THE TALE OF THE BLOOD-SOAKED MATTRESS Was it a CSI commander's finest hour ... or something quite different? Jessica O’Grady was a tall, starry-eyed Omaha, Nebraska co-ed in search of Mr. Right. Christopher Edwards was a deceitful and darkened soul. CSI commander Dave Kofoed was on the prowl for sensational murder cases to keep his prestigious crime lab in the constant media spotlight. In May of 2006, Jessica’s sudden and mystifying … [Read more...]
Generation Why Podcast recommends DIXIE’S LAST STAND to its listeners
In January, Harlan, Iowa's newspaper had a complimentary front-page article about DIXIE'S LAST STAND: Was It Murder or Self-Defense? wildbluepress.com/Dixie Days later, Twin Cities' DARKNESS RADIO host Dave Schrader made DIXIE the topic of a 90-minute segment on True-Crime Tuesdays. In February, we had a lively hour-long discussion about DIXIE on SHATTERED LIVES RADIO with host Donna R. Gore and Delilah Jones. Then came Sunday, March 8. … [Read more...]
Author Ferak returns to Nebraska for major speaking events Feb. 23-24
On Sunday morning, I fly back to Omaha, Nebraska. My old stomping grounds. Where I lived and worked for nine years. But don't expect to see me around Omaha very much over those next few days. I'll be staying in Lincoln, where I'm one of the presenters at this year's 2015 Nebraska League of Municipalities Midwinter Conference. The event takes place at the Cornhusker Hotel, not too far from the state capital. For schedule of conference events, … [Read more...]
Charles Thoman, Dixie’s murder trial prosecutor, now enjoying life in retirement
It's been nearly 11 years since Assistant Iowa Attorney General Charles Thoman dropped into the western Iowa city of Harlan. He was the powerful one-man prosecution crew against Dixie Shanahan. When Thoman finally left town, in May of 2004, he accomplished his mission. He branded Dixie Shanahan as a convicted and cold killer -- just as he intended to do. "I never felt cross examining the defendant Dixie Shanahan would be a slam-dunk," Thoman … [Read more...]
Ferak’s book DIXIE draws strong listener response on Shattered Lives
A terrific show. Radio host Donna R. Gore's most recent SHATTERED LIVES episode generated plenty of buzz over the weekend from both faithful and first-time listeners: www.blogtalkradio.com/insidelenz/2015/02/07/shattered-lives-wildblue-press-author-series--john-ferak Gore and her excellent co-host, Delilah Jones, interviewed me during Saturday's one-hour segment. We discussed my latest #truecrime book, DIXIE'S LAST STAND: WAS IT MURDER OR … [Read more...]
Who was your favorite character in DIXIE’S LAST STAND?
When I wrote DIXIE'S LAST STAND: WAS IT MURDER OR SELF-DEFENSE? I made a concerted effort to limit the number of key characters in this feature-length book for #WildBluePress. You can find out more about the book and how to purchase it at #Amazon #Kindle by clicking here https://wildbluepress.com/dixies-last-stand-john-ferak-true-crime/ Sure, there were plenty of names and positions that were paramount to the case. Iowa Division of … [Read more...]
Author Ferak to Appear on Tuesday’s Darkness Radio show to discuss DIXIE book
Curious to hear some of the behind-the-scenes back stories surrounding #author John Ferak's recently published #truecrime feature-length #book, DIXIE'S LAST STAND: WAS IT MURDER OR SELF-DEFENSE? via #WildBluePress (You can find out more about the book and how to purchase it at #Amazon #Kindle by clicking here.) On Tuesday night, Ferak will appear as the featured guest on DARKNESS RADIO's popular and lively talk radio show, True Crime Tuesdays, … [Read more...]
True Crime Reader: Domestic Violence Caused Dixie To Kill
From the Author: This particular #truecrime #author blog post is a little different as it deals with a controversial topic, domestic violence, brought up in my latest book DIXIE'S LAST STAND: Was It Murder Or Self-Defense? I invited Jennifer Marshall -- who is a loyal member of several true crime Facebook forums -- to write about her reaction to DIXIE'S LAST STAND. (You can find out more about the book and how to purchase it at #Amazon #Kindle … [Read more...]
DIXIE’S LAST STAND Murder Front-Page News
Small-Town Newspaper Covered Dixie's Crime And Now The Book Small town newspapers know the pulse of their communities inside and out. Over in western #Iowa, The #Harlan Newspapers have a rich tradition for exhibiting excellence in small-town journalism. The paper's history dates back to 1870. The Harlan Newspapers are the fifth largest twice weekly newspaper in Iowa. Harlan's journalists have won more than 250 state and national awards, as … [Read more...]
Readers Asked To Decide “Was It Murder Or Self-Defense?” in DIXIE’S LAST STAND
A WildBlue Press True Crime By Award-Winning Journalist John Ferak Dixie Shanahan had a terribly troubled and abusive marriage in the sleepy little town of Defiance, Iowa. Then one summer day in 2002, Dixie's mean and wicked husband was gone. Some of the local residents presumed that Scott packed his bags and left town. But others were skeptical. After all, Scott's brown Ford pick-up truck was still parked in his driveway. The disappearance … [Read more...]
