In Devil at My Door, Polly Franks--who has been referred to as ‘a
modern day Erin Brochovich of criminal Justice’--gives us a first-hand
and frightening account of howa mild-mannered ‘REHABILITATED‘ deviant
sex offender slipped through the American justice system unscathed.
This book will not only inspire you but you will learn how onewoman
made a positive difference within the justice system and her community.
John Douglas, author
NY Times #1 Best-selling book Mindhunter and Former Chief of the FBI’s
National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime
The real-life story of how Mount Saint Polly (Franks) erupts to stop a
serial rapist and child molester is a most compelling read….The twists
and turns in this intensely personal journey will stay with you
forever. Franks is my hero!
Diane Dimond,
Journalist/Author/Columnist
In Devil at My Door, Polly Franks gives a first-hand account
of how a mild-mannered monster can skip through the American justice
system without so much as ascratch. As the old saying goes, truth is
indeed stranger than fiction. Do yourself a favor; read this book.
You’ll never see the world in the same way again.
Mark Goldman,
Co-Founder Goldman/McCormick Public Relations --New York Former
producer Sirius Radio and Court TV
Polly Franks, a
Thalidomide baby, had never walked without crutches much less tried to
bring a sexual predator to justice, when in 1997 she took on the
challenge of stopping one of America’s most prolific sexual predators
from her wheelchair. Devil at My Door is the story of Joseph Frank
Smith, a sexual predator, and of one woman’s determination to end his
trail of pain and misery. The book begins with the early activitiesof
the sexual predator in 1983 San Antonio, Texas. It then traces the
lives of Polly andher nemesis as they become forever entwined, ending
in a state courthouse in Richmond, Virginia in 1999.
During
Joseph Frank Smith’s crime spree between 1982 and1998, he was linked to
a minimum of 286 incidents of sexual crimes. No one knows how many of
his attacks remained unreported or were not linked to him. Polly’s
involvement in his case began in 1995, stemming from her experience as
the mother of two children who were victimized
by a former neighbor and family friend who turned out to be none other
than Joseph Frank Smith. Although she uses a wheelchair, Polly was
determined to take a stand in light of the failures of the courts and
legal system. One of her first steps to help fight this predator was to
become a licensed private investigator.
The
story is an alarming look at the American criminal justice system
includingthe failures of the various, prosecutors, courts, and judges
who were charged in keeping society safe from Joseph Frank Smith. While
ultimately, justice would prevail and law enforcement would identify
and get their man, for over a decade and a half, hundreds ofwomen and
young girls were terrorized and assaulted. In a country, where we see
somany of our freedoms being overwhelmed by the information age, the
complete failure ofthe law enforcement and legal systems to follow one
violent and dangerous criminal from one jurisdiction to another and
ensure that the terms of his conviction were followed is almost
incomprehensible.
About
the authors…
Polly
Franks
has served as an advocate for victims of violent crime, particularly
childhood sexual abuse since 1995. Since that time, she has testified
before Congressand lobbied on Capitol Hill for tougher sex offender
laws, such as the nationwide Amber Alert bill and the Adam Walsh Child
Protection Act. Her story was published in Good Housekeeping magazine.
Polly has been interviewed by the Today Show, DatelineNBC, 20/20, Court
TV, the John Walsh Show, ABC World News Tonight, the Montel Williams
Show, Nancy Grace, and Fox News. In addition, she has given numerous
interviews for national radio programs, as well as newspaper and
magazine articles. She has shared her story with audiences
throughout the country.
In
2006, Polly created the Franks Foundation, a nonprofit organization
dedicatedto protecting America’s children from sexual predators. She is
a also a founding boardmember of the National Coalition of Victims in
Action. Polly is a graduate of Bluefield College. She and her husband
Patrick are the very proud parents of three grown daughters, one
grandchild, and a menagerie of animals.
Ted
Schwarz,
a New York Times bestselling author, is the author, co-author, or
“ghost”of more than 100 books and more than 3,000 articles in
publications ranging from Family Circle and Woman’s Day to Cosmopolitan
and Germany’s Stern. He is best known for The Hillside Strangler which
has been in print for more than 40 years.
Several
of his books, including Deadly Whispers, False Arrest, The Five of
Me,and Marita, among others have become successful made-for-TV movies.
Other titles were turned into documentaries, most recently, The Sax
Man. He also ghosted two of the popular “end time” novels. He has
taught professional writing, conducted seminars,and served as an
adjunct professor at such locations as Northern Arizona University in
Flagstaff, Yavapai College, Pima College, and the East Cleveland Ohio
Public Library,where for approximately 14 years he ran a free training
program for would-be writing professionals. The Ted Schwarz Archives
are in the Hayden Library Special Collections of Arizona State
University.
Devil at My Door A Women's Triumph Over One of
America's Most Prolific Sexual Preditors