by John Glatt
First published 2001
John Edward Robinson appears to be a model citizen in rural Kansas. The 56-year-old grandfather runs his own business, earned Eagle Scout honors, and received recognition as Man of the Year from a Kansas City charity. But Robinson leads a double life online. He adopts the persona of Slavemaster, targeting women through internet chat rooms and promising them money and excitement. Robinson presents himself as a benefactor while concealing his appetite for violent sexual domination. For fifteen years, he uses the web to find victims who trust his false promises. The women who meet him vanish without a trace. In summer 2000, investigators discover two decomposed bodies in barrels on Robinson's property. They find three more corpses in storage facilities he rented. The investigation reveals that Robinson's crimes extend far beyond what anyone initially suspected. True crime author John Glatt reconstructs how this predator exploited early internet technology to commit murder in America's heartland.
Genres: crime, non-fiction, 21st-century, true-crime
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: deception, double-life, predator
Setting: Kansas, Kansas City
Period: 2000s
238 pages · Paperback · Saint Martins True Crime
Content warnings: murder, violence