April 1, 2013
For Immediate Release
Contact: Stephanie Hoover, stefhoover@gmail.com
Just Released by The History Press:
The Killing of John Sharpless
A true crime book based on a shocking 19th Century murder in Delaware County, Pennsylvania
On a stormy night in November 1885 Quaker John Sharpless answered a knock on his door. Less than an hour later he was found in his barn, dead from a vicious blow to the back of his head. His bloodstained hat lay next to him on the ground.
A $3,000 reward sparked an overzealous manhunt across southeastern Pennsylvania and numerous innocent men were arrested. Samuel Johnson – a local African American man with a criminal record – was charged. Despite the Widow Sharpless’s failure to identify him as the man who came to her door, Johnson was convicted and sentenced to hang.
The Killing of John Sharpless offers an in-depth investigation of this fascinating 19th century murder and profiles a miscarriage of justice perpetrated by a corrupt police force and abetted by the questionable ethics of the judge in the case. It also details the efforts of the Quaker community – and thousands of others – to save Johnson’s life.
Pennsylvania writer Stephanie Hoover spent six months researching the murder and subsequent trial to create this never-before-told account sure to intrigue lovers of history and true crime alike.
The Killing of John Sharpless is available in regional bookstores, and online at Amazon and all other major book retailers.
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