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WORK TITLE: I, a Squealer
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1947?
WEBSITE: https://www.iasquealer.com/
CITY: Tucson
STATE: AZ
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born c. 1947; children: three daughters.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, journalist, and educator. Retired teacher.
AVOCATIONS:Collecting antiques.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Richard Bruns is a writer and retired teacher in Tucson, Arizona. In his book I, a Squealer: The Insider’s Account of the “Pied Piper of Tucson” Murders, Bruns “details his friendship with serial killer Charles Schmid, who was convicted of murdering three teenage girls” in Tucson, Arizona in 1965, noted a Publishers Weekly contributor.
The year 1965 in America was perhaps a more wholesome time in this country, at least based on the popular culture of the day. “The Andy Griffith Show” and the “Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” were among the more successful television programs, while the music scene was just starting to feel the effects of the British Invasion with the Beatles and other bands. The need to be constantly vigilant for one’s safety, let alone awareness of serial killers, was far from many people’s minds.
Bruns’s account tells the story of Schmid, nicknamed the Pied Piper of Tucson, and the brutal murders he was convicted of committing. He describes his friendship with Schmid and how that friendship grew and developed over the years. Bruns provides a detailed account of how he hesitated to alert the police about Schmid’s behavior, even when Schmid said he killed a teenage girl and wanted to kill his girlfriend, Gretchen Fritz. He details the slaying of teenage sisters Gretchen and Wendy Fritz and fifteen-year-old Alleen Rowe.
In the end, Bruns was the person who turned Schmid in to the police, noted a writer on the Richard Bruns website. He also served as a main witness in the prosecution’s case against Schmid. He provides coverage of the trials and the outcome, which saw Schmid sentenced to death for the killing of the Fritz sisters and to a life sentence for the death of Row. Bruns also discusses the aftermath of the case and the effect it had on him and the community.
I, a Squealer is based on his own experiences during the Schmid’s trials in 1966 and 1967. The firsthand account lay untouched for some fifty years, but eventually, his daughters found the manuscript and convinced him to tell his version of what happened during those tense and violent days in the mid-1960s.
A Small Press Bookwatch reviewer called I, a Squealer a “unique, insightful, and impressively informative account of an authentic serial killer.” Linda Thorlakson, writing in Foreword Reviews, commented that Bruns “succeeds in honoring the inviolability of friendship despite unmasking a barbaric fiend beneath the guise of his friend.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Foreword Reviews, March-April, 2o18, Linda Thorlakson, review of I, a Squealer: The Insider’s Account of the “Pied Piper of Tucson” Murders.
Publishers Weekly, January 15, 2018, review of I, a Squealer, p. 52.
Small Press Bookwatch, March, 2018, review of I, a Squealer.
ONLINE
Crossroad Reviews, http://www.crossroadreviews.com/ (June 20, 2018), review of I, a Squealer.
I, a Squealer website, http://www.iasquealer.com (June 20, 2018).
Twin Feather Publishing website, http://www.twinfeatherpublishing.com/ (June 20, 2018).
Richard Bruns is the man who turned Charles Howard Schmid Jr. aka “The Pied Piper of Tucson” into the authorities and was the star witness for the prosecution in the cases against Schmid. He wrote his firsthand account at the time of the trials in 1966 through 1967. Once finished, he packed the manuscript away like a time-capsule. He was ready to close this chapter of his life. Fifty years later, his daughter’s have uncovered the manuscript and have convinced him to release his side of the story.
Bruns is a retired teacher and continues to reside in Tucson, Arizona. He takes great pride in his three daughters and three grandchildren and has a passion for collecting antiques. Richard can be contacted through his book website at: Contact Me. He can also be reached through his publisher at www.twinfeatherpublishing.com.
I, a Squealer: The Insider's Account of the "Pied Piper of Tucson" Murders
Publishers Weekly. 265.3 (Jan. 15, 2018): p52+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
I, a Squealer: The Insider's Account of the "Pied Piper of Tucson" Murders
Richard Bruns. Twin Feathers, $17.95 trade paper (154p) ISBN 978-0-9831665-5-9
Bruns details his friendship with serial killer Charles Schmid, who was convicted of murdering three teenage girls in 1965 Tucson, in this meandering account. The book, essentially a previously unpublished manuscript written in 1967, assumes prior knowledge of the case and reflects the naive perspective of the author, who was 20 when he wrote it. Bruns describes becoming increasingly wary of his childhood friend after hearing him boast that he "killed a teenage schoolgirl just to see what it felt like." Still, Bruns doesn't immediately alert police, even when he recalls Schmid's comments about wanting to kill his girlfriend Gretchen Fritz, who, along with her younger sister, Wendy, becomes his next victim. While Bruns eventually turns Schmid in, he does nothing to generate sympathy for his involvement in the cases; instead, he wallows in self-pity, wondering what he did to deserve condemnation by his community, and justifies his delay in inculpating Schmid as a reluctance to violate "the code of youth" by squealing. John Gilmore's Cold-Blooded: The Saga of Charles Schmid, the Notorious "Pied Piper of Tucson" remains the definitive account of these crimes. Photos. (Mar.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"I, a Squealer: The Insider's Account of the 'Pied Piper of Tucson' Murders." Publishers Weekly, 15 Jan. 2018, p. 52+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A523888932/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=cfcd6e2a. Accessed 29 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A523888932
I, a Squealer
Small Press Bookwatch. (Mar. 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
I, a Squealer
Richard Bruns
Twin Feather Publishing
www.twinfeatherpublishing.com
9780983166559, $17.95, PB, 154pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: It was 1965 and the Beatles, Elvis Presley, and The Righteous Brothers filled the airwaves. Television shows like "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" and "The Andy Griffith Show" mirrored the innocence of life in the dusty city of Tucson, Az.
But the sunbaked desert surrounding Tucson was hiding a sinister secret. A psychopath names Charles Schmid, later nicknamed the "Pied Piper of Tucson" by Life Magazine, would steal that innocence away, along with the lives of three beautiful teenage girls.
"I, a Squealer: The Insider's Account of the Pied Piper of Tucson Murders" by Richard Burns is firsthand account written in 1967, that shares the evolution of Burns' friendship with Schmid, the details of getting involved way in over his head, and how he finally summoned the courage to blow the whistle to end the deadly rampage that shocked the nation and changed the city of Tucson forever.
Critique: Written with an impressive candor, "I, a Squealer: The Insider's Account of the Pied Piper of Tucson Murders" is a unique, insightful,
and impressively informative account of an authentic serial killer that is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Criminology Studies collections, as well as the personal reading lists of non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"I, a Squealer." Small Press Bookwatch, Mar. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A536746392/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=7f614aa8. Accessed 29 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A536746392
I, a Squealer
The Insider's Account of the "Pied Piper of Tucson" Murders
Richard Bruns
Twin Feather Publishing (Mar 20, 2018)
Softcover $17.95 (154pp)
978-0-9831665-5-9
Richard Bruns’s I, a Squealer promises an insider’s account of the “Pied Piper of Tucson” murders. As intriguing as this narrative is, the more compelling story lurks within the relationship between the “squealer” and the “Pied Piper.” Published fifty years after it was written, this tale is fueled no less by its teller’s compassion than by the killer’s deplorable deeds.
From the outset, one mystery begets another. Why did Bruns finally squeal? Why didn’t he squeal sooner? How and why did Smitty plummet from a charismatic teen idol to Charles Schmid, killer without a conscience?
The introduction offers an uncanny glimpse of the style and structure employed in subsequent chapters. Suspense and absurdity abound as a curious, jovial crowd watches two officers excavate the remains of a teenage girl. A photo depicts an image too ludicrous to fathom without proof. Then, the story catapults through time and space to drop in on scenes at their most climactic moments—a courtroom as the verdict of is read; a jail cell where Smitty blames Bruns for his crimes.
Throughout the book, only as much is revealed as is necessary to propel characters from one rendezvous to the next. This sometimes results in confusion about where in time and place the characters reside, but frequently it enhances the suspense rather than diminishing the story line. Three appendices offer evidence for the most unbelievably bizarre events while resolving any residual confusion.
The final enigma spawned by I, a Squealer eclipses all others. How could a true-crime memoir so infused with brutality, betrayal, deceit, and destruction simultaneously function as an inspiring tribute to integrity and friendship? Yet Bruns succeeds in honoring the inviolability of friendship despite unmasking a barbaric fiend beneath the guise of his friend.
Reviewed by Linda Thorlakson
March/April 2018
#BookReview: I, a Squealer: The Insider's Account of the "pied Piper of Tucson" Murders by Richard Bruns #Giveaway
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About the Book:
The year was 1965. The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and The Righteous Brothers filled the airwaves. Television shows like "The Adventures of Ozzy and Harriett" and "The Andy Griffith Show" mirrored the innocence of life in the dusty city of Tucson, Az. But the sunbaked desert surrounding Tucson was hiding a sinister secret. A psychopath names Charles Schmid, later nicknamed the "Pied Piper of Tucson" by Life Magazine, would steal that innocence away, along with the lives of three beautiful teenage girls.
In this firsthand account written in 1967, Richard Bruns shares the evolution of his friendship with Schmid, the details of getting involved way in over his head, and how he finally summoned the courage to blow the whistle to end the deadly rampage that shocked the nation and changed the city of Tucson forever.
Publisher: Twin Feather Publishing
Recommended Age: Adult
Genre: Serial Killers, Memorie (written as a story)
How I Acquired this book: Author
Overall rating: ★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon
About the Author:
Richard Bruns is the man who turned Charles Howard Schmid Jr aka "The Pied Piper of Tucson" into the authorities and was the star witness for the prosecution in the cases against Schmid. He wrote his first hand account at the time of the trials in 1967. Bruns is a retired teacher and continues to reside in Tucson, Az.
Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: This was a very interesting look at the world of a serial killer!
Check out author's other books? Maybe
Recommend this book? Yes (if this is your thing)
Notes and Opinions: This was a very intersting story about a serial killer. But unlike most books this one is through the eyes of the serial killers close friends. If you love books about serieal killers but do not want to read a biogrophy I would recommend reading this one. I noticed that one of my fav. authors even used it for one of her titles (one that I loved btw) So this is def. a great story. I did have a few issues with pacing and just keeping my attention. But in full I think that the author did a fabulous job with giving us all the details of the story in a way that did not sound like a text book which was great. This book gave a lot of great details that I could see others using this book as a reference for their own titles. Also this book is just over 150 pages but feels so much longer.
Go Into This One Knowing: Details!