Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight… The murder of a retired Los Angeles school teacher in 2004 never made the evening news, yet within hours arrests were made, charges filed, and a speedy conviction sent to prison Jimmy Kitlas, an incredibly shy, special needs teenager with no criminal history whatsoever. 20 years after the murder, a woman named Kelley Leigh asked Burl Barer and Frank C. Girardot to investigate. She believed that … [Read more...]
The Audiobook for STEALING MANHATTAN from Burl Barer and Punch Stanimorovic is Available Now!
🎧📙💎💰 The audiobook STEALING MANHATTAN: The Untold Story of America's Billion Dollar Gem Heist Masterminds is now available, offering an exhilarating insight into a remarkable chapter of criminal history. Written by renowned author Burl Barer and the notorious Punch Stanimirovic, this true crime biography delves into the exploits of some of history's boldest criminals. With his engaging narration, Tom Lennon takes you through an astonishing … [Read more...]
Burl Barer Goes Behind the Making of the Book About the Family Behind America’s Greatest Heists, STEALING MANHATTAN!
Writing STEALING MANHATTAN fulfills any true crime writer's dream, capturing an exclusive account of one of the greatest crime stories of the 20th Century. Having access to information, confessions, and first-person recollections long withheld from public knowledge is a spectacular thrill. While I realize that STEALING MANHATTAN isn't destined to have the potential socio-political impact of the recent discovery of Muhammad's actual covenants … [Read more...]
WildBlue Press Presents MURDERERS’ ROW, Volume Four, a Collection of Three Best-selling True Crime Books from Burl Barer
New eBook Collection Out Now! HEAR BURL BARER DISCUSS THE COLLECTION ON CRIME BEAT WITH RON CHEPESIUK! This three-in-one volume features Edgar Award-winning author Burl Barer's works: MAN OVERBOARD, BETRAYAL IN BLUE, and A TASTE FOR MURDER. Barer, a media legend with a decades-spanning career, is a one-of-a-kind, must-read true crime master. MAN OVERBOARD: The Counterfeit Resurrection of Phil Champagne details a mind-boggling … [Read more...]
[Re-Post] Author Burl Barer Recalls his First Meeting with Con Man Phil Champagne
Originally Posted October 7, 2014 By Burl Barer Author Burl Barer discusses his first meeting with the conman/counterfeiter that led to the writing of MAN OVERBOARD: The Counterfeit Resurrection of Phil Champagne I wasn't the first author to approach Mr. Champagne about a book, and the fact that he hadn't said "yes" to any of them encouraged rather than discouraged me. I fired up my Volvo 1800E, aimed it at Spokane, and passed through security … [Read more...]
[Re-Post] Burl Barer Tells Another Wild Harold Stegeman Story
I was cleaning the garage today, and I found a CD with no label, no nothing. You know, the kind you use to make your own music mixes. I popped it into my cd player, and there was not a single note of music – but there was Secret Service Special Agent Lyle Workman having a conversation with me, over twenty years ago, in which he tells me ANOTHER wild Harold Stegeman story. I recognized Lyle’s voice right away, but it took me a few minutes to grasp … [Read more...]
[Re-Post] Who is the Real Harold Richard Stegeman? Or is it Phil Champagne? Read More in Burl Barer’s MAN OVERBOARD.
Originally posted in 2015 By Burl Barer Phil Champagne, the main character in MAN OVERBOARD, is every bit the rascal at eighty-four years of age as he was when he died in 1982-of course, Phil didn't know he was dead until he read it in the newspaper. Those of you who were born in the '80s or later probably can't imagine it being so easy to make fake driver's licenses with press-on letters you buy at the stationary store, but back in the "old … [Read more...]
[Updated Bio] Meet True Crime Author, Journalist, and Murder Investigation Expert Frank Girardot
FRANK GIRARDOT (born January 1961) is an American author, journalist, victim advocate, and radio host. He is best known for his biography of serial imposter Christian Gerhartsreiter, which will be updated and released by WildBlue Press in 2023 under the title BECOMING CLARK ROCKEFELLER. He is the former editor and columnist for the San Gabriel Valley News Group. Girardot got his start in journalism as a copyboy at the Los Angeles … [Read more...]
[Re-Post] Burl Barer Tells Readers About the Unique Collaboration That Made BETRAYAL IN BLUE
While I've collaborated on writing projects previously, BETRAYAL IN BLUE was a unique experience because not only would this be written with Frank C. Girardot with whom I have an established professional relationship, but also Ken Eurell who is a primary character in the story of police corruption in the NYPD. I knew Ken was a strong personality, and a man who had been through things most of us cannot even begin to imagine. I also knew from … [Read more...]
[Re-Post] In Love With a Dead Man? The True Love Story in Burl Barer’s MAN OVERBOARD
Originally posted June 29, 2015 by Burl Barer Barb Fraley fell in love with Harold Stegeman, who treated her like a queen, provided for her six kids, and built her a new home and her own restaurant. The restaurant went bust, the couple went broke, and then one day at a pancake house, Barb was arrested for passing a counterfeit $100 bill. The next thing she knew, Harold was arrested. Then she discovered that Harold wasn't really Harold-he … [Read more...]
