A Wilderness of Error by Errol Morris

 

WARNING:  This book is based on a true crime and the details in this synopsis may be a bit graphic and disturbing. 

 

It was February 17th, 1970 in North Carolina.  Jeffrey MacDonald, a Green Beret Doctor had discovered his two-year old daughter Kristen had wet his side of their bed, so after cleaning her up and putting her to sleep in her own bed, Jeffrey decided to sleep on the couch and deal with the clean up in his own bed in the morning.  It was late, and he was tired.  Hours later, he was startled awake by a noise, screaming actually, and seen several people in his home.  When he got up, startled, he was hit by an object and knocked out.

When Jeffrey regained consciousness he called the police for help.  It was 3:42 am and his life had just changed forever.

What the police found, was the beginning of a nightmare for all involved.  MacDonald’s pregnant wife and two daughters had all been brutally murdered.  The word “PIG” was written in blood on the master bedroom wall. 

Jeffrey MacDonald told the story of what he had seen when he woke up, four young people, one being a woman, chanting and holding candles. He believed drugs were involved.  The police felt that MacDonald’s story didn’t fit with the evidence they seen.   In 1979, MacDonald was convicted of killing his entire family and remains in prison to this day.
But…

Was clear evidence in this crime ignored?  Were there people who were possibly connected to this crime that were never investigated?  Is Jeffery MacDonald an innocent man who was wrongly imprisoned? 

 

Jeffrey then and now

 

Why did I want to read this book?  I admit I have always been drawn to true crime.  That sounds terrible.  Ugh.  I think I am curious about what would make people act that way.  What would bring one human to the brink of harming another – killing another in love or hate or whatever…. 

 

Author Errol Morris writes a story that definitely falls under reasonable doubt in this case.  The book is filled with police reports, and interviews that definitely bring the results of this case into question for this reader.  I found myself turning page after page, gathering my own evidence – even looking back through what I had already read, checking my own “facts” again and again.  I even found myself looking up things about the case on line, to get another perspective to go by.

I like books that make me think and Errol Morris covered that with A Wilderness Of Error.  I felt I came into this case cold, as honestly, prior to this reading I had never heard of Jeffrey MacDonald or this crime that took place right along the time of the Manson murders. 

The book’s title comes from a poem by Edgar Allen Poe:

 

What chance—what one event brought this evil thing to pass, bear with me while I relate… I would fain have them believe that I have been, in some measure, the slave of circumstances beyond human control. I would wish them to seek out for me, in the details I am about to give, some little oasis of fatality amid a wilderness of error.

 

I was bewildered by how this case was handled – granted these were the days before CSI and all the things we have in today’s world to track evidence but if you go by Errol Morris’ account, this case was truly misguided.  There is even a woman, Helena Stoeckley, who admitted time and again that she committed these murders, but was written off as being an unreliable drug addict.

I found the book to be very interesting and well written.

In the end – I personally can’t say if MacDonald did it or not.  MacDonald himself, now 68 years old, still claims he is innocent.

 

For more information about the evidence surrounding this crime and how Errol Morris came up with is facts, see this interesting site.

 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for allowing me to be a part of a jury by reading this amazing book.

Morning Meanderings – the first in a week New Book Window and a WINNER!!!

 

Good morning!  Can you believe this is the first Morning Meandering in a week?  Last week was all banned books week… all week.    After a crazy busy and fun weekend I made it home yesterday afternoon tired but happy.  Pictures from the bike ride will show up on Saturday. 

Yesterday afternoon I took down the Banned Books display from the library and brought “My Precious” books home and switched out the window with “Spooktacuar Reads” for October for all ages.  I put up a shelf of books for children, middle grade, young adults and adults.  I use my own books or print covers of the books and put over a small box so that we don’t pull books off the library shelves – I wasn’t to be sure that if someone sees a book they would like to read, they have the opportunity to check it out – which yes, I also checked our on-line library catalog to be sure all the books int he window are books the library has.  Yes, I can be anal. 

So here is a pic of that window:

 

 

I didn’t go all scary – but good mysteries and for the younger kids a couple about pumpkins too. 

 

I do have MANY winners yet to pick from Banned Book week but that is going to have to wait until tomorrow I will however tie up my giveaway from the Bloggiesta post, which is:

 

Kimberly of The Windy Pages!!!

 

Congratulations!    I will get that sent off to you in the next couple of days here.

 

Today I work and tonight is our book club review of The Wizard Of Oz!  Expect great pictures to show up from that one as I know a few of us…a re planning to dress up and you never know what can happen when the Bookies get together!  It is going to be a busy – but fun day!