Strangler by Corey Mitchell

In the late 1990's to early 2000's, Houston, Texas had a problem.  Young girls were turning up dead.  They were found tied up with cord around their necks.  It became obvious that the cases were related and that a serial killer was in residence.

Although the cases were investigated, not much progress was made for eight years.  At that time, DNA testing turned up a suspect who confessed when brought in for interrogation.  That suspect was Anthony Allen Shore, known as Tony.  He ended up confessing to four murders, one of them a nine-year-old child.  As the investigation progressed, he also admitted to serially molesting his own two daughters as well as raping other women.

The case went to court and Tony was charged with first degree murder with the death penalty as a possible verdict.  The prosecutor was one of Houston's most well-known, Kelly Siegler.  Fans now recognize her from her TV show, Cold Justice, but back then she was known as a hard-hitting prosecutor who ran many of the departments in the district attorney's office.  Working with the police officers, Siegler put on a convincing case that ended in his verdict of guilty.

In many ways, Tony Shore was a surprising criminal.  He tested at the genius level with an IQ of 150.  He was also a musical prodigy and at one time wanted to make music his life.  But his mindset and urges led him to a marginal life with jobs such as telephone lineman or tow truck operator.  He always had the ability to charm those around him and never lacked for a woman or two in his life.  But young women were his obsession and he craved the ultimate power.

Corey Mitchell is known as one of the more prolific true crime authors.  This case is an interesting one and readers will enjoy reading about the court case and the work of Siegler and her team.  Many of Shore's family members and women who dated him were interviewed and it is interesting to see how they viewed him.  Many of the police believe that he had more than the four victims he admitted to.  Shore is still on Death Row and perhaps he will eventually answer all the police's questions about his crimes.  This book is recommended for true crime readers.