William D Larue

In this sequel to his 2021 true-crime book A STRANGER KILLED KATY, author William D. LaRue puts a spotlight on stunning developments surrounding the brutal 1986 murder of Clarkson University sophomore Katherine "Katy" Hawelka. While Katy's family continues their tireless fight to keep convicted killer Brian M. McCarthy behind bars, McCarthy attempts to rewrite history, portraying his heinous crime as a tragic accident.LaRue draws on New York parole board transcripts, prison records, interviews, and newly uncovered psychological evaluations to expose McCarthy's campaign to win freedom. The story builds to a dramatic 2023 parole hearing, where McCarthy's manipulations collide with a board determined to uncover the truth.THE LONG SHADOW OF KATY'S KILLER is a sobering account of an inmate's enduring quest for parole, and a family's unyielding determination to honor their daughter's memory. LaRue's masterful storytelling will leave readers riveted-and inspired by a case that proves that, sometimes, justice prevails.

In the early morning hours of August 29, 1986, Clarkson University sophomore Katy Hawelka - bright, pretty and full of life - strolled back to her upstate New York campus after a night out. On the dimly lit path beside the university's ice hockey arena, a stranger emerged from the darkness. The brutal sexual assault and strangulation that followed rocked the campus and the local community.When Katy was declared brain-dead three days later, her family's nightmare had only just begun.Terry Connelly soon learned details about her daughter's death that would make her blood boil. From the bungling campus guards who could have stopped the murder, to mistakes by others that allowed the killer to wander the streets committing violence, Katy's mother became certain of one thing: The criminal justice system only meant "justice for the criminals."A STRANGER KILLED KATY is the true story of a life cut tragically short, and of the fight by a grieving mother and others more than 30 years later to ensure that a killer would spend the rest of his life behind bars.

The history and operations of the Panama Canal during the 1980s and 1990s come to life in this vibrant personal memoir by retired canal pilot Kenneth P. Puckett. In this book, Captain Puckett shares "sea stories" and other personal memories that have made him a popular teacher and lecturer. For nearly 16 years, until he retired in 1996, he helped to guide ships through the historic Panama Canal on more than 1,400 transits. On these pages he navigates through tales of his rocky childhood in northern Kentucky; his military adventures in both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army, where he served two tours of Vietnam; and what it was like in Panama in the 1980s as the Central American country fell into chaos under the dictatorship of Manuel Noriega. Enjoy the breezy storytelling of Captain Puckett as he shares what it was like being a maritime pilot on the canal during its turbulent years of transition to ownership by Panama after nearly a century under U.S. control. But don't think Captain Puckett didn't have fun along the way. He blends into this autobiography many of his unforgettable sea stories, such as the time he encountered a "pooping monkey" on a ship's bridge, and the time he once pranked a ship's captain into thinking he had plowed his vessel through a banana farm.

"CANDY: True Tales of a 1st Cavalry Soldier in the Korean War and Occupied Japan" is the coming-of-age autobiography of a small-town teenager going to war in 1950. Kenny LaRue is like many young men at that time who volunteer for the Army out of a sense of patriotism and duty. Through quirky circumstances, he ends up on the front line of Korea, where he remains firmly in denial he might be killed - until he sees a buddy blown up by an enemy shell. Kenneth J. LaRue, in collaboration with his son William, tells this story in a no-nonsense way steeped in humanity and humor, including recollections of off-duty antics in Occupied Japan. The title "CANDY" is inspired in part by mispronunciation of Kenny's name by the young "bar girls" in Japan. Candy happens to be, too, a recurring element of his story, from the treats he gives to beggar children in Korea to the Army candy he used to settle his stomach after a brutal battle on Thanksgiving 1951.About the AuthorsKenneth J. LaRue is the recipient of several awards and decorations for his Army service from 1951-1953, including the Combat Infantry Badge, Korean Campaign Ribbon with two bronze stars, United Nations Ribbon and Japan Occupation Ribbon. He worked for a paper mill in Potsdam, New York, from 1954 to 1974, and was employed as the Potsdam village clerk from 1975 to 1994. Ken was a member of the Canton VFW; a facilitator of the Divorced and Separated Support Group at St. Mary's Church in Potsdam; and was a founding member of the local Solo Singles group. He died November 30, 2012, after a long illness.William D. LaRue, married father of two, is an award-winning journalist, former TV critic for The Post-Standard in Syracuse, and a website producer for several major newspapers. Bill once owned one of the world's largest collections of licensed merchandise from the TV series "The Simpsons." He is author of the 1999 book "Collecting Simpsons "