Court TV anchor Catherine Crier has written several books about politics and the legal system, as well as two books on high-profile murders. Jean talks with Catherine about her latest book, Final Analysis: The Untold Story of the Susan Polk Murder Case.
With a background as a prosecutor, judge and TV anchor, Catherine says writing about true crime is something she is drawn to. "It has always intrigued me, even as a child," Catherine says. "It wasn't 'whodunit,' but why. When you talk about the psychological examination of human beings—the Polk case was one of those."
Susan Polk, an affluent California housewife, was convicted in 2002 of killing her husband by stabbing. The aftermath of the murder, including two trials, kept the media enthralled with the case. Catherine says the combination of the Polk family's wealth and success—an idealistic family living in the hills of San Francisco—made the case especially interesting. "We forget sometimes that crime can be committed in the heart of the most respectable neighborhoods," Catherine says.
Another best-selling book that Catherine says she wrote after a highly publicized murder case is A Deadly Game: The Untold Story of the Scott Peterson Investigation. Catherine says many people question why she picks crime as a subject matter to write about, but she says it's one of the oldest themes in literature. "What did the Greeks write about? What did Shakespeare write about? Murder, incest, violence, horror," Catherine says. "Our fascination with the aspects of good and evil in the human soul haven't changed at all."
