Recently, the first two books in the French true crime series 50 States of Crime, covering prominent homicides in California and New York, were reviewed for Crimespree. It’s an interesting premise. Multiple French journalists and writers take on a case from a different U.S. state, crafting a series of fifty short books.
The third book in the series, The Cleveland John Doe Case, by Thibault Raisse, tells the story of the investigation of the apparent suicide of a “nowhere man.” Shortly after the turn of the century, a man known as Joseph Newton Chandler III died from a gunshot wound. As investigators dug into the case, they soon discovered that his identity was stolen, but his real past remained a mystery. He lived a quiet life, making a living amongst co-workers who barely knew anything about him and were often discomfited by his offbeat behavior.
After over a decade and a half, a dogged investigator managed to figure out who “Chandler” really was, revealing a deep family tragedy and emotional wounds that never healed. A lot of people wondered why “Chandler” disappeared, but a resemblance to a police sketch started a theory that was never proven nor debunked: could the man who stole the name Joseph Newton Chandler III have been the Zodiac Killer?
It’s a fascinating story, and it’s an excellent introduction into the ways that dogged research can produce results to questions, as well as the ways that emotionally distant parenting, divorce, and abandonment can seriously harm children, demonstrating the lie of the criminally reckless “children are resilient” mantra that has scarred generations. The book is a skillful look at a man who nobody really knew. By the end, once the reader knows much more about the man at the center of the book, they still know nothing about what made him what he was.
There are a few factual errors in the book. Some are minor, largely irrelevant details, such as the claim that Woodstock is the only character in Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts who never speaks (technically, off-screen adult characters like Miss Othmar and some other animal characters are also nonverbal). Other statements, such as the assertion that Americans only receive Social Security Numbers when they’re old enough to start working and contributing to the economy, are simply false. It’s a common misconception, and Social Security Numbers can be assigned at birth.
At times, there seems to be some veiled condescension, even derision towards certain aspects of American culture, and the attempt to summarize Cleveland’s role in American history and popular culture (surprisingly, The Drew Carey Show did not rate a mention) is a bit spotty. This was an issue in the first two books in the series as well, when at times the authors appeared to be looking down their noses at certain aspects of Americana and the nation’s citizens, though it is possibly that this is an imagined, or that a tonal issue may have arisen in the translation.
The Cleveland John Doe Case is a strong entry to 50 States of Murder, and true crime fans should look forward to future books in the series.
The Cleveland John Doe Case (50 States of Crime– Ohio)
Thibault Raisse, translated by Laurie Bennett
Crime Ink
April 15, 2025
