In a Child's Name - The Legacy of a Mother's Murder

Jul 30, 2026

In a Child's Name traces the legal and human aftermath of a mother’s murder through a rigorously researched, fact-dense account. The narrative connects the shocking details of Ken Taylor’s crime with the profound grief and anger felt by Teresa’s guilt-ridden family and friends. Central attention falls on the custody struggle over the infant Philip, illuminating how courts handle child custody disputes amid competing families, passions, and cultural divides.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages452

Reading Time11 h 36 min

Background and Crime

Legal Investigation and Court Proceedings

Custody Dispute and Families' Conflict

Themes: Justice, Society, and Human Consequences

(BJequejle日I o) Ken Taylor in the Craigsville,Virginia, prison □-b71-74619-7 "A compelling,no frills account of this legal andhuman horror show." —Washington Post Book World "IN A CHILD'S NAME is well written andcrammed with facts.They range from the grue-some...to the poignant....All these elementscombine to elevate IN A CHILD'S NAME to alevel of humanity not often seen in crime tales." —People "A gripping expose of domestic violence...Mr.Maas masterfully conveys the horror of Ken's actand the grief and anger that Teresa's guilt-riddenfamily and friends feel,and sustains a sense ofstunned outrage through a fascinating descriptionof the police and legal investigation." —Baltimore Sun "Not merely an account of the atrocities of a socio-path ...but an allegory for American society,where clashing cultures,religions and ethnicitiesproduce the nation's diversity and,sometimes,itsevil." —Boston Globe “A chilling and often disturbing book—painstak-ingly researched and dispassionately written by thebestselling author of Serpico.”—San Francisco Chronicle (more...) "Maas is a superb storyteller as well as a highlyskilled investigative reporter.This is a taut,fasci-nating journey into the mind of a sociopath.Don'tmiss the trip." —Buffalo News "Maas ...recounts every bloody detail of the1984 murder of Teresa Benigno by her husband,dentist Kenneth Z.Taylor....The story takes anunusual and significant turn when it begins to focuson the struggle between two families over custodyof the infant,Philip.The truly disconcerting aspectof this case lies not in anomalous issues related tothe murder but in general questions about the waysin which courts resolve child custody disputes." —Newsday "Maas has written a dramatic account,the storybehind the story,one that readers won't soonforget." —Staten Island Advance "Maas provides a dark,compelling portrait of asociopathic middle-class professional who ruinedmany lives.A wrenching story...” —Library Journal "In a taut,chilling voyage into the mind of a socio-path,Maas highlights the regional,religious andethnic passions unleashed by a case that extendedfrom the Midwestern Bible Belt to New Jersey,from Mexico to Staten Island,N.Y." —Publishers Weekly "The trial is related here in all its stomach-churning detail....Teresa's family is presentedin sympathetic depth." —The New York Times Book Review "IN A CHILD'S NAME is truth-seeking at itsbest—the ultimate eulogy to an innocent,romanticyoung woman who made one fatal mistake.” —St.Petersburg Times "Maas runs Taylor's self-pitying musings in coun-terpoint to the trial proceedings to eerie effect....Quality stuff ...a fine read." —Los Angeles Times Book Review Books by Peter Maas # NONFICTION In a Child's Name:The Legacy of a Mother's Murder*Manhunt Marie:A True Story*King of the GypsiesSerpico The Valachi Papers*The Rescuers FICTION Father and SonMade in America *Published by POCKET BOOKS | Most Pocket Books are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions,pre- miums or fund raising.Special books or book excerpts can also be created to fit specific needs. For details write the office of the Vice President of Special Markets,Pocket Books,1230 Avenue of the Americas,New York,New York 10020. | | --- | # CHILDSNAME PETIER MAAS POCKET BOOKSNew York London Toronto Sydney Tokyo Singapore Grateful acknowledgment is made for permission to quote fromthe song "Deacon Blues."Words and music by Walter Beckerand Donald Fagen.Copyright ◎1977 by Duchess Music Corpora-tion.Rights administered by MCA Music Publishing,a division ofMCA Inc.,New York,NY 10019.Used by permission.All rightsreserved. POCKET BOOKS,a division of Simon &Schuster Inc.1230 Avenue of the Americas,New York,NY 10020 Copyright 1990 by JMM Productions,Inc. All rights reserved,including the right to reproducethis book or portions thereof in any form whats

FAQs

What central events does In a Child's Name focus on?

The book centers on the murder committed by Kenneth Z. Taylor (Ken Taylor) and the subsequent police and legal investigation.

Why is the custody dispute over Philip considered important?

The story emphasizes the struggle between two families over custody of the infant Philip and raises broader questions about how courts resolve such disputes.

What themes does the book highlight beyond the murder details?

It highlights regional, religious, and ethnic passions and frames the case as an allegory about the ways societal divisions can shape outcomes.

Jul 30, 2026

Upload by Evangeline