Murder in Middle America
In the spring of 1962, the serenity of rural Keokuk County, Iowa was rocked by violent mass murder. Five family members slain without any apparent motive. One surviving witness narrowly escaped the same gruesome fate as her family. Surrounding counties were gripped with shock and alarm as the ensuing manhunt unfolded. One of the first responders, a deputy sheriff and photographer, recorded much of the carnage. His sons, authors Thomas and Michael Bryant, grew up in a home that hosted much of the investigation's coordination. Together, they revisit the community's reaction to the crimes - the fear causing doors to be locked for the first time and the preparation of firearms by parents who no longer seemed to be fearless. Combining newspaper coverage, court testimony, personal recollections and their father's photographic evidence, the Byrant brothers dispel the factual errors in the prevailing folklore and shine a light on a dark episode in Hawkeye state history.