Description
Book Synopsis Some criminals become household names, while others--even those who seek recognition through their crimes--are forgotten. The criminal''s actions are only a part of every famous true crime story. Other factors, such as the setting and circumstances of the crimes and the ways in which others take control of the narrative, ultimately drive their notoriety. Through a comparison of the tellings and retellings of two famous cases more than a century apart--the Jack the Ripper killings in 1888, and the murder trials of Steven Avery as documented in Making a Murderer--this book examines the complicated dynamics of criminal celebrity.
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments vi
- Introduction: The "Popular" in "Popular Crime" 1
- Part One. Myths and Men 9
- 1. Criminality and Celebrity 12
- 2. Best Foot Forward 23
- 3. A Criminal's Roots 35
- 4. Humanity and Monstrosity 48
- 5. Guilt, Innocence and the "Truth" 58
- Part Two. Situating the Story 69
- 6. Emerging Media Forms 71
- 7. "The wrong side of the tracks" 79
- 8. Making Headlines 89
- Part Three. (Not) Naming the Dead 101
- 9. The Canonical Five 103
- 10. The Candy Store Owner and the AutoTrader Photographer 113
- 11. The "Real" Victim 125
- Part Four. Good Men Gone Bad 135
- 12. Behind the Badge 137
- 13. Dark Conspiracies and Noble Intentions 147
- 14. The Coroner and the Special Prosecutor 156
- Conclusion: Stories for the Ages 166
- Chapter Notes 183
- Bibliography 187
- Index 191
