Presenting 15 famous cases from Fresno, California, set in the first
part of the 20th century, a long-time detective in the sheriff's office
introduces key figures such as a bootlegger, an unfortunate local dubbed
Alligator Jack, and a perpetrator known as the Fig Garden Fiend.
Featuring local landmarks such as Mussel Slough--the setting for Frank
Norris's ""The Octopus--""and offering additional commentary that
compares these sensational past cases to current high-profile criminal
cases. A consideration of the changing face of crime, this history
reveals a modern upswing in child abuse, multiple murders, and
kidnapping cases and highlights the extended nature of the current legal
process as compared to the open-and-shut character of the early 1900s.