The valley of the shadow of death : a tale of tragedy and redemption / Kermit Alexander, Alex Gerould, and Jeff Snipes.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Alexander, Kermit, 1941- author.

Gerould, Alexander L., author.

Snipes, Jeffrey B., author.

Contributor:

Dhiren H. Shah W'82 and Katherine M. Shah Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Alexander, Kermit, 1941---Family.

Alexander, Kermit.

Murder--California--Los Angeles.

Murder.

Murder victims' families--California--Los Angeles.

Murder victims' families.

Football players--United States--Biography.

Football players.

United States.

California--Los Angeles.

Los Angeles (Calif.)--Biography.

Los Angeles (Calif.).

Genre:

Biographies.

Autobiographies.

Physical Description:

xiii, 352 pages ; 24 cm

Edition:

First Atria Books hardcover edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Atria Books, 2015.

Summary:

"In this heart-wrenching memoir, former NFL star Kermit Alexander tells the devastating true story of the horrific massacre of his family and his subsequent years of despair, followed by a spiritual renewal that showed him a way to rebuild his family and reclaim his life. On the morning of August 31, 1984, in the South Central section of Los Angeles, three armed men broke into a house, brutally murdering two women and two young boys. The victims were Ebora Alexander, Dietra Alexander, Damani Garner, and Damon Bonner - the mother, sister, and nephews of retired All-Pro cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers Kermit Alexander. In his own words, Kermit Alexander finally shares the full story of what happened to his loved ones and the aftermath of that tragic day. He recounts the hours leading up to the massacre, and how afterward he lost himself in the LA underworld, pleading, bribing, and threatening in a search for answers. He describes his journey through the "wilderness" of despair - the years of isolation living out of his car, broke, depressed, and sick. We also learn about his coming-of-age in 1950s LA, the following decade he spent in the NFL, the events leading up to that fateful August day, and finally the shocking truth behind the murders. Kermit opens up about his darkest hours, but also what it took to turn his life around, rebuild his family, and ultimately find peace. Ominous and intense, powerful and uplifting, tragic and triumphant, The Valley of the Shadow of Death is more than a rendering of one man's adversity; it's testament to the value of family and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming loss."--provided from publisher.

Contents:

An empty house

There were no strangers

From Jim Crow to Mudtown

Charcoal Alley

Mama, go get 'em

Our family isn't like that

The hundred-year drive

I need to go to the hospital

The lost litter

Black Tommy, Sweet Daddy

Eternal rest grant unto them

Alone

The mayor wants to see you

I'm afraid he'll turn into one

An epidemic of violence

Hyde Park

Gladiators, Panthers, and tales from the crypt

Little Cat Man

He took a wrong turn

It went to my heart

The third man faces death

Horace vs. Horse

Nothin' about nothin'

Kill them all

Do you know who that is?

Autumn in Watts

Born of the South

So drive

Don't cry

Let him die on the rocks

The Gray Goose to the AC

An American tragedy

To reign in hell

I cannot forgive the choice

The dream

A superhero

The wilderness

The land of high mountains

We can't do this

We take them all

News that demands a chair

Thirty years after

A full house.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 329-332) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Dhiren H. Shah W'82 and Katherine M. Shah Fund.

ISBN:

1476765766

9781476765761

OCLC:

894746819

Publisher Number:

99964452556