The Kill Jar

Obsession, Descent, and a Hunt for Detroit’s Most Notorious Serial Killer

By: J. Reuben Appelman, Catherine Broad - foreword

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Four children were abducted and murdered outside of Detroit during the winters of 1976 and 1977; their bodies eventually dumped in snow banks around the city. J. Reuben Appelman was six years old at the time the murders began and had evaded an abduction attempt during that same period, fueling a lifelong obsession with what became known as the Oakland County Child Killings.

Autopsies showed the victims to have been fed while in captivity, reportedly held with care. And yet, with equal care, their bodies had allegedly been groomed post-mortem, scrubbed-free of evidence that might link to a killer. There were few credible leads and equally few credible suspects. That's what the cops had passed down to the press, and that's what the city of Detroit and J. Reuben Appelman had come to believe.

When the abductions mysteriously stopped, a task force operating on one of the largest manhunt budgets in history shut down without an arrest. Although no more murders occurred, Detroit and its environs remained haunted. The killer had, presumably, not been caught.

©2018 J. Reuben Appelman (P)2018 Tantor

Renamed: My autobiography plus a little about the OCCK

Way too much emphasis on the authors personal life to make this a good true crime book. There are already so many characters in the OCCK case that adding more from the authors life that has zero connection to the case made this book very jumbled and confused. The description was VERY misleading of how much of the case was covered, I feel I know more about the author than the OCCK case.

More memoir than true crime

I have been interested in the OCCK case for many years, following Cathy Broad's blog for almost 8 years now, and was eagerly awaiting this book. I found it somewhat disappointing because it reads more like a memoir than a true crime book about this horrific case. Though the author's personal details and broad connection to the story could have been interesting to read, I felt it was on the verge of distasteful in the way it was presented. There are some interesting details, but all of these can be found with simple Google searches or perusing Cathy Broad's blog. Overall, it's an okay book, but not one I would highly recommend to get an understanding of the OCCK case.

Evidence

I loved that someone actually dug into this case. The police were not forthcoming or someone would have been held responsible.

hard to follow

the story itself was good. I did have trouble though paying attention well enough due to the readers mostly monotone delivery.

An author's life journey

I would retitle this book The Kill Jar: A Memoir... I liked it because it was full of details I didn't know about the case... but when a book is 50% about the author, I do like to know ahead of time. Overall, the narrator is fitting and the book is well written.

Author ruins an otherwise great story

The real story seemed to be a subplot to the authors constant focus on his horrible life. The narrator speed reads, but not sure there was anything he could have done to save the story. Shame that he uncovers this amazingly awful conspiracy and new details, but can’t bother to stop talking about himself long enough to put the pieces together.

An insightful look into the abyss

Crime claims more victims than one can possibly imagine. Appelman's life is an obvious casualty of the Oakland County Child Killer murder mystery in the late 70s and the surrounding conspiracies and complacency of sex crimes taking place at the time. This is a tragic and redeeming look at how crime can affect us all. Don't make the mistake of thinking this is a true crime novel. It's a look at how crime can harm more than the murder victim and their family. This is a spiderweb of tragedy that spans beyond the four victims; it continues to haunt and slowly eat away at those who remember this age old cold case.
The narrator wasn't my favorite, and in some ways, he does this book a disservice, but the book generously provides an insightful perspective on obsession and abuse.
I recommend it.

really enjoyed the listen

I'm from Michigan, and I'd heard about this scandal on the Already Gone podcast. so intriguing!

Interesting story but too much focus in the author

I liked the narrative and the story but was too focus un the life of the writer. I prefer less focus on that and more in the actual facts

Exceptional work of true crime with personal touch

J. Reuben Appelman does an incredible job of tying together the exhaustive and complex pieces of evidence he personally gathered in relation to one of the biggest unsolved criminal mysteries in Michigan history. His dogged determination to uncover and unravel this mystery is truly remarkable. After years of research and interviews, Mr. Appleman is able to do what teams of investigators could not do or chose not to do in over 40 years of trying. Hopefully, the authorities will utilize the work done in this book in order to finally bring closure to the families of the victims of the OCCK.

One of the really interesting things about this book is how the author uses his investigative tools not only to look at the OCCK case, but also to look at the sordid details of his life and his own childhood. This is what sets this book apart from a typical true crime novel. This book is more than just a look at the OCCK case, it is an investigation into the author's past. I highly recommend this book!!!