Crime Beat (25 page)
Authors: Michael Connelly
Tags: #Mystery, #Thriller, #Non-fiction, #Science, #Fiction:Detective, #History
P
ERHAPS YOU NOTICED
I began this essay by saying Michael Connelly
is
a reporter. Not was a reporter. Is.
The would-be novelist stuck in a career as a newsman is an old cliché. I don’t see Michael ever being stuck. I don’t know if he went to his first crime scene and gathered his notes with the idea of finding material for his books. You will certainly see in these stories the raw materials—the crimes, the criminals, the cops and the city—that make up his fiction. But what these pieces do show is that Connelly was a hell of a good reporter. And that being a hell of a good reporter was a great start for becoming a hell of a good novelist.
M
ICHAEL CARLSON
was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and lives in London with his wife and son. He has written about Michael Connelly for the
Spectator, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, Perth
(Australia)
Sunday Times, Shots
and
Crime Time,
where he also edits the film section. His studies of the directors Sergio Leone, Clint Eastwood and Oliver Stone were published in the Pocket Essentials series.
The stories contained in this collection all carried the byline of Michael Connelly but without exception they were all labored over by numerous editors, copyeditors and fellow reporters. It is impossible to write a newspaper or magazine story without the input of many. I wish to thank all of those who helped make these stories fit to print.
I also wish to thank Michael Pietsch, Asya Muchnick and Pamela Marshall for their more recent work in making the stories suitable for reprinting here. And last but not least, special thanks to Steven Vascik of SCV Publications for first gathering and publishing this collection.
We are grateful to the
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
and the
Los Angeles Times
for permission to reprint the following previously published stories.
SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL
WILDER CHARGED WITH SLAYING HOUSEWIFE
Copyright © 1984. Reprinted with permission of South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
WILDER LED DOUBLE LIFE IN SOUTH FLORIDA
Copyright © 1984. Reprinted with permission of South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
WILDER VICTIMS STILL MISSING 1 YEAR LATER
Copyright © 1985. Reprinted with permission of South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
IDENTITY OF MURDER VICTIM STILL SHROUDED IN MYSTERY
Copyright © 1986. Reprinted with permission of South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
THE MOB SQUAD
Copyright © 1987. Reprinted with permission of South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
BILLY THE BURGLAR
Copyright © 1987. Reprinted with permission of South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
THE MAIL-ORDER MURDERS
Copyright © 1987. Reprinted with permission of South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
LAUDERDALE HOMICIDE
Copyright © 1987. Reprinted with permission of South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
PORTRAIT OF A MURDER SUSPECT
Copyright © 1987, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
TARZANA MAN HELD IN MURDER OF HIS MISSING FATHER
Copyright © 1987, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
LAPD FOREIGN PROSECUTION UNIT
Copyright © 1987, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
SAKAI FOUGHT KILLERS
Copyright © 1988, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
MURDER CASE
Copyright © 1988, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
ROOKIE OFFICER DIES IN STRUGGLE FOR GUN
Copyright © 1988, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
DEATH FOR DEATH
Copyright © 1988, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
1,000 ATTEND RITES FOR SLAIN ROOKIE OFFICER
Copyright © 1988, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
4 MEN ARRESTED IN LAKE VIEW TERRACE QUADRUPLE KILLING
Copyright © 1988, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
DRUG RING KINGPIN CALLS THE SHOTS FROM PRISON, POLICE SAY
Copyright © 1988, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
AMBUSH SHOOTING
Copyright © 1989, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
WHO SHOT VIC WEISS?
Copyright © 1989, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
‘COTTON CLUB’ CASE LED TO ARREST IN ’84 SLAYING OF PROSTITUTE
Copyright © 1989, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
SUSPECT REMAINS AT LARGE ALMOST 2 YEARS AFTER HIS FATHER’S SLAYING
Copyright © 1989, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
MURDER OF KANAN HEIR REMAINS A MYSTERY
Copyright © 1990, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
POLICE SURVEILLANCE UNIT KILLS 3 ROBBERY SUSPECTS
Copyright © 1990, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
MICHAEL BRYANT’S DOUBLE LIFE
Copyright © 1990, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
NEPHEW IDENTIFIED AS SOLE SUSPECT IN KANAN KILLING
Copyright © 1990, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
DAUGHTER SAYS FATHER, WIFE HE’S ACCUSED OF KILLING HAD ARGUED
Copyright © 1991, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
TRIAL ORDERED FOR MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING WIFE, BURYING HER IN YARD
Copyright © 1991, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
MAN CHARGED IN 1982 DEATH ALLEGES POLICE VENDETTA
Copyright © 1991, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
CHARGES WILL NOT BE FILED IN KANAN CASE
Copyright © 1991, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
SELF-PROMOTING ‘CONTRACT KILLER’ ENTERS PLEA TO KILLING WIFE IN ’85
Copyright © 1991, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
MURDER SUSPECT SEEKS TO CLEAR NAME WITH LAWSUITS
Copyright © 1991, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
WIFE STILL A SUSPECT IN HUSBAND’S DEATH AFTER LOSING SUIT
Copyright © 1991, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
KILLING OF SPOUSE PUTS AN END TO MAN’S DOUBLE LIFE
Copyright © 1991, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
ATTORNEY CALLS SPECIAL LAPD SQUAD ‘ASSASSINS’ AS CIVIL RIGHTS TRIAL OPENS
Copyright © 1992, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
FBI PROBES SLAYING OF ROBBERS BY LAPD
Copyright © 1992, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
CHRISTOPHER REPORT: IT CUTS BOTH WAYS
Copyright © 1992, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
L.A. DETECTIVE TELLS DETAILS OF FATAL SHOOTING
Copyright © 1992, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
GATES WANTS TO BE ‘JUDGE, JURY, EXECUTIONER,’ LAWYER SAYS
Copyright © 1992, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
COUNCIL SUED OVER FATAL POLICE SHOOTING
Copyright © 1992, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
MASSIVE DRUG, MURDER CASE INCHES ITS WAY TOWARD TRIAL
Copyright © 1992, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
VALLEY POLICE PUZZLE OVER MAN’S DEATH DURING RIOTS
Copyright © 1992, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
ATTORNEYS AWARDED FEE OF $378,000 IN BRUTALITY SUIT
Copyright © 1992, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.
MICHAEL CONNELLY
is a former journalist and the author of the bestselling series of Harry Bosch novels, including
The Closers
and
The Narrows,
along with the bestselling novels
The Lincoln Lawyer, Chasing the Dime, Void Moon, Blood Work,
and
The Poet.
Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and novels, including an Edgar Award. He is the former president of Mystery Writers of America.