Sondra London

Sondra London in front of the courthouse

Sondra London is an American true crime author.

Writing

In a documentary by Errol Morris, London related how she first was inspired to write about crime after reaching a plateau in her career as a technical writer. She contacted the incarcerated serial killer G.J. Schaefer (a former boyfriend from her youth) and the two began collaborating on works of fiction together. They released a collection of short stories entitled Killer Fiction.[1] During this period the former deputy sheriff became increasingly obsessed with London and began divulging details of his crimes to her in prison visits and handwritten letters. London terminated the professional relationship with Schaefer after he threatened her life if she were to ever show authorities his incriminating letters. London went on to file these written threats and confessions with the court in defense of a lawsuit by Schaefer charging her with falsely stating Schaefer was a serial killer. Upon reading five hundred pages of Schaefer's handwritten statements attached to London's Response, the judge threw Schaefer's lawsuit out. After his death, Sondra London's sworn testimony was used to close two cold-case murders to Schaefer in the Ocala National Forest.

Sondra London collaborated with serial killer Danny Rolling in writing The Making of a Serial Killer: The Real Story of the Gainesville Murders, a psychological memoir which included Rolling's confessions to five murders, along with other capital crimes for which he had not been charged. The book was published by Feral House, and was illustrated by 50 pictures hand-drawn by Rolling in prison. The confessions were published in a three-part series appearing in the Globe. London and Rolling were sued by the State of Florida under the Son of Sam law,[2] which had been declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.[3] Feral House published Sondra London's study of vampirism, True Vampires, in 2004. The book is illustrated by French cannibalistic killer Nicolas Claux, the "Vampire of Paris".[4]

Sondra London on the set of the biopic by Errol Morris

Television

In 2000, an episode of director Errol Morris' First Person television series centered on Sondra London. She has appeared on Dateline, Turning Point, Larry King Live, Geraldo, Leeza, A Current Affair, and Court TV in the United States; Channel 4 and BBC in UK; German and French cable, and Australian ABC.

References

  1. ↑ London, Sondra. "About Section". official website. Sondra London. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  2. ↑ http://www.courttv.com/archive/verdicts/rolling.html
  3. ↑ http://www.courttv.com/archive/trials/rolling/032098.html
  4. ↑ http://feralhouse.com/titles/crime/true_vampires.php

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sondra London.