You are now listening to True Murder, the most shocking killers in true crime history,

and the authors that have written about them.

Gacy, Bundy, Dahmer, The Nightstalker, BTK.

Every week, another fascinating author,

talking about the most shocking and infamous killers in true crime history.

True murder.

With your host, journalist and author, Dan Zufansky.

Good evening.

The Crack City Strangler, the homicides of serial killer Benjamin Atkins,

offers a chilling, in-depth account of the horrifying crimes committed by one of America's most notorious serial killers.

Award-winning journalist, B.R. Bates delves into the twisted life of Benjamin Tony Atkins, whose reign of terror in Detroit spanned less than a year in the early 1990s. Known for targeting vulnerable women in Detroit's most dangerous neighborhoods,

Atkins attacked at least 12 women, killing 11, along a mile and a half stretch of Woodward Avenue,

one of the city's most iconic streets. Atkins' crimes were brutal and relentless, leaving victims abandoned in the dark corners

of the Cass Corridor and Highland Park.

Only when the lone survivor of his horrific spree came forward did law enforcement begin

to connect the dots and ultimately capture the monster behind the killings.

Through meticulous research in this second book in her murders in the Motor City series,

Bates uncovers the complex web of motivation, abuse, and desperation that led Atkins to target sex workers, while

also exploring the societal pressures and systemic neglect that shaped his dark path.

A poignant look at a killer psychology, Bates invites readers to understand how this troubled life could give rise to such

monstrous behavior. The book that we're featuring this evening is the crack city strangler,

the homicides of serial killer Benjamin Atkins, with my special guest, journalist, and author, B.R. Bates. Welcome to the program.

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