Fatal Destiny: The Carjacking Murder of Dr. Pam Basu - Paperback

by James H. Lilley (Author)

Fatal Destiny named 2013 Police-Writers.com Book of the Year. The brutal death of Dr. Pam Basu and forcible taking of her car on September 8, 1992 is the singular incident, which defined carjacking. Her senseless killing was truly the murder reported around the world. From CBS, NBC, and ABC to CNN and FOX News, People and Time Magazines, her death touched off a media frenzy. The outcry over Doctor Pam Basu's murder brought thunderous applause from members of her community when they were told the suspects could face the death penalty. But, the cries for justice continued, and her death became the catalyst for House Bill H.R. 4542, The Anti-Car Theft Act of 1992. President George H. W. Bush singed that bill into law in the presence of members of the International Association of Chiefs of Police on October 25, 1992. The case continues to make national news, as suspects pursue appeals and challenge legislation and court rulings. The crime has been cited in the Baltimore Sun, Washington Post, New York Times, London Times, The Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, USA Today and others. The media has referred to the Basu carjacking as "the case that won't go away." The crime stands as a lead case cited in legal documents, court cases and dictionaries. It has been cited as a primary case in West's Encyclopedia of American Law and Webster's Online Dictionary. Yet, this hideous killing held a double twist that seemed better suited to a Hollywood Thriller. Pam's husband, Steve, while videotaping her departure from their home with their daughter, captured the images of the two men who would moments later, brutally beat and drag to death his loving wife. And she lived and died in a town called Savage, Maryland. Howard County Police Officer Jody Tookey (The first officer to arrive on the scene) said, "I had nightmares for days. I saw the victim standing in the roadway asking me to help her. She would yell at me to do something and her child would cry. In the days before the first trial, I had the nightmares again. I still have the horrible dreams, but not as often. People tell me I'll always have them."