Murder by the Numbers

The expert author of Murderabilia brings a fresh new approach to the irresistible subject of true crime with this statistic-based telling of some of the most notorious murders of all time. Veteran true crime master Harold Schechter presents hundreds of chilling tales of murder and mayhem told through the fascinating lens of numerology. Each story begins with a number or statistic, followed by a thrilling account of its relevance to a notorious crime or an aspect of forensic investigation, all starting with the number 1—marking the first murder in Colonial America—and reaching into the millions. Readers will learn why the number 215,000 finally put Al Capone into prison, or how the number 2915 played into the case of alleged JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. How the infamous Dr. H. H. Holmes, the “Chicago Bluebeard,” was acutely aware of his 27-victim body count, or how the number 70 helps shed light on the criminal profiles of serial killers. With stunning and grisly photos throughout, Murder by the Numbers is a must-have for any true crime obsessive.