Killer: A Journal of Murder (novel)
Encyclopedia
Killer A Journal Of Murder is a 1970 biographical novel by American
authors Thomas E. Gaddis
and James O. Long. The book was republished in 2002 by Amok Books as Panzram: A Journal Of Murder (ISBN 1-878923-14-5).
Carl Panzram
's entire life inside the American prison
system as well as the many murders he committed.
Henry Lesser was a young jail guard at the Washington DC district jail when Panzram arrived for incarceration in 1928. After hearing of Panzram's torture
, Lesser befriends him, convincing him to write his life autobiography
. After 40 years of searching for publication, Lesser finally achieved his life's effort in 1970 when Killer: A Journal of Murder was published.
in 1996. It starred James Woods
as Panzram and Robert Sean Leonard
as Lesser.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
authors Thomas E. Gaddis
Thomas E. Gaddis
Thomas E. Gaddis was a United States author, most noted for his book about Robert Stroud, who was known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz". Gaddis was born in Denver, Colorado. He wrote many non-fiction books, mostly biographies...
and James O. Long. The book was republished in 2002 by Amok Books as Panzram: A Journal Of Murder (ISBN 1-878923-14-5).
Plot
It details American serial killerSerial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Carl Panzram
Carl Panzram
Carl Panzram was an American serial killer, arsonist and burglar. He is known for his confession to prison guard and only friend, Henry Lesser. In graphic detail, Panzram confessed to 22 murders, and to having sodomized over 1,000 males...
's entire life inside the American prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
system as well as the many murders he committed.
Henry Lesser was a young jail guard at the Washington DC district jail when Panzram arrived for incarceration in 1928. After hearing of Panzram's torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
, Lesser befriends him, convincing him to write his life autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
. After 40 years of searching for publication, Lesser finally achieved his life's effort in 1970 when Killer: A Journal of Murder was published.
Film adaptation
The novel was adapted into a filmKiller: A Journal of Murder
Killer: A Journal Of Murder is a 1996 American film. It is based on the life of serial killer Carl Panzram, and uses passages of his biography.-Plot outline:...
in 1996. It starred James Woods
James Woods
James Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
as Panzram and Robert Sean Leonard
Robert Sean Leonard
Robert Sean Leonard is an American actor, who has regularly starred in Broadway and off-Broadway productions. Since 2004 he has played the role of Dr. James Wilson on the TV series House...
as Lesser.