Book Review--Justice Denied, The Unsolved Murder of Peggy Reber - Page 1

Author Michelle Gooden has written an excellent monograph of a previously unsolved horrific murder of A 14 years old child in a County in Pennsylvania. This book is best described as spellbinding and is a thorough dismanteling of a corrupt county legal system, all the way from the police to the judicial.  In the process of researching this dastardly crime, the author uncovered layers upon layers of county corruption which unfortunately is often the norm in many counties, especially in countuies like the "old coal counties" of Pennsylvania where the "company store" owned so many souls. This is a tough book to put down once someone starts reading it and it is journey which takes one into the deepest recesses of this case.

The only thing I would change about this excellent book is the title.  I would call it the "SOLVED Murder of Peggy Reber", since author Gooden has actually laid the case out extremely well.  It is now up to a Grand Jury to indict.  But wait, that can't happen because the judiciary and prosecutors have shown the appearance of corruption and bias.  But why? In order to keep this crime and the system behind it covered up forever.  Why?  Because several of the powerful players are still living and the same system persists, and full exposure of this system with a good solution and conviction would cause it to crash and numerous folks to suffer severe sanctions. Several more comments are in order about the author's groundbreaking and superb investigation.  First, she faced serious danger in researching and investigating this case and then did much better investigative work than all the police detectives involved, who were sidetracked and limited.  Her courage and success which overcame these threats and caused therm to fail were then fully met with attempts to smear and discredit her, but these also have failed miserably.  Yes Michelle Gooden did what the police would not do, she investigated the crime and uncovered enough for any HONEST or unmanipulated grand jury to act.  Honest or unmanipulated is the key here, as the grand jury that was called because of her work was neither and was just part of a continuing coverup, quite easily manipulated and sidetracked. The lack of support Gooden received from the judiciary and police as well as their attempts to discredit her as a part of the coverup is disgusting and itself should raise eyebrows.

The truth is now published and available for anyone that wants to know what really happened to fourteen year old Peggy Reber. The word is out and numerous folks in the town where this horrid crime occurred know what reallly happened, but even then, nothing can be done because of the deep seated corruption still in place in the powerful circles that run the county. Michelle Gooden is a  true Hero and her work will persist and over time.  It will produce fruits of public awareness and help to erode the corruption behind this sordid crime in this county and other counties like it (and there are unfortunately many).  It will help expose the other numerous related crimes, as well as the actions by accessories after the fact in a coverup which goes on even today forty four years later. Hat's off to the author Michelle Gooden, a true American Hero.

WOW Preston, thanks for taking the time to read Michelle's book.

Can you believe all that and what they did to that 14 year old child ? It's hard for me to look away from those people when I go do my political stuff at the Municiple Building knowing what I know after reading that book. My grandfather was the Chief of Police for that city too .. the Chief of Police that you read about replaced my grandfather !!

So then I gather you know who all was involved with her murder that night huh ? CRAZY isn't it ?

Thanks again, for taking the time to read Michelle's book.

Yes, it was a rare priviledge to be able to read suchan excellent and well written book.   Thank you for recommending it. Such fine investigative joutrnalism is a credit to all who search for truth and fight  corruption. This type of corruption descriobed in this bok is unfortunately rampant nowdays in many counties, and especially inside the beltway.  Full exposure through extremely dedicated investigative jouirnalists is the only way to stop this.

A colleague Googled my book and stumbled across this review.

I was simply overwhelmed with emotion by this review and the dialogue on this page. It literally brought me to tears. 
Thank you does not seem adequate, yet it is all I have to offer.

I celebrate each time someone "Gets it" 

I was imited in many ways in revealing certain facts about the case, yet I desperately wanted to give Peggy "truth" while providing readers with a glimpse of the contaminated system (then and NOW) that turned its back on this child and lashed out at me as I pursued giving her another day in court.

Realistically, I accept the fact Peggy will never see justice in a court of law, yet justice comes in many forms and your conversation is a form of "justice 4 Peggy"
Each time someone "Gets it" or each time she is simply mentioned....the scumbags cringe and the killer quivers.
Score one for Peggy!.     

Thank you again,

Michelle

You are welcome Michelle (I hopwe you are re-checking this thread for my reply to your comment).  I am grateful for all your dedicated investigative journalism on the Peggy Reber case. Corruption like this stings deeply and dishonors all honest law enforcement, attornies and judges everywhere. It take maximum courage to take on this kind of a system which is essentially a RICO crime syndicate, and of course criminal and civil RICO prosecutions are the answer.  As you know, there is no statute of limitations on Murder and fraud can often reset the statute of limitations too.  There was plenty of fraud and obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact in this case. Those involved in this case have shown they can and will use heavy handed means to cover up their crime syndicate.  Of course if this kind of crime was pulled in some parts of Texas or certain areas of Georgia or Kansas or Missouri, this murder would have been met with various types of vigilante corrections, often with the police looking the other way. Normally the FBI is supposed to investigate these kinds of RICO cases involving police and judicial corruption.  But perhaps the power brokers running the honey traps were linked to an intel system which provided the typical get out of jail free immunity that often accompanies such roles.  A seasoned investigator would always look for either connections to a large wealthy local corporation with criminally tainted security services that plays hard ball or an intel faction specializing in human compromise ops. Be that as it may you are definitely a great American Hero.  I congratulate you and you have my gratitude.  You've got more courage and integrity in your little finger than 99% of the so called tough guys out there and that includes most police officers in that county where this horrendous murder of Peggy Reber occurred.