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VAMPIRE Author Recounts Personal True Crime Story

Kevin Sullivan“Follow that blood trail” I thought as I got out of my car. I was attempting to visit my brother in a downtown Louisville care facility (Ken had damaged his mind in the late 1960’s through the use of hallucinogenic drugs), but as soon as I pulled up to the curb of this three-story brick fortress-looking building, I spotted several small pools of blood, and a trail of blood leading inside. Being young and feeling invincible, I didn’t give it a second thought, and forcing myself to take a bit of extra precaution, I dodged the blood trail in my quest to locate my brother. Being unarmed, I was not moving in the greatest of wisdom.

Anyway, as I stepped out of my car, I noticed something else was strange: despite it being early summer, with plenty of light remaining to the day, there wasn’t a soul on the street, and this was very unusual for any downtown neighborhood around 5:30 p.m., as folks were always milling about in nice weather. And if that wasn’t weird enough, once inside, I discovered the front desk was deserted too. But at least I still had the blood trail, and it was urging me on in the direction I needed to go.

By this time I could feel my pulse quicken as the adrenalin performed its function of preparing me for fight or flight. I remember thinking that whoever has been stabbed, I might just round a corner and find potential killer and victim still together. That said, I wasn’t about to turn around now – I needed to find the owner of all this blood on the floor.

The creepy red trail led to the second floor, but it continued past my brother’s room – the first possible good sign. But like the rest of the building, his room was empty too. At least there was no sign of a struggle and no blood, so I was a bit hopeful I wouldn’t be carrying bad news home to my unsuspecting family. But where was everyone? I called out several times “Is anyone here” but each time I was met with silence.

I quickly made my way back down the steps and returned to the street; a street that was still empty. No sirens, no people, only blood on the sidewalk. And then, for some reason, I turned my head and looked two houses down, and sitting on the front steps, holding a bloody knife in his right hand, was Philip Dugard (a pseudonym). I knew Dugard through my brother who’d known him for several years. Indeed, as a young minister, I once took my brother, Dugard and another fellow from the home out to lunch and Dugard was very nice and agreeable, not only on that day, but in subsequent days to come whenever I saw him while visiting Ken.

But Dugard, who at this time was now in his mid thirties, had murdered an elderly man when he was sixteen by beating him to death with a baseball bat. He also nearly killed another victim only a few years prior to this knife-wielding assault. Without question, he was a time bomb ready to explode and I knew it. Within a minute of spotting him, a police car skidded to a halt and a patrolman, pistol in hand, ran up to Dugard, kicked the knife out of his hand, forced him to the ground and cuffed him. Thankfully, the fellow he stabbed would, after major surgery, recover and Dugard was soon sent to another institution. And then the trail of his life went cold.

There is a bizarre postscript to my dealings with Philip Dugard. Years after this incident, I was functioning as a minister in a local church and sitting in the congregation with other ministers on staff, when in walks Philip Dugard wearing a strange, distant look on his face. Like an automaton, he practically glided towards the pastor who was in the midst of the sermon. I immediately jumped to my feet, shouting to the other ministers “follow me and keep your eyes on his hands!” Before we reached him I again shouted “watch his hands!”

I kept thinking we were going to have to tackle Dugard, but thankfully, when he saw me he stopped dead in his tracks. “What are you doing here, Philip?” I asked, as we escorted him out of the sanctuary and out the front door. With the same odd expression, he said he just wanted to talk to the pastor. I said fine, but I told him he needed to make an appointment. As he walked away I breathed a sigh of relief, and after the service, I explained to my pastor who and “what” was trying to get at him today, and I advised him to be on the alert should Dugard make that appointment.

Dugard never made that call. And that, my friends, is my personal true crime story.

Kevin Sullivan is the author of true crime books VAMPIRE: The Richard Chase Murders and THE BUNDY MURDERS

Filed Under: Blog, Kevin Sullivan Tagged With: assault, Kevin Sullivan, Murder, Non-Fiction, Richard Chase, stabbing, Ted Bundy, True Crime, Vampire
December 8, 2014 By Kevin Sullivan 7 Comments

Comments

  1. Linda Derringer says

    June 30, 2017 at 8:43 pm

    Book sounds interesting.

    Reply
    • Kevin Sullivan says

      June 30, 2017 at 9:25 pm

      It’s very interesting, Linda. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Sara Keeney says

    May 12, 2020 at 11:57 am

    Sounds like you dodged a bullet, er, knife, Kevin. That could have gone either way.

    Reply
    • Kevin Sullivan says

      May 12, 2020 at 12:04 pm

      Yes, that could have ended badly, with me supplying a second blood trail for others to follow lol!

      Reply

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Kevin’s WildBlue Press Books

Bundy Expert Kevin Sullivan Adds To Series With THE ENIGMA OF TED BUNDY

In this 6th and final book on the Ted Bundy case, I wanted to tackle some questions and legitimate controversies that remain about Ted Bundy, the murders, and his victims. These questions and controversies cover such issues as Bundy’s hunting … [More...]

The Encyclopedia Of The Ted Bundy Murders

The Encyclopedia Of The Ted Bundy Murders

The Encyclopedia of the Ted Bundy Murders lists the names of hundreds of people involved in the case as well as dozens of locations where significant events occurred.  Being the final installment in a five-volume series, this veritable “Who’s Who” of … [More...]

New From Bundy Expert Kevin Sullivan TED BUNDY’S MURDEROUS MYSTERIES

Ted Bundy's Murderous Mysteries is a deep-dive into the archival record of the America’s most notorious serial killer. It’s a veritable goldmine of information on Bundy, his victims, and this very voluminous case. Written by the foremost authority … [More...]

THE BUNDY SECRETS: Third Book In Bundy Trilogy Brings Readers The Unedited Case Files

'Hidden Files on America's Worst Serial Killer' Completes Sullivan's Opus Rare Revelations Of A Murderous Rampage Within the pages of THE BUNDY SECRETS: Hidden Files Of America's Worst Serial Killer is a unique, never-before-published look at the … [More...]

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In THE TRAIL OF TED BUNDY, Kevin Sullivan Compiles Never Before Published Interviews and Clues from this Historic Case

THE TRAIL OF TED BUNDY: Digging Up the Untold Stories A look into the life of serial killer Ted Bundy, from those who knew him, to those who chased him, and from those who mourned his many victims... The Trail of Ted Bundy: Digging … [More...]

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True Crime Author Kevin Sullivan Digs Up 10 Tales of Murder In KENTUCKY BLOODBATH

Ten Bizarre Murder Cases From The Bluegrass State That Will Keep You On The Edge Of Your Seat KENTUCKY BLOODBATH: Ten Bizarre Tales of Murder From The Bluegrass State. Readers who find themselves turning the pages of this new work from the … [More...]

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Sullivan Recreates Historic True Crime Tale With VAMPIRE: The Richard Chase Murders

From The Bestselling Author Of THE BUNDY MURDERS Comes The Story Of 'The Vampire of Sacramento' VAMPIRE is the tale of a diabolical, homicidal madman running amok, mutilating and murdering the unsuspecting residents in the quiet neighborhoods of … [More...]

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Have you ever considered why people read true crime?  I am not surprised if you haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about it, but if you enjoyed the tales of monsters as a child (Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolfman, etc), there's likely a connection. … [More...]

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Start 2021 off right by reading more and learning more with free audiobooks! Browse by genre and select the cover to get more information and your free copy! Non-Fiction True Crime Business … [More...]

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We know how hard 2020 has been. To help you end the year on a better note, we wanted to give you the gift of free audiobooks! Hence, the Holiday 2020 Audiobook Giveaway! You're probably thinking of gifts for others right now, like we always do during … [More...]

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[More Kevin Sullivan Posts...]

Kevin’s Other Books

Nonfiction

True Crime Classics

Buy Kevin Sullivan's The Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive HistoryThe Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive History
"Despite the multitude of books about Bundy, The Bundy Murders offers fresh material and ideas about Bundy's predatory movements. Well researched and highly recommended, for Bundy scholars and true crime fans alike."--Katherine Ramsland, author of The Human Predator and The Devil's Dozen.

Buy Kevin Sullivan's Death of a Cheerleader (coauthored with Gregg Olsen)Death of a Cheerleader (coauthored with Gregg Olsen)
In this Notorious USA collection, Death of a Cheerleader, New York Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen and true crime journalist Kevin M. Sullivan write about notorious crimes in the Bluegrass State. In a scene right out of Hitchcock’s “Rear Window,” a young woman vanishes from a beach on a summer day and a neighbor views the abduction through his telescope. A newlywed disposes of his bride but doesn’t know what to do with her head. Selling tickets at a drive-in movie theater proves deadly. And a parent’s worst nightmare becomes reality – their young daughter disappears from a sleepover.

Buy Kevin Sullivan's Custer’s Road to Disaster: The Path to Little BighornCuster’s Road to Disaster: The Path to Little Bighorn
"He rose to the Army's pinnacles at age 23, earning him the endearing title "boy general". But Mr. Sullivan says there's more to it than high rank at young age. George Armstrong Custer's boyhood - impetuous, rash, carefree, even rebellious - never disappeared, molding the icon's battle successes and failures, most notably his last hurrah at the Little Big Horn. Was it all foreordained? A provocative read, this road to disaster invites you to be the judge."
Richard Allan Fox, author, Archaeology, History, and Custer's Last Battle

Buy Kevin Sullivan's The Amish Schoolhouse Murders (coauthored with Gregg Olsen)The Amish Schoolhouse Murders (coauthored with Gregg Olsen)
New York Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen and true crime journalist Kevin M. Sullivan travel down a bizarre trail of murder into notorious Pennsylvania. A seemingly normal husband father of two decides to kill young girls after storming an Amish schoolhouse, and sex many have been the prime motivator. A young high school student has a secret desire for murder, and decides a middle of the night visit to his best friend’s house will do nicely to satiate his hunger to kill. A seedy individual living in an even seedier part of Philadelphia decides to populate his basement with kidnapped women for sex and the bearing of children, and it is death to those who do not submit.

Buy Kevin Sullivan's Unnatural Causes (coauthored with Gregg Olsen)Unnatural Causes (coauthored with Gregg Olsen)
From the dark and bloody ground of Kentucky, to the peaceful Amish communities of Pennsylvania, to the cities and towns crisscrossing Ohio, murder and mayhem has been a part of it all. Within the pages of this latest volume in Notorious USA's New York Times bestselling series you'll discover how the unsuspecting succumbed to the evil that caught them by surprise, and what the authorities had to do to stop the madness.

Buy Kevin Sullivan's Angel of Death (coauthored with Gregg Olsen)Angel of Death (coauthored with Gregg Olsen)
New York Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen and true crime journalist Kevin M. Sullivan travel down a bizarre trail of murder into notorious Pennsylvania. A seemingly normal husband father of two decides to kill young girls after storming an Amish schoolhouse, and sex many have been the prime motivator. A young high school student has a secret desire for murder, and decides a middle of the night visit to his best friend’s house will do nicely to satiate his hunger to kill. A seedy individual living in an even seedier part of Philadelphia decides to populate his basement with kidnapped women for sex and the bearing of children, and it is death to those who do not submit.

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VAMPIRE Author Recounts Personal True Crime Story