M. William Phelps - I’d Kill For You

Table of Contents

THANKS

I WOULD LIKE to extend immense gratitude and my biggest appreciation to my readers. You continue to support my work and I am humbled by your presence every time a new book is published. I am, as always, at a loss for words when trying to say thank you, because nothing I can say is, in my opinion, enough. You are the most important part of my work. I am grateful to each and every reader.

Also, to my fans of Dark Minds on Investigation Discovery: I am honored by your dedication and willingness to watch the series and support it. Thank you.

My publisher, Laurie Parkin, and the entire team at Kensington Publishing Corp.: I thank you for the passion and confidence each of you put into each book.

I would like also to give my sincere appreciation to everyone at Investigation Discovery and Beyond Productions involved in making Dark Minds the best (nonfiction) crime show on television. It takes a lot of good people to produce a television series: Andrew Fazz Farrell, Alex Barry, Colette Coco Sandstedt, John Mavety, Peter Heap, Mark Middis, Toby Prior, Peter Coleman, Derek Ichilcik, Jared Jars Transfield, Jo Telfer, Claire Westerman, Milena Gozzo, Cameron Power, Katie Ryerson, Inneke Smit, Pele Hehea, Jeremy Peek, Jeremy Adair, Geri Berman, Nadine Terens, Samantha Hertz, Lale Teoman, Hayden Anderson, Savino (from Onyx Sound Lab in Manchester, Connecticut), David OBrien, Ra-ey Saleh, Nathan Brand, Rebecca Clare, Anthony Toy, Mark Wheeler, Mandy Chapman, Jenny OShea, Jen Longhurst, Anita Bezjak, Geoff Fitzpatrick, John Luscombe, Debbie Gottschalk, Eugenie Jeannie Vink, Sucheta Sachdev, Sara Kozak, Kevin Bennett, Jane Latman, and Henry Schleiff.

My entertainment lawyer/business manager, Matthew Valentinas, a warm thank-you for embarking on this journey with me.

I am immensely grateful for Shirlina Manns assistance. Shirlina is an excellent researcher; all of the running around she did for me at the Leesburg Courthouse was extremely helpful. Thanks, Shirlina!

Lastly, my family: Mathew, Jordon, Regina, and, especially, April, whose dedication to her schoolwork and sports is a true inspiration to me.

Also By M. William Phelps

Perfect Poison
Lethal Guardian
Every Move You Make
Sleep in Heavenly Peace
Murder in the Heartland
Because You Loved Me
If Looks Could Kill
Ill Be Watching You
Deadly Secrets
Cruel Death
Death Trap
Kill For Me
Love Her to Death
Too Young to Kill
Never See Them Again
Failures of the Presidents (coauthor)
Nathan Hale: The Life and Death of Americas First Spy
The Devils Rooming House: The True Story of Americas
Deadliest Female Serial Killer
The Devils Right Hand: The Tragic Story
of the Colt Family Curse
The Dead Soul: A Thriller (available as e-book only)
Murder, New England
Jane Doe No More
Kiss of the She-Devil
Bad Girls
Obsessed
The Killing Kind
She Survived: Melissa (e-book)
She Survived: Jane (e-book)

AFTERWORD

THE GREAT PRAGMATIST and brilliant Russian novelist Alexander Solzhenitsyn, during a commencement address he delivered at Harvard University on June 8, 1978, said, Truth is seldom pleasant. It is almost invariably bitter. When one begins a commencement address along those lines of thinking, his audience had better take a deep breath, sit back, and check their egos, because the rest of what this man is going to say is not going to be comfort food. Yet, it is probably what those before him should have said, but they likely did not have the guts.

When dealing with murderers and crime victims families (I even hate to put the two in the same sentence), this same model Solzhenitsyn suggested during that commencement could be taken. Because when we talk about crime, the publics response to crime, the players involved, the facts as opposed to the supposition and rumor surrounding each and every case, were dealing with the same set of criteria: everyone will have his or her truth. It might sound different or come out more astutely from one as opposed to the other; but when all is said and done, it is that truth that matters. That underlying veritas (truth) found in every case I have ever studied, written about, or profiled on my Investigation Discovery television series, Dark Minds. When you look at a case in hindsight and youve been given the opportunity to step back and study what everyone said and did, how the investigation transpired, what the guilty parties have said since their convictions, a new veritas emerges, rising to the surface like a scuba diver coming into focus from the black depths of the ocean. Its thereand yet only if youre willing to look beyond the fog and bullshit and accept it for what it is.

In this casethe vicious, brutal murder of esteemed biophysicist and DNA researcher Robert Schwartz, noted for his work on DNA sequencingthat truth was never more present and attentive. It was always directly in front of every player involved in this case. And those who could see itwell, look, they chose to do nothing about it besides let it manifest and transpire before their eyes.

It wont happen to me.

How many times have we heard that?

As I began to call on people for this case, to ask if each was willing to enter into a dialogue about that truth, take a clear look at it now years later, I was met with mixed results. Some wanted to speak to me with an open mind and a willingness I admire, respect, and expect. Others wished to shun me, not return calls, not even give me the admonition of a no, not interestedone I think I have earned after writing twenty-five books. I contacted some people several times; others only once. It seemed to meand the fact that a few didnt even want to acknowledge methat there was something missing from the truth. Whenever a certain portion of people involved in a case doesnt want to talk, there is a truth within the story that these participants generally wish to ignore or leave undisturbed. Thus, this only made me want to dig in more, plant my stubborn heels deeper into the framework of this case, and begin to look at everything underneath a new, clearer light.

WHEN THE PRISON computer called my number, alerting me that a call from an inmate in the Virginia prison system is looking for me, theres a recording that Kyle made himself, letting the person on the other end (me) know who is calling. In other words, the prison computer calls your number for Kyle; you pick up; the phone says, You have a call from [and the inmates voice inserted here].... We might assume that, in this case, Id hear, You have a call from Kyle Hulbert.

But not when dealing with Kyle Hulbert. Nothing is that basic and simple. Picking up the phone, I was shocked and quite struck by this gem of a message from Mr. Hulbert: You have a call from ... I am the Kyle.

I thought this was a bit odd, as well as another thing Ill leave unsaid.

I am the Kyle.

It sounds so, well, egocentric. So superficially hubristic.

I queried Kyle about it one day.

He laughed.

Interesting you should ask. A friend of mine a long time ago once told me that Kyle is not just a name, but a state of mind. And so I took that and ran with it. I enjoy my individuality. And so, as far as I am concerned, I am the only Kyle. All Kyles that came before me and all the Kyles that might come after me are mere imitations of who I am. Thats all. Its really that simple.

O... kay...

I look at Kyle Hulberts life and what happened and I cannot stop myself from thinking that he could have easily been one of those people we see on the news all too oftenthe culprit walking gingerly into a school and spraying rounds of bullets at innocent men, women and children. Im not an expert in this field, mind you, and my analysis here is based on my research into murder and murderers and my conversations with experts, but Kyle fits into this ticking time bomb type of person walking out of a mental institution with nothing in place to guide him and no place to go. Kyle had resources available, as many of these same people dono doubt about itbut why didnt he use any of those resources?