• Subscribe
  • Interested Authors
  • Blog
    • All Posts
    • Media Appearance Archives
    • WildBlue Press Author Bios
    • Crime Fiction Books
    • Fantasy Books
    • History Books
    • Horror Books
    • Mystery Books
    • Romance Books
    • Science Fiction Books
    • Thriller Books
    • True Crime Books
  • About Us
    • Catalog
    • Privacy Policy
  • Partners
    • BookBub (author resources)
    • bookshop.org
    • The House Of Mystery with Al Warren
    • ImaginePublicity
    • MacGregor Literary
    • Open Road Media
    • Tantor Media
    • True Crime Uncensored with Burl Barer and Mark Boyer
  • Contact Us

WildBlue Press

Great Reads from Exceptional Authors

Great Reads from
Exceptional Authors

  • Home
  • Business
  • Fantasy
  • History
  • Horror
  • Mystery
  • Thrillers
  • True Crime
  • Science Fiction
  • Reader Favorites
    • Award Winners
    • Bestsellers
    • Box Sets
    • Coming Soon
    • New Releases

PRECIOUS FEW CLUES: The True Crime Investigation Of Kansas City’s “Precious Doe” Murder

book coverOn an unseasonably warm April evening in 2001, the headless body of a tiny girl was found discarded in a makeshift dump site in the woods on the southeast side of Kansas City, Missouri.

One long night turned into four long years for Sgt. David Bernard and the Kansas City Police Department’s 1020 Squad. They followed 1,500 leads, had a replica of the child’s head sculpted from her skull, and ultimately conducted the single most extensive area canvass in the KCPD's history.

Erica Michelle Marie Green, aka “Precious Doe,” captured the hearts of not only the dedicated detectives who fought tirelessly to identify her and her killer but of an entire community.

PRECIOUS FEW CLUES is a candid and touching account of the painful impact that this brutal murder had on Sgt. Bernard, his family, and the KCPD’s 1020 squad. It chronicles the all too frequent story of child abuse, failed social services, a flawed court system, and battered women who sacrificed their own children to shield their abusive lovers, echoing the same preposterous explanations of “…but I love him.”

From the Book:

It was then that Bernard called in a team of specialized canine handlers. Using human remains detection dogs in that environment would be one of the quickest and best approaches to locating any evidence, most significantly the child’s decapitated head. The Missouri Search and Rescue group, an all-volunteer, non-profit dog/handler unit, responded to the scene. These canine teams hold certifications that meet or exceed the Scientific Working Group on Dog and Orthogonal Detector Guidelines (SWGDOG) recommended guidelines, so their assistance is invaluable to investigators. It was dense, rugged terrain to navigate, especially in the dark of night, but the teams searched anyway. The handlers tied luminous chemical sticks to the dogs’ collars to keep them in sight, and together they searched the stifling, thick woods ripe with garbage and decay. The K9 handlers said it was the roughest brush they had ever searched. Human scents are, in a way, like liquids in that they “flow” to low-lying areas and “pool” into a vapor that lingers. Cadaver dogs are sent to the most likely places where this would occur, tracking the scent both on the ground and in the air. Because of their specialized training, cadaver dogs can identify crime scenes even if the body has since been moved; unfortunately, this time, the area would prove to be only a repository for the child’s remains and not the scene of the crime. Because the initial search didn’t reveal anything, the group disbanded with the plan to recheck the area in daylight.

Now mMidnight, the search was called off because the darkness worked against them. The plan was that the search teams would all re-group at the church at 7:00 a.m. It would not be the usual Sunday gathering one comes to expect in a church parking lot. There would be no affirmations from the “Amen pew” in this investigation for four long years. Yet, despite the late hour, officers could hear children laughing and playing in the distance. Was there a connection between this tiny victim and those whose voices echoed in the night?

Because this was not an easily accessible or well-known area, Sgt. Bernard thought the child was most likely local and that a missing child would be reported sooner or later. Someone would call the police in search of a little girl lost. Who wouldn’t report a missing child? She was young, and statistics show that the younger the victim, the closer the killer is to the family— - a parent, boyfriend, or immediate family member. Young children are usually protected,, and stranger killings are uncommon. Best guess, given the level of brutality, one could assume either the child's father or the mother's boyfriend was the suspect. A female rarely resorts to that level of mutilation, especially a child. Surely someone, somewhere, knew something and would come forward. As soon as the child was identified and detectives determined who had care and control of her at the time of death, the case would quickly be solved, or so it was thought. Time proved it wrong.

About the Author

author photo

Author Marla Bernard

A former police sergeant, Marla Bernard is a passionate victim’s rights advocate, author, and public speaker. She is the author of BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD: The True Story of The Abduction And Murder of Ann Harrison.

She received her Master of Arts with honors from Baker University. She served as adjunct faculty for a national university where she has written several criminal justice courses and has been a contributor to national law enforcement publications.

She and her husband were recently filmed for an upcoming true crime series in the United Kingdom for an episode based on the Precious Doe murder case.

Her work has been published in two volumes of Chicken Soup for the Soul. She is currently writing her third book, documenting the serial murders of Kansas City women and their alleged killer.

Marla and her husband retired Sgt. David Bernard, reside in the Midwest near the loves of their lives – their two children and three grandchildren.

Filed Under: Coming Soon, Marla Bernard, True Crime Books Tagged With: Angel Hart, Brittany Williams, Child murder, Decapitated child, Erica Green, Female victim, Kansas City, Murder, Precious Doe, Rilya Wilson, True-crime
February 6, 2023 By Marla Bernard Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

PRECIOUS FEW CLUES by Marla Bernard

Pre-order Now!

INTERNATIONAL KINDLE EBOOKS
USA   UK   Canada   Australia   Germany   France   Spain   Japan   Italy   Brazil   India   Mexico

More From Marla Bernard

logo with 2022 Recap text

WildBlue Press 2022 Year in Review: Part 1 of 2

22 New Books Released 14 Nonfiction Titles 8 Fiction Titles That’s right; 22 new books in 2022! Each year we put out gripping, celebrated true crime titles and this year was no different. Two authors asked readers to make up their own minds about potential governmental coverups. Cover Design by Elijah Toten Audiobook Narrated by […]

audiobook cover

Audiobook Narrator Claire Duncan brings Marla Bernard’s BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD to Listeners

In prison, the rumor mill operates its own form of “social media.” It took no time for information to spread through the general population about Taylor. There is an unspoken hierarchy within a prison and rapists-especially those who raped young children-were especially reviled. Because of Taylor’s being accused of the rape and murder of a young girl, he needed to be placed in a lockdown area. However, the prison policy was that the warden had to authorize locking down any inmate before the correctional officers could reassign one, and they could not reach the warden. As a result, guards escorted Taylor back to his regular unit. Unfortunately for Taylor, a gang of inmates taught him a lesson, and he was gang-raped so violently that his injuries required surgery and over 80 sutures to correct. They subsequently transferred him to lockdown.

For the first time since her abduction and murder, Ann’s killer was experiencing some of what he had subjected his victim to during the hours he held her captive. His terror was only a sampling of what Ann endured, but karma came back around and caught up with Michael Taylor.

author photo

Marla Bernard

Author Marla Bernard A former police sergeant, Marla Bernard is a passionate victim’s rights advocate, author, and public speaker. She received her Master of Arts with honors from Baker University. She serves as adjunct faculty for a national university where she has written several criminal justice courses and has been a contributor to national law […]

More True Crime From WildBlue Press

book cover

SECRETS OF A HOLLYWOOD PRIVATE EYE: A Rollicking No-Holds Barred Expose Of Tinsel Town by Fred Wolfson and Burl Barer

Famous Rock Stars, TV Celebrities, Stone Cold Conmen, A Daring Rescue of Kidnapped Kids, And More! Ready to uncover the truth behind Hollywood’s elite? SECRETS OF A HOLLYWOOD PRIVATE EYE is your ultimate source for the juiciest stories, scandals, and gossip from Tinsel Town. Join private investigator Fred Wolfson on thrilling adventures from the glitz […]

Death By Talons Book Cover

Author Tiddy Smith Explores ‘Owl Theory’ and North Carolina’s Infamous ‘Staircase Murder’ in DEATH BY TALONS: Did An Owl ‘Murder’ Kathleen Peterson?

It was not enough to suggest that Kathleen began to bleed outside. It was not enough to point to prior owl attacks on humans. Larry needed a smoking gun. And he would find it. —from DEATH BY TALONS by Tiddy Smith On December 9, 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a […]

Lou And JonBenet book cover

In LOU AND JONBENÉT, Author John Wesley Anderson Reveals the Inside Story of the Failed Police Investigation Into the Kidnapping and Murder of JonBenét Ramsey

Now, for the first time in LOU AND JONBENET, Anderson tells the story of Smit’s investigation and why the Smit family team now believes that the killer can be identified.

Book Cover

New From Burl Barer with Punch Stanmirovic—STEALING MANHATTAN: The Untold Story of America’s Billion Dollar Gem Heist Masterminds

Get STEALING MANHATTAN   eBook Punch Stanimirovic insists: “My father, known as Mr. Stan, is the greatest gentleman thief who ever lived—a true genius.” Punch was raised to be an exceptional diamond thief. He could work magic on a safe that would have sent Mandrake the Magician back to the novelty store, and Dr. Strange back […]

book cover

HIDDEN DEMONS: Evil Visits A Small New England Town

Get HIDDEN DEMONS   eBook   Paperback   Audio Book A father, his daughter, and a brave young girl thwarted criminals whose escalating hidden demons led them to bolder and more risky acts of violence in Margery Metzger’s Debut True Crime. About The Book On January 7, 1994, residents of Berkshire Hills woke up to a typical snowy […]

Book cover

Steve Jackson’s Classic True Crime—About A Monstrous American Serial Killer—LOVE ME TO DEATH Has Been Revised and Updated

Get LOVE ME TO DEATH   eBook   Paperback   Audio Book Originally released in 2011, New York Times bestselling author Steve Jackson has revised and updated this classic true crime about one of the most monstrous serial killers in American history. “Here’s What Happens When You Mess With Me!” —William Neal William Neal, who called himself “Wild […]

book cover

Adoriana Marik’s ESCAPE FROM MARIUPOL, Told to Anne K. Howard, Exposes the Realities of War And Gives Readers Hope

Get ESCAPE FROM MARIUPOL   eBook   Paperback   Audio Book In early 2022, life in the port city of Mariupol, Ukraine was safe and predictable for Adoriana Marik. The 31-year-old tattoo artist loved walking her dog by the seaside and meeting friends at cafes and public gardens. But all that changed on February 24, 2022, when Russian […]

book cover

BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

In prison, the rumor mill operates its own form of “social media.” It took no time for information to spread through the general population about Taylor. There is an unspoken hierarchy within a prison and rapists-especially those who raped young children-were especially reviled. Because of Taylor’s being accused of the rape and murder of a young girl, he needed to be placed in a lockdown area. However, the prison policy was that the warden had to authorize locking down any inmate before the correctional officers could reassign one, and they could not reach the warden. As a result, guards escorted Taylor back to his regular unit. Unfortunately for Taylor, a gang of inmates taught him a lesson, and he was gang-raped so violently that his injuries required surgery and over 80 sutures to correct. They subsequently transferred him to lockdown.

For the first time since her abduction and murder, Ann’s killer was experiencing some of what he had subjected his victim to during the hours he held her captive. His terror was only a sampling of what Ann endured, but karma came back around and caught up with Michael Taylor.

More Posts from this Category

Genres, Types

New Releases
Featured Books
Coming Soon
Award Winners

Business
History
Horror
Mysteries
Romance
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Thrillers
True Crime

eBooks
Paperbacks
Audio Books
Box Sets

Available

Biography
• Dances With Donkeys
• Secrets Of A Hollywood Private Eye
• Stealing Manhattan
• Escape From Mariupol
True Crime
• The Delphi Murders
• Death By Talons
• Lou And Jonbenet
• Hidden Demons
• Love Me To Death
• By The Side Of The Road
• Going Under
• I Don't Like Mondays
• The Last Jewish Gangster, The Middle Years
• The Tuskegee Strangler
• The Decision To Kill
• All Along The Watchtower
• Ted Bundy
• The Last Jewish Gangster, The Early Years
• Carmine And The 13Th Avenue Boys
• Vampires, Gators, And Wackos
• The Curse Of The Turtle
• Deadly Associates
• Jane Doe 9
• Watch Me Die
• Mystery At The Blue Sea Cottage
• The Wheels Of Justice
• 16 Minutes
• Terror Town, Usa
• Raging On
• Grilling Dahmer
• The 'Peyton Place' Murder
• Cold Blooded
• Faith Based Fraud
• The Real Mr. Big
• The Son Of Seven Mothers
• 'The Son Of Sam' And Me
• Serial Killers
• Satin Pumps
• Out Of The Mouths Of Serial Killers
• True Crime Chronicles Volume Two
• The World Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers Volume Three
• The Enigma Of Ted Bundy
• True Crime Chronicles Volume One
• Killing Women
• From The Mob To The Movies
• The World Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers Volume Two
• To Kill Or Be Killed
• No Angels
• Monster
• Under A Full Moon
• 'Til Death Do Us ...'
• The World Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers
• First Degree Rage
• The 'Supreme Gentleman' Killer
• Beast Of New Castle
• The Garden State Parkway Murders
• How Now, Butterfly?
• The Encyclopedia Of The Ted Bundy Murders
• Survival
• Missing ... And Presumed Dead
• Wrong Numbers
• Tantamount
• Playing Dead
• Mothers And Murderers
• Dead Reckoning
• Underworld
• Gabacho
• The Gangster's Cousin
• Race To Justice
• Ted Bundy's Murderous Mysteries
• Travesty Of Justice
• Railroaded
• You Have A Very Soft Voice, Susan
• A Family Business
• Pathological
• Wrecking Crew
• The Last Man Standing
• My Son, The Killer
• Inconvenience Gone
• Toxic Rage
• The Killing Game
• Shots In The Dark
• The Case Of The Golden State Killer
• His Garden
• The Crate
• Burned
• The Case Of The Zodiac Killer
• A Murder In My Hometown
• Bullied To Death
• The Beast I Loved
• Summary Execution
• The Shawcross Letters
• Better Off Dead
• Sidetracked
• My Brother's Keeper
• Targeted
• Held Hostage
• Room 1203
• A Special Kind Of Evil
• Brooklyn's Most Wanted
• Outlaw Los Angeles
• Unsolved No More
• She Is Evil
• The Rise And Fall Of A Casino Mobster
• Outlaw Southwest
• A Clockwork Murder
• Raw Deal
• The Bundy Secrets
• Betrayal In Blue
• The Politics Of Murder
• Murderers Row
• Rough Trade
• Daddy's Little Secret
• Murder In The Family
• Failure Of Justice
• Ice And Bone
• Smooth Talker
• The Trail Of Ted Bundy
• A Taste For Murder
• Sketchcop
• Body Of Proof
• Kentucky Bloodbath
• No Stone Unturned
• Repeat Offender
• Dixie's Last Stand
• Vampire
• Man Overboard
• Bogeyman
• Murderers Row Volume Two
Thriller
• Gasping For Air
• Big Dogs
• The Shadowmaker
• A Nest Of Snakes
• Blood Red Ivory
• No One Will Hear Your Screams
• The Screaming Room
• Bone Thief
• Sword Of The Caliphate
• Last Son Of The War God
• The Strait
• Enemy Of The People
• The Reckoning
• 16 Souls
• Borderland
• Paper Wings
• Lockout
• Pitfall
Mystery
• Deaf Row
• The Humanzee Experiments
• The Killing Machine
• Murder At Mardi Gras
• The Right Thing
• Raven's Ridge
• Raptor's Ridge
• Napa Noir
• Melia Ridge
• Emerald Ridge
• Crevice
• Headlock
• Identity Crisis
• The Obituary
• Naked Addiction
• The Deadline
Horror
• Four
• Acadia Event
• The Red Son
• Highwayman
• The Equinox
• The Pure And The Hated
• Savage Highway
Science Fiction
• Tribulations
• Crux
• Leviathan
• Happenstance
• Cain
• Dark Visions
• Hunter
• Created
Fantasy
• Dawn Of Legacy
• Destruction Of Justice
• Blunt Force Magic
History
• Fields Of Fortune
• Legion Rising
• The Korean Crisis
• Tempest Tost
• Saving Sandoval
• Killing Rasputin
Politics
• The (Redacted) Mueller Report
Romance
• When Fall Fades
Business
• Leaderology
• The Age Of Pluralism
• Bamboo Strong
• Corporate Superpower
• Wordpress Websites For Business
• Productivity Tools For Business
Cookbook
• Frank Cullotta's Greatest (Kitchen) Hits

New Releases

Death By Talons Book Cover

Author Tiddy Smith Explores ‘Owl Theory’ and North Carolina’s Infamous ‘Staircase Murder’ in DEATH BY TALONS: Did An Owl ‘Murder’ Kathleen Peterson?

It was not enough to suggest that Kathleen began to bleed outside. It was not enough to point to prior owl attacks on humans. Larry needed a smoking gun. And he would find it. -from DEATH BY TALONS by Tiddy Smith On December 9, 2001, Kathleen … [More...]

Lou And JonBenet book cover

In LOU AND JONBENÉT, Author John Wesley Anderson Reveals the Inside Story of the Failed Police Investigation Into the Kidnapping and Murder of JonBenét Ramsey

On Christmas Night 1996, six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado. A ransom note was found in the home, but it was hours before her father, John, found her body in the basement. She had been strangled with a … [More...]

Book Cover

NYT Bestselling Author Ron Franscell Delivers A Crime Mystery With Shocking Twist: DEAF ROW

About The Book As you read along, be sure to dog-ear the pages bursting with Franscell's gritty descriptions - a sentence, a paragraph or a page - of the silver-haired people and the gray places of rural Colorado in this raw, wintry crime novel." … [More...]

book cover

GASPING FOR AIR: Book Two In The ‘Big Dogs Series’ by S.L. Ditmars

SL Ditmars writes another fast-paced, page-turning police procedural... I love the characters and the dogs, Ares and Addy, who make the story even richer... I very much and highly recommend this book. -K.L. Peacock, author of THE CROSSINGS series and … [More...]

Coming Soon

book cover

SECRETS OF A HOLLYWOOD PRIVATE EYE: A Rollicking No-Holds Barred Expose Of Tinsel Town by Fred Wolfson and Burl Barer

Famous Rock Stars, TV Celebrities, Stone Cold Conmen, A Daring Rescue of Kidnapped Kids, And More! Ready to uncover the truth behind Hollywood's elite? SECRETS OF A HOLLYWOOD PRIVATE EYE is your ultimate source for the juiciest stories, scandals, and … [More...]

Book Cover

New From Burl Barer with Punch Stanmirovic—STEALING MANHATTAN: The Untold Story of America’s Billion Dollar Gem Heist Masterminds

Punch Stanimirovic insists: "My father, known as Mr. Stan, is the greatest gentleman thief who ever lived-a true genius." Punch was raised to be an exceptional diamond thief. He could work magic on a safe that would have sent Mandrake the Magician … [More...]

book cover

PRECIOUS FEW CLUES: The True Crime Investigation Of Kansas City’s “Precious Doe” Murder

On an unseasonably warm April evening in 2001, the headless body of a tiny girl was found discarded in a makeshift dump site in the woods on the southeast side of Kansas City, Missouri.    One long night turned into four long years for … [More...]

Recent Posts

  • The San Diego Reader Features Author James Stewart, Highlighting the Glamour and Grit of the City During a Tumultuous Era
  • SECRETS OF A HOLLYWOOD PRIVATE EYE: A Rollicking No-Holds Barred Expose Of Tinsel Town by Fred Wolfson and Burl Barer
  • Acquisitions Team Sign-Up
  • Street Team Sign-Up
  • Enjoy a Slice of South Brooklyn—”Playing the Numbers”—By Author Craig McGuire
  • THE SHADOWMAKER by T.J. Champitto Is Now Available In Audiobook—Experience the Heart-stopping International Thriller Preformed by Brandon J. Peterson
  • Author Tiddy Smith Explores ‘Owl Theory’ and North Carolina’s Infamous ‘Staircase Murder’ in DEATH BY TALONS: Did An Owl ‘Murder’ Kathleen Peterson?

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

eZine SignupJoin our email list and be the first to get hot deals, new releases and...
* Author updates
* Free eBooks
* Free audio books
* Enlightening and entertaining posts
* Advance notice of book deals, special offers

Follow Us

Blog Tag Cloud

best true crime books Bogeyman Bradley Nickell Brian Whitney Burl Barer Caitlin Rother Cold Case crime Crime Fiction Crime thriller Detective Detectives Facebook True Crime John Ferak Kevin Sullivan Las Vegas memoir Murder murder book murder mystery Mysteries Mystery mystery thriller Non-Fiction Serial Killer serial killer books Serial Killers Steve Jackson Suspense suspense thriller Ted Bundy Thriller Thriller Books True-crime truecrime True Crime True Crime Authors true crime book true crime books True Crime Original true crimes true crime stories True Murder WildBlue Press writing

Privacy Policy

As Seen On:

Our Authors Have Been Seen On...

Interested Authors Click Here
See Our Entire Catalog
SSL Secure Connection

Copyright © 2023 WildBlue Press. All rights reserved.
Website design by Denver Local SEO Marketing Company
PRECIOUS FEW CLUES: The True Crime Investigation Of Kansas City’s “Precious Doe” Murder

Join our newsletter for awesome content, free offers and launch notifications!
Loading