Welcome! I’m Duke Southard, an author, retired educator, and lecturer.
I have published seven novels, a commissioned history, and an anthology of
award-winning short stories and essays.
Please check out my blog where I write about true crime and a wide ranging variety of literary and everyday subjects.
My Programs
My programs are offered free of charge to any schools, public libraries, and educational/community groups.
Free Book
Grab a free copy of my book, The Week from Heaven and Hell
My Books
View a list of my published books, including Tainted Justice.
Recent Posts
Fire in the eyes . . .
I guess my mention of not seeing much "fire in the eyes" of those seeking justice for Stacey Burns struck a chord, or, more likely, a nerve with some folks. Here is my definition of fire in the eyes. As always, feel free to comment, disagree, or agree as you see fit....
Justice Delayed?
Face the fact in the killing of Stacey Burns- Justice has been delayed. The major question is whether that delay means that justice will be denied. This will be brief. The decision between justice delayed or justice denied rests with two groups: Law enforcement or...
A List of Possibilities
Who killed Stacey Burns? Correspondents in my blog, interviewees, and personal contacts through e-mails and phone calls have left me with these possibilities, all of which have no doubt been thoroughly investigated by the authorities in their relentless search for...
Alibi defense?
Looking for an interesting topic to research? Try "alibi defense." As I researched this topic for my current novel, I couldn't help but be struck by its application to the Stacey Burns murder trial, if there ever should be one. Basically, this defense strategy says...
Murder for hire?
Conspiracy theories are always popular because they titillate the imagination. Instead of just one suspect in a murder, we have two, or three, or even more. Imagine the possibilities! The Stacey Burns murder has more that its share of conspiracy theories. Once again,...
Lady killer?
In the next few posts, I'll be sharing a few of the theories that folks have shared with me about the murder of Stacey Burns. Obviously, I will not be sharing names, neither of the killer named in these theories nor the person espousing the theory. This post will...
New Hampshire-Drugs and Murder
Apparently, if one is to believe the news reports, drug usage, particularly heroin, is the major problem facing the state of New Hampshire. This according to a poll taken among New Hampshire voters and reported in the Wall Street Journal in November. Well,...
Cracks in the Wall-Update
Some of my followers have asked how the new novel, Cracks in the Wall, is coming along so this is a brief report on that project for those who are interested. (or even for those who are not interested) I hit a major slowdown in progress over the last month and half...
How Time Flies!
My personal (and quite thick) "murder book" on the Stacey Burns case begins in 2010. This book would double in size were I to include the hundreds of blog posts I've written since then. Reviewing that book makes one wonder about how fast time goes by and events fade...
20/20- Stacey Burns murder
A Facebook friend reminded us that January 21, 2011 was the date that the eagerly anticipated 20/20 television show about the Stacey Burns murder aired. About forty minutes of that particular show dealt with the murder, including many interviews with those who knew...
Life through a rear view mirror
"Objects may be closer than they appear." Look in the rear view mirror on the passenger side of almost any vehicle and you will see this warning. Many times in my writing I've used a reference to viewing life through a rear view mirror. It usually refers to characters...
“Sex, greed, and craziness”
A previous post mentioned these but the point may bear repeating. A favorite detective character (fictional) believes the three things in the title of this piece account for all murders. I would add that they probably account for most other crimes as well. Of course,...