The case has never been solved. It's one of those notorious unsolved incidents where it's never been clear whether her attacker was a stranger or someone who knew her. In this instance, however, they did find the killer and the person was jailed, but it was not inconceivable that such an event could happen at Yale. One of the people who's been at least named in the press as one of a handful of suspects is a Yale instructor. So there are some unfortunate parallels between that real-life case and my book, which takes place on the Yale campus as well.
New Haven has that reputation for being a notoriously tough town.
Like New Haven, Springfield has experienced quite a few economic setbacks, and my school, Wittenberg University, has had to deal with several instances of violence toward students. In one incident, a good friend of mine was shot in a gang-related crime. To get into the gang, the prospective kid had to attack a Wittenberg student. So I can definitely relate to Yale's situation, and to some of the problems that arise in Blue Blood , as well. I'm sure it's quite disappointing, for lots of reasons.