BUFFALO, NY ‒ The Canisius University Rev. Clayton J. Murray Archives Speakers Series, in association with E.H. Butler Library Archives and Special Collections Charles Rand Penny Speakers Series at Buffalo State College, present New York Times best-selling author Catherine Pelonero and the world premiere launch of her latest nonfiction title Absolute Madness: A True Story of a Serial Killer, Race and a City Divided.
The lecture will take place Tuesday, November 7, 2017 from 6:00 ‒ 9:00 p.m. at the Burchfield Penny Art Center at Buffalo State College in the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Auditorium.
Originally from Buffalo and currently living in Los Angeles, Catherine Pelonero is the author of the renowned book Kitty Genovese: A True Account of a Public Murder and its Private Consequences, about the notorious 1964 murder case. That book made both the New York Times and Amazon bestseller lists, reaching #10 on the New York Times Best Sellers in Crime and Punishment section.
As an author and commentator, Pelonero has appeared on episodes of the Emmy-winning series A Crime to Remember on Investigation Discovery, It Takes a Killer Fox Files and Murderous Affairs. She is a contributing writer for CrimeFeed.
Her new book, Absolute Madness: A True Story of a Serial Killer, Race, and a City Divided, deals with a tragic chapter in Buffalo’s past. Joseph Christopher, a serial killer who grew up in the Delevan-Bailey area, then lived and worked along the Delavan and Jefferson corridor of Buffalo’s East Side, terrorized the city as he preyed on black men in a spree that began in the fall 1980. Prior to his capture, the phantom gunman was dubbed “The .22-Caliber Killer.”
Christopher expanded his hunting ground to New York City, where he attacked six black males in a single day and became known as “The Midtown Slasher.” The murders sparked widespread fear and racial hostility that flared throughout Joseph Christopher’s capture and two sensational trials.
Pelonero, the daughter of a Buffalo police officer, spent three years researching the Joseph Christopher story, interviewing more than 70 people connected to the case and accessing archival records. She will speak on her experiences in archival research, true crime and the case of Joseph Christopher. Her presentation will include a question and answer session.
Absolute Madness will be published in hardcover by Skyhorse on November 7, 2017, the day of the book launch at the Archives Speaker Series. A reception will follow featuring light refreshments, including Buffalo cut-out cookies and a cash bar.
Books will be available for sale and signing. A 15 percent discount on books will be extended to police officers who present their badges, in honor of her late father, Salvatore Pelonero.
The Burchfield Penney Art Center’s galleries will be open to attendees preceding the presentation. Free parking will be available in the Burchfield Penney Art Center lot.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Kathleen DeLaney at (716) 888-8421 or @email.
Canisius University is one of 28 Jesuit universities in the nation and the premier private university in Western New York.
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