Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
In 1975, Dr. Richard Charles Haefner had it all--a Ph.D. from Penn State University, a prestigious job offer with UCLA and a thriving family business selling geological samples to the Smithsonian Institute. Then it all came crashing down. Two boys who worked for Haefner accused him of sexual molestation. Lancaster County's legal system began an investigation that would alter the lives of everyone involved. Allegations of police brutality, prosecutorial misconduct, bribery and corruption soon overshadowed what seemed like an open-and-shut-case," ultimately resulting in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's amending state law. Drawing on interviews and recently discovered documents, Derek J. Sherwood revisits the case and explores a number of open questions--including whether Haefner was set up by police as he claimed.
Synopsis
In 1975, Dr. Richard Charles Haefner had it all--a Ph.D. from Penn State University, a prestigious job offer with UCLA and a thriving family business. Then it all came crashing down. Two boys who worked for Haefner accused him of sexual molestation, but allegations of police brutality, prosecutorial misconduct, bribery and corruption soon overshadowed what seemed like an "open-and-shut-case," ultimately resulting in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's amending state law.
Drawing on interviews and recently discovered documents, the author revisits the case and explores a number of open questions--including whether Haefner was set up by police as he claimed.