| Citizen Jane | |
|---|---|
first edition cover. |
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| Author(s) | James Dalessandro, David Menhert |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject(s) | True crime |
| Genre(s) | non-fiction, Mystery, Thriller |
| Publisher | Onyx Publishing |
| Publication date | October 2, 1999 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 384 pp (first edition) |
| ISBN | 0451409043 |
| OCLC Number | 42697903 |
Citizen Jane is a 1999 true crime non-fiction book by James Dalessandro and David Menhert about the real-life efforts of a woman to track down the con artist who murdered her aunt.
In 2009, the book was adapted into a Hallmark Channel film starring Ally Sheedy, Meat Loaf, Sean Patrick Flanery, and Nia Peeples.[1]
Contents |
Jane Alexander was a sheltered, attractive widow living with her family in San Francisco. For six years she had been living with Tom O'Donnell, her charismatic and handsome boyfriend. He had used wit, charm, and tales of adventure to borrow money for extensive home business operations and investing.
When her favorite 88 year old aunt is gruesomely murdered in San Jose, she hires police detective Jack Morris to solve the case. Morris soon convinces her that the killer is her boyfriend, and after O'Donnell disappears with over $10,000 of her money and leaves her near bankruptcy, Jane embarks on an epic journey to outsmart the wily con-artist. The police are soon stumped, but after 13 years of collecting evidence on their own, Alexander and Morris manage to convict O'Donnell of first degree murder.[2] [3]
James Dalessandro first read about Jane Alexander's story on the front page of the Pacific Sun in Marin County, California. Much of the research comes from detailed diaries that Jane Alexander kept of the entire ordeal.[4] David Mehnert contributed to the book after being in a private screenwriting class taught by Alessandro.[4]
Jane Alexander, then a grandmother of 12, actively contributed to the writing process. In 1994 she founded Citizens Against Homicide, which helps other citizens track down killers and solve cold cases, and in 2006 she received the prestigious Minerva Award for her efforts. She died on December 14, 2008, at the age of 86.[4]