Reasonable Doubt: True Crime Classic

by Steve Vogel

A Shocking Story of Lust and Murder in the American Heartland

I had just fallen asleep when a phone call jolted me awake — a reporter summoned to a tragic scene just a mile from my home. Expecting a routine emergency, I arrived to find the beginning of a decades-long investigation into one of the most haunting true crime cases in Midwest history: the Hendricks family murders.

Inside the Case

In Reasonable Doubt, I take readers deep into the chilling deaths of a young mother and her three children, the investigation into their brutal ax murders, and the dramatic trials that followed. Through meticulous reporting and firsthand insight, I invite you to weigh the evidence and decide for yourself the question of innocence or guilt.

A Bestseller with Lasting Impact

Reasonable Doubt became a New York Times bestseller and earned its place in the St. Martin’s Press True Crime Classics library. The most recent updated edition features new revelations, additional photographs and what I call “interesting intersections” — unexpected connections that have emerged over the years in this unforgettable story. That book is now available as a trade paperback, an e-book and as an audiobook.

Reader Acclaim and Academic Recognition

With 40 percent of Amazon reviewers awarding five stars, readers often remark on the book’s gripping realism — many must remind themselves that every word is true. Reasonable Doubt has also been adopted in college criminal justice courses as a compelling illustration of the legal standard of reasonable doubt.

Explore Further

I invite you to read the opening chapters or listen to this audiobook sample, and delve into the extensive collection of audio and video clips, documents, and behind-the-scenes materials available on this website.

Your thoughts and questions are always welcome. I hope you find this story as absorbing — and as thought-provoking — as I have.