Don't Ask Why: The Murder Of Victor Block

This book is the true story of the family of Victor Block with a chronology that spans from Victor's Birth in 1897 to his murder in 1942 and the struggles of the wife and four sons he left behind. Interspersed in the chronology is the birth of Warren McConville in 1921. Warren would murder Victor Block in 1942. Covered is his life leading up to the murder, his escape, and subsequent arrest and conviction. Also interspersed in the chronology is the birth of Gordon Lee Cooper six days after the birth of Warren McConville. Gordon stole his first car at age 10, escaped from detention six times, and eventually ended Warren McConville's life in a knife fight at the Missouri State Penitentiary in 1958. As Warren McConville turned from a naive youth to a hardened prisoner in the MSP, Gordon Lee Cooper left a trial of thefts, escapes, and betrayals that would land him on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List. This book ponders the unfairness of the murder of a hard-working family man. While his murderer and his murderer's killer responded to hard times with lawlessness, Victor Block and his family responded to hard times with hard work and good choices.In addition to extensive research on the Block, McConville, and Cooper families to compile a timeline, I also had the good fortune to interview two of Victor Block's four sons. They were ages 12 & 14 in 1942 when their father was murdered, they are now 95 & 97. They remember well the night their father was murdered and how their family survived.One of Victor Block's grandsons is a neighbor and good friend. The details of his grandfather's murder have always fascinated me. I hope you enjoy reading the account of these events as much as I did sharing them.Doug Reece Read more