Handler - The secrets they kept : the true story of a mercy killing that shocked a town and shamed a family

Praise for The Secrets They Kept

Ms. Handler has written an important book about a decades- old family secret: an aunt diagnosed with Schizophrenia and her anguished father, the parent who took his own childs life rather than commit her to an insane asylum. Whereas most authors only focus on the story, Ms. Handler attempts to collate important medical, legal and societal concepts related to this tragic event. The Secrets They Kept is a valuable guide to further understanding the broad-reaching scope of a very serious mental condition. Ms. Handler is an excellent teacher with an insatiable thirst for understanding the human condition. Do not miss this read!

Howard Fisher, M.D., Psychiatrist, Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo

This beautifully written book illustrates what family therapists have long known: well-kept secrets in families often have a long-ranging impact on the emotional lives and the relationships of its members for generations. There is tremendous shame and guilt perpetuated in families as a result of secrecy, perhaps more so when it concerns mental illness. Ms. Handlers careful research and efforts to unravel the silence within her family provide the reader with an informative backdrop as to the treatment of mental illness in this country during the first half of the twentieth century.

Bonnie Mucklow is a licensed professional counselor, licensed marriage & family therapist, and Level III addictions counselor. In addition, she serves as a military family life consultant for the Department of Defense and is past president of the Colorado Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

The narrative is a true story that would be of interest to anyone curious about the history and practices of Jewish immigrants and their fate in the New World. This tale adds a touch of mystery as a very personal quest is undertaken to uncover a family secret concerning a long hidden death.

Dr. Fred Abrams is the author of Doctors on the Edge: Will Your Doctor Break the Rules for You? He is also the 2006 recipient of the Isaac Bell and John Hayes Award for Leadership in Medical Ethics and Professionalism from the American Medical Association.

The Secrets They Kept is a heartrending true story of an observant Jewish family in the 1930s dealing with a tragic situation they kept buried for generations. As a result of Suzanne Handlers painstaking research to uncover her familys darkest secrets, readers are transported back to that era to discover the moral dilemmas they faced.

Richard Rheins, Senior Rabbi, Temple Sinai, Denver, Colorado

Every murder has its secrets. Suzanne Handler has stumbled upon a decades old family secret and reveals it to the world in her intriguing and compelling book. Her well-researched investigation into this familys tragic circumstance takes us on a journey through the social, religious and legal quagmires that existed in Wyoming, circa 1930. As a criminal defense attorney, I was especially interested in the procedures and process the accused traversed, as well as the conflict between the federal and local authorities as to how and where the matter would be tried, if at all. The authors inclusion of the federal judges sound and eloquently reasoned decision, in its entirety, is a must read for anyone who faces the task of representing a seemingly indefensible case.

Philip Thornton, Attorney at Law, Tacoma, Washington

The Secrets They Kept

2013 by Suzanne Handler

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact the publisher at the authors website listed below.

iLane Press

www.suzannehandler.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Handler, Suzanne.

The secrets they kept : the true story of a mercy killing that shocked a town and shamed a family / Suzanne Handler.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN: 978-0-9885639-0-2 (pbk.)

ISBN: 978-0-9885639-1-9 (e-book)

1. Cheyenne (Wyo.)Biography. 2. Killing of the mentally ill. 3. Trials (Murder).
4. Family secrets. I. Title.
HV6515 .H36 2013
364.152dc23

2012956035

Cover and interior design: Eddie Iverson for Courant Creative

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First Edition

eBooks created by www.ebookconversion.com

In Memory of Sally

Rest in Peace

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