts and his teenaged son, Timothy, to conduct a new new investigation of the biggest homicide case in Tucker County history - one shrouded by suspicion and doubt for more than twenty years.
Glenn and Timothy were killed by near-contact shotgun blasts from the same weapon on the same night. But their bodies were found eight miles and three weeks apart.
Professing absolute innocence, Rusty Phillips was tried, convicted, and sentenced to life without mercy for killing his friend, Timmy Roberts. The charge for the father's murder was later nullified for lack of evidence. Phillips remains incarcerated in the maximum-security Mount Olive Correctional facility in West Virginia to this day.
Edith Roberts, the destitute widow, was refused victim compensation amid police allegations that she hadn't cooperated with authorities and rumors of her connection to the murders. Edith is desperate to know what really happened that night.
Author's Note
The creation of this site marks the completion of a major work I have undertaken and the beginning of a personal commitment to uphold the pursuit of justice in our society for persons of all ages, races, gender, and economic status.
In 2002, I offered to help my stepmother (the wife and mother of the murdered) by writing a book of her experience. I soon discovered that this was not a simple case of robbery and murder. There appeared to be a connection to other people, crimes, and ongoing investigations. The handling of the evidence, the lack of follow-up on important leads, discrepancies in witness testimonies, missing evidence, and a family imbroglio added to the intrigue. Amid a tangle of motives running through overlapping events connected by threads of jealousy and deceit, I discovered a double murder that never was. The story unfolds around the tiny community of Parsons in Tucker County, an insular society where most live on the edge of poverty.
Ms. Stoddart has captured the reader's mind and imagination in this true crime mystery. The fact that a man sits in jail for life convicted of a murder he may have not committed adds intrigue and realism to a 25 year old story.
Satisfied Reader
The Chaparral Murders has many strong points particularly its impressive and comprehensive research considering that Stoddart began from scratch in amassing her information, and although it will probably will not receive as much attention as it deserves, it certainly merits reading. It is detailed but never dull, methodical but never hair-splitting with events that are recounted in retrospect, offering the reader a vivid description of what may have occurred when Glenn and Timmy Roberts lost their lives. Moreover, the book is not a bland exposition of a criminal trial but rather constant question that haunts every page of the book: did Rusty Phillips murder Timmy Roberts and did he receive a fair trial?
N. Goldman, reviewer for BookPleassures.com
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