The Amish Wife: Unraveling the Lies, Secrets, and Conspiracy That Let a Killer Go Free by Gregg Olsen

 

"So many things will never be known. That's really the bitter truth of true crime writing. We can never know for sure what truly happened. Not all of it. Sure, forensic science and witness statements can give us an excellent idea of what transpired, but that's only part of the how. Not the why. Not the reasoning behind the act. Forensics can't tell what the perpetrator was thinking as he or she took someone's life."

     -Gregg Olsen, from the book

I do enjoy a true crime read from time to time. This one was good but not great. My rating is 3. It was a bit confusing when the author jumped from one place to another, interviewing multiple witnesses. To top it off he occasionally reverts to a story from a first book called Abandoned Prayers which also involved the Amish community.

In 1977 an Amish wife named Ida Stutzman was found dead near a fire at the family barn. Her husband Eli was never a suspect although there several reasons he should have been. Ida's brother Daniel asks Olsen to delve into what he feels was the murder of his sister. Between Ida's death and Olsen's recent investigation, Little Boy Blue is found dead in the snow and identified as Danny Stutzman, Eli and Ida's son. Did Eli murder him also?

Olsen shows more determination and patience than I could have mustered in solving a mystery 45+years old. In the process he uncovers a conspiracy of silence and some ugly secrets kept by a community known for its strict religious beliefs. He can't help but think that if only one person had spoken up at the right time, lives would have been saved.