In May 1975, the body of Centralia resident John Shakespeare was found in his basement, killed by a single gunshot to the head. More than fifty years later a new book, The Murder of John Shakespeare: a Centralia Cold Case, compiles and examines all available evidence surrounding Shakespeare’s death to form a picture of the crime and the investigation that followed.
The book is co-authored by Cary O’Dell and Richard Sprehe, both originally from southern Illinois. O’Dell, now living in Virginia, says that information and resources provided by Sprehe were essential for putting the book together.
“He’s an extraordinarily thorough researcher and a very generous man,” O’Dell said. “Every time I sent him a question, he sent me all these things, documents and reports, news articles, and things like that. He kept sending me material, and of course I gathered up some of my own. I said, Richard, you’ve got to be the co-author of this book.”
O’Dell says there are plenty of things that stand out about this case, including the status of the victim as a wealthy and respected member of the community and the depth of the investigation that followed, which at one point involved the FBI and Interpol.
“There’s something inside of us that wants to get to the truth and wants to understand this stuff. This case has so much in it. You have a very wealthy man, you have a mysterious hitchhiker, you have all sorts of stuff going on and on, and it just became a very fascinating and completely enthralling story.”
While the book does not solve the cold case, O’Dell hopes that it will inspire discussion and serve as a comprehensive source, as well as clear up misinformation surrounding the case.
The book will be released on December 30. It is available for pre-order now online through Amazon and Wal-Mart and will be distributed at various retail locations throughout southern Illinois.
