Who dropped the ball?

[SicilianGecco]

There's a segment about a murdered woman named Anita. She and her husband (Felix?) were Jewish; he owned a business and had employed Anita. She was devoted to and active in the temple, but he stopped attending. I think she left him or, at least, was planning to leave his employ. He was controlling & manipulative, with a bad temper. She was shot as she pulled into their office parking lot. A worker on a nearby roof saw a motorcyclist enter the lot, dismount, approach her car, shoot her, and ride away. A neighboring businessman had seen the husband standing outside is rarely-used side entrance, watching the road and his watch; I believe the businessman also watched Anita drive down that road from the direction her husband had been watching, and the motorcyclist follow behind her. One of the witnesses saw the rider without his helmet and gave a description that resulted in a detailed composite sketch.

The husband was either convicted of hiring Anita's murderer, or he was in jail pending trial -- I'm sorry I don't remember more clearly. A writer was investigating the crime for a novel and interviewed the husband on several occasions. (Their interviews convinced her of his guilt.) Her last visit was interrupted when he received another visitor. She felt the man strongly resembled the police sketch of the motorcyclist/shooter, and there was a bike matching the killer's bike outside. She waited and watched him get on it, but didn't follow him. She felt sure that it was the shooter.

Thanks for bearing with me through what I remember of the segment. Here's my concern: did the police fail to investigate that lead, or did UM fail to include it in their report?

I'm extremely curious about the visitation procedures at the facility in which he was incarcerated. At our county jail, and at our state prison, visitors must present valid I.D., sign in, AND they must already be on a list of visitors designated by the inmate. I HAVE to believe that law enforcement checked that out, but I can't understand why the details were deemed unworthy of reporting! Either procedure was followed or it wasn't, in which case, that needs to be investigated. If procedure was followed, I'd like to know why the information provided by the interrupting visitor didn't lead anywhere. I wrote the show about it and got a form letter thanking me for my interest. This is a very important missing piece of the puzzle for me...it's driving me nuts!!

Does anyone remember the author's name? I think her first name was Michelle, but I'm not sure. Also, she was an established author in another genre, but I think this was her first true crime novel.

[Thracian]

The author is Michele Samit. I always wondered about that, too, but her book doesn't clarify it.

[SicilianGecco]

Thanks, Alyssa! I don't think I'll bother with the book now that I know it doesn't answer my questions. I wonder if someone in law enforcement is asking the same questions? I sure hope so.