SHSMO Center for Missouri Studies
605 Elm St.
Columbia, Mo.
Retired Judge Gary Oxenhandler of Columbia offers a compelling behind-the-scenes account of the 1976 disappearance of University of Missouri student Rebecca Abbott Doisy and the relentless 35-year pursuit of justice that followed. Through meticulous storytelling, Judge Oxenhandler, who presided over the final trial, takes us through the cold case – from the initial investigation and a prison informant’s revelation to the suspect’s unexpected self-initiated arrest in Georgia. In recent years, Oxenhandler spent three years writing about the case, offering his unique perspective in this courtroom drama and detective story, which finally reached its resolution in 2011. The no-body murder case demonstrates that the wheels of justice, though slow, never stop turning.