Run, Brother, Run: A Memoir of a Murder in My Family
In 1969, when hit man Charles Harrison was tried for the murder of Houston carpet salesman Alan Berg, the victim’s brother, rookie lawyer David Berg, could only follow the proceedings helplessly outside the courtroom. More than 40 years later, he recalls his frustration with the ineffective prosecutor and the unethical defense attorney, who ensured Harrison was found innocent and freed to murder again. As both a grieving brother and a now-famous trial lawyer, Berg reflects on the crushing impact of a murder on his family and fantasizes a more effective prosecution of the defendant. Painting a stark picture of Texas law enforcement at the time, he raises questions about the ethics of criminal jurisprudence everywhere. Having interviewed surviving witnesses, lawyers, and family, he reconstructs the short life of his reckless brother and tells about his own coming-of-age in a brutally frank family memoir that will attract readers of true crime. --Rick Roche