Stella Sands - Murder at Yale: The True Story of a Beautiful Grad Student and a Cold-Blooded Crime

Dear Reader:

The book you are about to read is the latest bestseller from the St. Martins True Crime Library, the imprint The New York Times calls the leader in true crime! Each month, we offer you a fascinating account of the latest, most sensational crime that has captured the national attention. St. Martins is the publisher of Tina Dirmanns VANISHED AT SEA , the story of a former child actor who posed as a yacht buyer in order to lure an older couple out to sea, then robbed them and threw them overboard to their deaths. John Glatts riveting and horrifying SECRETS IN THE CELLAR shines a light on the man who shocked the world when it was revealed that he had kept his daughter locked in his hidden basement for 24 years. In the Edgar-nominated WRITTEN IN BLOOD , Diane Fanning looks at Michael Petersen, a Marine-turned-novelist found guilty of beating his wife to death and pushing her down the stairs of their homeonly to reveal another similar death from his past. In the book you now hold, MURDER AT YALE , Stella Sands examines a recent case of murder that has attracted national headlines.

St. Martins True Crime Library gives you the stories behind the headlines. Our authors take you right to the scene of the crime and into the minds of the most notorious murderers to show you what really makes them tick. St. Martins True Crime Library paperbacks are better than the most terrifying thriller, because its all true! The next time you want a crackling good read, make sure its got the St. Martins True Crime Library logo on the spineyoull be up all night!

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TITLES BY STELLA SANDS

Behind the Mask

Murder at Yale

from the True Crime Library of St. Martins Paperbacks

STELLA SANDS

St. Martins Paperbacks

NOTE: If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book.

MURDER AT YALE

Copyright 2010 by Stella Sands.

Cover photo of Raymond Clark by Douglas HealeyPool/Getty Images. Photo of Yale University building courtesy of visitNewHaven.com. Photo of gates by Richard Nowitz/Getty Images.

All rights reserved.

For information address St. Martins Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

EAN: 978-0-312-53164-5

Printed in the United States of America

St. Martins Paperbacks edition / July 2010

St. Martins Paperbacks are published by St. Martins Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

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For Sass, somewhere over the rainbow

At the time of the writing of this book, a trial date had not yet been set for Raymond Clark. As a result, many of those most closely involved with the casethe police, lawyers, family, and friendscould not speak to me. However, I did have fruitful and eye-opening discussions with attorney Glenn Conway, to whom I owe a huge debt of gratitude. I would like to thank Michael Welner, MD, for generously taking the time to analyze the case and offering his penetrating insights.

Thank yous also to Margaret Mittelbach for her perceptive comments on the manuscript; to Jennifer Dixon for her discerning eye and constant support; and to Marjorie Frank and Pablo Serrano for their hugs and encouragement.

To my agent Giles Anderson, to Executive Editor Charlie Spicer, to Editor Allison Caplin, and to copy editor Katherine Pradt, an enormous and heartfelt thank you.

And to Jess and AF, for being who they are, always.

It was violent. It was bloody. And it was deadly.

At prestigious Yale University.

In a soundproof basement lab of a medical school building.

Annie Marie Le, a twenty-four-year-old graduate student.

Murdered on September 8, 2009.

No doubt, there were words. Then uncontrollable rage.

Blood in basement lab rooms told the storybut for days, Annie Les fate remained a mystery....

The story of Annie Marie Les disappearance grabbed the nation by the gutand from the very beginning, it was a mystery that boded ill.

It began quietly enough. When Le didnt come home on the night of Tuesday, September 8, 2009, her roommate called the Yale Police Department to report that Le, a grad student at the university, had seemingly disappeared.

By Wednesday, word swirled around campus. Where could Annie Le have gone? Was she out partying somewhere? Wait... wasnt she engaged? Do you think someone did something to her?

On Thursday, September 10, the Yale Daily News published an article: Graduate Student Goes Missing. That same day, NYDailyNews.com reported: Yale grad student Annie Le disappears 5 days before New York wedding.

On Friday, September 11, the search for Le began heating up in earnest, along with a tumult of media. The New Haven Independent (an online local news site) reported a $10,000 Reward Posted in Annie Le Case.

By then, the police had officially labeled Annie Le a missing person.

Across the country that morning, the TV screamed the news. In the critical first half hour of their morning broadcasts, CBS, NBC, and ABC focused their reporting on the circumstances surrounding Les disappearance. The major networks not only reported from their studios in New York, but they also sent camera crews and reporters to the Yale campus to interview students and faculty.

At 7:01 a.m., on NBCs Today show, Matt Lauer discussed Les disappearance as the second leading story of the day. Then, after moving on to the health care debate taking place in Washington, Today returned to the Yale campus at 7:08 a.m. with more on the missing student. No one who knew Le could offer a single clue as to where she might be. NBC reporter Jeff Rossen went so far as to utter the unthinkable: Annie Le may be the victim of a violent crime.

At 7:18 a.m., Good Morning America broadcast live from Yale, and in a segment on the case, told about the deep love and friendship that existed between Le and her fianc, Jon Widawsky of Long Island, New York. The program put on view stunningly happy photos of the two from Facebook.

At 7:21 a.m., CBS reporters told about the disappearance of the grad student, but saved a fuller segment for the Early Show. The cameras scanned the Yale campus, honing in on 10 Amistad Street, where Le was last seen. Back in the studio, a reporter interviewed Pat Brown, a criminal profiler, who opined that it was interesting that the authorities were stating that they did not suspect foul play. As to rumors that Le could be a runaway bride, Brown said that brides-to-be who run off typically have an attention-getting personality, and if Le doesnt have that kind of personality, then wed have to suspect foul play because what else could it be?

As the day and news reports wore on, so did the mystery. No one knew where Annie Le wasand no one knew what had happened to her.

On Saturday, there was a possible break in the case. The Hartford Courant