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The Lowcountry Murder of Gwendolyn Elaine Fogle: A Cold Case Solved (True Crime) Kindle Edition

by Shuler (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 out of 5 stars 660 ratings
A South Carolina police investigator’s account of solving a thirty-seven-year-old murder—includes photos.
 
For decades, evidence of the 1978 murder of Gwendolyn Elaine Fogle lay in the evidence room at the Walterboro Police Department. Investigators periodically revisited the case, but it remained the department’s top cold case for thirty-seven years. However, Special Agent Lieutenant Rita Shuler worked on the case shortly after she joined the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and she couldn't let it go, not even after her retirement in 2001.
 
In May 2015, Lieutenant Shuler teamed up with new investigator Corporal Gean Johnson, and together they uncovered key evidence that had been overlooked. With new advancements in DNA and fingerprint technology, they brought the case to its end in just four months. In this book, Shuler herself details the gruesome history of this finally solved case.
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  1. Print length
    131 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Arcadia Publishing
  4. Publication date
    November 28, 2016
  5. File size
    4.3 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lieutenant Rita Y. Shuler was supervisory special agent of the Forensic Photography Department of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) for twenty-four and a half years. She interfaced with the Attorney General's Office, solicitors and investigators, providing photographic evidence assistance in the prosecution of thousands of criminal cases. Her interest in photography started as a hobby at the age of nine with a Kodak "Brownie" camera. Before her career as a forensic photographer, she worked in the medical field as a radiologic technologist for twelve years. Her interest in forensic science evolved when she X-rayed homicide victims to assist with criminal investigations. Shuler received her specialized law enforcement photography training at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in Columbia, South Carolina, and the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. She holds a special love for the South Carolina Lowcountry and enjoys walking, beaching, crabbing, fishing and shark tooth hunting. She resides in Johns Island, South Carolina.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08QHGY38P
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Arcadia Publishing (November 28, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 28, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 131 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 660 ratings

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
660 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this true crime book to be a very engrossing account, with one review noting its straightforward factual approach. The book receives positive feedback for its readability. The pacing receives mixed reactions, with some customers appreciating its matter-of-fact presentation while others find it tedious. One customer mentions it reads like a police case file.

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9 customers mention "Narrative quality"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the true crime story engaging, with one customer noting how it begins with a profile and the crime, while another describes it as a straightforward factual account.

"Very engrossing account of a true crime story that I wanted to finish in one sitting, but I guess three sittings are good enough...." Read more

"...Fogel in SC in 1978. It begins with profile and the crime, then follows developments over the 37 year search for her rapist murderer...." Read more

"...Even if you aren’t from this part of the country, the story is compelling...." Read more

"The story is very compelling, however, the end and the continuous newspaper articles regarding the arrest and how it came about, to me is just..." Read more

7 customers mention "Readability"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a good read, with one customer noting it is well-studied.

"...The facts are well-researched and well-studied, and I like the matter-of-fact presentation...." Read more

"Worth reading, but a bit dry, this book just covers the facts. Reads like a police case file, and doesn't really stir up emotion in the reader" Read more

"...Thank you for this good read." Read more

"If you’re a true crime fan, I believe you’ll find this a very interesting read! Give it a serious Go." Read more

6 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some appreciating that it delivers facts in direct terms, while others find it repetitive and tedious.

"...The facts are well-researched and well-studied, and I like the matter-of-fact presentation...." Read more

"Just a lot of facts and a bit repetitive making it hard to read and stay connected...." Read more

"...It makes clear the difficulties, convolutions, and details involved in sifting through cold cases, and the humanity of those who give their time and..." Read more

"...This book was only 118 pages but it was so tedious it felt 3 times that long. 2. Lt...." Read more

3 customers mention "Reading pace"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the reading pace slow, with one noting it reads like a police case file, while another mentions it's hard to stay connected to the story.

"...Reads like a police case file, and doesn't really stir up emotion in the reader" Read more

"Just a lot of facts and a bit repetitive making it hard to read and stay connected...." Read more

"Not a fan of the writing style..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Pauline Yu Wikoff
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing account!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Very engrossing account of a true crime story that I wanted to finish in one sitting, but I guess three sittings are good enough. The facts are well-researched and well-studied, and I like the matter-of-fact presentation. Every chapter had me on edge and I wanted a happy ending if that was possible.
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  • Gene Stewart
    4.0 out of 5 stars Solid, Factual True Crime From An Insider Solving a Cold Case
    Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    The Lowcountry Murder of Gwendolyn Elaine Fogel:
    A Cold Case Solved by Rita Y. Shuler
    I read the Kindle edition

    This is a brisk, straightforward factual account of the murder of Elaine
    Fogel in SC in 1978. It begins with profile and the crime, then follows developments over the 37 year search for her rapist murderer.

    Shuler had been an X-ray technician, then became a police crime lab photographer and photography specialist. She kept up on cutting-edge developments of forensic science, too.

    Shuler processed Fogel’s crime scene photographs and helped enhance the investigation, which at that time had developed tunnel vision on a suspect. This is a common flaw in many investigations.

    After retiring from the police, Rita Shuler became a writer of true crime. She’d kept Elaine Fogel’s case in mind all her career, having noticed many parallels between the victim and herself.

    When a chance to be part of a Cold Case investigation arose, she jumped at it, and her wealth of knowledge plus her familiarity with the case and its principal participants, made her contributions invaluable.

    She was instrumental in identifying the killer despite many frustrations and set-backs.

    This is a brief book expanded from a final chapter in one of her other books, and serves to show how dedication, constant learning, and tireless efforts on the part of many people, from family to professionals, can bring cold cases to a resolution.

    Recommended for DRAGNET fans, this book delivers just the facts in direct terms. It makes clear the difficulties, convolutions, and details involved in sifting through cold cases, and the humanity of those who give their time and intellect, expertise and skills to give the survivors if not closure, at least specific answers and a measure of resolution.

    / Gene Stewart
    5 people found this helpful
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  • J. Mount
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good forensics novel
    Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Worth reading, but a bit dry, this book just covers the facts. Reads like a police case file, and doesn't really stir up emotion in the reader
    2 people found this helpful
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  • leslie
    5.0 out of 5 stars having family in SC forensics really brought this story to light
    Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I related to the tragic death of this young woman. I was also a single woman of a similar age living along and working in a large city back in the 70’s. Did I feel vulnerable? Well yes.
    My brother, Keene and his wife, Demi work in the field of forensic medicine in SC and I’m sure they were aware of this case.
    I feel so bad that the parents of this young woman never learned of the charges that were finally brought to this lifetime criminal. At least he can never get out to hurt more innocents. Thank you for this good read.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Lillian Bombaneck
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting True Crime Story
    Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    If you’re a true crime fan, I believe you’ll find this a very interesting read! Give it a serious Go.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Cathy Pickens
    5.0 out of 5 stars Real-life police procedural
    Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Rita Shuler’s books have captured the stories of her wide experience as a forensic photographer for South Carolina’s statewide law enforcement agency. She has an eye for an interesting case and knows the inner workings of how these cases are solved.

    With The Lowcountry Murder, the story is even more compelling. This time, she and Corporal Johnson re-investigate a cold case that shocked Walterboro in 1978, a case she couldn’t forget even though she’d retired from SLED.

    Even if you aren’t from this part of the country, the story is compelling. And if you haven’t read her other books, you have something to look forward to.
    13 people found this helpful
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  • Carmen Gibson
    3.0 out of 5 stars It was interesting, but dry
    Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Just a lot of facts and a bit repetitive making it hard to read and stay connected. But that I read it and appreciate those law enforcement officers like the author that go above and beyond.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Rosetta
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
    Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The author showed that by determination and dedication, these old cases can be solved. No murder should remain a cold case.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Dolores
    5.0 out of 5 stars Never give up
    Reviewed in Canada on March 24, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    The author worked on this case and was very invested in seeing it solved.
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