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The Murder Business: How the Media Turns Crime Into Entertainment and Subverts Justice
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$ 21.80
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| Item Number |
781485 |
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Item Description...
Overview
Argues that the media distort the facts and sensationalize murder cases in pursuit of profit and a good story, analyzing several prominent murder cases, how they were treated by the media, and what really happened. |
Item Specifications...
Pages 194
Dimensions: Length: 1" Width: 6.25" Height: 9.25"
Weight: 0.92 lbs.
Binding Hardcover
Release Date Oct 13, 2009
ISBN 1596985844
EAN 9781596985841
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Availability 2 units.
Availability accurate as of May 30, 2012 04:11.
Usually ships within one to two business days from Momence, IL.
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | The Murder Business Dec 5, 2009 |
| A truly excellent book. Mark Furman is a shinning example of law enforcement. During a period where our leaders appear to make their own, self benefiting laws, Furman is a personal hero/ as this book attests. | | |  | Interesting - Dec 3, 2009 |
The bulk of "The Murder Business" is taken up with Mark Furhman's review of several well-known murder cases, including the media's involvement. Fuhrman is concerned that too often the media turn an investigation into a circus aimed at boosting ratings that also distracts and delays investigation. (Fuhrman makes exceptions, however, for 'America's Most Wanted,' his employer 'Fox News,' and books by the likes of his late friend, Dominick Dunne.) Fuhrman also contends that the media's attention is biased towards attractive females, virtually ignoring eg. young, black males. (One has to wonder about this point, given Furhman's prior excoriation for racism during the O.J. trial.) Another Fuhrman concern is the deferential treatment sometimes given the rich and powerful - eg. the Skakel and Ramsey families, as well as law-enforcement personnel (Drew Pearson) and the White House vs. Vince Foster. (Fuhrman raises some good evidentiary points vs. the Foster case, but even anti-Clinton fanatic Ken Starr declared it a suicide after investigating.)
Conclusions offered on controversial cases include blaming Nancy Grace for Melinda Duckett's suicide, though acknowledging she probably was responsible for her young son's death, and seeing Scott Peterson's conviction for murdering his wife and unborn son as totally warranted by the facts. As for Jon Benet Ramsey's murder, Fuhrman sees the 2 1/2 page ransom note as 'bizarre' (handwritten on a kitchen table pad of paper), the intruder story as 'nonsense' (there were cobwebs across the broken basement window panes, and undisturbed dust on the sill), and notes the presence of prior Jon Benet sexual abuse. As for the D.A.'s 2008 'exoneration' of the Ramsey's based on stranger skin cell DNA, Fuhrman contends the scene had been hopelessly contaminated as soon as the body was discovered; he also noted that the Ramsey's should have been interviewed immediately upon discovery of the body - instead, police waited two months.
Fuhrman's review of the Martha Moxley murder case was easily the most interesting section of the book. He contends the case was bungled from the start - thanks to the opposition of the powerful and connected Skakel family - Moxley's neighbors. The crime took place in a gated, small community, and was remarkable for its viciousness - clearly a 'rage killing' involving someone most likely known to the victim, per Furhman. Additional evidence included the expensive, rare, and broken murder weapon - a golf club, the upper end of which had been thrust through Martha's neck. (The Skakels owned just such a set of clubs, and that particular club was missing; however, the piece thrust through Martha's neck that also contained Skakel ownership engraving 'disappeared' from police evidence.) Things started to get hot for the Skankel boys some 20 years later, thanks to writer Dominick Dunne and others reviving interest in the case. Mr. Skakel hired a P.I. firm to investigate - their findings included new statements and inconsistencies and the revelation that Michael Skakel had even confessed in a group therapy session in rehab, and the P.I. slipped Dunne a copy, which he then gave to Fuhrman.
"The Murder Business" ends with Fuhrman briefly reviewing the O.J. case. Fuhrman wastes no time telling us that lead investigator Vannatter was in over his head - eg. he hadn't worked a 'hot crime scene' in seven years, and failed to collect key evidence (the bloody print on the Bundy scene gate, rescinded Fuhrman's direction to tow and impound O.J.'s car with its fresh inside and outside blood). He also blames Marcia Clark for getting him into the 'N' word flap because she was the one that originally brought it up; as for his own contribution, Fuhrman declares that the defense's counter-evidence consisted of a recording of a play he was writing. (Other sources, however, contend there was additional evidence against Fuhrman.)
Bottom Line: Fuhrman seems to be a competent and interesting detective; however, his complaints about the media do seem a bit self-serving.
| | | | A Powerful Indictment of A Corrupt Media Nov 22, 2009 |
Subtitled 'How The Media Turns Crime Into Entertainment And Subverts Justice', 'The Murder Business' is a very good expose of just that.
Written by longtime LAPD homicide detective Mark Fuhrman, this book clearly shows how the American new media is culpable in destroying the lives of innocents as well as virtually ensuring that some of the cases that are exploited in the infamous ratings chase will not be solved.
The author uses several high profile cases to make his case. Some of those include the following: Drew Peterson, Scott Peterson, JonBenet Ramsey, Martha Moxley, Vince Foster, and of course O.J. Simpson. One would have to almost be living in a cave to have missed the coverage of these.
Some of the appalling excesses by the media that are demonstrated here include the ways that the media creates national obsessions over their pet cases (he also shows a seemingly racist element in the selection of which cases to exploit), the way that the lives of those falsely accused and other innocent players are destroyed, and investigations are corrupted (even to the point that it will be virtually impossible to identify the killer).
One of the worst of the 'crime as entertainment' offenders profiled here is Nancy Grace. For those who are unfamiliar with her tactics, this section will not only be informative, but disgusting as well.
Mr. Furhman does not stop with identifying the problem. He also shows how the media types could actually turn their negative behavior into a big positive and help solve some crimes instead of hindering that.
This is an enjoyable read as well as being educational. | | |  | Furman is greedy and he calls the media greedy.. Nov 21, 2009 |
First, Furman is doing the very thing that has fueled his righteous indignation--he is profiting from the suffering of crime victims--he is greedy. I could care less about that, but he is being hypocritical. Or, perhaps he gains nothing from writing any book, which begs the question--Why bother to write?
Secondly, just like Furman's book, if the public did not crave sensational crime stories there would not be sensational crime stories. Without a demand (the public), there would be no supply (the public). We are complicit, and to claim otherwise is to be dishonest.
Finally, it seems preposterous for a man who committed perjury to be on any moral high horse, but Furman seems to have missed this.
I borrowed it instead of wasting $$ reading the Gospel According to a Convicted Felon. It was a good decision.
| | | | The Media Angle Isn't Even the Best Part Nov 20, 2009 |
| Mark Fuhrman, someone I have long admired, has written a fascinating book. However, it's fascination is not so much in what Fuhrman has to say about media involvement in crime investigation and how it hurts police work but in his candid comments about the crimes he has investigated--crimes that have fascinated the public. Yes, he is absolutely spot on in his assessment of the role the media plays, but he could have gone even further with this, citing the prevalence and popularity of forensics shows as an influence on juries, who think murder cases should be proven in a half hour, without commercials. Juries today come to a trial with their own set of skills in analyzing forensic evidence, thanks to shows like "Cold Case Files," "The First 48," and "Forensic Files." Fuhrman could have touched on this a bit, but no matter. What makes this book so enjoyable is his insight into the death (murder) of Vince Foster, the behind-the-scenes look at the Simpson case, and the very improbable scenario that an intruder killed JonBenet Ramsey. All of the stories presented in this book are fascinating, leading to the conclusion that Fuhrman should follow this up with another, and fast. | | | Write your own review about The Murder Business: How the Media Turns Crime Into Entertainment and Subverts Justice
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