Praise for Murder in the Heartland
“Drawing on interviews with law officers and relatives, Murder in the Heartland will interest anyone who has followed the Stinnett case. The author has done significant research and—demonstrating how modern forensics and the Internet played critical, even unexpected roles in the investigation—his facile writing pulls the reader along.”
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Phelps uses a unique combination of investigative skills and narrative insight to give readers an exclusive, insider’s look into the events surrounding this incredible, high-profile American tragedy…. He has written a compassionate, riveting true crime masterpiece.”
—Anne Bremner, op-ed columnist and legal analyst on Court TV, MSNBC, Nancy Grace, FOX News Channel, The O’Reilly Factor, CNN, Good Morning America, The Early Show
“When unimaginable horror strikes, it is certain to cause monstrous sufferings, regardless of its locale. In Murder in the Heartland, M. William Phelps expertly reminds us that when the darkest form of evil invades the quiet and safe outposts of rural America, the tragedy is greatly magnified. Get ready for some sleepless nights.”
—Carlton Stowers, Edgar Award–winning author of Careless Whispers, Scream at the Sky and To the Last Breath
“This is the most disturbing and moving look at murder in rural America since Capote’s In Cold Blood.”
—Gregg Olsen, New York Times bestselling author of Abandoned Prayers
“A crisp, no-nonsense account…masterful.”
—Bucks County Courier Times
“An unflinching investigation…Phelps explores this tragedy with courage, insight, and compassion.”
—Lima News (Lima, OH)
Praise for Sleep in Heavenly Peace
“An exceptional book by an exceptional true crime writer. In Sleep in Heavenly Peace, M. William Phelps exposes long-hidden secrets and reveals disquieting truths. Page by page, Phelps skillfully probes the disturbed mind of a mother guilty of the ultimate betrayal.”
—Kathryn Casey, author of She Wanted It All and A Warrant to Kill
Praise for Every Move You Make
“An insightful and fast-paced examination of the inner workings of a good cop and his bad informant culminating in an unforgettable truth-is-stranger-than-fiction climax.”
—Michael M. Baden, M.D., author of Unnatural Death
“M. William Phelps is the rising star of the nonfiction crime genre, and his true tales of murderers and mayhem are scary-as-hell thrill rides into the dark heart of the inhuman condition.”
—Douglas Clegg, author of The Lady of Serpents
Praise for Lethal Guardian
“An intense roller-coaster of a crime story. Matt Phelps’ book Lethal Guardian is at once complex, with a plethora of twists and turns worthy of any great detective mystery, and yet so well-laid out, so crisply written with such detail to character and place that it reads more like a novel than your standard non-fiction crime book.”
—New York Times bestselling author Steve Jackson
Praise for Perfect Poison
“Perfect Poison is a horrific tale of nurse Kristen Gilbert’s insatiable desire to kill the most helpless of victims—her own patients. A stunner from beginning to end, Phelps renders the story expertly, with flawless research and an explosive narrative. Phelps unravels the devastating case against nurse Kristen Gilbert and shockingly reveals that unimaginable evil sometimes comes in pretty packages.”
—Gregg Olsen, bestselling author of Abandoned Prayers, Mockingbird, and If Loving You Is Wrong
“M. William Phelps’s Perfect Poison is true crime at its best—compelling, gripping, an edge-of-the-seat thriller. All the way through, Phelps packs wallops of delight with his skillful ability to narrate a suspenseful story and his encyclopedic knowledge of police procedures. Perfect Poison is the perfect antidote for a dreary night!”
—Harvey Rachlin, author of The Making of a Detective and The Making of a Cop
“A compelling account of terror that only comes when the author dedicates himself to unmasking the psychopath with facts, insight and the other proven methods of journalistic leg work.”
—Lowell Cauffiel, bestselling author of House of Secrets
“A blood-curdling page turner and a meticulously researched study of the inner recesses of the mind of a psychopathic narcissist.”
—Sam Vaknin, author of Malignant Self Love—Narcissism Revisited
Other books by M. William Phelps
Perfect Poison
Lethal Guardian
Every Move You Make
Sleep in Heavenly Peace
Murder in the Heartland
BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME
M. WILLIAM PHELPS
PINNACLE BOOKS
Kensington Publishing Corp.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com
For Dave Perkins,
I still cannot believe you’re gone….
A NOTE TO READERS
There is always a downside to writing these books. Either the prosecution doesn’t want to participate, which makes your life as an author looking for even basic information very difficult. Or the victim’s family and friends can’t seem to relive what are, I understand, the most incredibly horrible memories of their lives. Through that, as an author, you have to weigh how much you can add to a particular case that hasn’t been reported already during the trial, or overexposed by the media. My goal—always—is to obtain as much exclusive information about a case as I can. I strive for it, and want to provide readers with a total access pass into the lives of all the people involved. If I feel I cannot do that, I move on and try to find a case where I think I can.
In this case, I had the support of the prosecution and several of the victim’s close friends, former coworkers and neighbors. What I didn’t have—which I can accept on some level—is the support of the murderers’ friends and family, at least some of them. I might also say that victim Jeanne Dominico’s immediate family wanted nothing to do with this book and certain members of her family sent me a few rather strange e-mails, expressing their opinions about the work I do and the nature of my job as a journalist. This was upsetting to me, both as a human being who has lost a family member to a serial murderer and a journalist working to report what is a public case.
In the pages that follow, you will find a story of love and loss, manipulation, sex and lies, deceit, selfishness and, of course, murder and redemption. But more important, you will find the story of one woman’s commitment, even if it meant giving up her own life, to her children, friends and community.
The dialogue in this book was reconstructed with the help of many sources: police reports, witness statements, interviews with some of the parties involved, motions, trial testimony, letters, diary entries, recorded conversations and several other important documents.
Any name that appears in italics when first introduced is a pseudonym.
M. William Phelps
February 2007
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would not have written this book without Chris McGowan’s blessing and help. For everything he did, I am indebted to Chris and his willingness to share so much of his life and memories of Jeanne Dominico with me.
All of Jeanne’s friends, those whose names I changed and didn’t, your input was some of the most valuable I have ever had while writing a book. You changed the entire scope of this story and helped me fulfill a goal: to get to the true essence of who Jeanne Dominico was as a human being. You should be commended for your courage, candor and motivation to share with me those personal memories of Jeanne that meant the most to you.
Prosecutors Will Delker and Kirsten Wilson were extremely helpful with all my req
uests. I appreciate their professionalism. To everyone at the Hillsborough County Court in Nashua, I appreciate your help. Court clerk Mike Scanlon was extremely accommodating in helping me collect documents and photocopy letters and journal entries. He made sure I had everything I needed.
Michaela Hamilton, Kensington Publishing Corp.’s editor in chief, has taught me more about writing and publishing than anyone else in the business. I have been blessed with one of the most knowledgeable and professional book editors in publishing. Michaela has made my life as a full-time author a pleasure, as has her entire staff at Kensington.
Maureen Cuddy, my publicist at Kensington, has gone out of her way to do more for me than I could ever explain. She has been a wonder to work with throughout the years and I appreciate all she does to help support my career and get word out about my books.
Peter Miller, who would give me a tongue lashing if I didn’t refer to him as my manager (as opposed to agent), has changed the course of my career, and continues to. Peter, president of PMA Literary & Film Management in New York, is a friend, mentor, watchdog and administrator of my career. Thank you, Peter, for everything you do on my behalf. I would be lost without you and everyone else at PMA.
Fellow true crime author Gregg Olsen, my blogging partner at www.crimerant.com, mentor, best friend and confidant, has pulled me up when I’m down, slapped me around when I needed it and convinced me that what we do is worth the highs and lows that go along with it. Gregg has been a true teacher, the best I’ve ever had.
I dedicated this book to my friend David Perkins, who took his life during the period in which this book was written. Dave and I were brothers in spirit. There was no one like Dave, who could make me laugh, cry and, most important, feel like I mattered. My God, I miss Dave more as the days pass, but have to believe (and accept) he is in a better place.
Lastly, I want to say to my readers: thank you for all of the kind letters and e-mails. I have the greatest fans in the business. You have all stuck by me and continued to support my career and I am grateful for each one of you. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to do what I love.
Eating apples together is always the first step.
—LeRoi Jones, Dutchman
Contents
PART I: CHRIS AND JEANNE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
PART II: BILLY AND NICOLE
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
CHAPTER 47
CHAPTER 48
CHAPTER 49
CHAPTER 50
CHAPTER 51
CHAPTER 52
CHAPTER 53
CHAPTER 54
PART III: JUSTICE FOR JEANNE
CHAPTER 55
CHAPTER 56
CHAPTER 57
CHAPTER 58
CHAPTER 59
CHAPTER 60
CHAPTER 61
CHAPTER 62
CHAPTER 63
CHAPTER 64
CHAPTER 65
CHAPTER 66
CHAPTER 67
CHAPTER 68
CHAPTER 69
CHAPTER 70
CHAPTER 71
CHAPTER 72
CHAPTER 73
CHAPTER 74
CHAPTER 75
CHAPTER 76
CHAPTER 77
CHAPTER 78
CHAPTER 79
CHAPTER 80
CHAPTER 81
CHAPTER 82
CHAPTER 83
CHAPTER 84
CHAPTER 85
CHAPTER 86
CHAPTER 87
EPILOGUE
PART I
CHRIS AND JEANNE
CHAPTER 1
The morning of August 6, 2003, began without complication for forty-three-year-old Chris McGowan. A pleasant, reserved, middle-class Irishman, enjoying what were the best days of his life, Chris opened his eyes at 6:00 A.M. to the sound of the alarm clock buzzing in his ear. After a few moments of silence, lying in bed staring at the ceiling, Chris slipped into the shower, shaved and, after putting on a pair of Dockers and a Polo shirt, bent down and gave his fiancée, Jeanne Dominico, a kiss on the cheek.
“I’ll see you at work later on, honey,” he said. It was one of the more memorable moments of Chris’s day: waking up and seeing Jeanne next to him.
“OK,” whispered Jeanne. She was still half-asleep, bleary-eyed.
After a quick bite to eat, with the morning newspaper downstairs, Chris headed out the door, being sure to lock it behind him. Greeting the pine-scented air of Nashua, New Hampshire, the same way he had every other morning, Chris took in a deep breath, relishing the peacefulness of the New England town he had called home for a better part of his life.
As Chris approached his car, the sun was just beginning to light up the New Hampshire skyline over the mountains off to the north. Already 71 degrees by 6:50 A.M., with a forecast promising humidity levels near 80 percent and temperatures into the mid-to-upper 80s by noon, it was a tranquil morning, as most were in Nashua, so gracefully beautiful in its launch. Save for a few cars on Route 101A nearby, all Chris heard as he got into his vehicle was the chirp of the birds and rustle of the wind moving the trees gingerly back and forth. Having been born in Norwood, Massachusetts, fifty miles south, spending four years in New Jersey during the 1980s, Chris took comfort in the unadorned, slow pace of life in the Northeast.
“Nashua is home, pleasant and peaceful,” Chris later remarked. “I have lived other places, but I don’t feel like I’m home unless I’m in Nashua.”
From Jeanne Dominico’s house on Dumaine Avenue, located northwest of downtown, it was a short drive for Chris—about twenty minutes—to work at Oxford Health Plans on Central Park Drive in the town of Hooksett. Leaving Jeanne’s driveway, downtown Nashua was a ten-minute ride east on Amherst (Route 101A), following the train tracks running in back of Jeanne’s house, by Boire Field, Daniel Webster College and the contemporary homes dotted about Broad Acres. On those work nights when Chris stayed at Jeanne’s, he liked to leave the house early the following morning. Arriving at his desk before most of his coworkers allowed Chris the opportunity to go over his schedule for the day and plan appointments. Jeanne, who worked for the same company, generally showed up an hour later, around 8:30 A.M. Both Chris and Jeanne worked on group contracts for the Benefits, Brokers and Administration department. Jeanne was the mother of two teenagers. It was important to her to be able to make sure the kids were prepared for the day before she left the house: food, rides over to friends, soccer and baseball practice. She couldn’t keep a leash on them all day long while school was on summer break, but she could certainly make sure they understood she cared about what they did and where they went while she was at work.
Because You Loved Me Page 1