
When Lambs Become Wolves
The Chilling Case of Sheila Von Wiese-Mack
Rasul T. Freelain(Author)
Southern Illinois University Press
Will be published approx. on 30. June 2026
Book
Hardback
296 pages
978-0-8093-3996-9 (ISBN)
Description
A compelling true crime memoir about a high-profile criminal case in Chicagoland and Indonesia that made headlines worldwide, this book offers a personal, heartfelt glimpse of child to parent violence and abuse (CPVA) and its capability for incredible destruction. With keen insight and empathy the author, a police officer who tried to change the trajectory of domestic violence in a well-known family, tells the tragic story of the murder of Sheila von Wiese-Mack at the hands of her daughter, Heather Mack.
Reviews / Votes
"In When Lambs Become Wolves, Sgt. Rasul T. Freelain shares his haunting firsthand account of Sheila von Wiese-Mack's desperate struggle to save her daughter from a path of violence and destruction. Through his unique perspective as both investigator and confidant, Freelain reveals the tragic collision of love, denial, and betrayal that ended in unthinkable violence."-Esther Sanchez Ludlow, host and producer, Once Upon a Crime podcast"A heartbreaking exploration of a complex family tragedy, exposing a system not yet reconciled to the possibility of needing to protect a parent from their own child."-Helen Bonnick, author of Child to Parent Violence and Abuse: A Practitioner's Guide to Working with Families
"Freelain delivers the most revealing, honest, and human account to date of Sheila von Wiese-Mack's struggle to save herself and her teenage daughter. His book is a must-read for anyone who truly hopes to understand this terrible tragedy."-Jon Seidel, reporter, Chicago Sun-Times
"A thought-provoking and insightful book on a very timely issue that deserves the focus and effort required to identify needed changes in both law enforcement training and in laws dealing with victims of abuse. Issues affecting children may have come full circle that are being reflected in teen violence on our streets and in our schools today."-Gary Schenkel, chairman,?Illinois?Terrorism Task Force
"Freelain draws on his professional experience as a sergeant, detective, school resource officer, and teacher and takes us into the world of child-to-parent violence and abuse (CPVA), a troubling aspect of family violence for which, until recently, we had no language. While it may reflect a harsh societal reality, he does us a service by leading us toward facing the problem and starting discussions on how to fix it."-John F. S. Williams, Crisis Intervention Team (C.I.T.) Coordinator for Northern Illinois
"A profoundly jarring effort to make both clinical and personal sense of a tragedy that has left a trail of horror across multiple generations and beyond global boundaries; the story of Sheila von Wiese-Mack lingers, haunts, and unsettles anew as the author seeks to shed some light on this most grim chapter of loss told from the middle-American heartland."-Bayo Ojikutu, author of 47th Street Black and Free Burning
More details
Series
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Carbondale
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
New edition
Illustrations
36 images
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Weight
59 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8093-3996-9 (9780809339969)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Sgt. Rasul T. Freelain (Ret.) served twenty years with the Oak Park Police Department in Illinois. He is certified by CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) International as a coordinator and teaches for the Illinois CIT Training Unit. Currently he is working to bring increased awareness to the problem of child-to-parent violence and abuse (CPVA).
Content
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Note on Terminology and Language
Part I
1. No!
2. A Lady in the Lobby
3. Revolving Doors
4. Less than 24 Hours
5. Green Light
6. Ground Zero
7. West Wall
8. Flashing Lights
9. Before
Part II
10. Triage
11. Threat to Self
12. Detention
13. The Nuclear Option
14. Conviction
15. Tombstone Courage
Part III
16. Proof
17. Invasion
18. If Something Isn't Done
19. The Devil You Know
20. Assurances
21. Rising Star
22. More Than Hope
Part IV
23. 86 Calls
24. Wicked Deeds
25. Warning Bells
26. 15 minutes
27. '17 Problems
28. Jeopardy
29. Smear Campaign
30. Guilty
Appendices
Notes
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Note on Terminology and Language
Part I
1. No!
2. A Lady in the Lobby
3. Revolving Doors
4. Less than 24 Hours
5. Green Light
6. Ground Zero
7. West Wall
8. Flashing Lights
9. Before
Part II
10. Triage
11. Threat to Self
12. Detention
13. The Nuclear Option
14. Conviction
15. Tombstone Courage
Part III
16. Proof
17. Invasion
18. If Something Isn't Done
19. The Devil You Know
20. Assurances
21. Rising Star
22. More Than Hope
Part IV
23. 86 Calls
24. Wicked Deeds
25. Warning Bells
26. 15 minutes
27. '17 Problems
28. Jeopardy
29. Smear Campaign
30. Guilty
Appendices
Notes