LOSING JON

LOSING JON: A TEEN’S TRAGIC DEATH, A POLICE COVER-UP, A COMMUNITY’S FIGHT FOR JUSTICE

BY DAVID PARRISH

Losing Jon: A Teen’s Tragic Death, a Police Cover-Up, a Community’s Fight for Justice is one of the best true-crime books I’ve read in a long time. Author David Parrish did an excellent job of writing, talking to the reader as if we were sitting next to him and having a conversation. As he was an integral part of the story, he was able to offer insight into the situation that a more distanced person could not.

Teenager Jon Bowie and his twin brother, Mickey, lived in a small community in Maryland. One night, at a party they were brutally beaten and arrested by police officers who had answered a noise complaint about the party. No drugs or anything other than some alcohol and a pipe were found at the scene. Jon and his brother, along with others, filed complaints about their treatment by the police, who had a reputation for brutality, specifically toward teenagers. Shortly after this, Jon’s body was found hanging from a backstop at the high school. Police determined it was a suicide, although evidence pointed to homicide.

The author, David Parrish, knew the twins and had coached them in baseball. He, along with family members and other friends, knew that Jon wouldn’t have taken his own life. Lies that the police blatantly told about Jon’s reputation for drinking and drugs were held up as truth, even though there was no evidence for these.

David Parrish worked diligently with Jon’s family and friends to clear Jon’s name and bring the police officers involved to justice. If you aren’t aware of the story (I wasn’t), then I won’t spoil it by giving the end of the book away. I will only say that instances that happened throughout the book made me angry and frustrated, and this was an important story to tell.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books and Citadel for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars