M. William Phelps - The Killing Kind

Photo by Investigation Discover/ Dark Minds

I wrote to Danny Hembree as I began this project in late 2011. It was a short letter introducing myself. I promised to give him the space he needed to tell his story.

Hembree wrote back immediately. He opened his missive by saying he didnt need me to tell his story, and the cleverly disguised wording of my letter to him had fallen on deaf ears. He explained how we lived in America and I could write what the fuck I wanted to write. He said I hadnt done my research, because he would never agree to interviews with me through letter writing. Only in person.

Then came the feelings of inadequacy many narcissists cannot hide from. Hembree said just because he was a convicted killer did not mean he was stupid.

He didnt know if I was a crock pot or what. (Hembree actually meant crackpot.) He bragged that his story was about a hell of a lot more than 3 murders.

After that, he wrote one of his more interesting comments. Saying how crime fans would eat up his life story of crime and the things he had not yet talked about, Hembree added, Not to mention the other bodies that havent been found yet.

He said if I was serious about interviewing him, I would make the trip to the North Carolina prison where he resided and interview him in person. Once there, if he liked what I had to say, Ill participate, he wrote.

Power and control. Hembrees two most prevalent traits at play. He was baiting me.

There was not a chance I was going to waste my time. I could see him sitting behind the glass (or refusing to see me at all) and laughing at my appearance.

So I wrote back.

I told him he needed to begin writing to me if he wanted his voice heard. I would not be visiting him without first having a commitment in writing and him beginning to tell me his story vis--vis letters and/or phone conversations. We could do those interviews quite easily. Then, after I was comfortable he was not playing me, I would visit him.

Never heard from Danny Hembree again.

I contacted Hembrees sister, Kathy Ledbetter, and we had several conversations and exchanged several e-mails. Kathy wanted to help; I know she did. But in the end, she refused and told me to stop contacting her.

I conducted over one hundred interviews for this book and reviewed thousands of pages of documents. I want to thank everyone for their honesty, integrity, and willingness to tell their stories.

A foot was visible in the brush just off a dirt road in York County, South Carolina, where the half-naked body of an unknown female was discovered on October 29, 2009. (Courtesy of State of North Carolina, 27A Prosecutorial District)

Down the road from the body, clothing was found and York County Sheriffs Office investigators believed they were now searching for a killer. (Courtesy of State of North Carolina, 27A Prosecutorial District)

A red shirt was discovered beside a bridge on the North Carolina/South Carolina border, leading investigators to believe it belonged to a young female found in another jurisdiction. (Courtesy of State of North Carolina, 27A Prosecutorial District)

The unknown females clothing was displayed for the media to help identify the victim. (Courtesy of State of North Carolina, 27A Prosecutorial District)

Growing up, Heather Marie Catterton was known as the girl with the smile of an angel. Heather often helped other students with homework and dreamed of one day working with special-needs children. (Courtesy of Nick Catterton)