Kieran Crowley - The Surgeons Wife: A True Story of Obession, Rage, and Murder

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 Time 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 perennial bestselling true crime author Jack Olsen, whose SALT OF THE EARTH is the true story of one womans triumph over life-shattering violence; Joseph Wambaugh called it powerful and absorbing. Fannie Weinstein and Melinda Wilson tell the story of a beautiful honors student who was lured into the dark world of sex for hire in THE COED CALL GIRL MURDER. St. Martins is also proud to publish two-time Edgar Award-winning author Carlton Stowers, whose TO THE LAST BREATH recounts a two-year-old girls mysterious death, and the dogged investigation that led loved ones to the most unlikely murderer: her own father. In the book you now hold, THE SURGEONS WIFE, veteran reporter and best-selling author Kieran Crowley documents the celebrated case of a perfect marriage that went horribly wrong....

St. Martins True Crime Library gives you the stories behind die 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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Executive Editor, St. Martins True Crime Library

BOB DROVE TO WORK ON MONDAY MORNING, THE BEGINning of another hot, steamy day. From there he called Beth Israelbut Gail had not shown up for her graduate work or to see her first patients. He also called her psychiatrist, and introduced himself.

Is Gail there? Bob asked.

No, and shes always on time, Dr. Elsa Fairchild said, speaking to Bob for the first time.

Bob explained about their fight and that Gail had gone off in a huff.

Bob also checked in with Gails friends and family again, as well as his own family before he decided he had to report her missing.

Im concerned that Gail might do something to harm herself, he told one of her friends.

After work that night, about 9 oclock, Bob drove to the 19th Precinct on East 95th Street, where he was directed upstairs to the Detective Squad.

I want to report my wife missing, Bob told an officer sitting at a desk....

ST. MARTINS PAPERBACKS TRUE CRIME LIBRARY TITLES
BY KIERAN CROWLEY

SLEEP MY LITTLE DEAD

BURNED ALIVE

THE SURGEONS WIFE

ALMOST PARADISE

KIERAN CROWLEY

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.

THE SURGEONS WIFE

Copyright 2001 by Kieran Crowley.
Background cover photograph of Robert Bierenbaum courtesy AP/Wide
World Photos. All photos used with permission.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address St. Martins Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

ISBN: 0-312-97641-0
EAN: 80312-97641-5

Printed in the United States of America

St. Martins Paperbacks edition / September 2001

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

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For Kathy

THIS book is based on scores of interviewsin several cities around the countryand thousands of pages of police reports, court papers, trial transcripts and other documents. There are no fictional or composite characters in this book, although some people are given pseudonyms, which are denoted by *asterisks the first time the name appears. Certain events, sequences and conversations were necessarily reconstructed from a synthesis of all the evidence, including interviews, police reports, court papers, trial transcripts and other documents and information.

While researching this book, I uncovered facts the police had not discoveredwhich led me to propose an alternate theory of the ultimate fate of the victim, Gail Katz Bierenbaum.

First, I would like to thank my editors at St. Martins Press, Charlie Spicer and Joe Cleemann, for all of their help. My literary agent Jane Dystel has my eternal thanks for her genial expertise and sage advice.

I wish to thank my eminent editors at the New York PostManaging Editor Stu Marques, former Metropolitan Editor John Mancini and former Associate Metropolitan Editor Maralyn Matlickfor arranging the affairs of a Great Metropolitan Newspaper to suit the schedule of a lowly reporter. I tip my thinking cap to Post Head Librarian Laura Harris and her adept staff, and I am very grateful to Post Photo Editor Gretchen Viehmann, assisted by Imaging Editor Dave Johnston, who located many of the photos for this book. Fred Bruder at Rainbow Photo turned them into 8-by-10s. Also, thanks to Post photographers Jim Alcorn, Bolivar Arellano, Tamara Beckwith, and Joey Newfield, for their fine photos. I thank prosecutors Dan Bibb, Stephen Saracco and Adam Kaufmann, and a special thank-you to two great reportersmy former Post colleagues Mike Pearl and Barbara Ross.

I tender my thanks to Geology professor Fred Bachhuber of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas for a brief history of the Las Vegas area. I am also grateful to Ralph Rohay, Patti McGill and Buffy Gustafson.

Annah Bierenbaums former nanny Barb Scholler has my gratitude for all her help. I also thank Dr. Lee Trotter for his honesty and assistance.

Andy Rosenzweig is a gentleman and a master detective. I am grateful for his assistance and expect to be reading his books someday soon. Private detective Mike Race was also helpful.

I am very much obliged to psychiatrist Dr. Michael Stone, who gave me unique insights into a terribleyet fascinatinghuman tragedy.

I also extend my thanks to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Michael Wellner, chairman of the Forensic Panel and associate professor of psychiatry at New York University, for another point of view on Bob Bierenbaum.

There are quite a few people I would like to thank but cannotbecause they are unnamed sources or people who have been given pseudonyms in the book, for various reasons. Please consider this your thank-you. You know who you are.

My gratitude also goes out to two New Jersey officialsPhil White, spokesman for the Wanaque Reservoir, North Jersey District Water Supply Commission, and Mike Petonak, director of the Boonton Department of Public Works and overseer of the Boonton Reservoir. Sam DeBenedetto helped by locating a shot he took of Wanaque Reservoir years ago, and Richard L. Mariconda supplied background information.

I thank Alayne and Steven Katz for the help they were able to give me and I wish them the best of luck.

David Lewis, the prominent murder defender who represented Bob Bierenbaum at trial, also has my thanks for all his help.