Murder Book

By Michael Connelly

Sam Little, the FBI’s most prolific serial killer roamed free for five decades, murdering women at will. But in 2012 he came to the attention of Detective Mitzi Roberts and everything changed. This opportunistic killer had long stayed below law enforcement’s radar because of the victims he chose: Women from the fringe — drug users and sex workers paid little attention to by society. Murder Book Season 2: The Women Who Stopped Sam Little follows this Los Angeles Police Department cold case invest

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Episodes

39:10

Q&A - Part 2

Mitzi Roberts and others answer questions from listeners to the podcast. (Part 2)

43:42

Q&A - Part 1

Mitzi Roberts and others answer questions from listeners to the podcast. (Part 1)

35:37

The Road Goes On Forever

Chapter 10 - Final thoughts and reporting on the Sam Little case. The LAPD went on two ride alongs with Sam Little in an effort to clear the 17 additional murders he said he committed in the area. To date only one has been solidly identified. It leav

37:51

The Writer

Chapter 9 - Jillian Lauren contacts Detective Roberts about the Black Dahlia case but picks up on Sam Little. An obsession begins, a relationship between a writer and killer begins.
Sam Little talks to Jillian and starts confessing. She starts drivin

39:35

True Confessions

Chapter 8 - A Texas Ranger befriends Sam Little and the man who claimed innocence now starts confessing to murder after murder. Sam starts drawing detailed sketches of his victims. Ranger Jim Holland becomes the gatekeeper to Sam Little. The work of

31:43

The Trial

Chapter 7 - A third LA murder case is added and the trial begins, presented to the jury by prosecutor Beth Silverman. Three survivors testify.
The verdict is guilty. At his sentencing Little protests his innocence, calls the proceedings a lynching. D

42:07

Cracks in the System

Chapter 6 - An acquittal in a Florida murder case is followed by dozens and dozens of murders. In San Diego another chance to put this man away for good slips away. Little is literally caught by police officers in the act of strangling a woman. But t

43:54

The Driver

Chapter 5 - Sam Little took a 17 year old boy off the streets and forced him to be his driver. In a textbook interview Roberts leads Danny Beckless down the path from “I don’t remember anything” to an emotional break and “Sam told me he liked to chok

35:21

Cross Country

Chapter 4 - Roberts and partner Rick Jackson hit the road to build the case, uncovering a trail of rape and murder and a justice system that didn’t appear to care about high risk victims from the fringe. Survivors tell their harrowing tales of cheati

38:56

The Road Map

Chapter 3 - Two LAPD detectives conduct the first interview with Sam Little in a jail in Louisville. Before denying he had killed anyone, he unwittingly provides detectives with a road map of the cities he had spent time in and when he had been there

33:49

Killer on the Road

Chapter 2 - Roberts tracks Sam Little to Louisville, Kentucky where he is finally arrested. By now Roberts is convinced Little is a double-digit serial killer. “What a monster this guy is.”

39:25

The Killing Fields

Chapter 1 - In 2012 LAPD Detective Mitzi Roberts draws a career case when DNA matches two sex murders from 1989 to a man named Sam Little. She has to put together the case and try to find the drifter with a criminal record in 19 states. Her research

1:11:50

The Long Road to Justice

Chapter 14 - A final sentencing. A defense attorney's last attempt to save his client. A possible finale to this never-ending case. After 32 years, Pierre Romain faces his day of reckoning to determine what lies ahead for his future. His attorney Ala

32:46

The View From the Jury Box

Chapter 13 - A juror's side of the story. A hearing further delayed. Jade Clark's murderer Pierre Romain continues to sit in the LA County Jail, awaiting his sentence. Meanwhile, a juror shares his take on the trial, including the defense's unexpecte

1:05:50

The Q&A

Chapter 12 - The anonymous tip. Alibis. Unaired hours of wiretaps. The other suspect, Dwayne Dixon. In this roundtable discussion, the creators of Murder Book, along with Detectives Tim Marcia, Mitzi Roberts, and Rick Jackson answer your questions ab

40:45

Justice Delayed

Chapter 11 - A new defense lawyer. A prison sentence put off. Although he was found guilty of murder, Pierre Romain is not done playing the system. He hires a more prominent attorney, causing further delays in this "never-ending" case. As the new def

39:01

The Verdict

Chapter 10 - "We the jury find the defendant Pierre Alphonse Romain..." After a month of trial and two days of deliberation, a verdict is declared. Detectives Rick Jackson and Tim Marcia, as well as attorneys Tannaz Mokayef and Winston McKesson share

47:35

Closing Arguments

Chapter 9 - Salem witch trials. A victim talking from the grave. A murderer walking among us. Prosecutor Tannaz Mokayef and defense attorney Winston McKesson throw all their raw emotions and unmasked accusations into the open, hoping to seal Pierre R

59:38

The Accused

Chapter 8 - An ice pick stabbing. Gang rehabilitation. A young child trapped in the neighborhoods of the Rollin 60's Crips. Pierre Romain finally takes the stand to explain the wounds on his arm, his history with LA gangs, and his language on the wir

44:20

The Defense of Pierre Romain

Chapter 7 - Mystery blood drops. Wearer DNA. A case for reasonable doubt. The defense of Pierre Romain begins, and defense attorney Winston McKesson has some surprising strategies up his sleeve. Manipulations are detected, accusations are made, heari

49:50

Reluctant Witnesses

Chapter 6 - The ex-sister-in-law. The childhood friend. A bullet wound at an LAPD family day picnic. As the prosecution continues their case against Pierre Romain, they encounter unforeseen challenges from witnesses with divided loyalties, testimonie

49:30

The People vs. Pierre Romain

Chapter 5 - A white, sporty vehicle. Witness testimonies. Possible DNA contaminants. A new prosecutor and a defense attorney go head to head as they take a closer examination of the players and evidence involved in the Jade Clark case. Will the prose

42:07

The King of Cold Cases

Chapter 4 - A master hypnotist. A hard-nosed prosecutor. Delays, delays...and more delays. Detective Rick Jackson brings on new recruitments in hopes of pushing the case forward and finally taking Pierre Romain to trial for murder. But first, Jackson

42:47

Wiretaps, Search Warrants, and DNA Swabs

Chapter 3 - Police Sergeant. Rollin 60's gang member. Father. Murderer. Who is Pierre Romain? How did a gangster accused of killing an innocent man become a cop? As the investigation peers into Romain's rise to a badged uniform, LAPD Detective Rick J

47:34

San Francisco Calling

Chapter 2 - Hypnosis. Cold case DNA. Freed suspects. When Detective Rick Jackson receives shocking news from key witness Clifford Phillips, justice for Jade Clark appears to be a lost cause. But 16 years after that fateful summer, Jackson receives an

53:08

Hollywood Homicide

Chapter 1 - True Crime: Carjacking, Gunshots, and Murder. Hollywood, 1987. LAPD Detective Rick Jackson is called to a crime scene outside a popular Hollywood nightclub. There's a gun, a fingerprint, and a bullet on the ground that will hold the key t