The Columbus Stocking Strangler Review

The book that I am reviewing today holds a special place in my heart because it highlights the investigative work of my mentor (and one of the coolest people I know), Mr. Sellers. I finally got my hands on a copy at the end of January and I have been bursting with anticipation since he told me that a book was in the works months ago! Between school and meeting review deadlines for books sent by publishers, I was able to set aside the time to make this my first read of the new year and it did not disappoint.

The Columbus Stocking Strangler is a non-fiction, true crime novel written by William Rawlings. It was released in September of 2022. You can purchase a copy of The Columbus Stocking Strangler on Amazon and through the Barnes & Noble website.

During an eight-month period in 1977 and 1978, the city of Columbus, Georgia, was terrorized by a mysterious serial killer who raped and ritualistically strangled seven elderly women in one of the community's finer neighborhoods. Despite intensive efforts on the part of police the Stocking Strangler, as he came to be known, managed to elude capture. After the last murder in April 1978, the case went cold. In the spring of 1984, a series of fortuitous events connected to an unrelated murder and a stolen pistol led to the capture of Carlton Gary, who had recently escaped from a South Carolina prison. Following a dramatic trial in 1986, Gary was convicted of three of the seven Columbus murders and sentenced to death, a penalty that would not be carried out until 2018. This convoluted tale of crime and punishment is punctuated by dramatic twists and turns including issues of race, alleged conspiracy and misconduct on the part of the police and the judiciary, and errors in DNA analysis.

I gave this book 4.5 stars on Goodreads. The author, William Rawlings, does a really great job at setting the scene of Columbus as it was when these murders were occurring. His writing style is very precise and well-thought out. I appreciated the open-ness and attention to detail which was prevalent throughout the entire book. If there is a rumor or potential theory, he explored it.

Though the author covers pretty much every aspect of the murders and the area in which they occurred, he keeps the story on track. I have a lot of respect for the way that he writes to convey the facts. Though theories and speculation of outsiders is mentioned and to some extent explored, William Rawlings is an expert at remaining unbiased and fact-focused.

I also wanted to commend the sections which detailed Georgia's history (beginning in the early years) and the history of Columbus. History was always my favorite subject in school and I was grateful for the 'refresh' on my Georgia history! I have been near the Columbus area before but have never been there. The way that William Rawlings laid out the city helped me gain a better understanding of the area during this time.

I mentioned my mentor, Mr. Sellers, above. I took courses with Mr. Sellers for two semesters when I was getting my Associates Degree. They were easily my favorite classes because he was the only professor that I had that supplemented the book-work with stories and examples of his real life experiences in the field. By the end of the semesters, I was very well informed about the Stocking Strangler cases. After I graduated with my Associates Degree, I transferred to another college to complete my Bachelor's Degree. In my criminal justice courses when asked to write about a criminal/serial killer/or general case of my choice, I often chose this one. I quickly joined the Criminal Justice club at my new college. After finding out that the club was seeking guest speakers, I knew exactly how to reach out to. I'm so sorry I roped you into a speaking engagement after your retirement, Mr. Sellers, but it was worth it because I heard about how much people enjoyed it until I graduated last spring!

I bring all of that to say that (between Mr. Sellers' accounts and my own research) when I picked this book up, I considered myself to be very knowledgable about this case. My prior knowledge had no affect on my enjoyment of this book. The author presented facts that I was previously unaware of and kept me engaged in the book all the way through.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read and I think you will too! Due to the nature of the source material, I would recommend for readers 17+. Reader's discretion is always advised. I could not recommend this book more. If you have an interest in true crime, are familiar with this case, or are fascinated by Georgia history----pick this one up!

Have you read The Columbus Stocking Strangler? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

As always, thank you for reading!

XO,

Madison