Summary

In "Lust Killer," Ann Rule masterfully chronicles the chilling true story of Jerome Henry Brudos, a seemingly ordinary man who harbored terrifying and grotesque obsessions. Born in 1939, Brudos's early life was marked by a difficult relationship with his mother and a disturbing fascination with women's shoes and undergarments. As he grew older, these fixations escalated into a series of violent crimes, culminating in the abduction, torture, and murder of multiple young women in Oregon during the late 1960s.

The narrative follows the relentless investigation led by detectives Jim Stovall and Gene Daugherty, who painstakingly pieced together the clues left behind by Brudos. Their dedication to the cases of Linda Slawson, Jan Whitney, Karen Sprinker, and Linda Salee drove them to explore every lead, from junkyards and missing-persons reports to psychological profiling, in an attempt to understand the mind of a killer who seemed to blend seamlessly into society.

As the detectives delve deeper, they uncover a disturbing pattern of sexual deviance and sadistic behavior, revealing Brudos's carefully constructed world of secret desires and violent compulsions. The book vividly portrays the victims, their lives tragically cut short, and the impact of their loss on their families and communities. Rule's meticulous research and compelling storytelling bring to life the grim details of the crimes, the challenges faced by law enforcement, and the psychological complexities of a man driven by an insatiable lust for control and violence.

"Lust Killer" is not only a true-crime account but also an exploration of the nature of evil and the disturbing reality that monsters can exist among us, hidden behind a facade of normalcy. It serves as a haunting reminder of the importance of vigilance and the dedication of those who seek to bring such individuals to justice.