Engaged to Murder
This bizarre 1979 murder case involved the faculty of an upper middle class surburban Philadelphia high school. The victims were English teacher Susan Reinert and her two children. Reinert's lover, English department chair William Bradfield, and Jay Smith, the Jekyll-and-Hyde school principal, were convicted of killing her for her $750,000 life insurance. Schwartz-Nobel researched the case for three years and interviewed the participants. She seems overly impressed with the superficial erudite charm of Bradfield, an apparent psychopath, and often mentions her reactions to his claims of innocence. While Schwartz-Nobel's account is sketchy at times and lacking in insight, this diabolical conspiracy is inherently fascinating and will attract an audience. An account of the same case by Joseph Wambaugh is also scheduled for publication.Ed. Gregor A. Preston, Univ. of California Lib., DavisCopyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.