276°
Posted 20 hours ago

In with the Devil: A Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption

£5.93£11.86Clearance
ZTS2023's avatar
Shared by
ZTS2023
Joined in 2023
82
63

About this deal

Ironically enough, I wanted to be a police officer, but my Dad was totally against it, so heeding that his advice left me only more confused as a young man. Perhaps I should have taken an out of state football wrestling scholarship, and seen where that would have taken me, but the reality of moving out of state and away from my thriving marijuana business, my only real means of financial survival kept me in Chicago and still on a wayward path. His offer was a simple, but dangerous one: befriend suspected serial killer Larry Hall and get him to confess to at least two more murders out of the 19 they believed he was responsible for, and he could walk free. Featured on Dateline and CNN, the true story of a young man destined for greatness on the football field—until a few wrong turns led him to a ten-year prison sentence. He was offered an impossible mission: Coax a confession out of a fellow inmate, a serial killer, and walk free.

Eventually, Hall confessed to the 1993 murder of Jessie Roach to Keene. Roach was just 19 at the time of her murder. However he refused to tell him the location of the body. Hall’s bizarre grooming was a key element that tied him to many of his suspected victims. Their abductions coincided with “reenactments” at nearby historic battlefields. A dedicated Civil War buff, Hall traveled throughout the country to portray a Union foot soldier and even appeared as a period extra in two films. His muttonchops, emulating those of a Union general, were intended to make his face look as authentic as his uniform and rifle. Your latest novel, ‘The Chicago Phoenix’, tells us yet another amazing part of your life. Can you explain what drove you into the marijuana business at just 13 years old?

Who was the real Larry Hall?

I’m also currently writing my next new book “American Sparkle” based on one of my other creations which is already set to be a motion picture. We were supposed to start filming “American Sparkle” in June 2023 but the writers and directors and actors strike happened. It’s currently still in negotiations, so as of now my “American Sparkle” movie is on pause till all is resolved. Jimmy nonchalantly grabbed it with his cuffed hands and lifted up the flap, putting on his best poker face to mask his reaction to whatever he saw inside. Still, nothing could have prepared him for the first glossy photograph he pulled from the folder. This was not a picture of a drug dealer or local big shot. Instead, he saw the battered naked body of a young woman, sprawled between rows of standing corn. Her skin was torn and discolored. As best he could with the cuffs, Jim turned over photo after photo of the grisly scene, first thinking, “Are they trying to pin this on me, too?” When Levin spoke on the phone with Hall to corroborate Keen’s story, he found him to be somewhat defiant. “It’s not like he said, ‘I’m innocent. I never did any of this. They totally set me up.’ Instead, it was, ‘the prosecutor really hated me. Really. I didn’t like him either.’”

Keene's sweeping rise, fall and hellish climb towards redemption are in stark contrast to the small peaks and deep valleys of Hall's lifelong tightrope walk between relative normalcy and disturbing evil. The thematic link between the two becomes explicit. Does Levin believe that the FBI made a similar connection between the men? “For Jimmy to somehow be able to communicate with him,” says Levin, “it has to touch on some of those similar nerves... he has to seem sympathetic with him, before Larry would confess. And that was the button that he could push. After managing to get Hall's confession regarding Roach, Keene waited a short time before asking him about Reitler. When he did, Hall allegedly confessed that he did kidnap and kill the victim. I said, "Well, that's great." I said, "You're right by me." I said, "You know what? I told you you were a cool guy, and I'm glad that you're by me" and all this and that. And that's when he basically offered sometime if I'd ever want to have breakfast with him and his friends. Just a few months into his sentence, Keene was approached by the prosecutor who put him behind bars. He had convicted a man named Larry Hall for abducting and killing a fifteen-year-old. Although Hall was suspected of killing nineteen other young women, there was a chance he could still be released on appeal. If Keene could get him to confess to two murders, there would be no doubt about Hall's guilt. In return, Keene would get an unconditional release from prison. But he could also get killed.At the time, Hall was appealing his conviction for the abduction and murder of a 15-year-old, and there was a possibility he could walk free, and they wanted to ensure that didn't happen. The book charts Keene's real-life story and the experiences he faced when he was tasked with trying to coax a confession from suspected serial killer Larry Hall (played by Paul Walter Hauser). It became Beaumont's mission to get a confession from Hall about Roach and other possible crimes he allegedly committed, including the 1993 disappearance of Tricia Reitler. That was where Keene came in. How did James "Jimmy" Keene target Larry Hall? Keene tried to get more information from Hall about where he allegedly buried Reitler, and Keene came across Hall with a map that showed the supposed location of several of his alleged victims. James Keene is an American author, writer, executive producer, and businessman. His first book is In With the Devil: A Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption.

Hall was arrested for Roach's murder in 1995 as enough evidence was garnered to convict him. He was given a life sentence. Now, in April 2023, James Keene just published his third book in the autobiographical franchise and titled it ‘The Chicago Phoenix: Jimmy Keene’s Untold Story’, which follows him prior to going to prison. Comic Years had an amazing opportunity to receive exclusive information about James Keene’s latest novel. James Keene about The Chicago Phoenix Was the prosecutor concerned that Larry Hall's conviction might be overturned without more evidence? Jimmy Keene was born on New Year's Eve in Kankakee, Illinois, an exurb of Chicago, to James “Big Jim” Keene and Lynn Keene. Big Jim was a decorated police officer, and Lynn Keene owned a restaurant. Speaking on Dateline in 2012, he said he hopes that his role keeping Hall behind bars has allowed him to earn some line of redemption.

Who is James "Jimmy" Keene From 'Black Bird'?

Keene, James (2023). The Chicago Phoenix: Jimmy Keene's Untold Story (Firsted.). Silly Goat Media. ISBN 978-1961181014. The novel follows young Jimmy Keene in the marijuana business. However, the business was undoubtedly dangerous. The job included surviving street shootings, brawls, and other dangerous situations. Do you recall any specific situations in which your life was in danger? Beaumont, Keene remembers, was ecstatic, practically reaching across the table to hug him: “That’s great. Great.” Reitler's body has still not been found and her family told Dateline that they were frustrated Keene had failed to find out where she was allegedly buried by Hall.

Asda Great Deal

Free UK shipping. 15 day free returns.
Community Updates
*So you can easily identify outgoing links on our site, we've marked them with an "*" symbol. Links on our site are monetised, but this never affects which deals get posted. Find more info in our FAQs and About Us page.
New Comment