Published: June 25, 2009 03:20 pm      

BOOK REVIEW: Journalists chronicle hunt for Bike Path Killer

Reading “The Bike Path Killer,” it quickly becomes obvious  — if it wasn’t before — that the book was written by two journalists.

The first few chapters of the book are filled with the meticulous details one would come to expect from a quality reporter — everything from a victim’s eating habits to the time her husband leaves for work to the political agenda of the county executive is revealed.

The only problem is that such details, as valuable as they are, get in the way sometimes when you’re telling a story.

“Killer” outlines the circumstances surrounding the rapes and murders committed by Altemio Sanchez across Erie County over a 30-year period. Written by Buffalo News reporters Maki Becker and Michael Beebe, the book offers a wealth of information culled from the newspaper’s coverage of the case as well as police reports and other information gleaned over the years.

It makes for a great collection of facts and is a must-read for anyone who’s ever had any questions about the case. But as a narrative, it could be better.

The book mainly follows the timeline from the slaying of Joan Diver in September 2006 to Sanchez’s sentencing in August 2007. Along the way, it follows the efforts of the task force that was put together to solve the crime, as well as the rapes and murders that were subsequently attributed to the same defendant.

Excellent is the information provided on Diver’s husband, who was initially a suspect, and the task force members who worked on holidays, broke family engagements and went without sleep in pursuit of the killer. The details the authors provide on the assaults and follow-up investigation tell everything that needs to be known and are as thorough as thorough gets (fascinatingly humorous, for example, is the tidbit that the Sanchez family initially called auto injury attorney William Mattar to defend Altemio; Mattar referred the family to Altemio’s eventual lawyer, Andrew C. LoTempio).

Also of particular interest are the facts conveyed by Sanchez after he was caught; he eventually confessed and pleaded guilty so as to not subject his family to hearing the details of his crimes, but he offered that information to investigators later on. As disturbing as the subject matter is, there’s something compelling about getting into a criminal’s mind and hearing why he did what he did.

But the book has a few flaws. Many details are repeated, with some points repeated six times or more (if this was for emphasis, the move was unnecessary). The authors did a good job of getting the reactions of victims and their families, but the way that information was woven into the story — as well as the frequent flashbacks that offered insight into past crimes — made for a choppy read.

This book is good, but it would have been great if it was tightened up. Cutting out repeated information and useless details could have trimmed 50 pages out of it, making for a far better final product.

Crime buffs will love this book, and due to its local interest it would be a worthwhile read for anyone here. As far as true-life criminal narratives go, however, “The Bike Path Killer” is a notch or two below the head of the pack.

Contact Paul Laneat 693-1000, ext. 116.



IF YOU READ

• WHAT: “The Bike Path Killer”

• BY: Maki Becker and Michael Beebe

• DETAILS: Published by Kensington Publishing Corp., 310 pages

• GRADE: B