J. J. in Phila
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In the late 1980's, novelist Pamela West (Kraske) was working at PSU. She was interested in writing a nonfiction book on the 1969 Betsy Aardsma murder in Pattee Library (the "Murder in the Stacks"). She contacted RFG, who had jurisdiction. RFG could not give her too much information, but encouraged her to write it.
The Aardsma murder remains officially unsolved, and there is at least one thread on it.
West was worried about the possibility of being sued if she attempted to identify a killer. So, she wrote a science fiction/detective story titled 20/20 Vision. It is based of the geography of the Penn State Campus, and the surrounding area. The action in the book takes place on the same day over three different years, 1995, 2020, and 2040. It is a time travel story.
That singular day is 4/15 of the those years. That is, of course, the same date RFG disappeared. The lead character is a detective approaching retirement, and the antagonist fakes his own death.
Other than the date, I will note one additional parallel. The book includes a car trip to the east from the university town. The description of landscape closely matches the area just outside of Centre Hall from where the call was made. West actually based her description on the same mountain, but about 3-5 miles south (not that anyone could tell exactly).
Late 1980's West contacts RFG about writing about the Aardsma murder. he later decides to write a fictional story based on it.
August, 1990 20/20 Vision published.
August-December, 1990[/i] RFG borrows a copy of 20/20 Vision from a PSP trooper. When RFG does not return it, trooper buys another copy.
c. 2007 West reads accounts of RFG's appearance on the Internet, and notices the date.
January-March, 2008 Story published about 20/20 Vision. West is unsure if RFG ever had a copy. Now retired PSP trooper relates that RFG had borrowed his copy. 20/20 Vision is not found in RFG's property.
The Aardsma murder remains officially unsolved, and there is at least one thread on it.
West was worried about the possibility of being sued if she attempted to identify a killer. So, she wrote a science fiction/detective story titled 20/20 Vision. It is based of the geography of the Penn State Campus, and the surrounding area. The action in the book takes place on the same day over three different years, 1995, 2020, and 2040. It is a time travel story.
That singular day is 4/15 of the those years. That is, of course, the same date RFG disappeared. The lead character is a detective approaching retirement, and the antagonist fakes his own death.
Other than the date, I will note one additional parallel. The book includes a car trip to the east from the university town. The description of landscape closely matches the area just outside of Centre Hall from where the call was made. West actually based her description on the same mountain, but about 3-5 miles south (not that anyone could tell exactly).
Late 1980's West contacts RFG about writing about the Aardsma murder. he later decides to write a fictional story based on it.
August, 1990 20/20 Vision published.
August-December, 1990[/i] RFG borrows a copy of 20/20 Vision from a PSP trooper. When RFG does not return it, trooper buys another copy.
c. 2007 West reads accounts of RFG's appearance on the Internet, and notices the date.
January-March, 2008 Story published about 20/20 Vision. West is unsure if RFG ever had a copy. Now retired PSP trooper relates that RFG had borrowed his copy. 20/20 Vision is not found in RFG's property.