But Chris was away at school when the murder happened. Roby was the one who was at home, and noticed his mother was tense and not quite herself that day. What John saw and thought is not known, since he apparently chose not to participate in the book. (Just my guess, maybe he wasn't asked. But since he still believed his dad was innocent at the end of the time the book covered, I always believed he didn't want to participate.)
No, that's wrong. I just finished the book a few weeks ago. In it, earlier in the day Maria went to see Chris at Lehigh, she brought with her some new shirts and pants. He asked her if she was going to AC later in the day and according to the author of the book she confirmed that she was going. I was a student at Lehigh at the same time Chris was there but I was a sophomore and he was a freshman. Everyone was shocked by his mother's murder even those who never met Chris or his mother. [At the time there was a rapist on campus. So there was a lot going on. Turned out to be a member of security.]
Chris knew something was going on with his mother and suspected his father had murdered his mother almost immediately. All of her sons were close to Maria but Chris had a very special bond to his mother. I would NOT believe anything Tessie wrote or said, she worshiped Rob and knew Maria disliked her. She'd say anything to back up Rob's claims.
I'm still unsure if she thought she would be in danger. I would think she wasn't because would you have gotten in that car if you suspected your husband was capable of murder? She also was unaware he forged her signature on the million plus life insurance policy that was activated two days before her death. If she had all that information i doubt she would've gotten in the car with him.
Rob was a sociopath, a narcissist and he never once thought about his sons and what her loss would do to them. It was only about what he want and needed, the slut from Tom's River. He couldn't file for divorce because all of his financial business would be exposed, how much he was in debt and was totally unaware that Maria knew about it all. He was actually shocked to learn from the man the boys called Uncle Gene that she knew everything because she had hired a private investigator.
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Ditto-head
7 years ago
Is there another book about this that contradicts Joe McGinniss' version of the events? In Blind Faith, he specifically states that the last time Chris saw his mother was on Friday, August 24th, when his parents took him to Lehigh. (Though he did receive a couple letters from her, and there was also that heartless phone call Rob made to him from the restaurant a couple hours before the murder.)
Maybe McGinniss was incorrect about when Chris last saw his mother? He obviously had cooperation from Roby and Chris, but they probably had no say in the actual content of the book so it's easy to assume that some things were not strictly accurate (or as he stated in the explanatory note at the beginning, "dramatically recreated."
I think both you and the prosecutor summed up Rob Marshall's character pretty well. He cared nothing about the consequences of his actions, or the lifelong effects they would have on his sons. "A legend in his own mind" as Kevin Kelly said.
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eileen-guthrie555
7 years ago
I just remember everyone including instructors and professors were all talking about it and clearly remember hearing she had just come to visit that morning. Rob, had last saw Chris during student freshman orientation and that was Rob's last time he saw Chris before driving out to tell him his mother was murdered. It was a very huge story in Bethlehem, PA as it was in Tom's River. This was such an enormous story, I remember some friends laid flowers at the entrance to Chris's dorm, there were candles, cards and so much stuff. Most people really didn't know him all that well, other then his teammates and swim coach, he was only there for like 3 weeks. I clearly remember people saying she was there that morning.
The book is actuate, other then changing names of people that were not a central part to the story/events leading to the murder and during the investigation, the author changed them. While the mini-series was not, they combine people and personalities to make one character. The real name of Rob's lover was Sarann Kraushaar. That's why they say... Based on a true story.
Both Maria's parent were in poor health and lived in Polish/Catholic section of Port Richmond in Philadelphia, Maria and their grandchildren were their whole world. I felt so sorry for them. Maria's mother had dementia or Alzheimer's.
Chris graduated and ended up as a swim and diving coach at Lehigh, married, had a daughter and divorced. John moved in with Chris after the trial, Roby sold the home and the brother shared in the profits. Chris is now a swim coach at Emory College in Georgia. John still lives in Bethlehem.
You could look through the two largest newspapers in the area, The Easton Express (later renamed the Express-Times when they merged with the Bethlehem Globe Times) and the Allentown Morning Call. I think you'll find some answers there if you still have questions.
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