Carol’s Book

Carol took a one-year leave of absence from The Star in order to write Crazy Jungle Love. Much of her information on the tragic love story of John and Ann Bender came from interviews and articles she wrote while following the Bender saga for the newspaper. She quickly realized she had a Shakespearean love tragedy on her hands, and the number one crime story of 2014 to explore. Television shows 48 Hours, CNN, and CBS News sent crews to Costa Rica to attend Ann’s trials. On the day of the book launch, Carol’s book was delivered by helicopter, just in time for the toast. Armed guards escorted the book and the guests to the event site. On the way back to San Jose, the helicopter ran out of fuel and put down in a field belonging to a drug lord mentioned in the book. The remaining books were seized by the authorities. Carol lived for months with telephone threats, allegedly from one of the people who profited most from the Bender’s financial loss. Quoting CJL, You really could not make this shit up. 


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