The Babysitter
Page 28
First and foremost, thank you to my family. My husband, Tim, whose sense of humor, code of loyalty, and open heart in this world are the backbone of our family. He makes me believe in every possibility and without him, I would be lost. And to my children, Loren and Sarah and Will, their babies (furry and otherwise), and their partners who have listened to me rattle on about this story for far too many years. I am madly in love with each and every one of you.
A special thank-you to my daughter-in-law, Lindsey, and her friend and photographer John V. Hays for making my first author photo shoot a breeze.
To my family and friends at Waldron Rand. Thank you for enduring the years of my ever-changing schedules and always welcoming me back as if I had never left.
And to my tribe of friends. In my long search for family, each of you is a holy thing. To Emilie Boon and Kim Garcia, thank you for your love and faith; in me, in the power of kindness, and in this thing that binds us called writing. Thank you to Laura Harrington for always cheering me up and cheering me on, Sandy Malone for holding my hand when the nightmares began, and Polly Rutherford and Richard Rutherford for their unyielding belief in me and this book. And to Frank Garcia, for reminding me about the “long view” when I needed it most.
To Gary Whited, who walked alongside me on this journey. Thank you for helping me find my way back home.
And to Jennifer Jordan. Who would have thought the smell of strong coffee brewing across the hall forty-three years ago would eventually bring us here? Every day of our collaboration, both in life and on this book, has felt like destiny. There are so many moments burned into my memory. From our “brave little apartment” on the Oregon coast, to hitchhiking back and forth to Vermont, road trips from Cape Cod to Utah, crying and laughing the whole way. All of it. You have always been my example of what life would be like if I were afraid but did it anyway. I’ve lived vicariously. And I feel lucky to have had this time together with you. I’m in awe of your tenacity and eye for story. When I was unable, your courage, energy, friendship, and wisdom carried us both over the finish line. Thank you for your strength and perseverance. Together we brought this story out of the darkness and into the light.
And lastly, to my sister, who survived with me, and to our mother, without whom this story could not have been told. Despite it all, I love you both.
September 2020
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Liza Rodman attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and received her bachelor of arts with a concentration in creative writing from Vermont College. She has balanced life as a mother, stepmother, writer, and tax accountant for more than thirty-five years. In 2005, she began researching the story of Tony Costa when she realized her personal connection to the infamous Cape Cod killer. She has gathered thousands of documents, testimonies, and interviews, perhaps more than any other investigator or journalist who’s worked on this case. She and her husband live outside Boston and have three children and five grandchildren. The Babysitter is her first book.
Jennifer Jordan is an award-winning author, filmmaker, and screenwriter with decades of experience as a news anchor and investigative journalist. She has worked for NPR and PBS, and her work has also appeared in a variety of national and international newspapers and magazines. She has directed and produced several documentaries, including 3000 Cups of Tea, which revealed the flawed 60 Minutes report on renowned philanthropist Greg Mortenson. In addition to her own books, Savage Summit and The Last Man on the Mountain, she has ghostwritten two others. The Babysitter is her fifth book.
SimonandSchuster.com
www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Liza-Rodman
www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Jennifer-Jordan
@AtriaBooks @AtriaBooks @AtriaBooks
We hope you enjoyed reading this Simon & Schuster ebook.
Get a FREE ebook when you join our mailing list. Plus, get updates on new releases, deals, recommended reads, and more from Simon & Schuster. Click below to sign up and see terms and conditions.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
Already a subscriber? Provide your email again so we can register this ebook and send you more of what you like to read. You will continue to receive exclusive offers in your inbox.
NOTES
Chapter 1
1 IVincent Bonaviri, interview conducted by Detective Lieutenant Inspector Richard Cass, March 7, 1969.
2 Frank X. Gaspar, email communication with Liza Rodman, March 27, 2019.
3 Avis L Johnson, Avis and Pete’s Illiterate Writers Group, Facebook, September 14, 2009, https://www.facebook.com/groups/59552262922/?post_id=10151258313597923.
4 Frank X. Gaspar, email communication with Liza Rodman, March 29, 2019.
5 IVincent Bonaviri, interview conducted by Maurice Goldman, March 9, 1969.
6 ILester Allen Sr., “A Shuddering of Girls,” unpublished manuscript, 1970.
7 Avis L Johnson, Avis and Pete’s Illiterate Writers Group, Facebook, Septem ber 14, 2009, https://www.facebook.com/groups/59552262922/?ref=nf_target&fref=nf.
8 Ibid.
9 Cory Devereaux, email communication with Liza Rodman, September 21, 2019.
10 ITony Costa, interview conducted by Lieutenant John Powers, November 29, 1961.
11 ISomerville Police report, November 29, 1961.
Chapter 3
1 IProvincetown High School admission record, December 15, 1961.
2 ILester Allen Sr., “A Shuddering of Girls,” unpublished manuscript, 1970.
3 Avis L Johnson, Avis and Pete’s Illiterate Writers Group, Facebook, April 23, 2009, https://www.facebook.com/groups/59552262922/?post_id=10151258338477923.
4 Avis L Johnson, Avis and Pete’s Illiterate Writers Group, Facebook, May 3, 2009, https://www.facebook.com/groups/59552262922/?ref=nf_target&fref=nf.
5 IAvis Costa, interview conducted by Maurice Goldman, March 9, 1969.
6 ITony Costa and Avis Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., April 24, 1969.
7 IAllen, “A Shuddering of Girls.”
8 IAvis Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., July 25, 1969.
9 IAllen, “A Shuddering of Girls.”
Chapter 5
1 Avis L Johnson, Facebook post, “How to marry a maniac,” August 10, 2009.
2 Ibid.
3 IAvis Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., July 25, 1969.
4 IJustin Cavanaugh, pretrial notes, memo #1572.
5 IAvis Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., July 25, 1969.
6 IIbid.
7 IDaniel Hiebert, MD, interview conducted by Justin Cavanaugh, March 12, 1969.
8 IAvis Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., April 17, 1969.
9 IDaniel Hiebert, MD, interview conducted by Justin Cavanaugh, March 12, 1969.
Chapter 7
1 Bob Anthony, interview conducted by Liza Rodman, April 17, 2019.
2 IAvis Costa, interview with Costa’s defense team, March 23, 1969.
3 IAvis Costa, interview with Costa’s defense team, March 9, 1969.
4 IAntone C. Costa, “Resurrection,” unpublished manuscript, 1970.
5 ISidney Callis, “A New Drug Available for Treatment of Neurosis: Double Blind Study of Tybamate,” International Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 2, Issue 6 (November–December 1966): 645–50.
6 ITony Costa and Avis Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., April 24, 1969.
Chapter 9
1 Denise Williams Carson, email communication with Jennifer Jordan, June 8, 2020.
2 John Waters, interview conducted by Gerald Peary, http://www.geraldpeary.com/interviews/wxyz/waters-p-town.html.
3 Denise Williams Carson, interview conducted by Jennifer Jordan, May 19, 2020.
Chapter 11
1 Avis L Johnson, Facebook post, Before the Abandonment, January 16, 2015, https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10152910414213805&set=a.1015108653212380.
2 IAvis Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., July 25, 19
69.
3 IAvis Costa, interview, conducted by Maurice Goldman, March 9, 1969.
4 IAvis Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., July 25, 1969.
Chapter 14
1 Mike Wallace, CBS Reports, “The Homosexuals,” March 7, 1967.
Chapter 16
1 John Waters, interview conducted by Gerald Peary, http://www.geraldpeary.com/interviews/wxyz/waters-p-town.html.
2 Ibid.
Chapter 18
1 IVincent Bonaviri, interview (with Cathy Roche) conducted by Maurice Goldman, March 17, 1969.
2 Geoff Becker, interview conducted by Liza Rodman, June 9, 2018.
3 ITony Costa, psychological examinations conducted by Dr. Jack Ewalt, October–November 1969.
4 Ibid.
5 Cory Devereaux, email communication with Liza Rodman, May 2, 2020.
Chapter 20
1 IAvis Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., July 25, 1969.
2 IAvis Costa, interview conducted by Maurice Goldman, March 9, 1969.
3 IAvis Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., July 25, 1969.
4 Ibid.
Chapter 21
1 Avis L Johnson, Avis and Pete’s Illiterate Writers Group, Facebook, March 12, 2010, https://www.facebook.com/groups/59552262922/?ref=nf_target&fref=nf.
2 ITony Costa, jailhouse diary, March–April, 1969.
3 ITony Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., March 13, 1969.
Chapter 23
1 Bob Anthony, interview conducted by Liza Rodman, April 17, 2019.
2 ILinda Monzon, interviews conducted by Detective Bernie Flynn and Lieutenant E. Thomas Gunnery, February 14, 1969 and March 17, 1969.
3 ILester Allen Sr., “A Shuddering of Girls,” unpublished manuscript, 1970.
4 ITony Costa, interview with Justin Cavanaugh and Lester Allen Sr., March 21, 1969.
5 IAntone C. Costa, “Resurrection,” unpublished manuscript, 1969.
6 ITony Costa, jailhouse diary, March–April 1969.
Chapter 25
1 David Raboy, interview conducted by Liza Rodman, February 28, 2019.
2 ILester Allen Sr., “A Shuddering of Girls,” unpublished manuscript, 1970.
3 IAvis Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., July 25, 1969.
4 ITown of Wellfleet police report, inventory of stolen items, July 20, 1968.
5 IAntone C. Costa, “Resurrection,” unpublished manuscript, 1970.
Chapter 27
1 IAvis Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., July 25, 1969.
2 ILester Allen Sr., “A Shuddering of Girls,” unpublished manuscript, 1970.
3 IAntone C. Costa, “Resurrection,” unpublished manuscript, 1970.
Chapter 29
1 IPaula Hoernig, interview conducted by Massachusetts State Police, April 6, 1969.
2 E. Thomas Gunnery, interview conducted by Jennifer Jordan and Liza Rodman, September 11, 2018.
Chapter 31
1 ILester Allen Sr., “A Shuddering of Girls,” unpublished manuscript, 1970.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
4 IVincent Bonaviri, interview with Maurice Goldman and Justin Cavanaugh, March 9, 1969.
Chapter 33
1 IAvis Costa, correspondence with Tony Costa, October 1969.
2 IPaula Hoernig, interview conducted by Detective Bernie Flynn, April 6, 1969.
3 ILester Allen Sr., “A Shuddering of Girls,” unpublished manuscript, 1970.
4 Josephine A. Bunny Rabbitt, Avis and Pete’s Illiterate Writers Group, September 14, 2009, https://www.facebook.com/groups/59552262922/?post_id=10151258313597923.
5 ITony Costa and Avis Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., April 24, 1969.
6 Donna Candish, interview conducted by Jennifer Jordan, May 7, 2020.
7 IEdward Kirkland and Donald Singleton, “Christine’s Trip to the Morgue,” New York Daily News, November 26, 1968.
8 Dr. Michael Baden, interview conducted by Liza Rodman, February 28, 2019.
9 IAvis Costa and Tony Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., April 24, 1969.
10 ITony Costa, psychological examinations conducted by Dr. Jack Ewalt, October–November 1969.
Chapter 35
1 Jon Doeringer, Avis and Pete’s Illiterate Writers Group, Facebook, September 14, 2009, https://www.facebook.com/groups/59552262922/search/?query=driving%20Tony%20costa.
2 Josephine A Bunny Rabbitt, Avis and Pete’s Illiterate Writers Group, September 14, 2009, https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=avis%20and%20pete’s%20illiterate%20writers%20group&epa.
3 Donna Candish, interview conducted by Jennifer Jordan, May 7, 2020.
4 IAvis Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., July 25, 1969.
Chapter 37
1 ILester Allen Sr., “A Shuddering of Girls,” unpublished manuscript, 1970.
2 ITony Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., May 5, 1969.
3 IAntone C. Costa, “Resurrection,” unpublished manuscript, 1970.
4 ILester Allen Sr., “A Shuddering of Girls,” unpublished manuscript, 1970.
5 ITony Costa, interview conducted by Maurice Goldman and Lester Allen Sr., October 14, 1969.
6 James Zacharias, interview conducted by Jennifer Jordan, May 2020.
Chapter 39
1 IAntone C. Costa, “Resurrection,” unpublished manuscript, 1970.
2 IDaniel Hiebert, MD, and George Katsas, MD, Autopsy Report—Case A 69–51, March 1969.
3 ITony Costa, polygraphs conducted by Charles Zimmerman, June–November 1969.
4 ICosta, “Resurrection.”
5 Ibid.
Chapter 40
1 Herbie van Dam, interview conducted by Liza Rodman, August 2019.
2 ITony Costa, polygraphs conducted by Charles Zimmerman, June–November 1969.
3 IPaula Hoernig, interview conducted by Bernie Flynn, April 1969.
Chapter 42
1 Ruth Ann Turbidy, interview conducted by Jennifer Jordan, May 2020.
2 John Wilson, interview conducted by Jennifer Jordan, November 2019.
Chapter 43
1 IDetective William G. Broderick, interview conducted by Leo Damore, 1980.
Chapter 46
1 IGerald Magnan, interview conducted by Leo Damore, 1980.
2 Ruth Ann Turbidy, interview conducted by Jennifer Jordan, May 2020.
Chapter 48
1 IDetective Bernie J. Flynn, summary of the investigation, March 1969.
2 IDetective George Killen, investigator’s notebook, March 1969.
Chapter 49
1 IDetective Bernie J. Flynn, summary of the investigation, March, 1969.
2 IChief Francis “Cheney” Marshall, interview conducted by Leo Damore, 1979–1980.
3 Ibid.
4 IDetective George Killen, interview conducted by Leo Damore, 1979–1980.
Chapter 51
1 IDetective Bernie J. Flynn, summary of investigation, March, 1969.
2 David Raboy, interview conducted by Liza Rodman, February 2019.
3 IJoanne Watts, interview conducted by Bernie Flynn, March 1969.
4 James Zacharias, interview conducted by Jennifer Jordan, May 7, 2020.
5 Avis L Johnson, Avis and Pete’s Illiterate Writers Group, Facebook, September 2009, https://www.facebook.com/groups/59552262922/.
6 IJustin Cavanaugh, case notes, 1969–1970.
Chapter 52
1 IMedical staff, Bridgewater State Hospital admission note, March 6, 1969.
Chapter 54
1 Retired Lieutenant E. Thomas Gunnery, interview conducted by Jennifer Jordan and Liza Rodman, September 11, 2018.
2 IAvis Costa, interview conducted by Lester Allen Sr., July 25, 1969.
Chapter 56
1 ITony Costa, interview conducted by Maurice Goldman and Lester Allen Sr., April 1969.
2 IDr. Jack Ewalt, indictment and psychological profile of Antone Costa—#27664—Massachus
etts Mental Health Center Evaluation, October–November 1969.
3 ICosta defense team, memorandum prepared for Dr. Jack Ewalt, 1969.
4 ITony Costa, interview conducted by Maurice Goldman and Justin Cavanaugh, March 25, 1969.
5 IDr. Harold Williams, psychological examinations, 1969.
6 IDr. Harold Williams, interview conducted by Leo Damore, 1979–1980.
Chapter 58
1 Stephen Lipman, interview conducted by Jennifer Jordan, August 1, 2019.
2 ICharles Zimmerman, interview conducted by Leo Damore, 1979–1980.
3 ITony Costa, polygraph conducted by Charles Zimmerman, October 26, 1969.
4 Ibid.
5 ITony Costa, interview conducted by Maurice Goldman and Lester Allen Sr., August 25, 1969.
6 ILester Allen Sr., “Shuddering of Girls,” unpublished manuscript, 1970.
Chapter 60
1 Stephen Lipman, interview conducted by Jennifer Jordan and Liza Rodman, September 11, 2018.
2 Ibid.
3 ITony Costa, correspondence with Lester Allen Sr., December 12, 1969.
4 Armand Fernandes, interview conducted by Liza Rodman, August 1, 2018.