Shattered Silence

Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter
By Melissa G. Moore
Sweetwater Books, 2009. 241 pgs. Biography

Melissa Moore, the daughter of "Happy Face Killer" Keith Jesperson, recounts her childhood experiences. She tells of her early life and how she had mixed feelings about her father who could alternately be fun-loving and horrifically violent, doing things like strangling stray cats. When Melissa's parents separated and she no longer lived with her father, she missed him but also experienced times when she sensed that he was dangerous. After being raped by her boyfriend, having an abortion, and being subjected to the violent behavior of her mother's second husband, Melissa yearned for a life with her father--only to find that her hopes were shattered as her father was arrested for murder. Rather than being her rescuer, her father became a source of shame for her and she had to deal with her own emotions and free herself from the feelings of guilt she felt for being the daughter of a serial killer.

While Moore's story is interesting, I didn't particularly care for the writing style, which was somewhat choppy. Also, while the subtitle would lead you to believe that the focus of the story is on the father-daughter relationship, much of the book is about her life away from her father and is as much a story about growing up in poverty as it is about having a father who turned out to be a monster. Don't expect a true crime novel; Moore doesn't detail her father's crimes or trials. Perhaps the most interesting part of the story are the last few chapters where Moore briefly discusses joining the Mormon church, getting married, and taking steps to heal from the trauma of her early life.

AE