In this solid sequel to 2002's Cracking Cases
, legendary forensics expert Lee, best known for his role in the O.J. Simpson case, focuses on the brutal slayings of six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey and teenager Martha Moxley. Lee spells out the many miscues made by the Boulder police that contributed to the Ramsey case remaining unsolved. He clearly suspects the little girl's family of being involved in her death ("there was enough evidence to establish the probable cause level of proof needed to indict John and Patsy Ramsey of [sic], at least, obstruction of justice"). Lee speculates that JonBenet may have been killed by accident, and that family members then staged an elaborate crime scene and concocted the bizarre ransom note to cover up the mishap. He is firmer in his belief that Michael Skakel was justly convicted of his neighbor Martha Moxley's murder, though his examinations found no physical evidence linking Skakel to Moxley, and his dismissal of suspicions of the Skakel family tutor is less than compelling. The absence of new revelations may disappoint some, but the growing audience for criminal forensics, coupled with the author's distinguished reputation and the insatiable public appetite concerning the Ramsey and Moxley murders, should attract a wide readership. B&w photos throughout. (Aug.)
