Bound in Silence ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Book Review Preview, Trailer, & Giveaway!
BOUND IN SILENCE
An Unsolved Murder in a Small Texas Town
by
Christena Stephens
Nonfiction / True Crime / Texas History
Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing
Page Count: 286 pages
Publication Date: February 26, 2024
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SYNOPSIS
On a nearly moonless night in October 1943, a single gunshot rang out in Littlefield, Texas. A prominent Texas doctor and his wife were found bound, shot, beaten, and murdered. The only witness: their five-year-old daughter, who was bound to silence and refused to speak about what happened for 70 years.
The heinous crime remains unsolved. For years, the courts tried to convict one suspect, but forensic evidence contradicted the prosecution’s case. Investigators, including the famed Texas Rangers, failed to bring anyone to justice.
Eight decades later, the questions linger over the plains of the Texas Panhandle: who killed the Hunts and why?
Author and historian Christena Stephens spent more than a decade researching the Hunt murders, re-examining every twist and turn in the legal process, uncovering new evidence, and drawing new conclusions about who might have been responsible. She also convinced Jo Ann Hunt to break 70 years of silence and tell her story for the first time. Armed with Jo Ann’s account, Stephens takes the reader back to that deadly night and through the years of trauma that followed.
Why did the criminal justice system repeatedly fail to bring anyone to justice? What could have scared a 5-year-old girl into a lifetime of silence? What did investigators miss? And most importantly, who killed Roy and Mae Hunt?
Bound in Silence is a true crime tour-de-force, a meticulously researched, impeccably told tale of unsolved murder on the High Plains.
Seven or eight years ago, I was fortunate enough to get to read the first iteration of the manuscript, then known as "The Hunt Story." It was printed on a fat stack of copy paper, held together with a binder clip, and I remember being fascinated by the story and flabbergasted by the amount of research Christena had done and the level of detail she provided. When her book landed with Stoney Creek Publishing, I cheered! I now have a finished copy (with very special inscription), and I look forward to reading it and closing the circle of my journey with this book. What a privilege it will be to see it from start to finish.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christena Stephens is a native Texan growing up amongst cotton fields and spending time exploring the nature of the Llano Estacado. After earning two Master of Science degrees, she started a project to preserve ahistorical Texas ranch, thus began her interest in history, research, and writing. She did not intend to be a historian but was mentored by the best Texas historians. Several of her writings have been published in anthologies, along with her photographs. In science and history, truths need to be accurately told. That is her mission-truth and authenticity. She still resides on the Llano Estacado enjoying sunsets and chance porcupine encounters. She is an ardent advocate of wildlife conservation and her heart belongs to her dogs.
I'm eager to read the book, too. Have a copy here just waiting for me.
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