Clifford Linedecker is an American investigative journalist and author of true crime books.
Biography
Linedecker was born in Plymouth, Indiana and graduated from Plymouth High School in 1950.[1][2] He wrote for the high school paper.[2][1] He joined the Navy in 1952,[1] and found himself stationed on a small island where some officers decided to address a problem with low morale by assigning Linedecker and four other men to start a newspaper.[2]
Linedecker met and married Yang Soon (Junko) Ri in 1957, while stationed in Yokohama, Japan.[1]
He and his wife retired to Lantana, Florida.[1]
Career
Linedecker's first job was as a reporter for the LaPorte Herald-Argus in La Porte, Indiana.[2] He later worked for many years as an editor at the National Examiner.[3] He worked for a series of newspapers, including the Terre Haute Tribune, The Times in Hammond, the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, the Times-Union in Rochester, N.Y., and The Philadelphia Inquirer.[1]
Linedecker's first published book was Psychic Spy,[1] one of three books he wrote before taking up true crime writing.[3] the three included the bestseller, My Live with Elvis, co-authored with Elvis Presley's former secretary.[3]
His first true crime book was The Man Who Killed Boys, an account of serial killer John Wayne Gacy, was published in 1980.[3]
Books
True Crime Books
- The Man Who Killed Boys. 1980.
- Night Stalker. 1991.
- Smooth Operator: The True Story of Seductive Serial Killer Glen Rogers. New York: St. Martin's Paperbacks. 1997.
- Babyface Killers: Horrifying True Stories of America's Youngest Murderers. 1999.
Other books
- My Life with Elvis, co-authored with Becky Yancey.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "PHS names distinguished alumnus for 2005 ; Linedecker was newspaper, magazine journalist". South Bend Tribune. 18 June 2005. ProQuest 417308074.
- ^ a b c d Dukes, Howard (12 March 2006). "Evil personified ; True crime author tackles story of serial killer nurse in 'Death Angel'". South Bend Tribune. ProQuest 417425786.
- ^ a b c d Vaughan, Don (22 January 1995). "Death on a Deadline; He Gets Death Threats from the likes of Charles Manson and Recreates Horrifying Crimes, For Author Clifford Linedecker, It's All in a Day's Work". Sun-Sentinel. ProQuest 388688771.