She's So Cold

She’s So Cold by author Donald E McInnis is a creepy, true crime novel and definitely worth the read! I would absolutely recommend this book!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Truly sickening how these boys and families ruined. Great book. Lots of information. Something to learn here.....


Thanks to author,publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

This book is a disturbing examination of the murder of Stephanie Crowe in California in 1998. As disturbing as the senseless murder of a 12 year old girl is the railroading of her brother Michael and two of his friends for the murder. Investigators used deception and questionable techniques in interviewing the 16 year olds, and had their minds made up that these boys had committed the crime.
Fascinating read.

This is a book on a fascinating subject that comes up from time to time, about false confessions being pressured from people by police. They are especially found in cases where there is a lot of pressure to solve a case in the community, or often when there are suspects that are juveniles or those who are mentally challenged. This story revolves around the murder of 12-year-old Stephanie Crowe, who is found on a winter morning in January, 1998 on her bedroom floor, having been stabbed and left to die. It’s such a sad case which is compounded when the police use lies and psychological trickery to get three 14-year-old boys to confess to the murder, including her own brother, Michael.

The author was a defense attorney for one of the boys, Aaron Hauser, in the Stephanie Crowe murder trial. McInnis got a first hand look at the problems inherent with young defendants being interrogated by police without a parent or legal representative when there is an admission of guilt, or a confession of any kind that they may have been pressured into by psychologicai means. These false confessions are far from rare. Which is partly why McInnis got involved, and proposed a new Children’s Miranda Rights Warning and a Bill of Rights for Children who are being questioned as suspects. The proposals need to be adopted to prevent future false confessions from children.
This was an enlightening book that would be good for true crime readers, and those interested in police procedure and the law. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Donald E McInnis, and the publisher.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this book for me to read in exchange for an honest review.
This true crime book is unlike many I have read before. The police procedural aspect and the "interrogations" to obtain the "confessions" was quite frightening. It was a bit tedious to get through but interesting anyway. Part 3 of this book was easier to get through. Overall, it was an interesting book.

“She's So Cold” is a true crime book of the Crowe Murder Case. A murder of a 12 year old girl, killed in her own bedroom in the dead of night, supposedly by her 14 year old brother and two of his friends. The boys confession under police interrogation is now regarded as a classic example of a false confession. What makes this book so intriguing is that the author was the Criminal Defence Attorney for one of the accused boys, which already puts this book on a good grounding for insight, research and access to police files etc. Due to the authors line of work he knows that false confessions are common which is why he has an appendix proposing a new Children's Miranda Rights Warning and Bill of Rights for Children to safe guard them when being questioned as a suspect.

The author warns you at the beginning of the book that you will feel as exhausted as the boys, when presented with how they where questioned; and this is a warning to heed. During these periods even I didn't know what I knew.

An exceptional gem of a book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced electronic copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I had not heard of this case, as I was in high school when it happened. It was interesting reading about the case from the point of view of the lawyer of one of the defendants. I found myself horrified by the treatment of the boys in this case, as they were the same age I was in 1998.

It's hard to rate a true crime book the same way that I would rate a novel, but I will say I enjoyed this book. The flow and ease of reading was there, and even though the subject matter was very serious, I found the book very readable. The text evoked an emotional reaction as well, as I wanted better treatment for the young men in this case.

The author did a brilliant job capturing how everyone involved in this crime had their life impacted. The 3 young men that were forced into confessing by questionable police tactics, the victim's family, and others. This was truly eye-opening as to how stubborn some police are and the lengths they will go to if they believe someone is guilty of a crime.

My true crime interest in general and the fact that I have family members living in north San Diego County pretty much guaranteed that I REALLY wanted to read She’s So Cold by Donald McInnis, and thanks to J&E Publications and NetGalley, I received a copy in exchange for this honest review.

Back in 1998, a 12-year-old girl named Stephanie Crowe was found murdered in her bedroom in Escondido, CA in the middle of the night. There was no sign of forced entry, no clues to who committed the murder. The police focused right away on Michael Crowe, Stephanie’s 14-year old brother, who, along with two of his friends, was arrested for the murder.

Similar to the story told in the Serial podcast of the way the Baltimore police identified Adnan Syed as their suspect in the slaying of Hae Min Lee and then molded the “evidence” to fit their theory, the Escondido police really didn’t look at anyone beyond these boys, and basically browbeat them in lengthy interrogation sessions (without either a parent or attorney present) into confessing to the crime.

McInnis has a unique perspective, as he was the criminal defense attorney for one of the boys, and he does a terrific job presenting the story of the crime, arrests, and trial. If that isn’t enough, the boys are exonerated and a schizophrenic transient seems to be the likely suspect, but…since I NEVER include spoilers, I will leave it at that. But the fallout from the crime extends all the way to the 2018 election in San Diego County, and the reader’s level of disgust for the system will likely rise constantly reading about the various legal maneuvering that took place over the course of 20 years.

This is a fascinating look at a broken “justice” system, interrogation techniques, false confessions, and the rights of the accused in general and children in particular. Four stars.

Such a sad story. The details about this case was amazing. So many people have suffered such a tremendous lost.

Stephanie Crowe is 12 years old when she is found murdered in her bedroom by her grandmother. Her brother, Michael and two of his friends, Aaron and Joshua are arrested.
As juveniles these three boys lost all their rights. They were lied to, kept from going to the bathroom, not provided food or water for long hours of time. Questioned until they were falling asleep on the floor. Not allowed to speak to their parents and forced to finally confess. They were arrested. The two confessions were coerced, psychologically coerced. They were retained until they gave up hope of being believed of their innocence and finally said what the police wanted them to say. In some cases they weren't even mirandized. The real killer was finally caught. He had the victims blood on his clothes. This after months of the boys being incarcerated.
This is a true story. It is compelling and truly heartbreaking.

As a true crime fan I was keen to read this book Shes so cold and having never heard of the case before went in with an open mind.
What I read made me angry and upset what these boys endured beggars belief. The childs rights were violated and they were coerced by the police to admit to a crime they did not commit.
Bearing in mind one of the boys was the brother of the murder victim I couldnt believe the treatment he got from law enforcement.
The book explains every detail from beginning to end and the author was involved in the case so knows what hes writing about. Well written and the legal side explained in great detail.
I hope the boys and their families manage to find peace and trust when this was stripped away from them. And whilst the book deals with the aftermath of the murder, we should not forget the young girl that died x

First ...right off...the author states that what you are about to read will be hard...and may make you want to put the book down...and how right he is...this is ...unfortunately ....another example of horrible shoddy police work....hmmm...but I am jumping ahead.....ok...he was right...difficult to read ...to the point where I had to put it down multiple times...but ...important to continue...

the story is a horrible one of a 12 year old girl who was murdered in her own home....in the middle of the night...with her family all in the house sleeping...when she was discovered in the morning...the police come and within a few hours have decided ...because of how her brother was acting...and the lack of easy to find evidence that he was the killer....no real investigation....just an automatic decision that the brother did it...they take them all from the house...continue the search and over the course of days find NO evidence...so somehow...her brother stabbed her multiple times ...but cleaned up all of the blood and any possible evidence including bloody clothes....they separate the children from their parents..will not let them see each other and interrogate the boy (14 years old) for hours and hours...telling them that if he wants to see his father...they are no longer going to help him and ...and that they have evidence that he did it...with no question...the convince him that he has a demon inside him that doesn't allow him to remember...but what about a weapon? He talks about his friends and do they decide they had to have been involved....through days of interrogation ...most without any Miranda...they get two confessions ....and they prosecute the three boys...with NO evidence...except the two confessions....the third boy never confessed...no evidence connected to him...but implicated by one of the confessions given by a young boy who was terrorized...who was told that the other boys had confessed against him...told his father that the other boys had said his son was a part of this...all lies...even lies to the father ...using the father to convince the son to confess against the other two...so he made a story....

this is a nightmare and honestly if you were watching this as a movie I don't see how anyone would take it seriously...no police could be this lazy right? no way this corrupt right? no way they would use psychological terror against entire families ...especially against a family who had just lost their daughter (sister)...but they do...

I have really become incensed by the many convictions obtained where the police are so incredibly lazy that they make no serious attempt to find a real killer...but instead decide who the killer is and then make a case against them...do they follow the evidence? do they examine all possible suspects? nope...but from what I understand they are immune against prosecution so what is to keep them from doing anything or saying anything they want?

this book has made me just sick....

the police had another suspect...questioned him and let him go...

ok...so spoilers....

the confessions are thrown out by a judge ....THANK GOD!!!...and the cases are thrown out...but the idiot prosecutors and detectives refuse to give up....even when the other suspect is found to have the little girls blood on his clothes...they still...years later say the boys confessed and are guilty...

HOW CRAZY! the families file lawsuits ....two of them persevere and win over 12 million dollars....not only that but they file a suit and are declared ...factually innocent by a court...so there is no longer any suspicion....but there is...the original detective STILL says they are guilty....what a freaking egotistical lazy incompetent idiot....

so the boys are let go...the other suspect is prosecuted ...found guilty...but then released and retried...and finally found not guilty...the jury found that they felt the blood could have been placed during contamination during the investigation...and so there is no justice....

this is what happens when police and prosecutors center on a supposed perpetrator and do not do any due diligence and allow time to pass which allows evidence and the investigation to become tainted....

so the book...overall very good...horrible story...very good book....two complaints...one...the confessions...I understand the idea to show how horrible they were but it got to the point that I was just saying...ok...I get it...can we move on....I didn't need every moment of every interview....and like most books I am reading lately....the author does very little follow up ...I would have wanted more after the fact to help tie this all together...instead we get little information...so I went to the internet and was able to get the info I wanted but I would prefer this be part of the book....but overall....a great book and a great read...

An incredibly moving and heartbreaking novelisation of a truly horrendous case. I already had some knowledge of the case before reading this book, however Donald E McInnis completely opened my eyes to the horror of this story and the treatment of those boys. We follow Michael, Aaron and Joshua as they are treated so appallingly by those in power, coerced into confession by those who swore to protect. A really moving read. A must read for any true crime fans.

Fascinating & disturbing insight into the murder of 12 year old Stephanie Crowe and the way the police and courts with the aftermath.
It’s a shocking true crime story that highlights the broken justice system.

What makes this book different from others you have read? OMG- reading this book is like watching a back and forth game of cat and mouse with one side set on winning no matter what. This case affected so many lives, not just of the girl who was murdered, but of the other victims who became part of a crime they should not have been a part of.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced electronic copy in return for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!


This is an AMAZING true crime novel. You won't regret picking this up.

What a nightmare! These poor families! This is a must read for people who have any doubt in false confessions. Sickening! Great job to the author! I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this book for me to read in exchange for an honest review. I have read many, many True Crime books over my lifetime (joke used to be if my husband ended up dead and they took a run of books from my library I would be seriously questioned) and never read a book written like this. I loved it!

It is written not at all typical of a True Crime book as it more mimics a documentary in that it focuses on all three (3) boys interrogations/interviews, then followed by the trial and conclusions. I loved the way it never let up on the interrogations in that I was actually feeling exhausted and frustrated while reading it I kept wondering if I feel like this reading it I can only truly imagine what those young boys felt.

I loved the trial as it didn't drag it out, compared the trial back to the facts at hand and the confessions - brilliant in my mind and easy to follow.

A must, MUST read for any True Crime lover!

Annoyed. That's how I felt during this book. Annoyed, angry, frustrated that this happened. From what I've seen, I would compare the feeling of injustice with Making a Murderer and the Central Park Five. That feeling that whatever you do, you can't get it right. The truth is so close, though nobody believes you or wants to believe you.

The first part of the book consists of the endless interrogations that the police officers are conducting. At one part I was wondering if there was ever going to be an end to it. These three boys are getting interrogated for hours and hours and hours, being promised things, deprived of sleep and food, confessions pulled out of them.

The trial shows how ridiculous this case is. The hearing and the arguments being used, shows how little they actually have against the boys. Assuming that from a knife the murder is decided is just a lousy case. It sounded like the police had nothing but fake pieces of evidence. Nothing turned out to be a significant piece of evidence, except the forced confessions.

nteresting to me is that the police never seemed willing to catch the real killer. Richard Tuite, a man who was delusional and wandered around seeking a girl named Tracy around the time of the murder, was never seen as a suspect and never interrogated for the murder. Once Tuite was sentenced to jail, the police still didn't want to admit that Tuite did it.

This true story is about a young girl 12 year old Stephanie Crowe, being found murdered in her own bedroom. The family lived in California and the girl was well liked. Her brother Michael who was 14 at the time, along with two of his friends, also aged 14, were questioned. The boys were too young and did not understand that they needed legal assistance. Their parents wanted to help the police to catch the killer so thought that the boys would be assisting the police by telling all they knew.
The book covers the interrogation pretty much word for word and shows the way the police coerced the boys into saying what the police wanted to hear.
Because the author wants us to hear the whole interrogation, it does get drawn out as the same questions are asked time and time again. It does however show just what someone who is exhausted, hungry and emotionally spent, will say. A thought provoking book.

Falsely accused of murdering his younger sister, Michael Crowe, and eventually two of his friends, were verbally battered into false confessions and then drug through the California court system by detectives and prosecutors so sure they had it right that they ignored the giant holes in their case. Reading this powerful story actually gave me some reader's anxiety and definitely made me angry at the horrible injustice that was perpetrated upon these three young boys, especially Michael Crowe. The interrogation scenes are powerful. I felt like I was in the room watching this 14-year-old boy being put through the ringer by the experienced, ruthless detectives who twisted his words and his mind until he didn't know the truth anymore. This is the story of what happens when the desire to solve a horrible murder overwhelms the rights of the accused and the legal protections that are supposed to prevent this type of thing from happening. The story moves along as a good pace and the unfolds as the real events unfolded. The author did a good job of condensing what he could and yet he kept those interrogation scenes so real, verbatim in places, that even as a reader I just wanted the questions to stop. The book includes an epilogue and an afterword and an appendix that provided some "what happened later" information and valuable information about Children's Rights, Children's Miranda Rights, and the Children's Bill of Rights.

A very detailed account of the process by police of pressuring confessions out of minors / juveniles without their parents consent and sometimes knowledge. Great to read and very informative!
This story is about the murder of 12-year-old Stephanie Crowe, who was found by her grandmother January, 1998 on her bedroom floor. Stephanie was stabbed in her bed and then left to die. Her brother and his friend are the suspects that the police chose because they thought it was obvious without actually reviewing all the evidence and following up on reports. After a long tortuous trial, the boys are exonerated and a schizophrenic transient seems to be the likely suspect.

Donald McInnis has the perspective of the criminal defense attorney for one of the boys, and presents the story of the crime, arrests, and trial in a detailed and fascinating way.
Mr. McInnis proposed a new Children’s Miranda Rights Warning and a Bill of Rights for Children who are being questioned as suspects as a result of his involvement in this case.

A well written account of the investigation following the tragic murder of a young 12 year old girl in her own home.
The story features many transcribed hours of police interviews of the girls brother, and 2 of his friends, who the police convinced themselves were guilty of the crime.
What follows is a frustrating and incredible series of interviews, where police coercion is obvious.
The story is tragic for all concerned, not least the family of the girl and her targeted brother.
A good read.

Just finished this one. Wow. Just wow! This is a true story that's very sad and disturbing on many levels. I'll try not to give too much away.

This book was written by one of the defense attorneys for one of the three boys accused of killing a 12-year-old little girl.

Most of the book is the actual interrogations of the three boys which allows you to see the deceit and manipulation used by the police on these kids.

I seriously had no idea a child could be picked up and questioned without a parent even being notified.
A Children's Miranda Rights and a Bill of Rights for Children are suggested in this book. I think it's a great idea.

The back of the book includes several police interrogation methods and how they should be properly used. I think my favorite was England's PEACE method, where the police are not allowed to lie. Haha

Sadly I'm sure what was done to these three families is not an isolated incident. Two of the families were awarded money after suing because of this debacle, but I'm not sure money can really undo what was done. The third family just wanted to be done with it all. I can't say that I can blame them.

Such a sad, sad but informative story.

I love true crime. I understand that sometimes procedurals can be a bit hard or boring to get thru and are not for everyone.
This entire story is a lesson in what can happen and worst case scenarios and changes the lives of everyone involved. It's not so much a focus on the victim but on the treatment of the children being interviewed and accused of a crime the may or may not have committed. It happens time and time again and this book is enlightening on many aspects in how that plays out.

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and Netgalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for a unbiased review of these works

such a sad sad read, but a really well put together book for the true crime fan

I remember this case so clearly when it happened. It was shocking and disturbing as the facts came out and San Diegans were led to believe three teenage boys were responsible for the brutal murder of one of the boy's sister. This book is not about the case and the victim, however. It is actually about the justice system and its treatment of children involved with the case. It is about the tactics of the detectives and police department who abused the rights and used psychological warfare to close a case.
The first half of the book was repetitive, but it showed how the police wore down the boys until there was nothing left of them. It was painful to read as a parent. Fortunately, through hard work of the attorneys and some luck the truth came out. But at what cost? Some things can never be erased or repaired.

A well-to-do story about the murder of a young girl and the tragic aftermath that was visited upon several families due to law enforcement's beliefs. The tragedy didn't stop with the murder but continued to affect several families for years to come as the innocent suspects were put through the ringer of the court system.

I loved this. It is exactly the kind of true crime book I wanted to read. It didn't feel like just a retelling of facts only; it felt like a narration of this huge tragedy. I never lost interest and I can't wait to share this one around.

This is was a very insightful book that takes the reader into a very controversial case. The "false confessions" that are given by suspects and how it is comes about was eye opening in this book. The treatment of the juveniles that were accused and arrested was beyond acceptable. The tunnel vision of the police officers involved was seen from the beginning of the investigation. The sad realization that this was not the first case and will not be the last case of false confessions because of the tunnel vision of some investigators is saddening. . The author did a wonderful job of presenting the facts and giving an unbiased view of the case. Anyone interested of that works in the Criminal Justice field would find this a very interesting read.

This True Crime novel is a very hard read and this is not due to the writing style but more to the subject matter. The Stephanie Crowe murder case shows exactly how a police investigation can devastate the lives of three families through hunches without any evidence. The case against older brother Michael and his two friends, Joshua Treadway and Aaron Houser.

Using a technique that very clearly went against their rights as juvenile, it is a wonder how the parents seemed to let this happen and were not fully aware of their rights. Considering that it is in the best interest not to be question without a parent or lawyer present, stands to reason why the police were able to get away with what they did.

Lazy policing and coercing the juveniles seemed to be easier than ensuring that evidence was in place and to let the evidence speak for the case. We are left with a misjustice that should have rocked the world more than the case itself but seemed to be set on the back burner. We are once again dealing with a media that seems to not be interested in the case itself but sensationalism without questioning the tactics used.

McInnes brings this to the forefront and although we are left with bits and pieces of the murder itself and the book mainly deals with Miranda rights and Children Bill of Rights, it is a very thought provoking book that makes us question how this was able to occur. Considering this comes on the heels of other high profile cases concerning minors and we are also left with how the police will not accept responsibility when they get it so wrong.

The only gripe I would have liked is a bit more information about the three suspects and how they were able to get on with their lives especially as we know this must have had devastating consequences that have probably followed them throughout their lives. Now that the interviewing techniques are now public knowledge, it would have been very interesting for the three to have read what went on in each of their suspect interviews. Hopefully they may have been able to salvage some aspects of their friendship and maybe give them some closure.

As this is not your normal crime book, some people may feel that this is a bit hard going as it is very detailed and at times, very hard hitting. It is very informative and I found the whole case riveting but did feel that sometimes too much detail could have been summarised a little. The book left me a bit angry and thought that there should have been more repercussions set against the district attorney and the police involved but as this is non fiction, we do not always get the outcome that is deserved.

Overall, this is an outstanding book and one for anyone interested in crime fiction as a whole. As stated above, if you are looking more about the crime, then this will not satisfy your interest but will give a more clearer understanding about the interrogation process as whole. A Five Star book.

Heartbreaking story about a corrupted system and its repercussions. False confessions. A tale that seems to be even more shocking because it's based in true events. A very well documented book based on the Crowe Murder case. Captivating and page turning (so hard to put it down). A must read for all True Crime lovers.

This was a great book for those who love true crime. It definitely makes you want to lock up your kids and never let them out of your sight ever again. Parts of this book were on the edge of being to much for me to even read. However, the pacing was well done and I really couldn't put it down. It had a way of drawing me in.


Go Into This One Knowing: True Crime

Free ARC from Net Galley

Great book

Terrible case

Terrible LEO conduct

But look, stop taking the worst moment of the system and branding it with it

Learn, earn, move on

Great read

Dry good read. Highly recommended. Sad and insightful at the same time. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest opinion. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review.

This book absolutely rocked me to my core. I still dont understand how law enforcement can be questioned with a parent notified. Overall this was a tragic story for all of the families who were involved.

4-5 stars. I found this book to be well written, researched, and a very important topic many just don’t understand about false confessions. I think it was done in a way you could tell that the author did his due diligence and really researched to write a well informed, amazing, and riveting book! It really made me think about the case, the confession, and much more! I highly recommend to those who may question police getting people to confess falsely, as I think it shows how it happens and why. I think those who love true crime and political type books will enjoy it! I highly, highly recommend!
Will make sure to buzz it up and use my low amazon reviewer number on release!

This is a true crime book with a difference! As a true crime fan, I'm used to these books starting with alot of background information but this one delves immediately into the murder case from page 1. This is the story of 12 year old Stephanie Crowe's murder, and the subsequent immoral and borderline illegal interrogation techniques police used to gain false confessions from her 14 year old brother and his two friends. The author warns in the preface that the book may make readers so enraged they'll have to put it down for a while or step away for a time but that was impossible. I couldn't have put this one down if I tried. From page 1 I was hooked and felt like I was thrown into the interrogation room with the boys. The author was factual, informative and unbiased in regards to his own opinions on the case but made sure Stephanie Crowe is a name that will not be forgotten. I will rave about this book to whoever will listen. An absolute must-have on any true crime fan's bookshelf.

In the winter of January 1998, the small town of Escondido, California, was horrified when the body of 12-year-old Stephanie Crowe was found brutally murdered in her own bedroom. The police used psychological manipulation to force three 14-year-old boys to falsely confess to the murder. She's So Cold traces the twists and turns of a real-life mystery which eventually changed the lives of fifteen people and cost a district attorney his job. To protect children and teens from such manipulation in the future, McInnis proposes a new Children's Miranda Rights Warning and a Bill of Rights for Children who are being questioned as suspects. These proposals must be adopted in order to prevent minors from making false confessions that could destroy their futures.
This was a pretty good book. I’m a fan of true crime so this drew my attention. This one was a bit different from others I’d read. After laying the bare facts of what happened, the author starts to tell how the family was treated. It was a horrifying thought to think of what everyone went through after such a devastating loss. I’ve seen some true crime specials that show where the police have forced confessions on family members, but not very many. I highly recommend it to anyone whose a fan of this genre.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

She's So Cold: Murder, Accusations and the System that Devasted a Family was an interesting and a sad true crime book. I felt sorry for those boys. I give this book four stars.