STARKWEATHER

A new examination of “the first modern-day mass killer.”

MacLean, author of In Broad Daylight, has a personal interest in the case: Like Charles Starkweather (1938-1959) and Caril Fugate (b. 1943), Starkweather’s girlfriend, he is a native of Lincoln, Nebraska. They were 19 and 14 respectively when the crimes occurred, and the author was 15. Before the eight-day rampage in January 1958, “Lincoln was a large rural town of peace, predictability, and relative prosperity.” The book’s chronological sections, from “The Setup” through “The Killings” to “Impact,” are bookended by an introduction and epilogue. The couple’s spree began after an argument, and he borrowed a rifle and murdered her mother, stepfather, and 2-year-old sister. Starkweather hid their bodies in an outbuilding, telling Fugate her family was alive, tied up. By Jan. 28, MacLean writes, they had “left a trail littered with bodies young and old, male and female, poor and wealthy.” In contrast to Starkweather’s claims that she was “free to leave,” Fugate said she was “a hostage.” The author presents “two versions of each killing: one from Charlie’s point of view, the other from Caril’s.” Before their arrest, 11 people had been slaughtered, including a gas station attendant Starkweather killed weeks earlier. Although his version of events repeatedly changed, Starkweather confessed to the murders; Fugate admitted nothing. "The question of Caril’s participation in the killings,” MacLean concludes, “will likely never be settled once and for all." Both were convicted; Starkweather was executed, and Fugate served 18 years before her parole. Their infamous story “kicked off a blaze of storytelling,” including movies, music, and books. Given this fact, it’s hard to see the need for MacLean’s adequate retelling; true-crime readers will have encountered this notorious case in one of the many other accounts in print or on screen.

A thorough true-crime saga that breaks little new ground.