As a forensic scientist, Dr Markman is often alone in a room with someone who has killed - sometimes without provocation or apparent motivation. After lengthy interviews and evaluations, his findings determine the degree of a murderer's responsibility at the time of the crime and thus influence his sentence in court. This is Markman's analysis of some of his toughest cases, including two of Charles Manson's followers, Marvin Gaye's shooting by his father, the infamous Vampire of Sacramento and Norma Jean Armistead, who wanted a baby so much that she was willing to kill for it. The book should appeal to everyone who has a morbid fascination about murder and wants to know more about the people who have killed.