THE 'BABY DOLL' SERIAL KILLER

The John Eric Armstrong Homicides

By: B.R. Bates, Gerald Cliff

Narrated by: Lee Ann Howlett

Considered one of the most prolific serial killers in Michigan's history, John Eric Armstrong is believed to have attacked at least 10 people in Detroit between summer 1999 and spring 2000, killing five and forever changing the lives of five others. But his numbers beyond Detroit may be even more deadly: With his April 2000 arrest on Michigan Avenue, one of Detroit's thriving areas of prostitution, Armstrong confessed to numerous other killings around the country and world from serving in the Navy aboard the USS Nimitz in the 1990s.

Wherever the ship docked, Armstrong seemed to have killed someone, according to what he said. It was a horrifying thought – Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, as well as more familiar locales like Hawaii and Washington state. Could this killer, in custody at last, be responsible for ending the lives of 15 or more people around the world? Or was he just inflating his numbers? And when, really, did his killing begin? He alluded to a first murder occurring in his home state of North Carolina, but who was that, and when? Also, why did he target prostitutes? Why did he kill in the first place?

THE 'BABY DOLL' Serial Killer explores those questions and much more. Longtime author and journalist B.R. Bates delves into the crimes and the investigation that followed, collaborating with the commanding officer of the Violent Crime Section that investigated the Armstrong case in Detroit, Dr. Gerald Cliff. Among the book’s wealth of sources are interviews with many folks who knew the victims or the perp – family members, friends, coworkers, schoolmates, Armstrong, coworkers, and Navy shipmates. interviews with many law enforcement personnel who worked the case.

Firsthand accounts of assault survivors of Armstrong – one of which never told her story publicly before this book Police files Autopsy and toxicology reports Court transcripts Many other records obtained through FOIA.

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Probing the mind of a serial killer

Bates and Cliff bring the reader inside the mind of a prolific serial killer, who admitted to killing young women in the United States, and overseas. John Eric Armstrong isn't a household name like Ted Bundy or John Wayne Gacy, but the authors detail the many deaths Armstrong is responsible for, and additional killings he may have also committed.

The authors interview the co-workers and friends that knew Armstrong. In sometimes typical remembrances, Armstrong didn't seem to pose any threats. He was liked by many, with associates stunned when they learned of Armstrong's violent side. He served his country in the United States Navy, but when he left the service and settled down in Michigan, he appeared to come off the rails.

I appreciate the fact that the authors researched the backgrounds of the victims, as many true crime books glance over where innocence was lost in these senseless crimes. This book interviews family members and friends that lost someone tragically by Armstrong, who was dubbed a "killing machine" during the police investigation's search for his whereabouts. Armstrong said he hated prostitutes and took pleasure in controlling them.

The author also includes interviews with some of the victims that survived their encounters with Armstrong, one pretending to be dead. When it was all over, Armstrong admitted to killing women overseas during his stints in the Navy. The book examines these claims. The storytelling is engaging, and Lee Ann Howlett provides compelling narration.