Mom, Dad, Mike and Pattie

This briskly paced tale concerns one of Chicago's most notorious murder cases. Beginning with the brutal 1976 killing of the Columbo parents and son, Remsberg, a freelance writer in Chicago, advances the narrative episodically while maintaining suspense, doling out new revelations slowly but steadily. The Columbo family seemed to be living the suburban dream, but their rebellious, brazen teenage daughter, Pattie, was an accident waiting to happen. She began an affair with her boss, battled with her parents and moved out. After the murders, the brother of one of Pattie's friends reveals to investigators that she wanted her parents killed. The case against Pattie and her lover was circumstantial, but a determined female prosecutor stripped the ``little-girl-lost affect'' from the teenager, revealing her fury and hatred. The jury took only two hours to convict, and the judge told Columbo family members not to try to understand the crime. From prison, Pattie now claims she was sexually molested as a child, but she has been denied parole and shows no evidence of remorse or mourning. Photos not seen by PW. (Jan.)