To the Last Breath by Carlton Stowers–true crime book review conclusion
To the Last Breath by Carlton Stowers
[Please see the first installment of this book review To The Last Breath by Carlton Stowers (Renee Goode child murder).]
It presumably takes several minutes to compress a child’s diaphragm to the point that the child can no longer take a breath. It is excruciating to imagine what this child went through – was she awake? Did she know it was her daddy holding her, squeezing her to death? What could possibly be going through Shane Goode’s mind for those several minutes it took to squeeze the life out of his own daughter? Was he able to sleep afterward?
We’ll likely never know the answers to these probing questions, as there was no confession and he pleaded not guilty at trial. What we do know, from both the circumstantial and medical evidence, is that Shane Goode left Renee’s tiny, lifeless body – still frothing at the mouth — for the other horrified young girls to find in the morning after he deliberately squeezed the life from her.
A word about Carlton Stowers: quite simply, he’s one of the best true crime authors around. If you see his byline on a book, you know you will be getting quality writing and superb storytelling. In fact, I’d call him a master storyteller, right up there with the very best.
Stowers is also an accomplished investigative journalist, as evidenced by this book. It takes readers from the crime, back through Renee’s parents’ volatile relationship, forward to the murder investigation that at first seemed destined to go nowhere, and finally through the riveting trial where the devastating truth was finally revealed. It’s definitely a page-turner, from beginning to end.
Touchingly, the book is dedicated to Brandon, who was born to Annette after his sister Renee was so callously murdered. The dedication inscription reads:
For Brandon… Who will one day want to know.
The baby killer Shane Goode, incidentally, is serving out his life sentence in a Texas prison.
Grade: **** 1/2
Status: Highly Recommended
Ready to read? Buy To The Last Breath by Carlton Stowers on Amazon
Brazoria County public criminal records for Michael Shane Goode
Appellate court records in Texas’ First Court of Appeals for Michael Shane Goode
Texas Department of Corrections inmate locator
MyInmateLocator.com – Find local, state, or federal inmates in this database of all 50 states
Justice for All – Criminal Justice Reform Organization
Houston Press story on then-problems plaguing the Harris County M.E.’s Office
Read the book? Let me know in the comments section what you thought!
Sami K. Hartsfield, ACP is a consumer law paralegal and freelance writer based in Houston, Texas. She is a NALA Advanced Certified Paralegal, and has earned six specialty certifications since 2007: Discovery; Trial Practice; Contracts Management; Social Security Disability Law; and Entity & Individual Medical Liability. She is also WestlawNext certified. Sami has worked as a law firm Webmaster, law firm social media marketer, and a ghostwriter for personal injury law firms. She holds a degree in paralegal studies with a 4.0 GPA and a bachelor of science degree in political science, graduating summa cum laude. Sami interned with Texas’ 14th Court of Appeals under Chief Justice Adele Hedges, and completed the University of Houston Law Center’s Summer 2008 Prelaw Institute with a 4.0. You can find her on Facebook and e-mail her with questions, comments, or ideas at LegallyBlog@yahoo.com.
Copyright 2012 Sami K. Hartsfield – All Rights Reserved
