Alice & Gerald

Alice & Gerald is a true crime account that follows the story of Alice and Gerald Uden, who met and married in Wyoming during the 1970s. Their relationship would become entangled with multiple murders spanning decades. The book reconstructs the criminal investigation through extensive research, police records, and interviews with those involved. Ron Franscell, a Wyoming native, brings geographic and cultural context to this rural Western crime story. The investigation spans 40 years as law enforcement works to uncover the truth about disappearances linked to the couple. The author documents both the original investigations and the cold case developments that eventually brought new evidence to light. Beyond the criminal narrative, this book examines themes of deception in relationships and how secrets can remain buried in small communities. The story raises questions about justice, human nature, and the sometimes blurry line between love and manipulation.

Readers call this true crime account gripping but note it moves slowly in parts. Many appreciate Franscell's detailed research and interviews, which provide context about the rural Wyoming setting and the couple's backgrounds. Likes: - Deep dive into the psychology of the killers - Local cultural and historical details - Multiple perspectives from law enforcement - Clear timeline of events Dislikes: - Repetitive sections - Too much focus on peripheral characters - Some find the writing style dry - Several readers mention it takes too long to get to the crime Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (1,100+ ratings) Representative review: "Franscell excels at showing how this crime impacted the small community, but the pacing drags in the middle sections." - Goodreads reviewer Multiple readers note the book works better as a character study of a dysfunctional relationship than as a traditional true crime narrative.

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🔍 The case remained Wyoming's oldest cold case until its resolution in 2006, nearly 30 years after Virginia Uden and her two children disappeared. 🏃‍♀️ Alice Uden managed to evade justice for decades while living openly in Missouri, even working as a nurse in a senior care facility. 📚 Author Ron Franscell grew up in Wyoming and has personal connections to many of the locations featured in the book, lending authenticity to his descriptions of the region. ⚖️ The case made Wyoming history as the oldest homicide prosecution ever brought to trial in the state when Alice was finally charged in 2013 at age 74. 💑 Alice and Gerald Uden represent an extremely rare phenomenon: a married couple who were both convicted of killing their previous spouses in separate incidents, earning them the nickname "Wyoming's Black Widows."