Lulu.com is pleased to announce the release of local Florida Author Yvonne Mason’s true crime book Silent Scream.  In 1972 Martin County Deputy Gerard Schaefer was arrested for the aggravated assault of two young women by the name of Nancy Trotter and Pamela Wells.  They were the lucky ones. They got away.

  April 1,1973 the bodies of two more young women named . Georgia Jessup and Susan Place were found on South Hutchinson Island. They had been there for several months. The police investigation which ensued led the authorities back to Gerard Schaefer who was by this time serving six months for aggravated assault on Nancy Trotter and Susan Wells.

   The firestorm and the evidence uncovered in the investigation led authorities to believe that Ex-Martin County Deputy Sheriff Gerard Schaefer had killed more than just these four young women.  Evidence gathered during a search at his mother’s home revealed at least nine and as many as possibly thirty four over a span of six years beginning in 1966 and continuing until 1972.

  Until this crime Florida had never experienced anything like what is now known as serial killings. Gerard Schaefer was considered the first perpetrator of this type of crime. Crime Scene evidence testing, DNA testing and the ability to link similar crimes was primitive at best. Law enforcement didn’t communicate with each other and there was no way to tie these types of crimes to one perpetrator. Gerard Schaefer was caught simply because he got sloppy.   

   Ms. Mason’s Silent Scream gives the victims a voice – a voice which has been silent for over 30 years. Some of the young women were never found, some cases were never closed and there were never any bodies to bury.

   Gerard Schaefer took their voice away when he bound, gagged, hung , tortured, and buried  their bodies in remote areas. He killed in pairs so one could watch while the other was destroyed.

  This is their story, this is their voice and with this voice comes the peace they have never had.

  Ms. Mason, reminds us that at any time and any place we can become a victim.

  Ms. Mason is also the author of Stan’s Story, A Touch of Love, Tangled Minds and the soon to be re-released Brilliant Insanity.

      Her book Silent Scream is available at http://stores.lulu.com/theskeletoncloset,

 http://thebookattic.ecrater.com and soon to be on Amazon.com and other fine bookstores.

   She can be reached at ysam51@yahoo.com and her website is www.myspace.com/yvonnemason