I was told by a detective that if I had a name, they'd listen. I had a name, and I gave them every bit of information I had while detailing why I felt the person might be someone they should look at. That's the last I heard, and I understand why. Even after sixty years, the murder of Frances Lacey remains unsolved. It's a cold case, and while it's inactive, it's still considered an open case. After thirty years in law enforcement, I never had … [Read more...]
Author Rod Sadler Describes the Charm and History of Mackinac Island, the Setting for GRIM PARADISE
It's a beautiful place. Michigan's Mackinac Island is considered the State's crown jewel. Thousands of tourists each year visit a place filled with Victorian charm. It's well warranted. There are no automobiles allowed on the Island. Modes of transportation consist of horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, or walking, and goods are transported to the stores by horse-drawn drays. As a tourist walks along the business district, the air is filled with … [Read more...]
GRIM PARADISE: The Cold Case Search for the Mackinac Island Killer by Rod Sadler
When widow Frances Lacey was murdered in July 1960 on Mackinac Island, only a few meager clues were found by police, and the case soon turned cold. But more than sixty years later, will those same clues finally solve the mystery? On July 24, 1960, the quaint charm and serenity of Mackinac, nestled between Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas, was shattered by Lacey's brutal death. Despite a massive manhunt and thousands of pages of police … [Read more...]
Author Rod Sadler’s Journey to Mackinac Island Began With a Visit to the Father of a Serial Killer
It was an interesting trip. I traveled to Mackinac Island in the spring of 2021 to investigate the Island's only murder in modern times. It's a murder that remains unsolved to this day. I planned to stay at the same hotel where the victim, Frances Lacey, had stayed. I planned to walk the same route she walked and visit the murder scene. It would be a short trip but worthwhile. There was one thing I had to do first. I'd be passing Indian River, a … [Read more...]
Author Rod Sadler Discusses His Visit to Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island, lying in the shadow of the world's largest suspension bridge, with its Victorian charm, no automobiles, horse drawn carriages, fudge, souvenir shops, bicycles, Fort Mackinac, and ore freighters passing on the Great Lakes, is often referred to as Michigan's crown jewel. Accessible only by boat or plane, it's a wonderful place where thousands of people flock to each summer. I dare say that every visitor has heard of the Grand … [Read more...]
How Thirty Years Of Law Enforcement Resulted In KILLING WOMEN
Rod Sadler I've had a lot of people ask what prompted me to begin writing. The truth is that this all started as a genealogical project many years ago. As a retired law enforcement officer, early in my career, I worked for a college police department. We received our police authority from the county sheriff's office. My dad would remind me that in 1897 (yes, 1897), my great-great-grandfather was the sheriff of the same county I was working … [Read more...]
KILLING WOMEN: The True Story of Serial Killer Don Miller’s Reign of Terror
Will A Serial Killer Soon Walk The Streets Again? Don Miller was quiet and reserved. As a former youth pastor, he seemed a devout Christian. No one would have ever suspected that the recent graduate of the Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice was a serial killer. However, when Miller was arrested for the attempted murder of two teenagers in 1978, police quickly realized he was probably responsible for the disappearances of four … [Read more...]
Meet True Crime Author Rod Sadler
Author Rod Sadler This all started, literally, in 1897. Yes, I'm only sixty-two, but my great-grandfather was the local sheriff back then, and he investigated a macabre murder that became the subject of my first book titled To Hell I Must Go (Outskirts Press, 2015) It's been three years since I published Killing Women with WildBlue Press. What a ride. Not only has my book become the backdrop for two True Crime Network documentaries, I Survived … [Read more...]
