Top Ten Michigan True Crime books

  Some fans of local literature who hail from the Great Lakes state have begun a website, MittenLit, devoted to books and authors with ties to Michigan. The state has produced its share of giants in the true crime genre (and can drop a name like native daughter Ann Rule) and classic books (like Anatomy of a Murder, which was a thinly fictionalized murder case and is still a popular subject in Michigan).

So the MittenLit folks were wondering about the top ten Michigan true crime books. I came up with this list, but I'd love to hear other suggestions or see other lists.

Laura's Top Ten Michigan True Crime Titles

in no particular order:

Anatomy of a Murder

The Michigan Murders by Keyes

Butcher's Dozen by Larry Wakefield

Death's Door by Lehto

Arc of Justice by Boyle

Red Parts by Maggie Nelson

The Errant Nun by Milostan

When Evil Came to Good Hart by Mardi Link

Internal Combustion by Maynard

A Hanging in Detroit by Chardavoy

What else belongs on the list? Has any Michigan story or Michigan author particularly impressed you with a true crime tale?

Comments

[lost indie]

"Forever and Five Days" by Lowell Cauffiel.

It's about Gwen Graham and Kathy Wood. They were lesbian lovers who worked in a nursing home near Grand Rapids. To seal the deal that they would be together forever they murdered the nursing home residents. Each murder added an additional day to forever.

Many years later my dad stayed in that same nursing home. In the same room and bed location where the first murder took place,

Yeah...

[Laura James]

That sounds like an interesting story -- I'll have to look for this. Thanks for the suggestion!

[fussball]

Gute Arbeit hier! Gute Inhalte.

[allexx]

Anyone know the name of the adrian michigan killer in 1984ish? Had the victims in his basement and the kids found them. I was friends with his daughter. Wanted to find out how she was these days.

[antonio]

Allexx, let me ask my dad. My dad grew up in Adrian, Michigan. He had told me when he was little he had a dream - something along the lines that a person was killing people (girlfriends) and burying them in his house. Apparently they found his ex-gf's buried under the kitchen tiles...or maybe it was the basement. Can't remember. I'll let you know...

[Kaz]

Ivory Lee Tindall was his name and it happened in 1984. His son Victor turned him in. I met Victor 8 years later and he is a fantastic guy with alot of guts. You have to realize Ivory severely beat his children and fathered many kids as the result of raping his own daughters. The Local news covered it, and for some reason it wasn't really followed by the mainstream media. Naturally all your big players like CNN weren't available then. Here is the Toledo Blade article I found. If you dig you can probably find more.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19850622&id=HHoUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zwIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6401,1844529

[Mary H]

two good reads that i just completed, When the thumb pointed fingers. and Murder in the thumb, should be on the list

[jennifer]

I actually know that family...who were you friends with Alleexx

[order fioricet]

Great site.. I like Anatomy of a Murder..

[Jennifer]

I am trying desperately to find a book about child abduction in (southeast maybe Dearborn area??) Michigan in the late 1970's (possibly very early 80's--but almost positive it was the 70's). Embarrasingly enough I honestly don't know if it WAS a true story or just a novel. I was too young to read this book of my moms but I was a voracious reader even then and I snuck the paperback book and read it. I really want to find it. The cover had snow on it and possibly a shadow of a snow angel in the yard...and/or a van. I would almost swear it was called "Angels in the Snow" and the kids were taken in a van from their front yards/neighborhoods. When I have googled etc I can't find anything. An author Michael Graham wrote "Snow Angel" and I thought I found it BUT the copyright was 2006 so this could not be the book!!! I am not very computer literate and I need help finding this book!!! Please Please Please. Thanks, fellow crime story lover, Jenny 11/06/09

[[email protected]]

Crazy regarding the Tindall guy. My family lived across the street and we all went to school with many of their kids. I can't recall how many kids, but there were quite a few. I remember selling girl scout cookies and when I approached the dirt floor garage, the father screamed at me to leave immediately. Apparantly that's where he buried the bodies. We had left Dorothy St. in 1979 so the bodies were discovered after we left. Pretty creepy that you can live next to a murderer and rapist and not even know it. Their older daughter's name is Ivory and my aunt and her were best friends. God bless their family and I hope they are able to recover from this horrible crime their father committed.

[RACHEL HALL (TINDALL)]

I AM IVORY LEE TINDALLS LONG LOST DAUGHTER OF 28YRS AND I JUST REUNITED W MY FAMILY MAY 2009 THERE WERE TWO CHILDREN FEW NEW ABOUT UNTIL NOW

[RACHEL HALL (TINDALL)]

YOU ONLY KNOW THE HALF OF IT...

[sunnyside]

Let me tell all you dum ass people what happen had nothing to do with the children...Ivory paid his price and hes long gone..we need to pray for sick people like him..u never know what hapen in his child hood to make him became the person he was ...is this all yall have to do is sit around yearssssssssssss later and talk about something we CAN NOT change...the family is doing there best so put this bull shit talk to a side now...Ivory is gone..and life lives on..and dont commet back talking shit..cause i dont fight on the computer

[sunnyside]

And for the long lost daughter...the person you need to talk with is dead..a dead man cant talk..so you need to go on with your life..you seem to be doing just fine all theses years.Im sorry about what happen but what can you do about it now...what your trying to wright a book?..pleases...ur adopted parents should had told you a long time ago and u wouldnt been so lost.

[Rachel hall]

First off leave my parents out of this i seemed 2 have grew up ok? No one would know they didnt see me growing up but if i wntd 2 write a book i wouldve a long time ago but ur right about 2 things i dont cyber fight and the man and woman i need 2 talk 2 are dead so there is nothing left to say

[Dr. Cean E. Worcestor]

Regarding the Ivory Lee Tindall murders:
I have every article that was posted in the Adrian Daily Telegram. Only two murders were committed. One was a grandmother, Queenie Williams, and Rose Sarabia. At one point, Rose's body had been buried in the garage (not bodies, as one of the commentators mentioned), while Queenie's was found buried under the floorboards in the bathroom. Both were dismembered. All of these articles are easy to retrieve from the Telegram microfiche. Further, as the one person in this feed commented, I do not believe it is true that Ivory sired any children with his children. I am quite close to one of the children who survived the evil on Naomi Avenue, and she has assured me that Mr. Tindall was not both father and grandfather of his children. We need to be careful about posting the truth and not making assumptions or beginning sentences with qualifiers like "apparently" and "evidently."

[Salomon S]

It was Rosalinda Sarabia and she was buried under the bathroom 5 feet deep in 6 inches of raw sewage and queenie was buried under the garage u can find the article in old Toledo Blade paper thusrday January 3, 1985. Rosalinda was my aunt

[Jonathan Williams]

Let me say for all of you who think you know what happend,and don't,let me clear up something for you. I was one of thosekids that people speak about,What happend has happend and needs to be left alone! me and my brother's and sister's went through it all,and we came out okay,so let the past be. The only thing that can come from this is pain that no one wants or need!

[Terisa Kvasnica]

This is weird finding this article. When the police came for him, he was preparing to kill my mother. I was also there. I was only 2 and thank God I don't remember anything. I pray daily for any and all families that were involved. If anyone would like to exchange email address, please email me. [email protected]

[Vicki Hall]

With the recent arrest and conviction of Anthony Walker in Adrian this winter, I am reminded of another school mate, Teresa Williams, who was found dead, outdoors. She was a class or so ahead of me and I think that she was murdered in early '80s. Never heard more about this. Did the police consider Anthony Walker. RIP Teresa Williams, Theresa Carey, Yolanda Madison and baby Jessica.

[Ronald Tindall]

kaz shut the hell up you dont even knwo the story and your speaking out of your ass. my grandfather did not father no children period with his own kids so get the hell out of here with your false information. We already have enough racism and ignorance here in adrian and dont need false information to contribute

[MRS. GLADYS D. CARPENTER]

To Mrs. Rachel, See what you have started you found out some shit and you open a whole can of worms. I see my baby had to go on here and say what was on his mind. And to all of you people out here that think you know what the hell you are talking about you don't now shit. I know that each one of us girls can give proof of our fathers children. My father and yes I SIAD MY FATHER never fathered anyone of our children. You know we have been through enough pain already we don't need our children to suffer. So SHUT THE HELL UP AND. AND IF ANY ONE OF YOU OUT THERE IS WITHOUT SIN THROW THE FIRST STONE !!

[chuck u-farley]

actually, my uncle (Butch Galvan) is the person who called the police and told them the story he was told by victor! my father played music and ivory decided to have a garage party my dads band was the one playing in the garage because he had just cemented the floor in the garage the same week everything went down! i was only 10yrs old, when all this happened but these r some of the things i know for a fact, ivory did infact have children with his female daughters. they did find a body in the floor of the bathroom and in the garage. i also know that what pushed victor over the edge to tell someone what was going on was when his dad ivory had his other kids holding down one of the daughters and he was taking a pot of water off the stove and was gonna pour it on her scolding hot! victor ran down the street to my uncles house and told him everything.

[Guy Strong]

I think what happen is horrible and that people should drop the issues, I do not think that the sins of the father should be passed down to their children. They had nothing to do with and should not have people prying into their personal lives like they are on display. Every one lives though their own kind of hell that doesn't mean anyone else has a right to pry into it. While I do not know the family personal I have heard very nice things about the daughters and mother. The only person that I have heard very negative things about is Victor, yes he was very brave to tell on his father and should be commended for it, but the way he treats women is horrible and disguising, I will not go into more detail because this is a public form and should not be done. While I am sure his family will see this I am sorry and please don't think me a liar, but this is the only way I can reach out to you and ask for help, he has a women very scared. I do not want to start trouble with you, I am just asking for help and I really hate the idea of putting it online. But I have heard that he loves, respects and honor the women in his family especially his Mother. I hope you don't find this disrespectful because that is not my intend.

[Ms. Tindall]

Please just leave my family alone! Don't talk about my my grandfather and father! For whoever is posting all of there posts, I hope god shows each and everyone of you, that you do not belong in my families business. My grandfather did not rap anyone of my aunts and Victor Tindall may not be the most godly man, but he is an amazing man, and i will be damned if i ever let anyone down him! Yes I am talking to the Guy Strong, you are highly disrespectful, and I dont know who the hell you are, but may you receive the most crucial punishment for speaking badly about an amazing man.

[Ms. Tindall]

And MRS. Rachel, you will never be a daughter to my grandfather, you are nothing to our family, and I pray you get what you got coming!

[Guy Strong]

You are very right Ms. Tindall I regretted posting the minute I hit post and I am very sorry, I keep looking for a way to delete it and I can not. I am very sorry that I said anything, and I know this can not take it back. I have never used a post like this so if you know of a way that I can delete it, if you do please let me know. Again I am sorry.

[Guy Strong]

It's just that I really loved him because he is such an amazing man and like an idiot out of desperation, i thought if I stirred things up maybe just maybe there would be a slight chance to get him back, but once I though about it I realized how sick and twisted it really was. I can not say how truly sorry I am and how stupid it was. I will not ever post anything again, but I did truly mean the things about people should leave your family alone and that it is in the past and let it stay there again I am truly sorry, and I do not ask that you forgive me

[Victor L Tindall]

To the person whom wrote this negative commites above about Victor, I am him, and I don't know what you think you heard about me, but you need to get your facts straight before you post negative things like this about me, or anyone else. I haven't threaten anyone, and especially no lady. You are trying to attact my charater. Please do not post lies about me. I am a very carring and respectful person. If you would like to talk to me, I would love to meet and talk with you. Have a wonderful day!

[Victor L. Tindall]

LIES, LIES, LIES!!!!! JUST A BUNCH OF LIES!!! People who post ignorant and false information on this page should be ashamed of themselves!! You're heartless!!!! I am a good, loving, and caring person, and so are the members of my family. You must be really bored and unhappy with your life, that you have to try and ruin other peoples lives. If you want facts, get it from the people who know. My family and I have been through enough, and we just want to put it all behind us. To the person who wrote negative comments about me, get your facts straight. You're more than welcome to talk to me... God Bless and have a nice day!

[Mike Kurutz]

People need to shut about this, i know a few of the kids and they are the kindest people out here in Adrian. I look up to them because reguardless of what they have seen or been thru you wouldnt know it if you didnt hear the "boogie man" stories about their dad. So people need to start worrying about their own live's and not the past life of a total stranger. To the kids that know me much love and respect to you and your family and the crap talkers need to shut their traps and sweep their own back doors and clean out their closet's!! thanks for allowing me to vent about this!

[rachel hall]

To whichever "niece" that wrote negative things about me even though you wish i would not be a part of "your family" fact of the matter is i was and am always going to be a part of the tindall saga if you will.. i was here before you and as much as you try to wipe away my exsitance you cannot..i dont need your love or validation maam thank you

[Cindi]

Wow. How rude and insensitive we ALL have become.

[Melissa Wolverton-Burnor]

This post refers to one made by Vicki Hall regarding Teresa Williams. The murderer of that poor young girl was arrested shortly after her death. His name was/is John Furman and was found guilty in a jury trial in late 1984, I believe.. It was a very high profile case in the news. It is sad to see all the misinformation posted so many years later. I know the investigator in charge of both of those cases and he worked very hard to make sure justice was done for all of the victims and their families.