WATCH MOMMY DIE
MICHAEL BENSON
PINNACLE BOOKS
Kensington Publishing Corp.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
Table of Contents
Title Page Dedication ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AUTHOR’S NOTE PROLOGUE PART I
MR. HYDE THE LIBRARIAN AND HER DAUGHTER OWL-O-REST RESEARCH STAND-UP BOILING OVER: APRIL 8, 2005 CRIME SCENE FIRST RESPONDERS THE BLUE MARLIN SEARCHING THE MASTERS SUNDAY MONDAY STANKO SIGHTINGS ARREST HEMBREE TALKING HEADS PEOPLE ARE MEAN EXTRANEOUS MATERIAL THE MAZDA LAB RESULTS
GOOSE CREEK LIZ FEBRUARY 22, 1996 STANKO’S GOOD INTENTIONS THORNWALD AND CRENSHAW “CERTAIN IT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN” HUMMER THE PHILOSOPHICAL DEBATE DEFENSE LAWYERS STANKO SPEAKS
FIRST TRIAL TESTIMONY OF PENNY LING STANKO THE GRIFTER DEFENSE CASE BACK PAGES TWO HOURS IN JURY ROOM #1 TO LET DIE APPEAL SECOND TRIAL SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY THE PERFORMANCE JUSTICE DONE “CAN’T KILL HIM TWICE”
EPILOGUE BIBLIOGRAPHY Copyright Page
To the strong survivors, Elizabeth McLendon Buckner and the daughter of Laura Ling.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many people contributed in some way, small or large, to this book. To those who requested anonymity, please know how grateful I am for your assistance. To the others, I would like to thank you here:
McKither Bodison, Warden, Lieber Correctional Institution; Michael C. “Mickey” Braswell, at East Tennessee State University; Kelly Lee Brosky, at the Horry County Office of Public Information; Elizabeth McLendon Buckner; Patti Burns, at the Georgetown County Library; forensic pathologist Dr. Kimberly A. Collins; Dr. Gordon Crews, Associate Professor, Marshall University; Kathleen “Kelly” Crolley and the Owl-O-Rest Factory Outlet furniture store in Surfside Beach, South Carolina; Sergeant Robert A. Cross, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office; librarian extraordinaire Margaret Devereaux; my agent, Jake Elwell, Harold Ober Associates; the manager of International and Business Affairs at truTV, Laura Forti; Ann M. Fotiades, Unit Manager, CBS News Information Resources; Greg Froom, at the South Carolina Lawyers Weekly; Ginger Gaskins-Weiss, at the Office of the Berkeley County Attorney; Sergeant Jeff Gause, Horry County Police Department; South Carolina Department of Corrections Communications director Josh Gelinas; Laura Ling’s tennis buddy, Janis Walker Gilmore; Kensington editor Gary Goldstein; Georgetown County public defender Reuben Goude; the J. Reuben Long Detention Center; the Honorable Deadra L. Jefferson; Margaret Knox, at the Office of General Counsel, SLED; Tracy Minarik, of BlueWaters Pottery, at the Center for Clay Arts, Little River, South Carolina; U.S. Marshal Thedus Mayo; Keith Moore; Maria Montas, CBS News Archives; Captain Bill Pierce, at the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office; Tonya Root, of the Sun News; Stanko’s high-school science teacher, Clarice Wenz; and Hillary Winburn, at the Conway Library.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Although this is a true story, some names will be changed to protect the privacy of the innocent. Pseudonyms will be noted upon their first usage. When possible,