Jax Miller

Hell in the Heartland by Jax Miller is a 2020 Berkley Publication.

This saga began over twenty years ago- in 1999- When Shane Freeman- a teenager who had run afoul of the law was shot by law enforcement. It was self-defense, the officer claimed, but there were no witnesses. The family sued, but before a court date could transpire, Shane’s parents, Danny and Kathy, were murdered, and their trailer home was set ablaze. But the bodies of two teenagers, the Freeman’s daughter, Ashley, and her best friend, Lauria Bible, who was supposed to be spending the night with Ashley, were missing….

Thus begins a decades long hunt for the girls, eventually exposing a bungled investigation, and a plethora of drug dealers, of, rumors and dead-ends eventually culminating in shocking revelations that will effectively close the case- but questions still linger to this day….

Whew! What a sad, twisted true crime saga-

Rural areas are often hit hard by drug trafficking and addiction. Though the crime statistics in these areas don’t make the evening news, it is most assuredly there- alive and well…

While I can understand law enforcement going above and beyond to track down leads, even dubious ones, consider conspiracy theories, interview people on the periphery of the crime, people who may be keeping secrets,or have knowledge that may be pertinent- but more often we find amateur sleuths doing this sort of investigation- and in this case an author of fiction who is writing a true crime book- in the style of investigative journalism. *Lauria’s mother also apparently did some pretty bold things, too, but she was the mother of a missing child- so there’s that.

The book did get off to a rough start for me- as I had some trouble keeping up with all the people involved and the various pieces of information placed in seemingly odd places, but just like working a jigsaw puzzle- some pieces that didn’t seem to fit initially, eventually came together to paint a disturbingly dark portrait of the underbelly of rural Oklahoma, juxtaposed against the beauty of the landscape the author often alludes to.

All the bad blood between the Freeman’s and law enforcement didn’t convince me of a conspiracy. All the other avenues explored also seemed like a waste of time now but had to be explored before more clear cut evidence came to light. At the end of the day, it’s an old story, really. Evil men doing evil deeds and innocent people getting caught in the crosshairs…

Overall, a compelling true crime case- very disturbing on many levels. Though it was featured on a few true crimes shows, mostly airing on cable tv, and is the subject of some podcasts- it skated beneath the national headlines. While the organization and style of the book took some getting used to, ultimately, it kept me right on the edge of my seat. If you are into True Crime, this a book you will not want to miss!

4 stars… (mere)

It certainly won't make you long for visit to Oklahoma, but it is an interesting account of a truly abominable crime and the deeply flawed investigation that followed. Yes, the conclusion is less than satisfying, but it took a LOT of grit for this author to track down her many sources--including many who are convicted and addicted felons with little regard for the law or life--and then to actually meet with them on their own turf to obtain more information on the missing girls. Her writing still has room to grow, but her perseverance and nose for a story are both top shelf.… (mere)

If you want a factual account of the crimes I'd search elsewhere. The majority of this book is the author's conjecture of what people (who were dead or missing before she started writing this book) thought, felt or did.
She spends an inordinate amount of time regaling the reader about her anxiety and fear....ad nauseam. In my opinion I learned NOTHING new in this book than was covered in the news media.
As a Midwesterner, I find it offensive that she insinuates that Midwesterners are low class. At one point in the book there was a comment about how it smells like methamphetamine here. Good freaking grief.
To sum up, if you want to read the "woe is me" complaints of the author you might like this. If you want facts look somewhere else… (mere)