Waders Required
Review by Kim Cantrell
Will Busenburg was born a liar. From the time the Indiana native could talk, he could spin the most grandiose of tales. Whether he was hero or a victim depending on who he was talking to, and it’s no surprise this real-life Pinocchio eventually ended up a ward of the state.
As an adult, following a short stint in the National Guard, Will ran into his old classmate Chris Hatton, a young man who had his own issues – including being AWOL from the Navy. The two agreed to become roommates.
Soon thereafter, Will met Stephanie Martin, a stripper at the Yellow Rose nightclub. Seducing her with stories of being a paid assassin with the CIA, million-dollar bank accounts and Montana ranch homes, Stephanie soon found herself in love with Will. The feeling was mutual.
But oh what a tangled web we weave, and Will soon found his lies catching up to him. Stephanie was insisting on accompanying Will on a “mission” and what little money he did have was gone. Something had to give. And quick!
Will justified the lack of some funds by claiming Chris had stolen them. Of course, being James Bond, Stephanie encouraged him to get it back.
No one will ever be sure what happened on that night in January 1995, but one this is certain: Chris Hatton was murdered. His body was found partially burned and dismembered in a fire ring at Pace Bend Park in Austin, Texas.
New York Times bestselling author Suzy Spencer provides a detailed account on the murder of Chris Hatton by his forked-tongue roomie and the thrill-seeking stripper in her third true crime (reprinted in 2010) book Wages of Sin.
Spencer does a fantastic job of sorting out the bull (not delete, just sort) and getting as close to the truth as anyone’s going to. Well, until the last few chapters, when the author lets Stephanie tell her side which is interesting, but so obviously riddle with lies and intended to make the reader believe she was just an innocent little victim. (It’s obvious Spencer didn’t believe her and neither did I.)
Wages of Sin is a spellbinding read that offers as much entertaining fiction (not by the author, mind you) as it does gripping facts. I’m surprised it took me so long to get my hands on this book. It’s an absolutely outstanding book that MUST be your reading list.
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UPDATES FROM THIS BOOK:
Stephanie Martin is currently housed at the Mountain View prison facility in Gatesville, Texas. She will not be eligible for parole until January 2020.
Will Busenburg is incarcerated at the Allred prison in Wichita Falls, Texas, at the time of this writing. He will be eligible for parole in January 2015.
