Our Georgia, by Lynnette Williams with Robin Eveleigh, is a book powerful about a murder and the devastation it caused a family, as well as a call to action for police reform, both at their local department and in general. That said, there are things about the writing and analysis that kept it from being as good as it could have been for me. Georgia was born in 1995 - the same year my oldest child was born. I cannot help but think of the milestones her parents and older sister have been deprived of when a disgusting POS (Piece of Shit) murderer cut her life tragically, and horrifically short.

Our Georgia: The devastating murder of my daughter by a…

As a cynic and a true crime enthusiast, these two things often converge when I hear stories such as this which are sadly all too common. Here, the police were not only careless in innumerable instances about Georgia's case, which is bad enough when you often have only one chance to get something correct, but they then decided the way to go, stupidly, would be to then cover up their indiscretions. Lynn and Steve Georgia's parents questioned the events leading to their daughter's death at the time Steve was a highly commented murder squad detective serving with West Mercia Police the same force that had had Reynolds in there sights years before their daughters death. In 2011 Reynolds is reported to police for reversing his car into a girl who spurned his advances. No link is made to the existing information on himSteve and Lynnette fought for two inquiries which uncovered a litany of failures by police, social services and mental health teams. “We were ­promised lessons had been learned, and action would be taken to prevent the same mistakes happening again,” says Lynnette. “We were told we’d be involved in police training – we did one session and never heard from or saw a soul since.” Another drag for me was the constant rehashing of how the courts, police, probation, therapists, etc failed them. The first mention was enough, then there was the report itself, then a constant rehashing of how they failed to keep Georgia safe.

Georgia Williams murder - BBC News Timeline: Georgia Williams murder - BBC News

OUR GEORGIA is part true-crime story, part biography, part memoir, and part enumeration of the litany of ways the police and other government officials screwed up. Lynnette, 62, tells of the family's sense of betrayal at the failures that left snuff movie-obsessed ­Reynolds free to kill. There were psychiatrists and psychologists that warned agencies including the police that this man was dangerous all of which were ignored. Furthermore, Williams' writing style is both engaging and heart-wrenching. She doesn't sugar-coat her experiences or emotions and instead presents a raw and authentic account of the tragedy. Readers will feel as though they are right there with her through each step of her journey and will have a newfound appreciation for her bravery and strength. This is made even more profound given that her husband was a serving police officer at the time of Georgia’s murder.This was such a powerful and heart wrenching story. Written from the victims mothers point of view, it’s a nice change to hear more about Georgia and what she was like instead of being glossed over as can happen when books on true crime are written and get more focused on the murderer. Steve Georgia’s dad was a highly commended murder squad detective serving with West Mercia Police and after Georgias death it became obvious things did not add up as the case unraveled. Both Steve and Lynn began to question the events that led up to their daughter’s death. Very early on they found out that Jamie was obsessed with Snuff movies especially if hanging was involved. Sadly, this was how he had killed Georgia. Lynn and Steve found out that Renolds had been in the system years before he murdered Georgia when he loured a girl in his class to his house and tried to strangle her but she got away. For readers who are fond of non-fiction literature, this is a must-read. Caution should be taken as the graphic details of what happened to Georgia may be triggering to some readers.

Jamie Reynolds: Sex fantasy led to Georgia Williams murder - BBC Jamie Reynolds: Sex fantasy led to Georgia Williams murder - BBC

The way Reynolds killed her was awful enough, but the way he treated her afterwards was utterly callous. To be found naked, with police poring all over you – it was so degrading for her. If it’s possible, I hate Reynolds all the more for that. If you have any interest in True Crime and/or any interest in police and policing, this book must be added to your library. I’d been having nightmares about these woods, imagining them as dark and scary, and crawling with insects. In the end, I was relieved we went – the day was warm and sunny and it was the kind of place Georgia would have gone camping with her mates.” PDF File Name: Social_and_Private_Life_at_Rome_in_the_Time_of_Plautus_and_Terence_-_Georgia_Williams_Leffingwell.pdfHappiness is something that has been in short supply for this family since the murder of younger daughter Georgia 10 years ago this month. All the agencies are at fault and should have seen the red flags that this young psychopath was able to lie, deceive and get away with at such a young age. I was disgusted at how the police treated Steve and Lynn, especially considering Steve was a serving member of the force. I appreciated the authors insights into what she was feeling, how her family was handling things, etc. Our Georgia is a personal account of Lynnette Williams' fight for justice after her daughter, Georgia Williams, was brutally murdered by a man with a long history of violence and abuse towards women. Williams takes readers on a journey through her grief and frustration as she navigates the criminal justice system, discovering loopholes and broken policies that allowed the killer to remain free and continue to harm others. The book is a true testament to Williams' strength and resilience as she transforms her pain into a fight for change, tirelessly advocating for improving domestic violence laws and better police training.