n>
“A true-crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This first-time author has done a brilliant job of capturing the inner workings of a female killer…someone who uses her cunning ways to commit murder.”
—Aphrodite Jones, New York Times best-selling crime author
“Caitlin Rother has written a gripping and chilling book. A tawdry and twisted story of sex and drugs, deception and murder. And here’s the scariest part—it’s all true.”
—Tom Murray, producer for Pretty Poison, Court TV’s documentary on the Rossum case
“Absorbing and impeccably researched, Poisoned Love is classic California noir, a story of passion and betrayal and death, with a beautiful, scheming adulteress at the center of the web.”
—John Taylor, author of The Count and The Confession: A True Mystery.
“Poisoned Love chillingly illustrates how Kristin Rossum and others refused to accept responsibility for their behavior and choices. Caitlin Rother paints a portrait of the culture that raised Kristin, hired her, was lured by her beauty, and now must share in the dire consequences.”
—Kevin Barry, producer for The Kristin Rossum Story on Oprah Winfrey’s Oxygen Network.
“Poisoned Love is a concise and riveting account of one of the most challenging but fascinating investigations of my police career. Reading Rother’s book brought back the many exhausting hours, effort, and stress I lived and breathed for close to two years in bringing this case to trial. Time’s passage sometimes changes a person’s convictions. Poisoned Love reaffirms my belief that justice was served.”
—Laurie Agnew, San Diego Police Department homicide detective
“A riveting and detailed view of a cold, calculated homicide romantically staged as a suicide. Rother gives us an insightful account of how a pretty, scheming and conniving young woman who, despite her intelligence, falls to the scourge of drugs and methodically destroys several lives. I couldn’t put it down and I already knew the story well.”
—Bob Petrachek, Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory examiner
“An exciting page-turner from a first-rate reporter.”
—M. William Phelps, author of Every Move You Make
POISONED LOVE
CAITLIN ROTHER
PINNACLE BOOKS
Kensington Publishing Corp.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com
PINNACLE BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
850 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Copyright © 2005 by Caitlin Rother
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Pinnacle and the P logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-0-7860-2427-8
CAST OF CHARACTERS
ROSSUM FAMILY
Kristin Rossum, oldest child
Ralph Rossum, father
Constance Rossum, mother
Brent Rossum, middle child
Pierce Rossum, youngest child
DE VILLERS FAMILY
Greg T. de Villers, oldest brother and Kristin’s husband
Jerome T. de Villers, middle brother
Bertrand T. de Villers, youngest brother
Yves T. de Villers, father
Marie T. de Villers, mother
SAN DIEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT
Detective Laurie Agnew, lead detective on the case
Sergeant Howard Williams, Agnew’s boss
Detective Jimmy Valle
Detective Felix Zavala
Detective Lynn Rydalch
Detective George “Randy” Alldredge
UCSD CAMPUS POLICE
Detective Sergeant Bob Jones
Officer Edward “Scott” Garcia
Officer Bill MacIntyre
Officer Karen Scofield
PROSECUTION TEAM
Deputy District Attorney Dan Goldstein
Deputy District Attorney Dave Hendren
Frank Eaton, investigator
Meredith Dent, paralegal
District Attorney Paul Pfingst
DEFENSE ATTORNEYS
Deputy Public Defender Alex Loebig, Kristin’s criminal attorney
Deputy Public Defender Vic Eriksen, Kristin’s criminal attorney
Michael Pancer, private attorney
Gretchen von Helms, fill-in attorney for Pancer
JUDGES
Superior Court Judge John Thompson, criminal trial judge
Superior Court Judge John S. Meyer, civil trial judge
REGIONAL COMPUTER FORENSIC LABORATORY
Bob Petrachek, examiner
MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICE
Dr. Brian Blackbourne, chief medical examiner
Lloyd Amborn, office administrator
Michael Robertson, Kristin’s married lover and boss in toxicology lab
Donald “Russ” Lowe, toxicologist, did drug audits
Angie Wagner, investigator on Greg’s case
Frank
