MacDonald Jeffrey R. - Fatal Vision

PRAISE FOR

FATAL VISION

Mr. McGinniss has delivered the goods here.... Fatal Vision smells of integrity, and thats one of the many things about it that make it irresistible to read, even if its vision of the human soul is somewhat bleak and frightening.

Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, The New York Times

This is a wisely observant, well-written, understated book full of truths about people.... McGinniss has exercised his customary skill here, far transcending the gore and creepy-crawliness. The mysteries in his story are both eerie and profound.

Robert Stone, Harpers Magazine

A HAUNTING, ENGROSSING BOOK... the terrifying resonance when the most chilling facts curl out of those things we think we know and trust the most. MacDonald was one of those things.

Chicago Sun-Times

A POWERFUL JOB OF REVEALING AN ABERRANT MIND IN ALL ITS INTRICACY.

People

FASCINATING, FIRST-RATE... COMPULSIVELY READABLE.

Newsday

A HAUNTING HORROR STORY TOLD IN COMPELLING DETAIL.

Newsweek

EXTRAORDINARY, COMPELLING... a book of depth and maturity.

The Philadelphia Inquirer

AN ABSORBING, TOTALLY DAMNING INDICTMENT.

The Washington Post Book World

SPELLBINDING REPORTING... A TERRIFIC BOOK.

New York Daily News

DEEPLY MOVING, THOROUGHLY GRIPPING, METICULOUS REPORTING.

Cosmopolitan

RIVETING, FIRST-RATE, AND FRIGHTENING.

Playboy

STUNNING, HAUNTING, POWERFULLY COMPELLING... HARD TO PUT DOWN... an intricate and revelatory chronicle of one of the most baffling murder cases of our age.

The Detroit News

AN ENTHRALLING, MOVING ACCOUNT OF AN UNSPEAKABLE CRIME.

Chicago Tribune Book World

Knowing the outcome does not detract from the fascination of reading these pages.

The Boston Globe

CHILLING.

Detroit Free Press

THOROUGHLY ENGROSSING... a marvelous piece of investigative reporting.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

TOTALLY ABSORBING... It reads like a fantastic mystery, but the horror is that it is nonfiction.

Chattanooga Free Press

The definitive story of one of the most bizarre and horrifying crimes that has caught the attention of the American public... beautifully written, carefully documented... unforgettable!

Richmond Times-Dispatch

REMARKABLY THOROUGH... brings the story vividly to life.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer

AN INCREDIBLE STORY.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal

REMARKABLY IMPORTANT, GRIPPING.

The Peninsula Herald

A STUNNINGLY SUSPENSEFUL BOOK.

Durham Morning Herald (NC)

FASCINATING, HIGHLY READABLE, SPELLBINDING.

Chattanooga Times

POWERFUL, RIVETING, COMPULSIVELY READABLE.

Publishers Weekly

HARD TO PUT DOWN... THIS IS A SUPERIOR TRUE CRIME STORY.

Library Journal

FATAL VISION

Including the 1985 Afterword and the 1989 Epilogue

Joe McGinniss

SIGNET

Published by New American Library, a division of

Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephens Green, Dublin 2,Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)

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Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi - 110 017, India

Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:

80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

Published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Previously published in a G. P. Putnams Sons edition.

ISBN 978-1-101-60863-0

Copyright Joe McGinniss, 1983

Afterword copyright Joe McGinniss, 1985

Epilogue copyright Joe McGinniss, 1989

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

The author gratefully acknowledges permission from Front Line Management Company, Inc., to reprint lyrics from Heartache Tonight by Don Henley, Glenn Fry, Bob Seger, and J. D. Souther, copyright Cass County Music & Red Cloud Music & Gear Publishing & Ice Age Music ASCAP, 1979; permission from Music Music Music Inc. to reprint lyrics from The Ballad of the Green Berets, words and music by Barry Sadler and Robin Moore, copyright Music Music Music Inc., 1963, 1964 & 1966; and permission from Dwarf Music, Inc., to reprint lyrics from I Shall Be Released, words and music by Bob Dylan, copyright Dwarf Music, 1967, 1970.

REGISTERED TRADEMARKMARCA REGISTRADA

PUBLISHERS NOTE

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers, Internet addresses and other contact information at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

AUTHORS NOTE

In the interest of protecting the privacy of individuals whose real identities are not central to the true story told here, certain names and other descriptive details have been altered in several instances.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Through fifteen years and five books the one constant in my professional life has been my agent, Sterling Lord. For his grace, strength, ingenuity, and generosity during the particularly trying period which encompassed the composition of this work I would like to thank him.

For her immense confidence, her extraordinary and infectious enthusiasm, and her considerable editorial skills, I would like to thank Phyllis Grann of G. P. Putnams Sons, without whomit is entirely possiblethis book would never have come to fruition.

In addition, for the most capable and conscientious job of copyediting ever done on a manuscript of mineas well as for patience and forbearance far beyond the call of dutyI would like to express gratitude to David Frost.

The author would also like to express thanks to the Edward J. Doherty Foundation for its generous financial assistance, and to those officials of the U.S. government who, in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act, made available various materials which proved to be of considerable use.

FOR NANCY

THE BALLAD OF THE GREEN BERETS

Fighting soldiers from the sky,