Shot in the Heart
Page 49
Finally, I would like to thank my editor, David Gernert, his editorial assistant, Amy Williams, and my agent, Richard Pine. These folks were all patient and generous beyond the reason of duty. In particular, I owe Richard deep thanks for his forebearance and stimulus through several difficult years and too many false starts. This book would not have happened without his unswerving faith in my ability to take on the past.
I began the full-time research for this book in Portland, Oregon, in October 1991, and finished it in Los Angeles, in January 1993. The text was written from February to October 1993.
LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS AND PHOTO CREDITS
TITLE PAGE
Gary Gilmore, Frank Jr., and Gaylen. Portland, Oregon, circa 1949.
PROLOGUE
House at Johnson Creek. Portland, Oregon, circa 1956.
PART ONE: MORMON GHOSTS
Melissa Brown (holding Bessie Brown), George Brown, Will Brown, Patta Brown, and Mary Brown. Provo, Utah, circa 1915.
CHAPTER 1: BROTHERS
Gary Gilmore, Gaylen Gilmore, and Frank Gilmore, Jr. Kingman, Arizona, circa 1947.
CHAPTER 2: BLOODLINES
Mikal and Bessie Gilmore, circa 1958.
CHAPTER 3: THE HOUSE ON JORDAN LANE
Provo, Utah.
CHAPTER 4: ALTA AND THE DEAD INDIAN
Alta Brown and unidentified friend. Provo, Utah, circa 1930.
PART TWO: THE BLACK SHEEP AND THE DENIED SON
Top: Frank and Bessie Gilmore. Bottom: Frank Jr., Gary, and Gaylen. Portland, Oregon, circa 1950.
CHAPTER 1: THE BLACK SHEEP
Unidentified woman and Bessie Brown. Provo, Utah, circa 1933. Courtesy of Lawrence Schiller.
CHAPTER 2: THE DENIED SON
Top: Robert Ingram, Frank Gilmore, Sr. Bottom: Gary, Gaylen, and Frank Jr. Portland, Oregon, circa 1950.
CHAPTER 3: FAY’s SECRET
Grave of Clarence Gilmore. Wyuka Cemetery, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1994. Courtesy of Gail Folda.
CHAPTER 4: YEARS OF WANDERING
Gary Gilmore, Bessie, and Frank Jr. Provo, Utah, circa 1942. Courtesy of Lawrence Schiller.
CHAPTER 6: SETTLING DOWN
Gary Gilmore, Frank Sr. (holding Gaylen), and Frank Jr. Kingman, Arizona, circa 1947.
PART THREE: BROTHERS
Frank Gilmore, Jr., Queen (dog), Gary, and Gaylen. Portland, Oregon, circa 1949.
CHAPTER 1: STRANGERS
Gary Gilmore, back row center, circa 1952. Courtesy of Tom Lyden.
CHAPTER 2: THE BOY IN THE CORNER
Gary Gilmore. Kingman, Arizona, circa 1947.
CHAPTER 3: RUNNING WILD
Gary Gilmore. Salem, Oregon, circa 1957.
CHAPTER 4: LIFE WITH FATHER
Mikal Gilmore. Seattle, Washington, circa 1958.
PART FOUR: THE WAY SOME PEOPLE DIE
Gary Gilmore, Bessie (with Mikal), and Gaylen. Portland, Oregon, circa 1956.
CHAPTER 1: BROTHERS: PART TWO
Gary Gilmore, Mikal, Gaylen, and Frank Jr. Portland, Oregon, circa 1957.
CHAPTER 2: THE HOUSE ON THE HILL
Milwaukie, Oregon, circa 1961.
CHAPTER 3: DEATH OF A SALESMAN
Frank Gilmore, Sr., Gaylen, and Mikal. Portland, Oregon, circa 1956.
CHAPTER 4: REQUIEM
Frank Gilmore, Sr. Seattle, Washington, circa 1960.
CHAPTER 6: ASSAULT AND ROBBERY
Gary Gilmore. Provo, Utah, circa 1949.
CHAPTER 6: COMING APART
Gaylen and Mikal Gilmore. Tacoma, Washington, circa 1957.
CHAPTER 7: COMING HOME
Frank Gilmore, Jr. Portland, Oregon, circa 1958.
CHAPTER 8: REBELLION
Mikal Gilmore. Portland, Oregon, circa 1958.
CHAPTER 9: THE WALKING DEAD
Frank Gilmore, Jr., Bessie, Mikal, Janet, and Gaylen. Vancouver, Washington, circa 1971.
PART FIVE: BLOOD HISTORY
Gary Gilmore. Provo, Utah, circa 1949.
CHAPTER 1: TURNING POINTS
Gary Gilmore. Oregon State Penitentiary, Salem, Oregon, circa 1972.
CHAPTER 2: DEADLY AND FAMOUS
Gary Gilmore. United States Penitentiary, Marion, Illinois, circa 1975.
CHAPTER 3: LAST WORDS
Gary Gilmore and Frank Jr. Sacramento, California, circa 1946.
PART SIX: THE VALLEY OF TEARS
Bessie Brown. Salt Lake City, Utah, circa 1934. Courtesy of Lawrence Schiller.
CHAPTER 1: FAMILY’s END
Bessie Gilmore. Milwaukie, Oregon, circa 1973.
CHAPTER 2: NEW FAMILIES. OLD GHOSTS
Mikal Gilmore. Oregon City, Oregon, circa 1957.
CHAPTER 3: SECRETS AND BONES
Top: Robert Ingram, Bessie Gilmore. Bottom: Gary, Gaylen, and Frank Jr. Portland, Oregon, circa 1950.
CHAPTER 4: A LETTER FROM HOME
Bessie and Mikal Gilmore. Salt Lake City, Utah, circa 1951.
EPILOGUE
Drawing by Gary Gilmore, 1976. Courtesy of Brenda Wagstaff.
Unless otherwise noted, all photographs are courtesy of Mikal Gilmore.
FIRST ANCHOR BOOKS EDITION, SEPTEMBER 1995
Copyright © 1994 by Mikal Gilmore
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Anchor Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. Originally published in hardcover in the United States by Doubleday in 1994.
Anchor Books and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.
We gratefully acknowledge permission from the following:
“Valley of Tears” by A. Domino and D. Bartholomew.
Copyright © 1957 (Renewed 1985), c/o EMI UNART
CATALOG INC. Reprinted by Permission of CPP/Belwin,
Inc., Miami, Florida. All Rights Reserved.
Lines from Harry Crews’s “Fathers, Sons, Blood” reprinted by permission of John Hawkins.
Copyright © 1993, Poseidon.
Lines from Reasons for Moving Darker: The Sargentville
Notebook by Mark Strand. Copyright © 1973 by Mark
Strand. Reprinted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the Doubleday hardcover edition as follows:
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gilmore, Mikal.
Shot in the heart / Mikal Gilmore. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
1. Gilmore family. 2. Murder—United States—Case studies.
3. Violence—United States—Case studies. I. Title.
HV6529.G55 1994
364.1’523’0973—dc20 93-45627
CIP
eISBN: 978-0-307-42364-1
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