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  • Death Sentence

  • The Inside Story of the John List Murders
  • By: Joe Sharkey
  • Narrated by: Shawn Compton
  • Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (31 ratings)
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Death Sentence cover art

Death Sentence

By: Joe Sharkey
Narrated by: Shawn Compton
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Summary

Until 1971, life was good for mild-mannered accountant John List. He was vice president of a Jersey City bank and had moved his mother, wife, and three teenage children into a 19-room home in Westfield, New Jersey. But all that changed when he lost his job. Raised by his Lutheran father to believe success meant being a good provider, List saw himself as an utter failure. Straining under financial burdens, the stress of hiding his unemployment, as well as the fear that the free-spirited 1970s would corrupt the souls of his children, List came to a shattering conclusion.

"It was my belief that if you kill yourself, you won't go to heaven," List told Connie Chung in a television interview. "So eventually I got to the point where I felt that I could kill them. Hopefully they would go to heaven, and then maybe I would have a chance to later confess my sins to God and get forgiveness."

List methodically shot his entire family in their home, managing to conceal the deaths for weeks with a carefully orchestrated plan of deception. Then he vanished and started over as Robert P. Clark. Chronicling List's life before and after the grisly crime, Death Sentence exposes the truth about the accountant-turned-killer, including the details of his high-profile trial.

©1990 Joe Sharkey (P)2019 Tantor

What listeners say about Death Sentence

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Way to long

Took very long time to get to the murders i was in and out off this lots people we didnt need to know about otherwise not bad good narration

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Detailed but never dull

Fascinating story of a narcissistic murderer, incredibly well researched, told thoroughly but not boringly. Highly recommended.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • 06-01-24

In depth & interesting review

Easy listen & well presented account of the history & outcome of this mass murder. Would recommend to anyone interested

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Nut job

Don’t like murder books anymore as they’re so depressing. But this one was gripping. Absolute loon tune.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Extremely well written and narrated

Although macabre, this story has been extremely well put together.
Very sad on every count, however, appears to both respectful of those poor children, whilst being a fair account of a man who committed the most horrific crime possible.
For those who naturally analyse human behaviour and psychology it’s definitely worth a listen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

very well read

I'd nearly given up on Audible's freebies, as too many are overlong, plodding, with dull narration.
This one was long, but good. Another utterly deplorable, narcissistic, controlling, American "Christian".
And because such men are given the benefit of the doubt again & again, women and children suffer.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating!

A well told story of a true crime. I'd never heard of this man or his horrific crimes before coming across this audiobook. The author provides thoroughly researched background and context, and the narrator does an excellent job in his delivery.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent telling of events

Highly recommend. This is the most comprehensive telling of the case of John List. Well researched and organised and clearly presented.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Death Sentence

Really interesting.I can’t believe he got away with the murders for 18 years. John List churchgoer and hypocrite murders 5 people to keep them from evil but doesn’t kill himself and has a great life…. A horrible horrible man…

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A deep dive into a dark hearted tale of betrayal and slaughter

John List is dead, good.
Well worth a listen if like me you are fascinated by the worst kind of crimes, family murders.

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