glaucoma, managed to feel the face of her attacker and it was with her help that Kate Cramer successfully created such a detailed portrait of the serial killer. Gleason’s other victims were Teresa Collins, 17, Frances Silla, 19, Elizabeth Ventura, 18, Tracey Newton, 18, and Jane Gardener, 20.
Despite repeated requests neither the LAPD nor any of the three persons directly involved – Jordan Weislander, Kate Cramer or Cassie Veringer – would comment on this story.
As this newspaper reported only a few weeks ago, it is ten years since Gleason was arrested. Police sources would not comment on whether the publication of this recent article has any bearing on the new developments.
Bobby Gleason was arrested in January 1997 and he was sentenced to death a year later. However, in July 2000, Gleason, 49 – who was on Death Row in San Quentin State Prison - was discovered dead in his cell He had committed suicide.
He threw the paper across his desk. That’s all he needed, some kind of fucking media circus. And true enough, two minutes later Karen Cain – the media spokeswoman for his division – was on the phone relating the dozens of requests from journalists asking for more information. He told her he would draft a brief statement.
‘ But what about a press conference?’ she said. ‘You know that’s what these guys want. They want to see you up there, and they want to talk to Weislander, Kate Cramer and Cassie Veringer.’
‘ No way,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry, but I’m not going to allow Kate Cramer and Cassie Veringer to be eaten alive by a pack of vultures.’ He took a deep breath as he assessed the situation. ‘Look, it’s against my better nature, but if needs be, I’ll take the press conference.’
‘ But Cramer and Veringer are off limits? You sure? There’s nothing like a spot of female vulnerability to get people’s attention.’
God, she made him sick. At times he thought she was just as bad as some of the corpse-feasting crime reporters out there.
‘ Afraid so.’
‘ Okay, I’ll get back to you. And no new leads I can give these hungry babies?’
‘ Not yet,’ he said, finding it difficult to retain his composure. ‘But I’ll see what I can come up with. Also, can you find out how Cynthia Ross got the story?’
‘ She’s one tough lady, she might not tell me much, but I’ll try.’
‘ Great. Speak later.’
As he cut the line he wondered whether sometimes he was doing his job for the sake of the entertainment industry – for the viewers of the news networks, the readers of supermarket tabloids, the internet geeks obsessed by conspiracy theories – and not the safety of the general public. He didn’t have the time to think about that at the moment. He had serious work to do.
He clicked on the secure link and scanned down the list of names on his computer screen. There were five men who had served time with Gleason in San Quentin and who had since been released: Lee Tomlin, Harry Lomax, Michael David Federline, Charles Garrison and Robert Dean Hornbeck.
Tomlin, a 45-year-old black man, was a petty drug dealer and small time pimp; Lomax, 31, had been sentenced for internet fraud and identity theft; Federline, 37, had committed a series of indecent assaults on young women; Garrison, 52, subjected his wife to regular beatings until, on the last occasion, he had nearly killed her; and Hornbeck, 48, a former high school teacher and summer camp leader, was a paedophile who couldn’t keep his hands off young boys.
‘ Right guys – hey, listen,’ said Josh, standing up and shouting across the investigation room. ‘We’ve been sent the names from the prison and I’m copying it and sending it to each of you right now.’
His black eyes narrowed as he bent down to send the email. He had been working for two weeks now without more than an hour of sleep a night and the effects were beginning to show. Dark
Despite repeated requests neither the LAPD nor any of the three persons directly involved – Jordan Weislander, Kate Cramer or Cassie Veringer – would comment on this story.
As this newspaper reported only a few weeks ago, it is ten years since Gleason was arrested. Police sources would not comment on whether the publication of this recent article has any bearing on the new developments.
Bobby Gleason was arrested in January 1997 and he was sentenced to death a year later. However, in July 2000, Gleason, 49 – who was on Death Row in San Quentin State Prison - was discovered dead in his cell He had committed suicide.
He threw the paper across his desk. That’s all he needed, some kind of fucking media circus. And true enough, two minutes later Karen Cain – the media spokeswoman for his division – was on the phone relating the dozens of requests from journalists asking for more information. He told her he would draft a brief statement.
‘ But what about a press conference?’ she said. ‘You know that’s what these guys want. They want to see you up there, and they want to talk to Weislander, Kate Cramer and Cassie Veringer.’
‘ No way,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry, but I’m not going to allow Kate Cramer and Cassie Veringer to be eaten alive by a pack of vultures.’ He took a deep breath as he assessed the situation. ‘Look, it’s against my better nature, but if needs be, I’ll take the press conference.’
‘ But Cramer and Veringer are off limits? You sure? There’s nothing like a spot of female vulnerability to get people’s attention.’
God, she made him sick. At times he thought she was just as bad as some of the corpse-feasting crime reporters out there.
‘ Afraid so.’
‘ Okay, I’ll get back to you. And no new leads I can give these hungry babies?’
‘ Not yet,’ he said, finding it difficult to retain his composure. ‘But I’ll see what I can come up with. Also, can you find out how Cynthia Ross got the story?’
‘ She’s one tough lady, she might not tell me much, but I’ll try.’
‘ Great. Speak later.’
As he cut the line he wondered whether sometimes he was doing his job for the sake of the entertainment industry – for the viewers of the news networks, the readers of supermarket tabloids, the internet geeks obsessed by conspiracy theories – and not the safety of the general public. He didn’t have the time to think about that at the moment. He had serious work to do.
He clicked on the secure link and scanned down the list of names on his computer screen. There were five men who had served time with Gleason in San Quentin and who had since been released: Lee Tomlin, Harry Lomax, Michael David Federline, Charles Garrison and Robert Dean Hornbeck.
Tomlin, a 45-year-old black man, was a petty drug dealer and small time pimp; Lomax, 31, had been sentenced for internet fraud and identity theft; Federline, 37, had committed a series of indecent assaults on young women; Garrison, 52, subjected his wife to regular beatings until, on the last occasion, he had nearly killed her; and Hornbeck, 48, a former high school teacher and summer camp leader, was a paedophile who couldn’t keep his hands off young boys.
‘ Right guys – hey, listen,’ said Josh, standing up and shouting across the investigation room. ‘We’ve been sent the names from the prison and I’m copying it and sending it to each of you right now.’
His black eyes narrowed as he bent down to send the email. He had been working for two weeks now without more than an hour of sleep a night and the effects were beginning to show. Dark
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