The North Country Murder of Irene Izak: Stained by Her Blood (True Crime)

In the summer of 1968 a pretty young woman, a teacher from Pennsylvania was traveling to Quebec, Canada for a job interview. Shortly after she crossed the Thousand Islands bridge into a picturesque island resort area of Wellesley Island in Jefferson County, New York that teacher was savagely and senselessly beaten to death on the side of the road and her lifeless body left in a ravine. That woman was Irene Izak. Irene's murder is yet to be solved and her killer was never brought to justice... at least in this lifetime. The case has been reopened, though NY state hasn't been very helpful to the Izak family and doesn't seem to keep them in the loop about the investigation.I work on Wellesley Island and I travel by the very place where Irene was murdered everyday. A client of mine told me of the murder of Irene Izak. Apparently, she had owned the land where Irene's body had been found. My client told me of how everyone strongly suspected that Irene's murderer was actually the very police officer that discovered her body. Though there was actually quite a bit of evidence that pointed to that officer, no arrest was ever made. After reading this book it seems that quite a bit of the evidence was covered up, blotched or just plain hidden from the public and from Irene's family. It would seem that it's a cover-up to protect someone, but whom? This book attempts to answer that very question and to serve as a catalyst to help Irene's family to get some well deserved answers.This book tells of the evidence and of several suspects in Irene's death, but the most evidence pointed to the state trooper who had pulled Irene's car over earlier that night for going 75 mph in a 65 mph zone and then that very officer also found Irene's body in a ravine a short time later. The trooper had blood spatter on his uniform and one of his fellow officers mentioned seeing a blotch of blood on his unmarked police car. In Irene's last known conversation before she got killed, she mentioned to a bridge toll collector that the police officer disturbed her by pulling her over for no reason, she asked of NYS trooper police tactics then she asked the toll collector for a match for her cigarette even though she had plenty of matches in her purse while letting that very state trooper get ahead of her on the bridge, as he had continued to follow her after he pulled her over. The toll collector said that Irene was visibly shaken and nervous. Later 2 tests on the vehicle that Irene was driving proved that her car at full speed, petal to the metal, would barely reach a solid 62 mph. Less than an hour later Irene's car would be discovered on the side of the road and her beaten body found in a shallow ravine beside her car.This is a sad story and I feel for the Izak family. Until this very day over 4 decades after Irene's murder, NY state officials and police continue to evade their questions. Hopefully, this book will help them to get the forensic test results from this case reopened and blood spatter experts be called in, so maybe they can start to find out exactly what happened to their beloved Irene.I'd recommend this book, it was very interesting. I read in less than a day. I'm glad that David Shampine has tried to give Irene her voice back. Irene's story fascinated me I felt a sense of kinship. Irene was in the prime of her life, she was looking forward to what so many young women do- falling in love, a job that she loved and a life of making a difference. A very sad story which unfortunately leaves too many unanswered questions.

Easy read with some information that will make you scratch your head.

Awesome writing and information. Dave Shampine detail is amazing. Both of his books are top notch. So sad that the family will never have closure.

Very interesting history and presentation of life of eastern Europe refugees. The more I read the grayer the lines of beliefs become. In the end I will probably have softer views of everything I previously believed. My parents generation was truly great.

This is a very tragic and engaging story of a murder that continues to haunt the family and investigators. It is also an exercise in frustration regarding law enforcements thin blue line mentality

I sure hope this is solved some day. Good read. I am sad for the family and think they have the right killer!

Riveting, infuriating. The story of a beautiful young lady en route to fulfilling her dream, senselessly cut short.A story of injustice. Plain and simple.

This is a riveting book about a brutal murder of a family member in which they have never found out who definitely did the murder. The family's anguish of not knowing and hitting all sorts of roadblocks in the state police who investigated the murder. A state trooper may have been the guilty party,but the comroderee of those involved prevented an answer. I would recommend this book highly. As I live in the area of the family it is truly an emotional read.

It was suggested to me that I read this book by someone and I am glad that I did. This someone is a detective, (Gus Papay Jnr. from New York) that I use for my research when I myself write in the crime fiction genre. He tells me if things are plausible (near enough) or not.Gus is also mentioned in this book. He is one of the detectives that was involved (along with the author) in actually bringing this cold case to the attention of Governor Pataki and the general public after 30 years. As a private investigator, Gus was granted full Power of Attorney by the family to obtain records, consult with law enforcement officials, review evidence and fully investigate the matter. He uncovered many alarming facts.The evidence clearly pointed to only one person, a State Trooper (Hennigan) that supposedly found her body. He claimed to have pulled her over some time earlier for speeding (75/mph) and then found her some time later murdered at the side of the road – bludgeoned.The VW that she was driving back in the late 1960s could barely touch on 65/mph downhill and with the wind behind – it was tested by another investigator and the vehicle just wasn't capable of that kind of speed. That alone would raise a flag and make you question the ever changing story of the State Trooper.And yet he gets away with the crime and even becomes an ordained deacon of the Roman church after a long career as a State Trooper. During that career he was called "The Heathen" by other fellow Troopers. This is a guy that scavenged other peoples trash for pornographic material, then brought it to work to show his fellow colleagues. Makes you wonder. It certainly does me.When the murdered woman's father came to collect his daughter's body, he asked if he could speak to the last person that had seen her. The State Trooper simply refused to show up. And he continued to refuse for many years after.I know that countless criminals get away with their crimes but the injustice is insufferable.The book is very well written and includes Irene's history. There is also her background and how she arrived in America which is equally interesting. A harrowing tale in itself that takes place during the Holocaust period.I found it so sad that after such a traumatic journey to freedom, she was bludgeoned to death.Where is the justice?Shame on the people that covered up her crime, (to obviously save the State Trooper's department and buddies embarrassment).I recommend this nonfiction book highly.Sergiu Pobereznic (author)