Death on the Devil's Teeth
The Strange Murder That Shocked Suburban New Jersey
Published on 20. October 2018
211 pages
978-1-62585-157-4 (ISBN)
Description
Rumors, witchcraft, and murder in this true crime account of one of New Jersey's most notorious cold cases-from two
Weird N.J. magazine contributors.
As Springfield residents decorated for Halloween in September 1972, the crime rate in the affluent New Jersey township was at its lowest in years. That mood was shattered when the body of sixteen-year-old Jeannette DePalma was discovered in the woods, allegedly surrounded by strange objects. Some feared witchcraft was to blame, while others believed a serial killer was on the loose. Rumors of a police coverup ran rampant, and the case went unsolved-along with the murders of several other young women.
Including extensive interviews with DePalma's friends and family, new evidence, and theories about who could have committed this horrible crime, Death on the Devil's Teeth provides the definitive account of this shocking cold case more that remains a mystery more than four decades later.
As Springfield residents decorated for Halloween in September 1972, the crime rate in the affluent New Jersey township was at its lowest in years. That mood was shattered when the body of sixteen-year-old Jeannette DePalma was discovered in the woods, allegedly surrounded by strange objects. Some feared witchcraft was to blame, while others believed a serial killer was on the loose. Rumors of a police coverup ran rampant, and the case went unsolved-along with the murders of several other young women.
Including extensive interviews with DePalma's friends and family, new evidence, and theories about who could have committed this horrible crime, Death on the Devil's Teeth provides the definitive account of this shocking cold case more that remains a mystery more than four decades later.
More details
Persons
Jesse P. Pollack was born and raised in the Garden State, and has served as a contributing writer for Weird NJ magazine since 2001. Also an accomplished musician, Pollack's soundtrack work has been heard on Driving Jersey, an Emmy-nominated PBS documentary series. Death on the Devil's Teeth is his first book.
Content
- Intro
- Front Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Prologue. September 2002
- 1. Discovery
- 2. The Body
- 3. The "Runaway"
- 4. The Disappearance of Jeannette DePalma
- 5. Witchcraft
- 6. Suspicion
- 7. The Mysterious Death of Joan Kramer
- 8. The Accountant
- 9. The Bergen Girls
- 10. The Axe Murderer
- 11. The Trial
- 12. Aftermath
- Epilogue
- About the Authors
