True crime podcasts and streaming documentaries often focus on victims’ lives, but they can overlook one of the most demanding parts of any major case: the work required to prepare it for court and secure a fair trial. George R. Dekle, Sr. served as prosecutor and investigator in the final murder trial of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, involving the death of 12-year-old Kimberly Leach. The prosecution in both the Leach case and the Chi Omega case had to contend with Bundy’s decision to serve as his own counsel, backed by high-profile defense attorneys. As author Ann Rule wrote of Bundy, her former coworker, he was “a sadistic sociopath who took pleasure from another human’s pain and the control he had over his victims, to the point of death, and even after” (Ann Rule Obituary, The Guardian). In The Last Murder, Dekle details the parallel investigations into both cases, the emerging forensic techniques that would later transform criminal prosecution, and the challenges posed by potential false witnesses seeking attention. He combines the procedural side of the case with firsthand insight into the difficulty of trying one of America’s most notorious serial killers, making the book both a legal chronicle and a behind-the-scenes account of the final chapter of Bundy’s crimes.
I give The Last Murder 5 out of 5 stars. I met Dekle at the Amelia Island Book Festival in 2025 and had the opportunity to speak with him briefly about the trial. He was quick to acknowledge that while the prosecution got much right, it also made mistakes along the way. That candor carries through the book, where Dekle explains those missteps as carefully as he explains the reasoning behind them. He also handles the crime scenes and victims with restraint, presenting the facts without sensationalizing them. Finally, his account of the courtroom drama—including the challenge of facing both Bundy and his supporting counsel—has the tension and pacing of a legal drama like The Lincoln Lawyer. The book follows the investigation from Kimberly Leach’s abduction through Bundy’s execution and beyond.
The Last Murder will appeal to true crime readers, prosecutors, and legal students alike. Because Bundy’s crimes were national in scope, and because this case helped shape future courtroom strategies for high-profile prosecutions, readers will recognize many of the people involved and the strategies at work. I would especially recommend it to readers who appreciated Ann Rule’s The Stranger Beside Me or Vincent Bugliosi’s Helter Skelter. Because the book discusses murder and sexual assault, sensitive readers should approach it with caution; I would recommend it for mature audiences.
I chose The Last Murder for the Read With Lindsey reading challenge prompt “True Crime,” and I cannot imagine another book in my library fitting the prompt as powerfully as this one did. What book would you recommend for the challenge?
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: Pressure Depth, Jack Stewart
- Current audio book: Lincoln’s Autocrat, MR William Marvel
- Book I’m most looking forward to: The Magic of Chamomile Cottage, Heather Webber
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