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C. L. Swinney
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The Clairemont Killer: The True Story of Serial Killer Cleophus Prince, Jr. (Detectives True Crime Cases Book 4) Kindle Edition

by C.L. Swinney (Author), Aeternum Designs (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition
3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 104 ratings
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Authorities had profiled San Diego’s newest serial killer as a disorganized opportunist. They were wrong. While Serial Killers usually target victims of their own race, Cleophus Prince, Jr. was an African-American who systematically stalked, raped and murdered, white women. Turned out, Prince Jr. was one of California’s most organized and methodical serial killers. He mercilessly held San Diego on edge and in great fear for over a year until finally being apprehended during a burglary in Alabama. Because of the unconventional victims he targeted, his modus operandi and very distinctive signature, law enforcement was stumped and their profiling theories were often wrong.

Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Cleophus Prince, Jr. joined the United States Navy after graduation. A deceivingly normal background and pleasant disposition led most to believe he would do okay in life and to never suspect his darker cravings. But then Prince Jr. began to change. Those violent thoughts and desires plagued his mind and entire being until they became unquenchable. And quench them he did.

With Photos


In his latest true crime account, bestselling author C.L. Swinney chronicles the life story of Cleophus Prince, Jr. - California’s most horrific and calculated serial killer.

Chris Swinney is the bestselling true crime author of:
- Robert Pickton: The Pig Farmer Killer
- The Killer Handyman: The True Story of William Patrick Fyfe
- Deadly Voices: The True Story of Serial Killer Herbert Mullin
- Peter Manuel: The Beast of Birkenshaw Serial Killer
- The Clairemont Killer: The True Story of Serial Killer Cleophus Prince, Jr.
- James Fairweather: The True Story of England's Youngest Serial Killer
- Monster: True Story of Serial Killer Peter Kurten
- LIST OF 10: The True Story of Serial Killer Joseph Naso

He is also the author of the action/thriller "Bill Dix Detective Series"
Book 1 - Gray Ghost
Book 2 - The Cartel Enforcers
Book 3 - Sin City Assassin
Book 4 - Full Circle
Previous page
  1. Book 4 of 8
    Detectives True Crime Cases
  2. Print length
    59 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    May 7, 2016
  6. File size
    282 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This was truly a mind opening amazing read. That any one person could be so horrible is beyond imagination except that this is a true story and it really happened. The book was a fact filled story that tried to explain Cleophus reasoning, logic and a warning as to what the public needs to be aware of and become involved when they see strange things going on around them."-Lynn Demsky

From the Author

For those of you who don't know, I'm currently in lawenforcement working in the San Francisco Bay Area. I've been in law enforcementfor 17 years and I've worked as a Probation Officer, Corrections Officer, CourtInvestigator, Deputy Sheriff, Narcotics/Homicide detective, task force agent,and in an undercover capacity. I utilized the above experience to collect thedata, police reports, statements, and other pieces of information necessary towrite this true crime book. I make every effort to locate players involved inthe cases I write about, but sometimes many of them are deceased as the casesoccurred long ago. My main goal- which has always been the case- is to providethe victims of these serial killer cases a voice. They were people who did notdeserve the demise they unjustly met.


Sincerely,

Chris

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01FBISIZY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ RJ Parker Publishing (May 7, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 7, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 282 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 59 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 104 ratings

About the author

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C. L. Swinney

C. L. Swinney

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C. L. Swinney is the author of eleven international #1 best-selling true crime books in five countries. He's also the author of a best-selling crime-fiction series, the Bill Dix Detective Series.

Several of his books are being considered for film and TV rights by two agencies and he's consulted for a mini-series in Hollywood based on a serial killer cold case being re-opened. Chris has contributed to PoliceOne.com and regularly gives exciting radio/podcast interviews.

Chris has published four projects. An anthology entitled Justice Shall Be Served, two chap books, Crushing Tin and Jaded Potholes, and historical fiction, The Cecil Hotel.

He donates proceeds from book sales to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Cancer research, PTSD/Military support groups, StopHungerNow.Org, and victims of violent crimes.

Lastly, Chris is the owner of 6 Apparel Company, a law enforcement owned and operated clothing company designing products for men and women in law enforcement (and retired) and all first responders. @6apparelcompany on Twitter and Instagram.

Customer reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars
3.7 out of 5
104 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Eva Pasco
5.0 out of 5 stars An Authentic True Crime Novel!
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2016
Verified Purchase
If anyone is highly qualified to write a true crime novel about a serial killer, it’s C.L. Swinney, a police officer who also was a homicide detective in California where Cleophus Prince Jr., an African-American, systematically stalked, raped, and murdered six white women during a killing spree from January to September of 1990.

In the manner of carefully conducting a homicide investigation without contaminating evidence or jumping to hasty conclusions, the author presents all the pertinent details in a flawlessly written, well-constructed, and highly organized account. This account is not based on conjecture, but draws upon the author’s expertise as a homicide investigator and the extensive research he conducted to warrant my stamp of approval for authenticity.

This research roster includes law enforcement and court officials involved in the case; Charla M. Lewis, the killer’s live-in girlfriend; the killer’s relatives; roommates and neighbors of the murder victims; an FBI profiler—to cite a sample of primary sources. And, you don’t have to get to the acknowledgement page to find all this out because it’s an integral part of the true crime novel. C.L. Swinney will even tell you why he decided against interviewing Cleophus Prince Jr. at San Quentin.

Not a dry rendition by any means, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough because the author also interjected personal reactions that come with the territory of finding gruesomely murdered victims, the frustrations in following up on hit-or-miss leads, and making a long overdue arrest.

If you insist on ducking under the crime scene tape to nose around, this book is for you.
One person found this helpful
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Tammy Baker
4.0 out of 5 stars You will learn a bit about a not very well known serial killer.
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2016
I gave this book 4 star's not because it was not good, it just repeats itself quite a bit and jumps around. The author tells you about a serial killer that is not often written about so I did like learning about him. The book is hard to keep up with though as he jumps around a lot. You will be reading about something that happened on such date then the next paragraph jumps to a future or past date then back again. He seamed to repeat things often, you could have gotten the same information in a book 1/4 the size. All in all the book is worth the read for true crime reader's, and he is a good author this book just had a few reasons why I could not give it 5 stars.
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Kindle Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Truth be known
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2016
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A good story, way to short, no suspense. Too much money for such a short story. For that reason, three star.
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California Dreaming
2.0 out of 5 stars Death by a Thousand Cuts
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2016
Verified Purchase
I know quite a bit about Cleophus Prince, as I've watched several documentaries about him. I believe he killed six victims, and my spelling might be incorrect on this next idea, but I believe that part of his signature included "piquering" or "pickering." It is a rarely-used word, but it means something like "death by a thousand cuts." I first learned the word while reading a book from Dr. Robert Keppel, one of the Seattle detectives who was chasing both Ted Bundy and Gary Ridgway, but at different times in that detective's career.

And what is very interesting: at almost the exact same time that Mr. Prince was committing atrocities in the San Diego area, a serial killer named George Waterfield Russell -- "The Charmer" -- was committing eerily similar murders in the Seattle area. And Dr. Keppel was also involved in that series as well, and even testified in the case, arguing that, while the murder victims in Seattle may have appeared to the average person to be committed potentially by different killers, it was obvious to him that there was a definite pattern, and so they most likely were committed by one killer -- Mr. Russell. Mr. Keppel added that the killer always wanted to "pose" his victims for the police, even though they were all posed in different manners. But just like Mr. Prince, Mr. Russell was into "picquering."

Another odd coincidence: both serial killers are black -- they both are still alive, as Mr. Prince is at San Quentin and Mr. Russell has probably been transferred to Walla Walla -- and BOTH killed white women. This is actually quite rare; most male serial killers who don't kill prostitutes generally rarely cross racial boundaries. Both of these guys did. Just as John Douglas might say, "It seems like guys like this read the same book on how to commit serial murder." Indeed.

But you probably won't pick up interesting tidbits like this by reading "Clairemont Killer," or at least you won't have the stomach to finish the book. The writing is awful; it feels like the worst rush-job I've ever read about serial crime. The authors constantly speak in the first person, which I think is only OK if the author was actually involved in, say, the investigation to catch a criminal, but I don't believe these guys were. Furthermore, the constant use of parentheses is absolutely mind-boggling! As anyone who reads knows, it is best to remove these types of characters, as otherwise, reading the text can become mind-numbingly boring.

This comes across as a real amateur effort, and my recommendation would be: read something else. ANYTHING else. Because it's very unlikely that you'll find another book that is written so poorly. But if you ignore my recommendation, buy the book, and read it, you might just feel like you're dying by a thousand cuts, with every turn of the page.
5 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read!!!
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2016
Verified Purchase
As expected, CL Swinney has ANOTHER GREAT READ!! Interesting, well written! I had never heard of Cleophus Prince Jr. before picking up this book and found this case interesting because although Cleophus didn't have the greatest upbringing, he didn't show the signs that are usually there with serial killers. He was a pretty good kid despite having a father and uncle both in prison for murder! (Their crimes were not related) He went to school, graduated and joined the Navy. It was while he was in the Navy that his bad side started showing. He eventually received a dishonorable discharge for the crimes committed while serving (thefts). It was after his discharge that he added murder to his crime resume. Murdering 6 women has him now spending his life on death row! I also learned that being on death row doesn't make someone any less capable of being dangerous!
Well done CL Swinney!!
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rosekrystofolski
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great True Crime Book by CL Swinney
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2016
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Great read about the Cleophus Prince Jr aka The Clairemont Killer. A devious Serial Killer who Preyed on Women living alone by Breaking Into their homes then Raping and Murdering them. Eventually he was caught, like they almost always are. C.L. Swinney writes about Serial Killers in a relatable way and also explains about law enforcement details relevant to the case. I have several books written by him and I really enjoyed all of them
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Top reviews from other countries

Russell Bowker
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written
Reviewed in Australia on October 11, 2018
Verified Purchase
The author covered the case in detail and it made for a good read.
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