Stephen H. Ahern - A Kitchen Painted in Blood: The Unsolved Disappearance of Joan Risch

Having worked on this case for more than two years, and being entirely a novice at authoring books, I have many people to thank for getting me across the finish line. I can only name a few of them here.

My wife, Liz, encouraged me to write the book and reviewed the entire text several times. My son Jared and family friend Linda Gentry edited the text and gave me many helpful comments, and my son Lucas also assisted in the process. Psychologist Susan Hileman also provided important guidance on several psychological aspects of the Risch case.

My editor, Alice Heiserman, president of Write Books Right in Bethesda, Maryland, took on the responsibility of editing a novices work and convinced me to delete a great deal of repetitive and extraneous text. She also succeeded in interesting my publisher in the book. Lincoln archivist Lisa Welter also provided invaluable help with Lincoln historical maps and records.

Mark Safarik is a former FBI supervisory special agent and member of the FBIs elite Behavioral Analysis Unit for many years. He is also president of Forensic Behavioral Services International, based in Fredericksburg, Virginia. For much less than his invaluable services were worth, Mark undertook the analysis of a great deal of evidence from the district attorneys files and guided me in my analysis.

Mark recommended that I also speak with Cliff Shepard, a 37-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department who had contributed significantly to the convictions of some of L.A.s most significant serial killers like Rodney Acala, Chester Turner, and, most notably, Lonnie Franklin, Jr., aka the Grim Sleeper. Busy as he was, Cliff provided considerable assistance to me, and he was gracious enough to write a foreword. It was an education working with both Mark and Cliff, and I have a better book as a result of our collaboration.

I also want to thank the Middlesex District Attorneys Office (Woburn, Massachusetts) and the Lincoln Police Department for their kind assistance in assembling and delivering documents from the Risch investigation file. In particular, Id like to thank Assistant D.A. Timothy Ferriter and Lincoln Chief of Police Kevin Kennedy for their efforts.

Lastly, Id like to remember family, including my father and mother for the education that they provided to me in local history and for the support I could always rely on. Also, Id like to remember Detective Captain Jeremiah Ahern, Detective Captain Joseph Ahern, Sergeant Walter LaShoto and Sergeant Vin Power for their long and dedicated service on the Massachusetts State Police.