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HORIZON PRESS
P.O. Box 669
Far Hills, NJ 07931-0669
908.604.6311/.6330
E-Mail: nhp@newhorizonpressbooks.com
http://www.newhorizonpressbooks.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU
It could happen in the dead of night or broad daylight. It could occur while traveling or right in your own backyard. It could happen at any given moment, any day, any where. It is called “thrill killing.” The crime is motivated by nothing more than the sheer excitement of murder and mayhem.
This unspeakable and horrifying act is nothing new to one resident of Rhode Island. In his book, Thrill Killers (New Horizon Press Books, November 2007), detective Raymond Pingitore teams with author Paul Londardo to tell you the gruesome events of a thrill killing that occurred in Providence, Rhode Island in the early morning hours of June 9, 2000.
Jason Burgeson and Amy Shute, two innocent people in the wrong place at the wrong time, had their lives cut short by a number of bloodthirsty criminals. What started as a random robbery would soon lead death, and the Buttonhole Golf Course would be their final resting place.
Detective Raymond Pingitore. was assigned to the case, but had his work cut out for him. For as many clues that were discovered, there were just as many questions. Thrill Killers (New Horizon Press Books, November 2007), a true crime powerhouse that will leave you perplexed, amazed, shocked, and questioning the foundation of human compassion. Killers are loose on the streets of Rhode Island, and there’s no telling how many more innocents will become the next victims. The manhunt begins now, and time is running out.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Ray Pingitore is a detective in the Johnston, RI Police Department, where he has served for twenty-five years. He earned his detective badge in 1992, and currently works in the major crimes division of his local precinct. A graduate of Roger Williams University, Ray holds a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice. He has lived in Johnston, Rhode Island for the last thirty years.
Paul Lonardo comes from a varied educational background, with an AS in mortuary science and a BA in English from the University of Rhode Island. He is the author of numerous short fiction and a previous novel. He resides in Lincoln, Rhode Island with his wife, Janice, and they are expecting their first child on September 27, 2007.
Thrill Killers
By Raymond Pingitore, and Paul Lonardo
New Horizon Press
September 2007
True Crime
$24.95
Hardcover, 6 X 9, 304 pages
ISBN 13: 978-088282-291-4
ISBN 10: 0-88282-291-8
When Amy Shute and Jason Burgeson were held up at gunpoint and kidnapped in the early morning hours of June 9, 2000, their abductors would not be satisfied with robbery and car theft, crimes with which all five suspects were very familiar. This would be the first time that any one of the five young criminals were driven to murder. In the aftermath of the brutal double homicide, friends and families of the victims began to ask why. Among the many answers that investigators uncovered, this was one that was never fully resolved to any degree of satisfaction. Some experts believe that, in certain instances, killing becomes a team sport, with the only reward being peer approval. These offenders are sometimes called thrill killers because their violent acts seem to occur in the complete absence of any other motivation.
 They might just as well have taken the car and left the couple behind, alive. Instead, Amy and Jason were ordered into the back of the stolen vehicle and driven to a secluded golf course and shot execution-style. For nothing more than $18, the lives of Amy Shute and Jason Burgeson were tragically taken. For their families, this was only the beginning of a long and difficult journey, even after the swift capture of the murderers.
Typically, such a case would be handled by local prosecutors. However, because Rhode Island was one of only a dozen states that did not have the death penalty, the Shutes and the Burgesons waged a vigorous campaign to have the case prosecuted by United States Attorneys under the federal carjacking statute, which provides a capital punishment penalty if the crime of carjacking results in bodily injury or death. With no federal inmate executed since 1963, the quest for justice against Amy's and Jason's killers would clearly be a hard-fought one. Despite the challenges, together with the victim's families, local, state and federal authorities entered this legal and moral battle unflinchingly. Within the context of this struggle for justice, everyone wanted to be sure that Amy Shute and Jason Burgeson were not forgotten.
This is that story.
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