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Not Just Evil
Not Just Evil: Murder, Hollywood, and California's First Insanity Plea | David Wilson
2 posts | 3 read | 16 to read
For readers of true crime sagas like Tinseltown and Little Demon in the City of Light comes a chilling account of a murder that captivated the United States in the 1920s. Twelve-year-old Marion Parker was kidnapped from her Los Angeles school by an unknown assailant on December 15, 1927. Her body appeared days later, delivered to her father by the killer, who fled with the ransom money. When William Hickman was hunted down and charged with the killing, he admitted to all of it, in terrifying detail, but that was only the start.... Hickman’s insanity plea was the first of its kind in the history of California, and the nature of the crime led to a media frenzy unlike any the country had seen. His lawyers argued that their client lived in a fantasy world, inspired by movies and unable to tell right from wrong. The movie industry scrambled to protect its exploding popularity (and profits) from ruinous publicity. Outside the courtroom, the country craved every awful detail, and the media happily fed that hunger. As scandals threatened the proceedings from the start, the death of a young girl grew into a referendum on the state of America at the birth of mass media culture. David Wilson, a private investigator for over thirty years, captures the maelstrom of Marion Parker's death in vivid detail. From the crime itself to the manhunt that followed, from the unprecedented trial to its aftermath, Wilson draws readers in to the birth of the celebrity criminal.
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Gaylagal2
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This is NOT for the faint of heart...you've been warned. But with that said, there is a wealth of history and information. This case truly helped authorities to find and prosecute serial killers. And also to keep children safer.
Very well researched and well written.

AmyG Looks good. Thanks. 5y
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Reviewsbylola
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This is a fascinating account of the (extremely brutal) murder of a 12 year old girl by William Edward Hickman in 1927. Hickman initially kidnapped her in order to get a ransom so he could pay for his movie obsession. The book ties in the cinematic history of the 1920s as a parallel storyline, which I enjoyed. It added something fresh and kept the book from being like every other true crime book out there. Solid read. #netgalley

MyNamesParadise I love true crime and I'd never heard of this case! Thanks for the post! 8y
Reviewsbylola I hadn't heard of it either but it was the first case in California that dealt with an insanity defense after newer legislation. @MyNamesParadise 8y
MyNamesParadise @Reviewsbylola and that's a fascinating take on the topic! I'm definitely going to check it out! 8y
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