New book portrays Caril Fugate as unwilling Starkweather accomplice

LINCOLN, Neb. -- A former resident of McCook, John Stevens Berry, is the co-author of a new book which contends that mass-murderer Charles Starkweather lied about Caril Fugate's involvement in the killings that left 11 people dead in Nebraska and Wyoming.

According to Berry, an attorney who now lives in Lincoln, Starkweather forced Fugate, his 14-year-old girlfriend, to accompany him on the murder spree.

Berry co-authored the book with Linda Battisti of Cleveland, Ohio. It is called "The Twelfth Victim--The Innocence of Caril Fugate in the Starkweather Murder Rampage." Published by Addicus Books, "The Twelfth Victim" is being released this month. The price is $21.95 for the 250-page book.

Berry and Battisti bring to light new facts supporting the claim that, indeed, Caril Fugate was a hostage. "Starkweather had told her that if she didn't do exactly as he said, he would make a phone call to his gang and they would murder her parents and her three-year-old sister," Battisti said. "Caril was trying to save her family."

A jury decided differently. She was found guilty of being an accessory to first degree murders and was sentenced to life in prison. However, she was paroled in 1976 at the age of 32.

Why did Berry and Battisti, both attorneys, write the book? "We wanted to let it be known that, despite the heinous crimes Starkweather committed, a gross injustice was perpetrated upon the 14-year-old Fugate by the Nebraska justice system. Caril Fugate was convicted by public opinion and never received a fair trial," Battisti said.

Berry agreed, asking people to read the book with an open mind. "Far too many people have based their opinions entirely on the statements of the mass-murderer, Charles Starkweather, whose story changed constantly. Starkweather fed lies to the media about Caril helping him kill people, and what he said often became banner headlines. As a result, people quoted him and cited his version of the 'facts' as if they were gospel. This is unacceptable. We must get past the hysteria of the times and apply logic and reason to our evaluation of Starkweather's outrageous statements. Then we need to analyze the manner in which Caril's case was tried. The serious reader will conclude that Caril Fugate was indeed the twelfth victim."

"The Twelfth Victim" not only tells Fugate's story, but goes behind the scenes and exposes new information about her treatment by the Nebraska Judicial system. Among the points the authors make:

* Caril Fugate followed Starkweather's orders and didn't try to escape when she had a chance because she was trying to prevent Starkweather from having her family murdered. She did not know Starkweather had already killed them.

* After he was in custody, Starkweather first said Caril had no part in the murders. Then, when Caril was encouraged by the sheriff to send Starkweather a note saying she never wanted to see him again, Starkweather turned on her with a vengeance.

* Starkweather was coached for days by the prosecution on what to say during Caril's trial. Among the things Starkweather was coached on: not to disclose that on three different occasions he had planned to kill Fugate while they were on the run.