With a busy couple of weeks ahead of us, we decided to take a Friday-night opportunity for a trip to Houston to meet an interesting author known for her Texas true crime books.
Five LEAP Ambassadors traveled to Houston for a presentation and book signing by Kathryn Casey, a mystery and true crime author, at Murder by the Book. Over the course of her career, she has authored seven highly acclaimed true crime books.
I was one of the few who had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Casey on a previous occasion. She was a featured guest at SHSU’s Let’s Talk event in 2016, and I had collected some of her books, including one about the I-45 murders.
On Friday, she discussed her newest book, In Plain Sight: The Kaufman County Prosecutor Murders. The title refers to the unprecedented murders of two prosecutors and a prosecutor’s wife in Kaufman County in 2013.
She describes the small town of Kaufman as a small and quiet town where everyone knows each other. Suddenly the quiet town was thrown into chaos when the County Assistant District Attorney, Mark Hasse, was killed outside the county courthouse. A month later the District Attorney Mike McClelland and his wife were brutally killed in their own home.
Kathryn Casey decided to tackle this story and write a book about it. This prompted moving to Kaufman and doing extensive research on the murders. She described her experience in Kaufman and the extensive challenges she faced until she was able to make connections in the community, speak with different people, and gain unique access to the story. She described her research as comprising of over 100 interviews, including interviews with Eric Williams and his wife, both of whom were convicted of murder.
After a great conversation with Ms. Casey, in which she mixed gravity, seriousness, and even a little humor…
…we headed to Kenny & Ziggy’s for dinner. We expanded our horizons this time with a New York Delicatessen Restaurant. It was certainly a special treat to have dinner at an authentic third generation deli. When we arrived we were surprised and slightly overwhelmed by their menu. Personally, it was the biggest menu I’ve ever seen! Some of us went for the hot dogs while others went for specialty sandwiches. Everyone’s food was amazing and we ended up voting it one of our favorites!
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 