How did this self-serving waste of time writing get published?!
Donita Woodruff relates her story of meeting and marrying the late David Allen, a Hollywood special effects director, who uses their marriage as a cover up for his relationship with Valerie Taylor. Taylor, a transsexual formerly known as Freddie Lee Turner of Greenville, South Carolina, is, unbeknownest to Woodruff at their first meeting, wanted for murder in Gaffney, South Carolina.
It is absolutely amazing the “facts” that are related in this book. The first thing that jumped out at me was how Woodruff constantly talks about how she fears for her children’s safety and their exposure to such violence. Yet, she just can’t get her nose out this business and let the police do their job! It would have been simple enough, upon learning the truth, to divorce David and walk away. Everyone, including the violent Valerie/Freddie, would have been happy; but, oh no, Woodruff has to keep sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong; therefore, essentially, she is to blame for danger that she or her children were in.
Secondly, what kind of police departments allow such an inexperienced, amateur like Woodruff to do all their investigative work? Give me a break! Especially since her “detective work” produce mostly information that would not be admissable in any Court considering that it was just gossip between Woodruff and her contact of the week.
Lastly, having spent a great deal of time working in the legal field myself, Woodruff is hard-pressed to convince me that California detectives spent so much time working on a case that, once it was determinedthe crime occurred in South Carolina (just about as far from California’s jurisdiction as you can get). Yet, according to Woodruff, homicide detectives in California continued to work closely with her; which I’m sure, if true, had to do with the fact that Woodruff called them every time the wind changed directions out of “fear for her and the children’s safety.”
Quite frankly, even the story within the dribble, is not that interesting of a story. Sure, there’s some “wow” effect in that Taylor was once male and Allen’s marrying for a cover-up, but after that, it’s just flat.
I think this excerpt from page 128 of the book sums it up: “You two are going to be millionaires with this story,” [Warren] Howell [David's criminal defense attorney] said. I’m sure that it was that line alone that planted the seed for Woodruff to write this 254 page, self-boasting piece of dribble that, in my opinion, reads more like fiction that true crime.
Avoid Deadly Masquerade like the plague! If you don’t, the term “disappointed” will be an understatement!
