Table of Contents
If you make any noise, Ill kill you.
Shea wanted to scream but couldnt. The mans hand was so big that it covered almost her entire face, pressed so tightly against her mouth and nose that she could not breathe. Shea began to panic.
She was a swimmer and had very strong legs, and when she kicked them out, it caused the headboard to knock against the wall between the two bedrooms...
Ive always been a heavy sleeper, but this woke me up. I could hear soft whimpering and a strange sound of movement coming from the guest room where Shea was sleeping. In my mind, the combined noises could only have been our fifteen-year-old daughter in the throes of some bad dream. Something told me to go check on her anyway, having no idea what real nightmare was awaiting.
This book is dedicated to my daughter, Shea McDonough, who by the grace of God is still with us. Her beauty lies not only in the resiliency of her spirit, but also in the strength of her character. Throughout this tumultuous journey, she has remained true to herself and has not allowed the negativity of the past events to alter her perspective toward life. Wherever her path may lead, may angels continue to watch over her.
Acknowledgments
This book is an account of the facts of what happened when my family came face-to-face with a serial killer intent on hurting our daughter. I began writing about my familys encounter with Adam Leroy Lane as a way to express my thoughts, fears and concerns throughout this continuing journeyan outlet for my frustrations, not only relating to the initial experience, but also to our attackers lengthy progression through our system of justice. This unexpected test of inner strength and character has provided me clarity of spirit, which has proven to be as equally life-altering as the attack itself, and I hope that this account might benefit others.
Life can change in an instant, for better or for worse, and when that instant comes, theres nothing you can do about it. You dont need to be religious to appreciate life as the gift that it is, but when youve had a brush with death, you no longer take anything for granted. If I could go back in time and alter the events of July 30, 2007, I would do anything to spare Shea and my family from that life-changing experience. However, I also would not have wished it on any other family, and ultimately, all things considered, things turned out as best as anyone could hope. In that sense, I have learned to embrace what happened and the wonderful people I have come to know as a consequence. It has solidified my belief that Adam Leroy Lane was sent to our house by a higher power with the knowledge that we would somehow have the fortitude to stop him. Whether that fortitude was aided in some way by help from above or dumb luck is of secondary concern.
There are many people I would like to recognize as having a major impact on my decision to write this book. First of all, I want to acknowledge the two beautiful women whose lives were taken from them by the hands of an angry, thoughtless and brutal killer. Darlene Ewalt and Monica Massaro were sadistically struck down in the prime of their lives. They will always be remembered by our family, and their spirit will live on in all of us. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their family members and friends, who have suffered such tragic and senseless losses.
It is equally important for me to thank the various law enforcement agencies and personnel who have influenced the investigation, prosecution and imprisonment of Adam Leroy Lane. I want to acknowledge the following individuals: Chelmsford Police Chief James Murphy, Deputy Chief Scott Ubele, Officer Robert Murphy, Sergeant Frank Goode, Officer Bruce Darwin, Detective George Tyros and his wife, Detective Rebecca Tyros, Detective-Sergeant Todd Ahern and Detective Jeff Blodgett. To be commended as well are the members of the Middlesex District Attorneys Office: Assistant District Attorney Kerry Ahern, Assistant District Attorney Tom OReilly, District Attorney Gerry Leone and our victim advocate, Dora Quiroz. A special thanks goes to our close friend Mike Champagne for providing tremendous support to our family during the trial proceedings.
Vitally important as well were all of the detectives within the New Jersey State Police Department who played an instrumental role in the Massaro investigation. Their support and commitment will always be appreciated. In particular, Detective-Sergeants Geoffrey Noble, Jeff Kronenfeld and James Kiernan, as well as Detectives Justin Blackwell, Timothy Coyle, Nicholas Oriolo and Tom McEnroe. Also, Sergeant Kevin Burd and Lieutenant Jeff Farneski, of the Hunterdon County Prosecutors Office, and Margaret Paul, the forensic scientist from the New Jersey State Police Lab who went above and beyond in her efforts to link Adam Lane to the case forensically. There are numerous other professionals in various law enforcement agencies who have worked on the Massaro and Ewalt cases, as well as other potential cases that Adam Leroy Lane may yet be linked to. Our thanks go out to all of them as well.
Special recognition should also be given to Jennifer Storm, the Ewalt familys victim advocate. Her assistance and support leading up to and throughout Adam Leroy Lanes hearing was an enormous help to me. Her expertise and guidance enabled me to report on aspects of the proceedings that I would not have otherwise been able to recount.
I would like to further express a heartfelt appreciation to our family, friends and the entire Chelmsford community. There were countless calls, cards, flowers and food that renewed our belief in the goodness of the human spirit. We never could have anticipated the friendships that would be strengthened and formed in the wake of such turmoil. In the days following this ordeal, we received an overwhelming show of support and compassion, and our family will always remember the kindness shown by so many people. I also want to recognize Principal Allen Thomas, who reached out to us on behalf of Chelmsford High School with an expression of concern and commitment to our daughters adjustment following the trauma of the attack. Without the support of Dan Rosa, the school psychologist, and Christine Lima, Sheas guidance counselor, I am certain that Sheas future prospects would not be as bright. The level of personal concern they demonstrated and their professional input have been invaluable.
I would also like to thank my friend Piotr Chadzynski for providing support and encouragement to me in the final writing stages of this book. A special thank-you to my coauthor, Paul Lonardo, for taking on this project. Pauls expertise, guidance and craftsmanship have spun my ramblings into a cohesive piece of writing. To our agent, Linda Konner, thank you for believing in our ability to bring this story to script and helping us every step of the way. Above all, I would like to express my gratitude to our editor at Berkley Publishing, Shannon Jamieson Vazquez. She stuck with us through this emotional roller-coaster ride with her unwavering patience and continual interest. She had a magical way of taking what was written and polishing it with such precision that the significance of the words became clearer even to me.
