Hasse Mark - A target on my back: a prosecutors terrifying tale of life on the hit list

Advanced Praise for A Target on my Back

A legal thriller with a twist: A crazed lawyer and his wife, believing they have been wronged, become a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde and go on a terrifying murder spree. Next on their kill list is the new DA and her courage in confronting the killers makes this a fascinating read.

Dennis L. Breo, co-author of The Crime of the Century: Richard Speck and the Murders that Shocked a Nation

When murder comes to her town, Erleigh Wiley steps into the shoes of the slain district attorney and finds herself on the killers hit list. In A Target on My Back , Wiley tells her personal story of overcoming fear in order to carry out her duty to hold Kaufman County, Texas together while the killer is brought to justice. Dont miss it!

Mike Farris, author of A Death in the Islands: The Unwritten Law and the Last Trial of Clarence Darrow

Erleigh Wiley is one fearless prosecutor. She stepped up when called by the governor to serve as District Attorney knowing the dangerthat a serial killer was stalking and killing prosecutors. This riveting first-person account tells the story of an unprecedented attack on the criminal justice system and how Erleigh Wiley provided steadfast leadership while being on the killers hit list. Her courage in this deadly crisis inspired both Texas and the nation.

Bill Wirskye, Second District Attorney for Colling County, Texas

A Target on my Back is a unique first-person look into the world of crime-fighting in which the tables have been turned. The author takes the reader on an all-to real journey into what it means to stand for justice when your very life is in danger. A must-read!

Robert Kepple, Executive Director of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association

A Target on Back captures Erleigh Wileys journey as a judge then District Attorney in Kaufman County, Texas and the risks that all in law enforcement face every day of their lives.

Robert Champion, retired Special Agent in Charge, ATF

John Grisham and Scott Turow had better start looking over their shoulders for while Erleigh Wiley no doubt has a great legal-writing future ahead of her; she now has at least two career paths to consider. Wileys engaging, nimble style immediately draws you into the action and proves that sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. Its a good thing for us all that she lived to tell about it!

David Dean, Dallas attorney, former Texas Secretary of State and Chair of the North Texas Crime Commission

A vivid first person account of living with danger and armed security twenty-four hours a day. Even more, it is a testimony to the extraordinary courage and dedication to the citizens of Kaufman County exhibited by Wiley in assuming the position of District Attorney.

David A. Byrnes, Sheriff Kaufman County, retired; Captain Texas Rangers, retired.

Copyright 2017 by Erleigh N. Wiley

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Rain Saukas

Cover photo credit: iStockphoto

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-2170-8

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-2171-5

Printed in the United States of America.

To my mother. My role model. She taught me to be fearless.
To the men in my life: my dad, my brothers, my sons, and my husband,
Aaron thank you for being my life.

CONTENTS

PART ONE

Chapter 1

On Patrol

ON SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 2013, an old white Crown Victoria sedan methodically traveled along the pavement of farm-to-market road 987 just outside of Dallas in Kaufman, Texas. The driver knew the road well and had made the journey many times; the cars steering wheel moved surely through his hands, almost second nature. He surveyed the landscape, making certain nothing was out of the ordinary, checking to his right and to his left expertly. But he was being overly cautiousat this time on a weekend morning, before dawn, most commuters would not be leaving their homes for work and the cars were sparse. Leaving the city of Kaufman and moving into the unincorporated section of the county, the driver began to accelerate, merging onto 1641, another farm-to-market road. Still, no cars passed. It was peaceful, quiet, and still in the early morning darkness.

The driver had a companion in the passenger seat. Were they longtime friends or acquaintances sharing a ride? The two rode together in compatible silence, neither making conversation nor playing the radio as they drove along the roadway. Houses and businesses set along the roadside whizzed by. Few open spaces remained.

The driver turned off the main road onto Helms Trail, a growing area of Forney, one of several towns within Kaufman County. Where there were once black dirt cotton-fields, homes seemed to have sprung from the ground as suburban sprawl reached Forney, Texas. Helms Trail is a narrow black-topped road that was one-lane in each direction; hard for a vehicle to pass alongside. Neighborhood streets forked off in each direction from the narrow lane, leading to more suburban homes. Helms Trail is usually a well-traveled road that carries homeowners back and forth to the busy interstates, but the driver passed no travelers at this early morning hour.

The driver continued to pass streets; he was no longer driving smoothly; he was accelerating. The car was speeding: 45, 50, 55 mph, although the road was marked 35 mph. What was his urgency? Then, a careening right turn on Blarney Stone Way, a neighborhood street scattered with houses. The car never slowed its speed until the driver pulled the Crown Victoria over on the side of the roadway near a house marked 9389 Blarney Stone Way. Before bringing the vehicle to a complete stop, the driver turned the car around in the roadway. The car never entered the driveway of the home, choosing instead to remain on the side of the road. The driver took a deep breath, opened the car door, and stepped onto the pavement, moving toward the front door of the house. The house was brick, with white trim. The house, a newer home not unlike the other homes in the neighborhood boasted one-to-two acre lots. Fastened on its front door was an Easter-themed wreath.

The companion stayed behind, moving over to the drivers side of the car. Exiting the car, the driver wore a cowboy hat low over his eyes, with his jacket clearly marked SHERIFF in bold letters across the back of his jacket, designating him as a sheriff deputy. He moved quickly to the front door, his AR-15, a lightweight assault rifle, strapped across his shoulder.

The knock at the door was urgent and loud; using the heel of his right fist to strike the door repeatedly. The homeowner looked through the peephole of the door. After seeing the deputy, the occupant cracked the door, and the sheriff pushed through. Then the slaughter began.