An incredible true story of survival and overcoming great odds in order to succeed in life.
The incredible true story of a poor teenage Oklahoma farm boy who was charged with murdering his mother and sister in cold blood and then burning down the family home in a supposed attempt to cover up his crimes; and the exhausting ten-year court battle to clear his name.
Excerpt
Excerpt
Butch was barking like crazy and trying to lick my face. Every dog within a mile was barking. I looked around and could see dawn was breaking and our house was blazing, totally in flames, and so was my pickup parked nearby. It was a surreal scene.
Suddenly with a loud crash, our brick chimney collapsed onto the top of the burning house, causing the entire structure to become a roaring fire pit.
The neighbor helped me to my feet, and I leaned on a fence post for support. I was shaking badly and confused about everything. I was not sure if I was just having a terrible nightmare and I would soon wake up. I don’t remember how it happened, but the next thing I knew, I was here.
Fire trucks and ambulances arrived, and I was taken away to the hospital where I was treated for smoke inhalation, cuts, and burns on my face and back. The doctor told the deputy sheriff that I was in shock and very confused. The deputy offered to drive me back home, and he questioned me about what happened.
I told him I really did not know what had happened. He told me matter-of-factly that my mother and sister were dead and their bodies had been removed from the fire debris and were being taken to Oklahoma City for autopsies. He watched me closely for a reaction. There was none. The deputy could have just as well told me it was Thursday morning, June 19, 1963, and my response would have been the same: nothing. I was totally numb and confused. One thing I did remember that would bother me for years was a very strange odor in my nostrils that I could not identify, and my clothes still reeked of that unknown odor.
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AUTOBIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR
Bobby’s Trials
Bobby Wilson BookSurge 978-1-4392-6118-7 Four Stars
The average high school graduate looks forward to college, time with friends, and those last carefree days of youth before meeting the demands of adulthood. Eighteen-year-old Bobby Wilson faced a murder trial instead.
In Bobby’s Trials, Wilson tells his own story of being charged with the 1963 murders of his mother and sister and the decade of legal and emotional limbo that followed. His memoir is by turns disturbing and uplifting, detailing an extremely difficult childhood and drawing attention to injustices in life and law as well as the strength of the human spirit.
When Bobby’s father abandoned the family, his mother began a long descent into apparent madness. Her bitter view of men as “those bastards” extended to her own son; “You’re a bastard just like your father,” she told him. Her fear of abandonment resulted in paranoia and unpredictable behavior, and her cruelty and neglect of her two children are illustrated by events in Bobby’s early childhood that paint a picture of a woman who was likely suffering from an undiagnosed and serious mental illness.
Throughout his unsettled childhood, Bobby managed to parent both himself and his sister. He learned to earn his own money, took charge of his own education, and even put food on the table. His efforts were largely unappreciated by his mother, and plans for a brighter future were soon shattered by tragedy. On June 19, 1963, Bobby woke to the sound of his mother’s crazed rantings and the barrel of a gun in his face. He came to outside his burning home some time later, with no memory of the events in between. What follows is an example of the legal system at its worst, during the pre-Miranda days when a young man could be jailed and questioned without representation, denied basic human rights, and convicted in the press. Over the course of three trials and ten years, Bobby managed to hold on to his strength and sanity when the odds seemed insurmountable. He continuously reached for the life he deserved, eventually going to law school so that he could defend those in similar situations and try to effect change in a much-flawed legal system. Now a law professor and private investigator, he is currently working on a book about his various cases from his years as a trial lawyer.
Bobby’s Trials is captivating in its honesty and candor, evoking reader sympathy and compassion. Bobby’s Trials remains a gripping memoir that illustrates an extraordinary young man’s ability to not only survive but triumph over unimaginable adversity. A worthy read.
Jeannine Chartier Hanscom
Amazon.com
Once I started reading the book I couldn't put it down as I wanted to see that justice was done in the end which it was. It was heart breaking to read what the author endured as a young child and adult and how in the end he overcame it all.It's amazing how the author was treated but luckily there were a few people who never gave up on him and believed in his innocence. I highly recommend reading this book and look forward to the next one.
Barbara
A passionate and poignant memoir written by a woman whose life has been guided by the words: "I am here to learn how to love well." The book is a deep examination of relationships, family, motivation, and honoring of the Self.
