They Hold Their Own With the Men
Review by Kim Cantrell
There’s nothing I love more than true crime short stories and Killer Babes edited by David Jacobs was the perfect collection.
From a variety of authors – including many well-loved such as Bill G. Cox and Don Lasseter – this 407 page book offers straight-up recounting of killer women from across the United States.
No courtroom dramas. No mind-numbing fillers.
Nothing but the facts.
Stories include such infamous cases as Lisa Michelle Lambert, Rosemary Heather Miller, Dora Cisneros, Joy Aylor, and Susan Smith; as well as many lesser known, yet just as deadly, femme fatales.
Straight out of the True Detective magazine files, Killer Babes is sure to be enjoyed by the true crime genre fans.
Buy new and used copies at the following retailers:
Updates:
- Tina Burris: Paroled on April 21, 2004.
- Barbara Bell: Paroled on June 9, 2003.
- Mary Louise Easlon was released on November 8, 2002; and her co-defendant/cousin Thomas Nooner was paroled on September 1, 2001.
- While no updates for Rebecca Smith could be located, her son and co-defendant, Brian Locklear, is scheduled for release in December 2012.
- Valerie Swanson remains incarcerated at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women while Alan Marcotte is still behind bars at Greensville Correctional Center; both in Virginia.
- Kristie Nystrom remains behind bars at the Murray Unit of the Gatesville Prison in Texas. According to her personals ad, she is now college educated and looking to met someone. Her partner-in-crime Brent Brewer was granted a new trial; however, he was guilty and resentenced to death in August 2009. A date of execution has not been set as of this date.
- Bernice Sykes was released in February 1996, while James Edward Williams remains on death row at Central Prison in North Carolina.
- Melinda Stewart is still incarcerated, but will be eligible for parole in October 2010 and her husband/co-defendant Daniel Stewart continues to serve his life sentence at Colorado’s Limon Correctional Facilty. James Catlin also remains behind bars at Sterling Correctional Facity where his sentence will be complete in April 2016.
- Kelly O’Donnell was granted a short reprieve when the death penalty sentenced she received was reversed in 1999. New sentencing information was not located. William “Billy” Gribble is still incarcerated at Greene County Prison in Pennsylvania.
- Rosemary Heather Miller made a mad dash for freedom from a Texas prison in 1996, however her efforts were short lived as she was recaputred three months later in Minnesota. But not before she could conceive a child with an unnamed trucker; a child she named “Chace” because the police were “chasing her.” She placed the child in the care of a prison pen pal turned boyfriend whom wished to adopt the child. Whether the adoption was permitted is unknown. Miller’s last known location was in the Mabel Basset Correctional Facility in Oklahoma.
- Cassandra Williams and Valerie Rhodes both remain behind bars; Williams at Homestead and Rhodes at Lowell Correction Institutions in Florida.
- Lisa Michelle Lambert was transferred to the Massachusetts Department of Corrections after claims of being beaten by other prisoners (according to friends of Lambert’s reports online). Tabby Buck remains behind bars at Pennsylvania Muncy Correctional Facility.
- Updates on Joy Aylor and George Hopper can be found at this review of a book written on this single case.
- Carol Weaver is currently housed at Mabel Bassett Prison for Women in Oklahoma. She will be eligible for parole in January 2011.
- Michelle Leslie Hoover received her college degree while incarcerated. Today is an employed single mother looking to put the past behind her. Alex Garcia will remain in prison for the rest of his life.
- Tammy Molewicz was paroled from prison on January 9, 2003. Her cohort Peggy Kosmin was paroled in June 2003, but not without a hearing before the parole appellate board due to numerous previous parole denials. Today she lives in Marlton, New Jersey.
- Nita Lynn Carter was released July 14, 2006.
- Pamela Sue Sayre is currently housed at Central Virginia Correctional Unit where she is expected to remain until June 6, 2023 unless granted parole before that date.
- Dora Cisneros became somewhat of a celebrity when Oxygen’s Snapped aired an episode about this unique case. Since then, Cisneros case was rejected for hearing by the U.S. Supreme Court. She continues to serve her life sentence in a Federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida.
- Ann Grieco was released in 1999. Her mother, Mary Greico, remains in prison at Lowell Correctional Institution. Marvin Steele continues to serve his life sentence at Hendry Correctional Institution.
- Sylvia White will spend the rest of her life behind bars. She is currently housed at North Carolina Correctional Institution. Ernest Basden was executed by lethal injection on December 6, 2002. He had just turned 50 years old less than a month before his execution. Lynwood Taylor is behind bars at Columbus Correctional Institute in North Carolina.
