SANDPOINT, Idaho, Aug. 3, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- When Russell Smrekar enrolled in junior college in 1974, the residents of Lincoln, Ill. had no idea they were on a collision course with destiny. Bonnie J. Thompson's new book, Process of Elimination: A Midwestern Murder Mystery (now available through AuthorHouse), is based on the true story of how an expelled student mystified Lincoln law enforcement and used the community for his killing ground.
In 1976, Thompson was a 19-year-old court clerk in Logan County, Ill. Her father was the state's attorney when Smrekar began eliminating witnesses who were to testify against him in two minor theft cases. No stranger to dodging the legal system, Smrekar is eventually tried and convicted of the double homicide of Jay and Robin Fry. His trail did not end there, however. It appears Smrekar may be responsible for two other murders, but because the bodies of two victims, Ruth Martin and Mike Mansfield, have never been found, the cases remain unsolved.
Employing the "bull-dog tenacity" her father was known for, Thompson revisits the Martin and Mansfield cases nearly 30 years later in an effort to "find the truth and see that justice is served for the families of the victims."
Written in screenplay format, Process of Elimination offers a unique look at the intricacies of criminal case investigation.
"Bonnie Thompson is a relentlessly persevering investigator, and she tells what she has uncovered in a fascinating tale," writes Dr. Lawrence Farwell, forensic scientist and founder of Brain Fingerprinting Laboratories, Inc.
A native of Lincoln, Ill., Thompson is an investigative writer who has conducted exhaustive research into the disappearances of Martin and Mansfield. Process of Elimination is her first screenplay. She is also the author of another screenplay, Glass Onion, and is currently writing a book. More information can be found at www.processofelimination.info.
AuthorHouse is the world leader in publishing and print-on-demand services. Founded in 1997, AuthorHouse has helped more than 20,000 people worldwide become published authors. For more information, visit www.authorhouse.com.