Book Review: The Murder Business by Mark Fuhrman
Book Review: The Murder Business – How the Media Turns Crime into Entertainment and Subverts Justice
I've seen Mark Fuhrman on television shows, chiming in on current homicide investigations. Of course, I remember him for his role in the O.J. Simpson case –a role which even Fuhrman himself labels "notorious." In fact, if not for the heavy press coverage of the Simpson case, most of us would probably not even know who Mark Fuhrman is. Using his notoriety, Fuhrman was able to turn things around and he's made quite a career within the media. So, when I was asked to review his book, "The Murder Business – How the Media Turns Crime into Entertainment and Subverts Justice," I was more than happy to comply. In this review, I'm not going to tread over old ground. If this book is of interest to you, you're probably quite familiar with these cases and the events surrounding them. If not, then you probably don't own a television set or read a newspaper.
Mark Fuhrman delves right into the issue in the prologue of his book. The media makes big money from murder. Cases like those of O.J. Simpson and Caylee Anthony are big business. Fuhrman points out his vision of the goals of law enforcement and the goals of the media. He writes that law enforcement wants to solve a case as soon as possible, putting the guilty behind bars. On the other side of the coin, he says that media wants the case to drag on as "long as humanly possible," so that they can "extricate every last bit of drama, drop by bloody drop."
Fuhrman blasts the media in this book. That is his goal, after all. But, he knows which side of the bread his butter is on. He dare not bite the hand that feeds him. He says "Fox is different, that's why I work for them." While that may be true in many ways, anyone that takes the time to flip among the various news channels over a period of time can see that, basically, there isn't much difference among the reporters and talking heads. Many of the faces have worked for other networks –and many on Fox will move to other agencies, and vice versa. And Fox is certainly not immune to sensationalism of crime. When Fox reported on the serial killings in Daytona Beach, I remember them showing footage of scantily-clad women on the beach, even though the murders were not anywhere near Daytona's tourist area. But, as Fuhrman points out in his book, the media doesn't care much about any case that doesn't have marketability.
Fuhrman also points out the other parties in the media food chain that gather to feed off of tragic circumstances. There are public relations firms that families are encouraged to hire to prevent them from being painted in a bad light. There are attorneys –many attorneys. There are bounty hunters and other freelancers. Various parties use the cases in the media spotlight to further their carriers and fatten their bank accounts.
Fuhrman has chapters dedicated to several of the most notorious cases in recent history: Caylee Anthony, Drew Peterson, Melinda Duckett, Martha Moxley, Scott Peterson, JonBenét Ramsey. Vince Foster, and, of course, Furhman's own Waterloo, O.J. Simpson. In each and every chapter, Fuhrman points out that he alone is different from everyone else. He's smarter. His thinking is more logical, like an investigator's. He's not out for ratings. Unlike everyone else, Mark Fuhrman wants to see justice served.
The first chapter is on the Caylee Anthony case, and Fuhrman hits the nail on the head. The case had everything and the media prolonged the mystery –even though it was dreadfully obvious –right from the beginning– that the child was dead at the hands of her own mother. And then came the shmaltz. There were saccharine videos and websites dedicated to the dead little girl. Some people seemed to adapt the little girl as their own, as if picked from a cabbage patch –even though she was as lifeless as the dolls sold in her name.
Fuhrman claims in "The Murder Business" that he found himself "in the position of having to tell the grandparents, George and Cindy, what they already knew –the truth." Caylee was dead. The media built on the myth created by the Anthony's –that Caylee was alive and then sold it back to them. The Anthony's bought it. They held on to it with all the hope they had. But, there really wasn't any truth to it. Fuhrman met with George and Cindy, and, reverting from a reporter back to an investigator, told them the awful truth that they already knew. At least, that's how Fuhrman sees it. I followed the case myself, and it wasn't the media that created the "Caylee is missing" myth. It was the Anthonys. Fuhrman writes that the Anthonys "could have been spared much anguish if the media hadn't fed the 'missing child' delusion when Caylee Anthony was clearly deceased." But, wasn't it the Anthonys themselves that tried to sell the investigators that version of events. I seem to recall the Anthonys scolding the media and investigators for looking for Caylee's body instead of trying to find her alive.
The chapter on Caylee Anthony chronicles the case from the beginning –in graphic detail. The chapter also compares the media's attention of the case to others that didn't fit the "American Idol" version of victims, namely Haleigh Cummings and Adji Desir.
Fuhrman presents his insight on the Drew Peterson case, based on his own personal experience as an investigating reporter on location. Chapter Two is an interesting journey into the politics and bureaucracy that helped Peterson get away with murder.
Chapter Three is about the investigation of missing Trenton Duckett. In this chapter, Fuhrman accuses the media of going to far –by asking the questions that Melinda Duckett would rather have evaded.
Fuhrman accuses Nancy Grace of bungling the Duckett investigation. But, looking at Fuhrman's own history, I really think he's throwing stones from a glass house. Nancy Grace may be big media. She may not cover the cases that won't attract a large audience. I can agree with this. It's true. But, to accuse her of causing Melinda Duckett's suicide is just plain idiotic, and rather disgusting. Melinda Duckett killed herself because she had a guilty conscious. To say that we'll never know what happened to Trenton Ducket now, because of Nancy Grace, is not the kind of thinking I'd expect from a professional investigator. Casey Anthony didn't talk, either –and she's still alive. Fuhrman's accusation is cheap and and self-serving –plain and simple. Even worse, from this incident, Fuhrman seems to imply that Grace has allowed a killer to run free –endangering other children. Of course, the evidence we do have in this case shows that to be preposterous. It's certainly not a logical deduction of a homicide investigator. But, then again, Fuhrman's no longer a cop. He's a member of the very media he accuses of sensationalism. He's only proving his point.
Chapter Four is about Martha Moxley and how her murderer's family ties and influence led to a denial of justice. Mark Fuhrman was very close to this case. His work leading to the conviction of Michael Skakel is commendable, to say the least. Fuhrman's skills as an investigator and his drive to break through the walls of silence deserve a multitude of praise. It took 27 years, but finally Martha Moxley's killer had to answer for his horrific deed. This chapter lays the story out in a condensed version. Still, it is a chilling account. The frustration caused by the community who just wished the whole thing would go away is put down in black and white. The investigation that came much too late is presented in a brief, but concise chapter.
Chapter Five is about Scott Peterson. Fuhrman calls it "Portrait of a Mama's Boy." That is exactly what it is. Fuhrman, as he covers the timeline of this case, shows it to be true. However, when we get to the Diane Sawyer interview, Fuhrman criticizes Sawyer for being too lenient. Perhaps, Fuhrman thought, she should have been more like Nancy Grace. Once again, Furhman tells us how a true investigator would have handled the situation. This time, though, he impresses how important it was for Peterson's interviewer to be confrontational. But, wouldn't that harm the investigation?
Chapter Six is about one of the most disturbing cases to have drawn the attention of the media. The murder of JonBenét Ramsey was one of the most bizarre cases of murder to attract mass media attention. The politics of power came into play, allowing the Ramsey's to avoid questioning by law enforcement, while the press went on a wild goose chase. This case, like the others, is presented in an abbreviated, though detailed form. Remember how we were told that the Ramseys were exonerated? According to Fuhrman, who cites the conclusion of Dr. Cyril Wecht, this may not be the case at all. The DNA, it turns out, matches a previously found sample thought to be contaminant. The DA's announcement was then a rush to judgment. Interesting. Very interesting. So, the Ramsey's can't be ruled out, after all.
I was surprised to see that Chapter Seven would talk about the murder of Vince Foster –one of the most powerful men in the Clinton administration. I mean, it's just not politically correct to even think that Vince Foster may have been murdered. Here, Fuhrman points out just how ludicrous the suicide explanation was and how the investigation was controlled by the very administration who, if Foster was murdered, might have had a motive. It would be most blasphemous to insinuate that anyone in the Clinton administration would sink as low as distorting the truth. Fuhrman recalls how one crucial witness, a man who, by fateful chance, had decided to take a leak, was intimidated, harassed, defamed, and assaulted. Most importantly, in going with the theme of this book, Fuhrman shows how the media ignored this case. The media wanted it to go away. It didn't serve their purposes. But, more than just go away, the media went as far as to become part of the cover-up. The media ignored very important evidence that proved to anyone with common sense that this was a homicide. Vincent Foster did not kill himself. I am very glad to see that Fuhrman has included this chapter in his book. I hope that it leads to more discussion. I hope that, like the Moxley case, the murder of Vincent Foster will one day be solved.
Chapter Eight: Of course, Fuhrman covered the Simpson case. How could he not? It was with the murders of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson that we first heard the name of Mark Fuhrman. He was made out to be a villain. Nasty words can come back to haunt you, especially when a man's life is on the line. But, Fuhrman has one redemption, by writing about his investigations and by becoming a part of the media that sought his ruin.
In this chapter, Fuhrman tells how facts were misconstrued and obscured. Fuhrman walks us through the crime scene as he saw it when he was first called to the scene as an investigator. He tells about the incompetence of Phil Vannater, who took over the investigation when the Robbery-Homicide division was assigned to the case. The bloody glove issue, Kato Kaelin, the bloody Bronco –it's all here. Fuhrman chides the media for not following the obvious leads in the case. Fuhrman tells about the badly conducted interrogation of O.J. Simpson. He also talks about his impressions of the District Attorneys office and the political plays being made in front of the television cameras. He describes the pressure of providing testimony in front of an unprecedented amount of press coverage.
Chapter Nine continues with the Simpson case with "The Witness that Everyone Forgot" –Fuhrman's partner, Brad Roberts. Even though Roberts was initially on the scene with Fuhrman, he was ignored by the DA when it came to trial. What his eyes had seen, crucial evidence, was not considered important. The chapter continues with Fuhrman's view of the civilians –that is, those who are not in law enforcement. He says that cops live in the "real world" and civilians live in "their fantasy" that the world is a safe and peaceful place. He says that civilians walk outside into a "fresh, clean world" because cops have "cleaned up the mess and taken out the garbage." While I'm very sure that our men and women of law enforcement often go unrecognized and are many times the recipients of unnecessary criticism, Fuhrman seems to put himself above those not part of his brotherhood. I think he has underestimated the intelligence of many people simply by looking at what the press is dishing out on a daily basis. The media, especially in this day and age, does not reflect the populous. It does, however, try to influence it. Thankfully, we are not all sheep, as some would like to believe.
Fuhrman denounces the media for injecting themselves into active investigations. But, in this very book, Fuhrman admits to doing just that. Remember, he is not a cop, anymore. He is a reporter. He is the media. In this book, Fuhrman plays armchair quarterback to media reporters and pundits. At the same time, he pats himself on the back for every move that he makes. (If only everyone were like Mark Fuhrman.) Fuhrman said of Nancy Grace, "she's not a prosecutor anymore. She just plays one on TV." Mark Fuhrman continues to play a cop on TV, but he forgets that he is a reporter for the media –he's not in law enforcement. Why is it O.K. for him to do the same things he accuses everyone else of doing?
Overall, I think Fuhrman makes many excellent points about the media. Seldom are cases covered that do not have a certain formulaic appeal. Fuhrman describes how the media works in these cases. He does it very well. The book packs an amazing amount of detail about crime scenes and investigations. Fuhrman expresses his outrage at the way media covers murder cases. If only he could have recognized that he wasn't so different from those he set out to crucify, then maybe he wouldn't come off as a bitter Pharisee.
In his new book, The Murder Business: How the Media Turns Crime Into Entertainment and Subverts Justice, former homicide detective and current FOX news commentator Mark Fuhrman examines the media's role in covering high-profile crimes. Fuhrman reveals never-before-published details about some of the most notorious cases, exposing the botched investigations, manipulative media practices, and subtle bribery that have allowed killers to go free.
As he delves into these cases, Fuhrman reveals a horrible, but all-to-common thread: the media's involvement often distorts the truth, perversely influencing victims and witnesses while blinding the American public to the facts.
The Murder Business reveals:
- How media and law enforcement work at cross purposes: law enforcement wants to solve cases quickly while the media wants to drag cases out to keep ratings high
- Why, despite their best efforts, the media cannot be an arm of law enforcement—but they can help solve crimes
- How the media picks and chooses their star victims—the prettiest, whitest, or youngest murder victim usually gets the most attention—and how this can obstruct justice
- Why crime as entertainment has edged out journalism
- Who killed JonBenét Ramsey
The Murder Business is a sobering look at some of the most famous cases of the past twenty years—and the media's role in solving crimes and achieving justice.
Mark Fuhrman is a retired LAPD homicide detective who gained national recognition during the O. J. Simpson case. That case was the subject of his first book, Murder in Brentwood, which became a New York Times bestseller. Since then, he has written five other books on crime and is currently employed as a FOX News consultant. Mark lives in North Idaho with his wife and two children.
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