Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Teresa Crowe

What inspired you to write “Death Space”?

Crowe: In 2000, I received my doctorate in social work from the University of Maryland and was hired at Gallaudet University, a liberal arts university for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. I had graduated from the master of social work (MSW) program at Gallaudet in 1992; my lifelong dream was to return as a faculty member. The fall of 2000 was my first semester as full-time faculty. It was also the semester that Eric Plunkett, a deaf freshman, was found murdered in his dorm room. The murder of a deaf student at Gallaudet was astonishing. The campus community, including the faculty, students, staff, and administrators, was in an uproar. Who could have possibly done this? When the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent their detectives, they soon realized that most of the campus community was deaf. They needed sign language interpreters for every interview and every community meeting. While the administrators and campus security worked to lockdown the campus for protection, detectives continued their investigation to no avail. By the end of the semester, when students returned home to their families, the killer had not been caught. Still, when the students returned in January, there was hope that this tragic event would soon be solved and campus activities would move forward. This was not to be. In early February, after a fire alarm light was triggered, dorm counselors found another deaf freshman, Benjamin Varner, murdered in his dorm. MPD brought in their most seasoned detectives at that point. Clearly, someone was killing deaf students and likely wouldn't stop with #2. On the day before Valentine's Day, the murderer was caught. Without spoiling the mystery, the announcement of the arrest shocked all of us.

I didn't start researching the particulars for the book until eight years after Ben's murder. My interest started when I discovered that one of my former social work students was a friend of the killer. From there, he connected me to other close friends of the killer. An important thing to know about the deaf community at Gallaudet is that the bonds are close-knit. If you were to walk on campus, you'd see immediately that you had stepped into a world that was built for and by deaf people. American Sign Language is the primary language used among the campus community. There are shared experiences among those who are deaf. These experiences, along with the language, norms, and culture, connect us all in a way that is unique. It was unimaginable to me that the killer's friends did not know that he was murdering other people whom he considered friends. Even to think about it now strikes me as bizarre and unbelievable... and I was a part of the community.

As I dug deeper into the social and psychological dynamics of this case, I reached out to the prosecutors, detectives, and the victims' families to learn more. I collected massive amounts of data, such as interview notes, court documents, and artifacts about the case, which kept me wanting more. When I received a response from the killer saying he would allow me to interview him in prison, I thought, okay, I'm going to get to the bottom of this. Why in the world would he kill his friends? Though I spent many hours interviewing him in American Sign Language, what I learned about his motives wasn't what I thought.

The book is divided into three sections: the crimes and their investigations, the murder trial, and my direct experiences with the killer. As a social worker in the deaf community, I found the case fascinating, abhorrent, and tragic. I am still a faculty member at Gallaudet University, and still, the story of the deaf serial killer haunts us all.

How did you come up with the names of your main characters?

Crowe: The characters allowed me to use their first names. Because the deaf community is so small, using their last names could potentially cause a lot of stress on the killer's friends.

Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?

Crowe: I think the first thing to know about me is that I am a hearing social worker fluent in American Sign Language. I began my work in the deaf community in 1988; it took a very long time and many years immersed in the culture and language to become proficient. I am naturally a curious person, but when these murders occurred in such a small, insular community, I became fascinated with how this could happen and the people in the community not know it. The first step, the realization that I knew one of the killer's friends, made me understand that I had always been close to the case without realizing it. The idea of "six degrees of separation," that people are six or fewer social connections away from each other, doesn't really apply to the deaf community. Some believe that in the deaf community, there are only 1 to 3 degrees of separation. Most everyone in the community is closely connected in some way.

This idea of degrees of separation brings me to another point that I'd want readers to know. The publication of this book impacted the community in ways that I did not anticipate. For example, because of the depth of my research, I revealed information that many people, even the victim's families, had not previously known. Since its release, many people have contacted me on social media to tell me how they were connected to the group of friends, the killer, or the university. Several people wrote that the impact of this case continues to haunt them. One of the victim's family members wrote that it was painful to know certain details surrounding the case. These revelations prompted questions of what-if, why-him, why-not, and why-why-why. Before the book's release, I reached out to those who would be impacted to forewarn them. They had to brace themselves because, chances are, other deaf people would know their identities.

Finally, I'd like readers to know that I have dedicated my personal life and professional career to working with, living with, and empowering deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Part of this book is intended to bring awareness of the complexity and beauty of the deaf community and its culture and language. Another part of this book is to provide the reader a glimpse into a true crime case in a community into which comparatively few hearing people have access. I hope they enjoy the book!

Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?

Crowe: Though I have published numerous academic articles, Death Space was my first creative non-fiction book. For some reason, this scared the living daylights out of me. At first, I struggled with the point of view and perspective of the book. I started, stopped, restarted, stopped again, and then, finally, I got sick of myself. I said to myself, "Look, either I'm going to give this one last push, or I'm going to give it a funeral and be done." Then the labor pains started again, this time for-real-for-real, and I finished it. I interviewed and hired two essential people once my final manuscript was complete: a professional editor, Alena Orrison, and a marketer, Emily Moore. I sent the manuscript to the editor and asked that she please tell me if I had just passed on a huge piece of crap to her. She wrote back after editing and said -- wow! that was really interesting and good! Her excitement gave me confidence. Alena and Emily knew each other and had worked together professionally. So, they talked about the book and how it should be released. Emily worked with me over several months to help me learn the marketing end (ugh... still my weakest skill) and listened to me lament my anxieties. In short, these two professionals gave me the confidence and kick-in-the-butt momentum (in the form of contracts and deadlines) to see this through. All of that to say --- surround yourself with people who know what they're talking about, support your goals, and are part of the team to bring your project to fruition. Have a contract and embrace the deadlines.

What is your favorite genre, book, and/or author?

Crowe: I love psychological thrillers. One of my very favorite authors is Freida McFadden. When I read her first book in less than 24 hours, I then read one right after the other until I had read them all. I love her plot twists and tension. My other favorite author is Anne Tyler. First, she's from Baltimore -- and even I know that's a good place to start. She doesn't write psychological thrillers, but her fiction books pull me into her characters in a way that hooks the social worker in me. I read her books not only to escape from the real world but also to learn about how to create character-driven stories that are nuanced and complex.

What are you working on next?

Crowe: I am in the process of releasing four mini-books that can be read in one sitting. These mini-books, which I affectionately call the Humans In Progress Series (HIPS), address questions I had while writing Death Space. This is a list of the four books in the series (all available on Amazon):

HIPS 1: Pants on Fire: Liars, Psychopaths, & Serial Killers (released 8/15/2022)

HIPS 2: The Last Class: The Killings of College Students by Murderers, Hearing and Deaf (released 9/15/2022)

HIPS 3: Taboo Deaths: The Murders of Family and Friends BY Family and Friends (upcoming release 10/15/2022)

HIPS 4: Making Lemonade: Surviving the Tragedy of a Murdered Adult Child (upcoming release 11/15/2022)

A new mini-book:

Ten Lessons from the Deathbed: Wisdom for the Living (released 9/22/2022)

Work in progress (fiction):

Clara Starr, a social worker with a private practice, discovers the body of a neighbor that washes up on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay across from her house. Clara's deaf mother uses her tarot cards to help point Clara in the direction of solving the murder. The police suspect one of Clara's clients until they discover that Clara has an even deeper secret to protect, her own.

Learn More About the Author and Death Space here:

webpage: https://teresacrowebooks.wordpress.com/

email: teresacrowebooks@gmail.com

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