They Must Be Monsters

This was a very interesting read. I hadn't heard about any of this happening so this book was very informative to me.

They Must be Monsters by Matthew Leroy and Derric Haddad is a true crime story that reads like a novel. Hands down the best true crime book I have read. Highly recommended.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for a free reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I vaguely remembered hearing about this case in the media at the time it unfolded, and this book is an amazing read. The authors approached the happenings with an open mind, and conducted extensive interviews with people on both sides of the conflict. This gave them unparalleled access, with many sharing things no one else writing about this case heard about. The story is told through the eyes of the mother at the vortex of this entire case, and once you dive into the story, you realize just how much her paranoia fueled the events as they unfolded.

This true crime story reads like a work of extraordinary fiction, that really pulled me in and didn't let go. As the story developed, layer by layer, the horrifying truth becomes apparent. I highly recommend this book to lovers of the true crime genre, but also to those who enjoy thriller, suspense, and mystery.

Goodreads review here (direct link not possible): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2871400693

This book was written very well. I do not remember this incident at the time.
The book explores everything that happened in an easy to read fashion. I am glad I read
it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the writer and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this book
about a bad time in history!

This was simply an amazing book about the McMartin Preschool abuse case back in the 1980s that was all over the news. I remember seeing it, but was busy starting a family, so I didn’t really follow the details then. So this gave me a chance to really dig in and see what it was all about, and wow what a story! What started with one child sexual abuse allegation, eventually snowballed into over 100 at 7 different businesses. It went from molestation to killing animals and devil worship, pictures taken for porn purposes, all kinds of allegations. People never knew who could be next to have the police beating on their door early in the morning with a warrant to search their home or business, and/or taking their kids away to be medically examined for signs of being molested, regardless of your wishes. It really got out of hand and is a good lesson.

This is a very eye-opening case, and I highly recommend it if you haven’t read a thorough run down of the full story. This one is written by two college student who took time off to cover this and spent three years doing so. This book is what they came up with and put together nearly 30 years later, but it’s worth the wait. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, authors Matthew LeRoy & Deric Haddad, and the publisher.

They Must Be Monsters explores a witch hut which turned out to be the longest running most expensive criminal trial in the history of the United States of America. The trial lead to zero prosecutions and many young lives were adversely affected. This book is based on interviews carried out by two University of San Diego students Matthew LeRoy and Deric Haddad in the town of Manhattan Beach, California, four years after the incident of the McMartin preschool scandal. They interviewed one hundred locals from both sides of the fence who witnessed first hand the media frenzy caused when the bizarre accusations of an unstable woman were listened to. She claimed her daughter was molested by the school janitor whose description stereotypically fitted that of one who might molest children. Hysteria ensued. The authors waited twenty years before publishing their work and even still many were not ready for their findings. This work is extensively researched and very well written. It is a compelling read showing how mass hysteria can happen so easily. It would make an excellent movie also.

In the latter part of 1983, a kind of mass hysteria descended on the city of Manhattan Beach in southern California. It started on August 12, 1983, when a woman named Judy Johnson accused 25-year-old preschool aide Ray Buckey of molesting her toddler son Mitchell at the McMartin Preschool.

Judy reported the abuse to Detective Jane Hoag of the Manhattan Beach Police Department (MBPD), and Hoag arranged for Mitchell to be examined by pediatricians who were 'child abuse experts.' The doctors' report stated: "It appears the boy's anus was forcibly entered....he's been sodomized." After further investigation, Detective Hoag's report stated that Ray Buckey had "inflicted injury, bound and gagged his victim, and committed forcible sodomy."

Fearful that the molestation extended well beyond little Mitchell, the MBPD mailed 200 letters to families whose children attended (or had attended) the McMartin school. The letter asked parents to "question your child to see if he or she has been a witness to any crime or if he or she has been a victim." The letter listed the possible criminal acts under investigation: "[The acts include] oral sex, fondling of genitals, buttock or chest area, and sodomy, possibly committed under the pretense of taking the child's temperature. Also photos may have been taken of children without their clothing. Any information from your child regarding having ever observed Ray Buckey to leave a classroom alone with a child during any nap period, or if they have ever observed Ray Buckey tie up a child, is important."

Before long scores of panicked parents were taking their children to the Children's Institute International in Los Angeles (CII) - an agency for the treatment of abused children. At CII the youngsters were physically examined for signs of abuse, and interviewed by therapists. Almost all the children reported that they were molested, and the medical examinations backed them up.

Moreover, the abuse allegedly extended well beyond Ray Buckey. The children implicated ALL the teachers at McMartin Preschool, and seven people were suspected of belonging to a Satanic cult that molested children. The youngsters also reported that the adults killed animals (and even babies) in front of them, and threatened to kill their parents if they told.

Before long the accusations spread to other preschools in the area, and the suspicion spread that the toddler schools were part of a pedophile/Satanist ring that did horrific things to children while adults took pictures and made films.

The police had a field day with this. They raided preschools in three counties and obtained warrants to search the homes of all the implicated teachers. This resulted in the closure of several preschools.....and many people who didn't even know Ray Buckey lost their jobs and reputations.

Though no evidence of any kind was ever found (no photos; no films; no bones of dead animals or babies), preliminary hearings began in June, 1984 and lasted for eighteen months. As a result, charges were dropped against everyone except Ray Buckey and his mother Peggy Buckey, who ran the McMartin preschool.

Ray and Peggy Buckey were put on trial, and both defendants were acquitted on 52 counts of child abuse. The jury, however, was deadlocked on 13 additional counts against Ray. Ray was retried, and the jury was deadlocked once again - though the majority of jurors thought he was not guilty. The prosecution decided not to proceed and Ray was set free.

In the end the state had spent 7 years and 15 million dollars on the McMartin case and obtained no convictions. In addition, most experts now agree that NONE of the charges were true.

So what happened? The authors of this book, Matthew LeRoy and Deric Haddad try to explain.

In the 1980s, LeRoy and Haddad were attending San Diego State University. They knew consultants for the Buckey defense team and thought the case would make a good college research paper. So LeRoy and Haddad took leaves of absence from school and spent three years interviewing people in the Manhattan Beach area, including parents of 'abused children'; extended family members; teachers accused of child molestation; prosecutors; defense lawyers; friends of the McMartins; enemies of the McMartins; and so on. LeRoy and Haddad collected filing cabinets full of material, but didn't complete their book until now.

No one can really explain the hysteria that gripped Manhattan Beach in the 1980s, or why people believed the children's absurd stories. Kids reported seeing people fly; being transported in airplanes; being molested at locations all over town in a single morning; being abused in underground tunnels; having to sing while they were being molested; being forced to dance naked; and much more. How could all this be going on for years with no townspeople - and no parents - noticing.

It's now known that the therapists who examined the youngsters used incorrect methods, such as asking leading questions; putting ideas in the children's heads; and refusing to take no for an answer - that is, badgering the children until they agreed they were abused. Once the children admitted they were molested, doctors found 'physical evidence' to support the claims.

LeRoy and Haddad believe the whole shebang revolves around Judy Johnson, who was the first person to report child abuse. Judy - an alcoholic who was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia - was in the midst of a contentious divorce when she accused Ray Buckey of hurting her son Mitchell. Judy also had an older son with terminal cancer, which undoubtedly contributed to her problems.

The writers obtained a garbage bag full of Judy's scribblings and writings from her father, and it appears that Judy's delusions convinced her that a Satanic cult was operating in Manhattan Beach.

The authors note: "The contents of the garbage bag embodied Judy’s experience. Each notation symbolized her mindset—a jumble of disbanded thoughts and emotions, confined to a single chamber, howling to escape, to be heard.....They came together into a sensible time-line: the paradigm of a schizophrenic in decline, where her misguided fear was the microcosm of the community around her."

When the community joined in the hysteria, Judy relished being the center of attention and egged things on. Of course things soon spiraled out of control.

LeRoy and Haddad's creative non-fiction describes the McMartin case (and another Manhattan Beach child abuse case) from the first accusations of child abuse through the subsequent trials. The authors also elucidate Judy's life and state of mind from the years 1983 through 1986, when she died from alcohol poisoning.

I wanted to know what happened to the overzealous police, prosecutors, doctors, psychologists, etc. who were instrumental in promoting the 'Salem Witch Trial' atmosphere in southern California. The McMartin debacle caused irreparable harm to many people, including the children, and there should have been consequences. The authors don't go into this however.

This is a fascinating look at a bizarre incident that could probably happen anywhere to almost anyone. Highly recommended to people interested in the subject.

Thanks to Netgalley, the authors ( Matthew LeRoy and Deric Haddad) and the publisher (The Manor Publishing House) for a copy of the book.

Wow, what an unfortunate story for all of those involved. I kept thinking how could those kids have known details about what comes out of male genitalia. While it all seemed so far fetched, I know that these things probably do exist. But truly at first I was torn. As someone who was repeatedly raped and molested as a young child in the early 80s, the story made me sick to my stomach and I felt for those kids but the more facts that were presented as the book progressed there was just no way that those things could have happened. How traumatizing for the accused and also for the children for having to go through just needless acts. My mother was a paranoid schizophrenic, she was diagnosed when I was in high school. This book touched on two subjects that happened to me in real life. I remember my mom's paranoid episodes, they were similar to Judy Johnson's. At first they were so believable but then they got more outlandish. Ray Buckey and Michael Ruby's strength is inspiring. I hope that they've been able to move on and live their lives in peace.

Being a true crime junkie, I felt compelled to read this book even though the events happened before my time.

Even though this is a non-fiction book covering a case that took place in the 80s, it read like fiction and had me completely absorbed in the story.

Having been a preschool teacher for many years, I could imagine the panic that would spread if a teacher were accused of sexually abusing children. Be prepared before reading that this book contains a lot of distressing material and disturbing allegations.

Well written and documented- I would definitely recommend to lovers of true crime genre.

The subtitle “longest running and most expensive trial in American history” hints at the merest fraction of what this book covers. It is about the process dubbed the “McMartin affair” – whereby an allegation of child sexual abuse morphs into a massive miscarriage of justice on a wide front. It is perhaps very much of its time – the mid-late 1980s, but there is very little in the process that one suspects could not happen again – as the processes that drove the situation still survive. The authors produced a resume, roughly in date order, of what happened about 30 years ago and this is now the publication. It follows what happened (as far as they could ascertain) from testimonies, press reports, court & police documents and critically the diaries/calendars of the main allegation maker – Judy Johnson. Be prepared, this is a dense, complicated, multi-layered and uncomfortable read.
Virginia McMartin, in her 70s, had set up and run a reputable pre-school for many years. More recently it had passed into the management of her daughter Peggy Buckley and by 1983 her son Ray, previously rather unsettled, had joined the staff. In that year Judy Johnson, recently separated and with 2 sons Mark (12, with terminal cancer) and Austin (2) first dumps Austin without permission at the school and then is allowed to enrol him part time for the summer sessions. Very rapidly, having not paid her bill, she makes a claim that Austin has been sexually abused by Ray.
This claim is investigated by Detective Doag the new police “expert in child sexual abuse” and a huge legal juggernaut is set in process. Judy – suffering from paranoid schizophrenia – makes wilder and wilder claims of what her (largely pre-oral) son has “said”. She will carry out “investigations”. More staff are accused, and reports that he was moved to other schools for abuse, he was “flown” to a possible military base; other children were being attacked; all were controlled by threats to their parents backed up by mutilation of animals in front of them.
Austin is sent to a new child Psychotherapy Clinic, with a leading “expert” in the field of helping children to report otherwise hidden abuse. This will then lead to physical exams elsewhere which will “prove” serious sexual abuse. Judy is not discrete; other parents hear the allegations and will send their children for assessment. The situation is exacerbated by Det. Doag sending out a “fishing letter” to all parents (current and previous) naming Ray. The community descends into panic and paranoia. More children are police interviewed, more “abusers” are identified and at more places. Allegations of satanic worship start to circulate and a police task force is set up to investigate links from McMartin School to organised child abuse linked to known pornographic and paedophile groups. The stories spread and spread and become more bizarre.
Even though the clinics are not able to keep up with demands the situation escalates; critically the police are not able to work through the “evidence” generated properly. There are a series of inadequate and illegal home and premises searches of the increasing number of those accused. Children of the accused are seized and put into child protective custody for months or years. Bizarrely Judy Johnson’s children are left with her regardless.
Seven people linked to McMartin will initially be charged with offences (including conspiracy) – Virginia, Peggy, Ray and 4 other staff. Bail will be set at ridiculous levels – not least because the school has been forced to close and all are unemployed. Ray will ultimately stay in jail until cleared after trial and re-trial decisions in January 1990. He will be the last legal victim of this “witch-hunt”. A younger victim along the way will be 16 year old Michael Ruby a summer assistant at another pre-school who will be accused, imprisoned and finally found not guilty. Others charged will gradually be cleared/released as questions start to be asked as to whether the extent of what is claimed could possibly be true – particularly in view of no supporting evidence other than the children’s testimonies. Some of which are patently false
This book will highlight failures of police procedures. But also show the inherent risks of a highly politicised legal system with prosecutors (and sheriffs) elected to office – often on the way to “higher” places. With their resultant sensitivity to public pressure and their inability to later admit mistakes, or back down from previously highly public decisions or statements. It will show, too, the toxic impact that the press can have on a situation. It is a book about its time in so far as it shows the then newly emerging “understanding” of the extent of child sexual abuse. But behind that in this case is the problem with the new theories of identification (and recording) were flawed – and recognised so even before the Ray and Peggy Buckley trial. The “identification” of evidence of sexual abuse was similarly flawed with, in retrospect over 90% of the children examined identified with indicators. But it shows the failure of each group to understand the professional processes of others, to explore more fully what is being claimed and assess the likelihood of this being true.
But it primarily shows what happens when a community of otherwise sane and sensible adults – who have never experienced the slightest worry about their children’s physical or medical health - descends into paranoia and mass hysteria and accepts should be patently obvious, that they are being peddled a load of exaggerated and nonsense stories. Exacerbated because they have been told “to believe what children say” because to not do so increases their trauma. Increasingly few will stand up and say it is nonsense – not least because of a series of threats, vandalism and further claims of “conspiracy”. Once they are “committed” to this line of belief they will find it difficult to reverse that role – a scenario mirrored with even more deadly effect in the legal system. It takes a very long time to halt this ongoing destructive monstrosity and in the meantime there are serious casualties. Not least the children genuinely abused who will travel under the radar of community identification and safety.
It is impossible in a review to cover the complexities of what is included. But it is a very important read – if you are interested in child safety, policing, legal processes or even the functioning (or not) of communities. The implications of this book are wider than the USA. Not a comfortable read (especially if you recognise elements of people of your own community in it) but work your way through it, it needed to be said and widely read.

"They Must Be Monsters" by Matthew LeRoy and Deric Haddad tells the account of a disturbing series of events in Manhattan Beach, California in the early-mid 80's. I had vaguely heard of this story, but was too young back then to really understand or invest thinking in what happened. Though, I'm not sure I will ever be able to wrap my head around the ridiculous, heartbreaking, and unfathomable events that occurred.

While the content is disturbing, the content is also well-written and the investigative journalism seemed to be as objective as it possibly could be. It is an excellent read if you are seeking to understand the effects of child abuse, abuse cases, and the many nuances involved.

And as a side note, in a general sense this book provides insight into the effects that making assumptions and judgments, and not dealing with mental illness can have on society as a whole. It is mind-boggling that anywhere in our nation we would fail at both 1) not being proactive with the care of our children and ALSO 2) not handling allegations with even an ounce of thought and consideration before we jump to conclusions and go on witch hunts.

Thank you to the authors, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

True crime that reads like a novel, it's very enjoyable, and I've blitzed it. It reminds me of other books like Helter Skelter etc., so that wasn't bad.
I had never heard of the case, so some of it was 'do I really believe this?' which lead me to Google and research and honestly, everything I questioned was pretty much confirmed. And as it turned out, the hysteria and accusations were proven mostly (if not all) false.

Echoes of the Salem witch trials in this one, but I do think it needs a clearer banner of what it deals with - it was very disquieting to read.
I do however have to point out one thing - if the mother had the severe mental health issues that she had, it should have been caught sooner. The book fixes one stigma, while firmly pushing it into 'lost archives of a schizophrenic' territory. I felt that it could have been handled a bit more neutrally and that the mental health angle was possibly sensationalised a bit. Given everything that happened though, to handle it in any way would probably hurt one area or another, and my sympathy is with those falsely accused and the poor children that lived through it.

I remember the daily crime and trial updates from the McMartin trials. The media fed into the parents fears until the hysteria boiled over and spread throughout the community with no evidence of any crime. Matthew LeRoy and Deric Haddad capture the community's efforts to protect their children while punishing the people they felt had harmed them. The many hours the authors spent in research and their efforts to make sure the truth is heard make a very engrossing read. You have to wonder why the police went forward with the trials when the evidence did not support their theories. It makes you wonder if the legal system has progressed to the point where this could not happen today, but when it comes to the health and welfare of children, adults tend to forge above and beyond everyday investigations. This is an absolutely great book for a book club. The question of how legal officers would handle this differently today could keep you debating for many meetings.

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review**

This was fascinating yet terrifying stuff. The idea that one person's accusation could snowball into a wide-reaching affair which ruined the lives of several innocent people is very believable and very scary.

Holy Moly!!!
Thoroughly written. Well written, so much information, also.
It truly is scary to think that this book, is in fact, a true story about a big case in the 80’s.

Well written and interesting version of the events surrounding unsuspecting and innocent accused suspects.

They Must Be Monsters is a meticulously researched and written chronicle of a modern day witch hunt. At that time, the McMartin investigation and subsequent trial was the longest and most expensive legal case in the United States to date.

This is a cautionary tale. It sets forth the manner in which the accusations of one deranged parent set this entire investigation in motion. Police and prosecutors twisted facts to obtain desired results, psychologists questioned children in a manner intended to produce supporting evidence, and the media was whipped to a frenzy.

This book shows how easily seemingly rational people can be led to mob mentality based on unproven accusations. It also illustrates the relative ease with which the lives of i nocent people can be destroyed.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title to review from Net Galley.

#TheyMustBeMonsters#NetGalley

Wow, What a read- a well written and researched book. I didn't know anything about this case before reading this book and learned quite a bit. It's scary to think and realize how one person's accusation could lead to affecting and ruining the lives of several innocent people. Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial

“They Must Be Monsters…” is a true-crime/courtroom procedural documenting the McMartin trial in the 1980’s in California. What starts with a single accusation, a claim that a young boy was molested while in the care of the McMartin preschool, balloons into a modern-day witch hunt where no child care provider is safe.

Interesting book about the McMartin preschool case. It is unbelievable to see how much evidence was gathered using unreliable methods, and less than competent experts. The authors have done a thorough investigation, and the book reads almost like a novel.

I remember when the McMartin case broke in the national news. I always wondered what was true and what was false. This book answers many of these questions. This was a witch hunt and many innocent people were affected by what happened. The writers did a good job in keeping you interested so that you wanted to find out the rest of the story. The background provided was very insightful and gave you a taste of the hysteria that this story caused throughout the country. I would definitely recommend this to people that enjoy true crime and mystery.
Thanks to #NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.