A long time ago, I began to write a book about a man I once knew who killed some other men I once knew and the men I still know who tried to put the murderer on death row but failed to do so. I entitled my book “Beg Mercy.”

I’m going to try and finish my book on my blog one post at a time. Tomorrow, I will publish the forward, then a chapter at a time until my book is finished, and finally I can then add the epilogue that I’ve already written.

I wrote the first five chapters back when I began writing the book and then just set it all aside when neither the murderer nor the man he tried to also kill but didn’t refused to let me interview them even though both of them knew me. The two men each had their own reasons for their respective refusals, and I can respect that. What could I do? I had no choice.

Whether or not this book is ever published in conventional fashion, I want it sent out into the world before I die because I think that my book wants to be born, and I am the one to give it whatever life it will find outside my head and my heart.

The main events in my book really happened and are based on either my personal eyewitness memory or some original research and interviews that I did back in 2013 after I had retired for the first time. Some of the dialogue between people is imagined by me but probably was said at the time. Some of it is actual quotes either from my memory or found in the court files and prosecutors’ files to which I once had access and probably still could obtain access if I wanted to do so. Maybe I will resort to that tedious chore again if I need to do some more research.

I’ll also probably post other things along the way like the story behind “Salvation Mountain” pictured above, for instance, as well as whatever else distracts me. But I’ll try not to get too distracted and, by God’s Grace, I’ll finish “Beg Mercy” if only so that I can finally reach the epilogue . . . which, as I’ve said, is already written.