Don Woldman, my brilliant co-host, will be out of town this weekend. Filling in for Don will be Hollywood Private Eye FRED WOLFSON! You've probably heard Fred on Matt Alan's show -- he has incredible stories and is remarkably entertaining. Not only is Fred a famous private detective, he also was a comedy writer on the Flip Wilson show, and co-host of CASE CLOSED on the USA Network. It is a delight to have Fred Wolfson co-host the show Saturday, and add to the excitement of interviewing one of the best writers in America, Ron Franscell.
Join Fred Wolfson and me as we welcome special guest Ron Franscell, author of FALL/ The Darkest Night.
LISTEN LIVE SATURDAY 2pm PACIFIC TIME BY CLICKING THIS LINK!
FALL/ The Darkest Night is one of the best true crime books ever written, and the author, RON FRANSCELL will be our special guest THIS COMING SATURDAY 2pm Pacific Time. DO NOT MISS THIS! LISTEN LIVE SATURDAY BY CLICKING THIS LINK! Ron is not only a brilliant and talented author, he also has good table manners and a decent driving record. WAIT, THERE'S MORE!! Ron was also there when they exhumed the body of THE BIG BOPPER (Hellloooooooooooo Baby!). With Ron, you not only get death and despair, you get resurrection, renewal, closure and Chantilly Lace.
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Becky Thomson died twice. The first time on the night in 1973 when she and her little sister were thrown by two abductors into a deep canyon from a remote Wyoming bridge. The second time in 1992 when she went back to that same bridge to finally chase away the ghosts that had haunted her for 19 years.
Author and journalist Ron Franscell ventures deep into the memories of his childhood in a small Wyoming town to tell the shocking story of Wyoming's most devastating rape and murder. In the small circle of the victims' friends, he explores how a thirty-year-old crime remains an open wound today among the people who were splashed by its viciousness. It not only changed their lives, but it changed crime and punishment forever in Wyoming.
His searing account relied on more than 100 interviews, including the only living witness to the monstrous 1973 killing on the Fremont Canyon Bridge: Convicted murderer Ron Kennedy. He also talked to the family and friends of both the victims and their assailants, as well as collected thousands of pages of documents, letters and photographs.
Take a few minutes and read the following glowing reviews and you will know why, after reading Ron's book. I felt like a two-bit hack who's success in the biz is due to some inane fluke -- which it probably is, but I'm not gonna complain..
Heartbreaking ... the girls' last terrifying moments are delivered with such vivid texture that they are almost too painful to read. The technique and execution is not unlike Truman Capote's 'In Cold Blood' ... And just when your heart is broken by this terrible tragedy, Franscell adds a coda that will further disturb your peaceful sleep."
— CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
"Ron Franscell's breathless FALL / THE DARKEST NIGHT [is] a true-crime tale that grabs readers on the first page and doesn't let go until long after the final word. ... Thanks to Franscell's daily journalism experience, his polished, yet conversational writing style appeals to the Everyman. 'FALL' barely stumbles as Franscell delivers a crackling story of lives and innocence lost."
— ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
"Few authors understand what makes a true crime book stand out like a beacon from the mass of prosaically gruesome re-telling of police reports. Ron Franscell does! FALL / THE DARKEST NIGHT explores the true story of this unholy sacrifice of youth and misplaced trust in a gripping, throat-tightening way. It is an almost-hypnotic read, hard to look away from. But it is also compassionate as we question the awful fate of the victims, sadly singled out by fate or luck or whatever shapes our destinies. This is a very, very, good book -- a gem for readers who look for the whole story, written by a very, very, good writer. Every time I hear a neighbor or a local lawman in a traditionally low-crime town, say 'Something like murder doesn't happen here' -- when, of course, it does -- I shake my head. This time, it happened in Casper, Wyoming, and Ron Franscell takes you there ... completely. It will make you cry honest tears. The victims deserve no less."
— ANN RULE
#1 New York Times best-selling author of "Stranger Beside Me" and "Green River Running Red"
"Ron Franscell's FALL / THE DARKEST NIGHT gets everything right: Casper, Wyoming in the boom-town 1970's, the effect of an unspeakable crime on an entire generation of residents, and a diligent search for why it happened when the only answer can only be true evil. I know he got it right because I was there. I remember Amy Burridge and Becky Thomson before the crime and Becky after. I remember the names "Kennedy and Jenkins" spoken only with naked hatred and contempt. And I remember where I was when I heard how Becky dealt with the horror and violence after so many years. FALL / THE DARKEST NIGHT is a true story that you wish wasn't true because it will haunt you long after you've read it. A remarkable achievement."
— C.J. BOX
Best-selling author of "Free Fire" and "Blue Heaven" and Wyoming native
"Ron Franscell has penned a true-crime book reminiscent of Truman Capote's 'In Cold Blood' ... a grim reminder of ubiquitous violence. ... As a testament to the depth of evil and an elegy for a simpler time, FALL / THE DARKEST NIGHT delivers a crackling story of lives and innocence lost."
— BOOKMARKS Magazine
"On more than one level, FALL / THE DARKEST NIGHT rises above most books in the true-crime genre, mostly because it searingly depicts a type of evil not too often exceeded. … This uncommon story has every chilling component of human terror, drama and suspense that readers of true crime look for. In an elegant and powerful voice normally seen only in fiction, Ron Franscell captures the sights, sounds and smells of this Wyoming saga and masterfully gets inside the emotional marrow of its participants. I highly recommend this engaging book."
— VINCENT BUGLIOSI
#1 New York Times best-selling author of "Helter Skelter"
"Read it in broad daylight, because FALL / THE DARKEST NIGHT is going to chill you like no other true crime book you’ve ever read. Author Ron Franscell mixes his own memories of Becky and Amy with re-creations of the crime, the trial, and the lives of those who were affected in almost every way by that terrible night. Lock your doors, make sure your kids are safe in bed, and pick up this horrifyingly absorbing memoir. If you’re a true crime fan, this book will undoubtedly cause a reaction: goosebumps."
— TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
Syndicated reviewer