Killer Babe

The True Story of Brittany Holberg

By: Janet Nixon

Narrated by: Richard L Palmer

Brittany Holberg was a 23-year-old prostitute when she was convicted of murdering 80-year-old AB Towery Jr., stabbing him over 60 times. The controversy surrounding the case centered around the relationship of Brittany and Towery prior to the killing. Brittany argued that Towery was a client who went into a rage when he found drugs on her person. He attacked her and she retaliated in self-defense. Further investigation would reveal otherwise, however, as Brittany would use numerous household items in a brutal assault on the elderly man. She fled the scene only to be caught at a McDonald's after police received a tip from a witness who saw her on America's Most Wanted.

With her good looks and well-proportioned body, Brittany has remained in the spotlight as she was featured in a Maxim Magazine article as one of the "hottest women on death row".

©2017 Janet Nixon (P)2017 Janet Nixon

Narrator sounds like he's trying not to laugh

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator has a distinctive voice and he's loud enough, but he doesn't give me the idea his mind is on the somberness of the story.

This is a very superficial account of the condemned murderer Brittany Holberg. The "babe" part comes from her attractiveness and the fact that she made an appearance of sorts in Maxim magazine. Apart from being pretty, not much else is compelling about this young woman who got a bad start in life and made choices that kept life bad for her by early adulthood.

No in-depth look at what drove her psychologically to get involved with the seedier side of life instead of seeking out environments where people would respond to her as a person who deserved respect.

Short book...low price...You get what you pay for, I guess.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The Brittany Holberg story is sordid and sad. She was preyed upon at an early age and the betrayals only increased as she grew up. Lacking the strength it would take to treat others better than she was treated, she decided to victimize and exploit others. She lived the life of a prostitute and drug user. Eventually, she met the elderly man who would die at her hands.

Though I am against the death penalty, I have to say that even if I were not, I would have a hard time seeing her as a likely candidate to get a death sentence for any reason except poor defense counsel. She was a drug addicted prostitute when she committed her crime. And at this point, this crime and sentence is about twenty years old. Sorry, but killing her at this point is just barbaric and a complete waste of time.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Richard L Palmer?

I don't really keep track of narrator names. I'm sure Mr. Palmer is very good at other narration gigs, but I am not sure that true crime is his thing.

Do you think Killer Babe needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Not really a follow-up book, but I would like to know what eventually happens to Ms. Holberg. She might not be someone I would want to know as a person, but I think that killing her now is straight up inhumane.

Any additional comments?

Just with the idea of the death penalty in general...if it takes twenty years to carry out....that is a pretty good indication that it just shouldn't have been the sentence handed down. Twenty years...the lesson is GONE.