Better Than The Truth: How Murder Cases Go Wrong
A Presentation and Conversation with Mark Olshaker
Wednesday, October 30, 2013 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Buchanan Hall, Meese Conference Room, First Floor
Mark Olshaker discusses how murder cases can go wrong and innocent people be convicted when the theory of the case embraced by the police, prosecutors, the media and/or public is better than what actually took place. Using three horrific and intensely covered murders as graphic examples – 1993 West Memphis Three in Arkansas, 1996 JonBenet Ramsey in Colorado, and 2007 Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy (the Amanda Knox case) – Olshaker shows how investigations and trials quickly evolve into stories, and a compelling story is difficult to overcome, even in the face of more compelling evidence. Olshaker analyzes each case from an evidentiary and behavioral perspective, pinpoints and traces its fault lines and shows how each presents a critical lesson in the pursuit of justice and truth. An audience discussion follows.
Mark Olshaker is co-author with FBI criminal profiling pioneer John Douglas of a series of international best sellers, including Mindhunter, Journey Into Darkness, The Anatomy of Motive, The Cases That Haunt Us and the recent Law & Disorder. His novels of suspense include Einstein’s Brain, Unnatural Causes, Blood Race, and The Edge. An Emmy Awarding winning filmmaker, he has written and produced numerous documentaries for public television, among them the eight-hour series Avoiding Armageddon and the “Nova” episodes, Mind of a Serial Killer, What’s Killing the Children? and Who Killed Lindbergh’s Baby?
Hosted by Department of Criminology, Law and Society.
Sponsored by College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
