Howard Siegel (2:37)

This family was just totally committed to making this child's life as comfortable and as loving as was possible. Now his mother, Mildred Horne, and her husband, Lawrence Horne, were separated and eventually divorced. And the father was at that time living in LA and he was a sound engineer for Motown.

Phoebe Judge (3:06)

After he and Mildred split up, he had little contact with their children until he heard that his ex wife was suing the hospital. When the trial started, Lawrence Horne flew from California to be there. Just after opening statements, the hospital's lawyers approached Howard Siegel and offered to settle the case out of court. Mildred Horn accepted their settlement offer. Lawrence Horn wasn't happy about it.

Howard Siegel (3:36)

Mr. Horne turned to me and he said, that's not enough. And I said, well, what are you talking about? And he wrote down on a yellow sheet, it was a legal yellow pad. And he wrote down a million dollars times 10%, which is $100,000 a year. He said, I came here looking for this amount of money for me and my jaw just dropped open and I said, what makes you think that you're entitled to a nickel of this child's money? And he looked me right in the eye and he said, trevor lives through me and I'll just never forget that moment as long as I live. Because I went out in the hall and I said to my co counsel, I have never seen anything like this man.

Phoebe Judge (4:41)

Three years later, early in the morning on March 3, 1993, Mildred Horne's sister went over to the house, as she often did, and found the garage door open and Trevor's medical monitor alarm going off. Police found Mildred Horne dead just inside the front door. In Trevor's room. Police found that his life support system had been disconnected. His nurse, Janice Saunders, had been shot three times. The other children were safe. They'd spent the night somewhere else. The house had been turned upside down and the car was missing.

Howard Siegel (5:19)

I was driving to work and I heard the news that Mrs. Horne and Trevor and their nurse had been murdered. And I didn't even blink. I just. It's Larry Horne. There was not a question in my mind that Larry Horn had somehow perpetrated this murder.

Phoebe Judge (5:41)

Police officers in Los Angeles were sent to question Lawrence Horne immediately after the bodies were discovered. And they found a piece of paper in his pocket that had an airline flight number and flight times written on it. Mildred Horn was a flight attendant and those numbers matched the flight she was scheduled to work the day she was murdered. Police obtained a warrant to search his apartment. They took computers, videotapes, recording equipment and whatever papers they could find, but none of it linked him to the murders. Seven weeks passed. They were still unable to make an arrest, even though Mildred Horne's family and friends were absolutely certain it was Lawrence Horn. Howard Siegel was certain even the judge from the hospital malpractice case told police that Mr. Horn had been unusually interested in the settlement money. But there wasn't any evidence. And Lawrence Horn had an alibi, a good one. At the time of the murders, he was on the other side of the country in his apartment in Los Angeles with his girlfriend. About two months after the murders, Lawrence Horn agreed to an interview with the Washington Post. He said he was grieving the loss of his ex wife and son and unequivocally denied having anything to do with the crime. For me to do that, I would be dead now, he said. I would not be living on, because what would be the purpose? I'd be a monster. I'm Phoebe Judge. This is criminal. Maryland police investigated the case for the next 16 months. A spokesperson called it the most exhaustive and labor intensive investigation in the department's history.

Howard Siegel (7:41)

They tapped Lawrence Horn's phones, and if I'm not mistaken, they figured out Lawrence Horn had a payphone near his house in Los Angeles, and they put a tap on that phone. They figured out he was smart enough not to have been using his own phone to contact whoever he was in cahoots with in this. And they found out he had been communicating with a guy in Detroit named James Perry.

Phoebe Judge (8:10)

Police found 136 calls between Lawrence Horn and this man, James Perry. They got a warrant to search Perry's house in Detroit. And in the house they found a book.

Howard Siegel (8:24)

And the book was titled A technical manual for independent contractors, which was essentially a how to commit murder book.

Phoebe Judge (8:36)

What do you mean, a how to commit murder?

Howard Siegel (8:37)

Well, that's what it was. It was a murder manual. It was a publication that would teach anyone who was so inclined what steps to go through to commit a murder and get away with it.

Phoebe Judge (8:55)

The author of a technical manual for independent contractors was someone named Rex Farrell. The book was published in 1983 by Paladin Press.

Howard Siegel (9:07)

They ordered the book. Law enforcement ordered the book from Paladin Press. And when they started to go through it and compare it to what they had found out took place in the crime, they were able to find 27 instructions that Perry followed. And these aren't instructions like run and hide or be careful. These were very specific instructions.

Phoebe Judge (9:38)

I mean, I am so surprised that people actually hire hitmen. I thought it was just something we see in the movies.

Howard Siegel (9:44)

Oh, it's amazingly common. Husbands hire hitmen to kill their wives. Wives hire hitmen to kill their husbands. Business deals go bad. You know, I don't want to say a common occurrence but it's much, much more common than you would ever imagine.

Phoebe Judge (10:08)

Paladin Press, the publisher of this hitman manual, was owned by a former Army Ranger named Peter Lund, who sold books primarily through mail order catalogs and at gun shows. The best selling title in Paladin's catalog was a guide to shooting someone at long range from a hiding place. It's called the Ultimate Sniper.

Howard Siegel (10:30)

They published a book called Be youe Own, how to Dispose of a Dead Body. Then they published how to Make a Homemade Flamethrower Smuggling Made Easy, how to Rip Off a Drug Dealer Kill Without Joy, the Complete how to Kill Books how to Destroy Bridges.

Phoebe Judge (10:57)

Their book, Homemade C4 A Recipe for Survival, was reportedly read by Timothy McVeigh before he made a truck bomb that killed 168 people in Oklahoma City. Hitman, a technical manual for independent contractors, had sold more than 13,000 copies by the time James Perry ordered his own. How closely did James Perry follow the.

Howard Siegel (11:22)

Instructions in okay, think of a complicated recipe that you get in a cookbook with 12 steps in it, okay? And if you want to make these cookies, you have to follow these 12 steps exactly the way it's described or the cookies will not turn out. James Perry followed 27 steps in this book in committing this crime, and it was truly a recipe for murder.

Phoebe Judge (12:03)

We'll be right back to listen without ads. Join Criminal plus. Support for Criminal comes from Quince. Quince delivers everyday essentials for cooler weather that feel luxurious, look timeless, and make holiday dressing and gift giving feel effortless. I've decided that I'll be getting the same gift for a lot of people this year and that's a hundred percent yak wool turtleneck sweater from Quince. If you know me, get ready for your yak wool sweater. If you need other gift ideas, go look at their Josie European Leather braided belt. It's kind of a fun 90s throwback braided belt for a good price. And my last suggestion is a real favorite around here and that is the Quince Mongolian Cashmere gloves. One of our producers swears by these. They're very soft and look good year after year. Step into the holiday season with layers made to feel good, look polished. And last from Quince, perfect for gifting or keeping for yourself. Go to quint.com criminal for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com criminal to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quint.com criminal. Support for Criminal comes from Bombus. Putting on a new pair of socks is a great feeling, especially if they're Bombas socks made to fit comfortably while giving your feet the support they need for any activity. Bombas has everything from warm merino wool cashmere blend socks to everyday compression socks to perfectly cushioned running socks. And they offer more than socks too. You can find a new pair of plush slippers or soft quality T shirts. I've tried bombas myself and they've become one of my go to gifts for friends and families. Their half calf socks fit just right and never slip down. I wear them all the time. And another thing that sets Bombus apart is their mission. For every pair of Bombas you purchase, they donate one to someone facing homelessness. So anytime you get something cozy, someone else can too. Head over to bombas.com criminal and use code criminal for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O M b-s.com criminal code criminal at checkout. Police figured out that Lawrence Horn was planning to pay James Perry from Trevor's settlement money. The almost $2 million he expected would come to him after he arranged to have his wife and son killed. But Mildred Horne's sisters weren't going to let that happen. They filed a lawsuit of their own blocking Lawrence Horn from receiving anything from from his son's estate. So James Perry had been hired to do a job and had done it but had not been paid. He kept calling Lawrence Horn and asking for his money. It was these repeated phone calls going on for months that brought them both down. They were each indicted on three counts of first degree murder and one count of conspiracy.

Howard Siegel (15:19)

Actually testified in both cases.

Phoebe Judge (15:23)

I wonder when Lawrence Horn saw you walking into the courtroom if he thought to himself, oh, no.

Howard Siegel (15:31)

Well, I think Lawrence Horn knew what I was going to say. He knew I was going to relate that incident that happened in the courtroom, which I did. And any father that would come to a trial like that concerned with how much money he was going to get when his son was, you know, profoundly disabled and needed the money desperately to take care of his daily needs, is just evil incarnate.

Phoebe Judge (16:02)

Did he look you in the eye? Did you make any comment?

Howard Siegel (16:04)

Oh, yes.

Phoebe Judge (16:06)

What was his reaction as you were testifying?

Howard Siegel (16:09)

Well, there wasn't much of a reaction. Lawrence Horn had not the slightest feeling of guilt for what he did.

Sponsor/Ad Voice (16:17)

None.

Phoebe Judge (16:19)

Lawrence Horn was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences. James Perry was sentenced to death. And while that's the end of part of the story, it's just the beginning of a whole other part.

Howard Siegel (16:34)

I was just astounded that such a murder manual could be published. So I ordered a copy myself and started looking into it. And it didn't take me long to reach the conclusion that something had to be done. I called my dear friend and co counsel John Marshall, and I said, we've got to do something about this. And, you know, we got together, and I still remember we had a meeting in the Montgomery county library, law library. And I looked at the book and we talked about the first amendment. And I remember very clearly saying, john, this shit can't be covered by the first amendment. That was my exact quote. It just can't be.

Sponsor/Ad Voice (17:34)

And.

Howard Siegel (17:36)

We just felt very strongly that this was not what the framers of the first amendment had in mind when they decided to protect free speech.

Phoebe Judge (17:47)

In 1996, on behalf of Mildred Horne's two surviving daughters, Howard Siegel filed a civil lawsuit against Paladin Press in federal court in Maryland, arguing that the book aided and abetted the wrongful death of Mildred Trevor and the nurse Janice Saunders. How did you feel this book differed from other pieces of entertainment, Depictions of violence and stepping?

Howard Siegel (18:13)

That's a great question. When Tom Clancy publishes a book that has detailed descriptions of how someone made a bomb, his intent is to entertain. He doesn't intend that people will misuse his book and commit crimes. So when someone takes a Tom Clancy book and learns enough in it to perpetrate a criminal act, he is misusing Tom Clancy's book. He's not using it as Tom Clancy intended. With Hitman, a technical manual for independent contractors, the people who were buying it and using it were using it exactly. Precisely the way the author and the publisher intended that it would be used. You can read the beginning of the book. It says, this is all you need to become a successful hitman. They were offering a correspondence course in how to commit murder, and that's not protected by the first amendment. If a criminal came to me and said, I want to learn how to do burglaries, and I said, well, here's what you do, you know, here's how you break in. Here's how you get away with it. Well, I'm going to jail for aiding and abetting. So what is the difference between doing it in something that has a cover and pages as opposed to doing it orally? You're still teaching people to commit crimes. Chocolate chip cookies are gonna get made if you distribute the recipes.

Tom Kelly (20:10)

Howard is certainly capable of hyperbole.

Phoebe Judge (20:16)

Tom Kelly was hired to defend Paladin Press in the lawsuit, he calls himself a press lawyer. He's defended the rights of journalists and publishing companies for more than 40 years. And his version of the merits of the lawsuit are very different than ours.

Tom Kelly (20:34)

The ultimate question was, what role did this book play in the murder? Did it cause the murder? Or is this a murder that would have occurred regardless of whether the book had ever been published?

Phoebe Judge (20:47)

He also has a different take on the book itself.

Tom Kelly (20:50)

I would describe it as something hard to take seriously. Some of the techniques described were fascinating. Some were preposterous. Others were familiar as someone who reads crime novels, enjoys movies like the Godfather and so forth. But in terms of true cold blooded psychology, it didn't impress me as very realistic.

Phoebe Judge (21:24)

Tom Kelly says that there are many instructions in the book that James Perry did not follow. Don't check into hotels in your real name. James Perry did that. Don't make long distance phone calls from the vicinity of the crime scene, especially not to your employer. James Perry did that too. Tom Kelly also says that the instructions in the book are generic, like wear gloves and shoot for the head.

Tom Kelly (21:52)

There were similarities, but relatively few that had any meaning whatsoever. And it cannot be said that this book caused these murders to occur. They were with a momentum of their own. And the book, if anything, was merely window dressing.

Howard Siegel (22:16)

Their position always, no matter what I said, was, it's a book, it's a book, it's a book, it's a book. You can't sue a book.

Phoebe Judge (22:26)

The judge agreed.

Howard Siegel (22:27)

He said, yeah, it's a book. It's protected. Get out of here.

Phoebe Judge (22:31)

Howard appealed the decision to the U.S. court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. The question, can a book be responsible for what someone does with its content? Was controversial. A number of media organizations came out in support of Paladin Press, including ABC and the New York Times. The fear was that if Paladin was found responsible, any novelist or journalist writing in detail about crime could be vulnerable to lawsuits. I'd imagine there would be a conflict in a juror's mind trying to weigh the harm caused to a human being versus harm done to an idea.

Tom Kelly (23:14)

That's absolutely true. And the only way to try this case was not to ask them to protect an idea, but to abide by their oath and listen to the court's instructions. Liability here requires causation in the sense that the murder would not have occurred but for this book. Ladies and gentlemen, please put on your investigator's trench coat and sift through these facts and see if that is borne out by them. And we all understand what sympathy is all about in this situation. But you took on a, you know, a greater human obligation when you took an oath to follow the law and facts in this case as the judge gives you the law and the facts as they're found by you. And there's certainly no guarantee that that's going to win, but I think it should.

Phoebe Judge (24:15)

Did anyone say to you, listen, you're getting too personal. This isn't your fight?

Howard Siegel (24:20)

Yes, everyone. One of the things I faced with this case was that I had to put my practice on hold. I mean, it was all consuming. You know, there were times where it actually scared me how much time I was spending and how involved I had become in this case. And I just had too much of myself wrapped up in this case to lose it.

Phoebe Judge (24:48)

What did the 4th Circuit judges say?

Howard Siegel (24:51)

Well, judge ludig wrote a, as I recall, a 63 page opinion. So he said a lot. And I think the basis of their opinion was the argument that we advanced that said when speech is used as the vehicle to commit the crime, it is not protected by the first amendment. And I think that's all it boils down to, is this is astoundingly obvious. You can't aid and abet murder and claim the protection of the first amendment.

Phoebe Judge (25:32)

The higher court judge ruled in favor of Howard and the horne family, meaning Howard could move forward with a lawsuit against paladin. But one day before the trial began, the publisher decided to settle the case out of court. Paladin paid a confidential sum of money to the horne family and agreed to pull all copies of hitman, a technical manual for independent contractors, from publication.

Howard Siegel (26:00)

But it was picked up and put on the Internet. We couldn't stop that. And as far as I know, it may be out there right now for anybody that wants to read it.

Phoebe Judge (26:11)

I have a PDF of it sitting right in front of me.

Howard Siegel (26:14)

Yeah, you can't put the genie back in the bottle.

Phoebe Judge (26:18)

The owner of paladin press, Peter Lund, died last year, and the press shut down. And Howard Siegel is now retired. He says this is a case that's taught in law schools all over the country.

Howard Siegel (26:33)

I think it left a good mark. A mark that says common sense will prevail over ideology and over strict construction of the constitution. That's what lawyers do. I have the utmost respect for everybody that was on paladin's side. I think they do important work. And 90% of the time, maybe 99% of the time, I'm gonna join forces with those guys. I'm gonna march arm in arm and protect the First Amendment. Not this time.

Phoebe Judge (27:25)

This episode first aired in 2018. Recently, the author of Hitman, a technical manual for independent contractors, spoke publicly for the first time in an article for Vanity Fair written by reporter Abbott Kaler. Abbott Kaler has known the author for the past 25 years, and earlier this year, they decided they were ready to speak. In 1999, Abbott was living in Philadelphia and working as a journalist when she heard about the civil lawsuit against Paladin Press. She was curious about Rex Farrell, who their real identity was and why they'd written the book.

Abbott Kaler (28:09)

And, you know, one piece of information had trickled out and it was that the person who wrote Hitman actually wasn't a hitman at all. The person who wrote Hitman was a divorced mother of two living in a trailer park in Florida. That was the only piece of information that came out. And I kept waiting for somebody to knock on this woman's door for her to give an interview or for some kind of new revelation to come out. But it never did. So I was like, well, this is my chance. Why don't I be the one to knock on her door? Why don't I try to get the story?

Phoebe Judge (28:44)

You can hear the full conversation with Abbott kaler by joining criminal plus, go to patreon.com criminal and also when you join, you can listen to Criminal. This is Love. And Phoebe reads a mystery without any ads. Plus you'll get bonus episodes, access to special events, and you'll be able to connect with other criminal listeners. That's patreon.com criminal criminal is created by Lauren Swore and me. Nadia Wilson is our senior producer. Katie Bishop is our supervising producer. Our producers are Susanna Roberson, Jackie Sticko, Lily Clark, Lena Sillison and Megan Kinane. Our show is mixed and engineered by Veronica Simonetti. Julian Alexander makes original illustrations for each episode of Criminal. You can see them@anythisiscriminal.com and you can sign up for a newsletter@thisiscriminal.com Newsletter we're on Facebook at ThisIsCriminal and Instagram and TikTok CriminalPodcast. We're also on YouTube at YouTube.com CriminalPodcast. Criminal is part of the Vox Media Podcast network. Discover more great shows@podcast.voxmedia.com Phi I'm Phoebe Judge. This is Criminal.

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