Terror in Ypsilanti

John Norman Collins Unmasked

By: Gregory A. Fournier

Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla

Between the summers of 1967 through 1969, before the term "serial killer” was coined, a predatory killer stalked the campuses of Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan seeking prey until he made the arrogant mistake of killing his last victim in the basement of his uncle's home. All-American boy John Norman Collins was arrested, tried, and convicted of the strangulation murder of Karen Sue Beineman. The other murders attributed to Collins never went to trial, with one exception, and soon became cold cases.

With the benefit of 50 years of hindsight, hundreds of vintage newspaper articles, thousands of police reports, and countless interviews, Terror in Ypsilanti: John Norman Collins Unmasked tells the stories of the other victims, recreates the infamous trial that took Collins off the streets, and details Collins's time spent in prison. Terror in Ypsilanti compiles an array of physical and circumstantial evidence drawing an unmistakable portrait of the sadistic murderer who slaughtered these innocent young women.

©2016 Gregory A. Fournier (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Gregory A. Fournier's thoroughly researched and highly readable account is certain to stand as the definitive work on this all-American monster." (Harold Schechter, author of The Serial Killer Files)

I found myself fully engaged at every sentence!

Growing up in Ypsilanti, I had always been interested in this story. My Mother and Father each knew one of the girls. I never knew they story on this level until this book!! I was fully engaged, EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE! The way it’s written is not only telling but very entertaining as well!

Disappointing for me

I was interested in this case particularly because I was in the area at the time and as a 15 year old idiot did hitch a ride from Ann Arbor to the summer school I was attending, despite the rumors of a killer on the loose. This account is full of facts, but is written in a style so pedestrian as to make the reader's mind float away from an amazingly dramatic subject. The title is particularly misleading - I learned nothing about Collins, whose motives and psyche remain a mystery, far from the "unmasking" promised. Sorry, wish I'd gotten as much from this as some others have.

Factual version of Collins case

Well researched and very interesting; kudos to the author for a well-written book. Collins should have let Fournier interview him BEFORE this was published.

Just The Facts

The narrator of this audio book is very good. The story itself is only adequate. The author relies heavily on police reports, court transcripts, and prison records, which are read verbatim. If you know these crimes, you may find some nuggets of new information. It is an informative account of John Norman Collins's crimes, arrest, trial, and incarceration. But the narrative itself is somewhere between compelling and soul crushing boredom. The first part, the account of the murders and search for the killer, is the best part. I had to force myself to finish the rest.

Glad it was written, but…

I read The Michigan Murders by Keyes when it first came out in the late nineteen seventies and loved it. Was only a little older than the victims and had friends from Ann Arbor. Was excited to find this book, and parts of it were interesting… parts also really boring. Trial transcripts word for word. No insight into the monster, who is still alive, but of course he will never talk! Went back afterwards and listened to the Keyes book, I would recommend listening to them together.