Little Shoes: The Sensational Depression-Era Murders That Became My Family’s Secret

Pamela Everett had a strict father, but it wasn’t until she was in her teens that she ever heard anything about his losing two sisters, probably generating that strictness. He never wanted to talk about it further, and it was some years later, after her father’s death, that she was able to discover that the two little girls had been part of a triple murder. Everett, having experience both as a journalist and an attorney, could hardly resist digging into this extraordinary story. She uncovers the saddest of stories in what was a sensational case in 1937 and comes to know much about her father and his family. Of course, the centerpiece of all this is the grisly triple abduction, rape, and murder of three little girls; but the story of the arrest and trial of a feeble-minded, child-like man, confessions that were likely coerced, and police and district attorneys blinded by the need to quickly close this case is truly stunning. Everett, while clearly affected by this very personal story, maintains her journalistic perspective and does terrific, deep research and reports clearly and succinctly what her findings are. This is a great addition to the true-crime genre.