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Finishing Machine: Was it Road Rage Murder or Self-Defense? A Trained Killer's Fight for Justice (True Crime Defense Attorney Case Files Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Mike Arnold (Author), Emilia Gardner (Author), Ellen Wojahn (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 97 ratings
The book that was banned by the Oregon Department of Corrections: From Mike Arnold, criminal defense attorney/author: More often than not, a defense attorney's clients are guilty. Gerald Strebendt certainly looked guilty of the January 2014 road rage murder. Marine sniper. Blackwater operative. MMA fighter with a 9-7 win-loss record, including an appearance in UFC 44. Strebendt was a trained killer, in other words, & one who just happened to be known for his hothead tendencies. It didn't help that his truck was a rolling armory that dark night on a rural road in Springfield, Ore., or that the weapon he used to shoot the other unarmed driver wasn't anybody's idea of "the right gun" to be carrying around town. It was an AR-15-type rifle, a long, black semiautomatic that the world loves to label a "military assault rifle." 
Yes, Gerald Strebendt sure looked guilty to me. But he told me he was innocent. He said the other guy rammed Gerald's truck, got out of the car, & began yelling menacingly. That's when Strebendt grabbed his rifle & began retreating with it, repeatedly telling the other driver to stay back. But the guy kept coming. And that's when a single shot rang out & only Strebendt was left standing. So, was it road rage? Self-defense? Some combination of the two?

I'm Mike Arnold, attorney for the defense, & this book isn't just the story of this shooting, or of Gerald Strebendt's guilt or innocence. It's also my story. Because, for the first time, I saw myself in one of my clients. And I realized that, in this case, neither one of us was likely to get a fair shake from the judicial system.
-
From the publisher: (WARNING: Contains Crime Scene Photos)

The true crime thriller of UFC fighter veteran Gerald "The Finishing Machine" Strebendt, who in 2014 shot & killed an unarmed man after a minor traffic accident. Police detectives called it road rage. Gerald's attorneys called a press-conference, taking a unique step in a high-profile case in changing the narrative. Within days, self-defense became the key media issue & Gerald awaited a charging decision by the Oregon prosecutor.

Charge: Murder with a Firearm, & thus began the next stage of Gerald's life. He had served the Marine Corps proudly as a Marine sniper. He had done two tours of duty in Afghanistan as a Blackwater (Academi) mercenary. He had fought mixed martial arts professionally & had a successful MMA-training gym. However, the next stage of his life was a fight for justice & a fight for his life. Was it going to be a murder conviction & a life in prison? Many in the community wanted that, claiming that a trained killer like Gerald Strebendt couldn't possibly need to shoot an unarmed 55-year-old man with an AR-15 military-style assault rifle. But the truth was much more nuanced.

Finishing Machine is a book about choices. Gerald made choices in his life to fight & compete. Some of these instincts carried on in his post-military life when he was accused of years of prior road rage incidents that the Oregon prosecutor wanted to introduce as evidence at his trial. His attorneys, Mike Arnold & Emilia Gardner, set out to disprove these allegations & get to the truth with science & hard work. Gerald also made a choice that night to use his firearm rather than to run or fight.

Written from the perspective of Gerald's lead counsel Mike Arnold, the authors' book takes the reader on a journey of the goings-on in a defense attorney's mind. Does he doubt his client's story? How does he deal with surprising evidence? Can he stay the impartial advocate? Does the judge's gag order turn the case into a secret criminal tribunal at this former UFC fighter's detriment or does it allow him access to the justice the law requires?

Live the tension of the lawyers & the accused yourself by stepping into the mind of a criminal defense attorney & into the mind of the Finishing Machine.
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  1. Book 1 of 2
    Versus Case Files
  2. Print length
    425 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    December 9, 2016
  5. Reading age
    17 - 18 years
  6. Grade level
    11 - 12
  7. File size
    19.3 MB
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Editorial Reviews

From the Author

From Emilia Gardner, co-counsel & co-author: The case that is so richly and intriguingly detailed in Finishing Machine was based on just one inescapable truth: Gerald Strebendt shot and killed an unarmed man. That split-second decision to shoot earned Strebendt a murder charge. If the government hadn't rushed the case to a grand jury...if the prosecution had been willing to wait for physical and forensic evidence to be processed...maybe, just maybe, Strebendt's self-defense account would have kept him out of the justice system. But that isn't what happened. What happened, instead, was a sort of indictment-by-life-story, or indictment-by-social-media-assassination.
 
Gerald Strebendt's reputation as a military- and MMA-trained killer allowed both police and prosecutors to pre-judge him as guilty. Afraid that the defendant could kill with his bare hands, the authorities made Strebendt spend a year awaiting trial in the roughest and most isolating of conditions, solitary confinement in an under-funded county jail. Even when the evidence cast strong doubt as to who was the real aggressor on the night of the shooting, the murder charge stubbornly stuck. Why? Because people had bad stories to tell about Gerald Strebendt. The police didn't even have to pick up the phone to find critics who painted Strebendt as a habitual fighter, an inveterate taunter (if not bully) and, yes, a road-rager. The knocks and negative accounts about the man poured in almost entirely unsolicited - by mail, by email, and on Facebook. 
 
"...he stopped his car in front of us, blocking us, and demanded to know why we were following him...."
 
"...he said he was a trained killer, that he'd killed people before...."
 
"...I was afraid to ride with him in a car...."
 
"...he told me there was a gun under the seat and I should point it at the other driver..."
 
They all were ready to condemn Gerald Strebendt as a likely killer. There were complete strangers who stepped forward to recount a threatening incident on the road or elsewhere, something that just happened to involve "that guy I read about in the paper, the one connected to that shooting." A sheriff's deputy said he was so unnerved by Strebendt's hostility during a traffic stop that he made a note in a database to warn other officers who might encounter Strebendt. There was an ex-wife, too, who alleged that Gerald"road-raged" three to five times a week.
 
What chance did Gerald have against all of these breathlessly told tales and their tellers? Not much of a chance, but just enough for two small-town defense attorneys to help Strebendt evade the worst sentence, 25 years to life in prison. 
 
Throughout the long legal fight - one that felt personal not just for Mike Arnold, but for his entire law firm - Gerald Strebendt accepted responsibility for his legal predicament. Not for shooting his aggressor, of course, but for the life experiences and the poor choices that led up to his decision to shoot an unarmed man who was 20 years his senior. 
 
Strebendt grew up rough, possessing neither a solid father figure nor a clear sense of right and wrong. A born warrior, Strebendt dreamed of a mixed-martial-arts career that he briefly achieved. Drawn to the military, Strebendt chose the lonely, thinking-man's life of a Marine sniper. When he had a chance to return to society as a civilian, Strebendt didn't. He chose to do two tours as a "contractor" for Blackwater in Afghanistan, with all the urban, shoot-first-ask-questions-later action that implied. And when Strebendt came home from the close-range skirmishes and the threat of exploding IEDs, he forgot to leave the wary watchfulness, the aggression, and the swashbuckling bluster in Kabul. It came home with him. It caused trouble for him, even as he began building a reputation as a respected local businessman. Once, when asked how he'd gotten himself in a position to be so wrongly accused for something that he did not do - namely, shooting an unarmed man in cold blood - Strebendt gave a chillingly self-aware response:
 
"Because I have been a scoundrel and an asshole for years and Allah, Karma, and God have finally caught up with me."
 
Finishing Machine invites readers to consider how the whole of a man's life can lead to a single moment from which he may never recover. It encourages us to think about how ill-equipped the justice system is to handle a case where a man who seems to have done everything wrong can be put in legal jeopardy for an incident in which he possibly did everything right. The book reminds us of what we already know - that the line between the "bad guy" and the "good guy" can be very hard to discern indeed. 
 
On the night of the shooting, Gerald Strebendt stood alone against a man who said he had a gun, with only a 911 operator to talk to.  Throughout the year-long investigation of the case, Strebendt sat alone in an 8-by-8 cell, with only Mike Arnold - a young attorney who had never tried a murder case on his own - on his side. Was Arnold up to the task? Could he clear away his own demons to fight Strebendt's past and win the case? 
----
BOOK EXCERPT: Prologue: Predator or Prey?
The evening was cool and a haze hung low over a dark, rural road where only a truck's headlights provided illumination. It was January in Springfield, Oregon, so a low fog was not unexpected. But as the evening deepened, the clouds suddenly gave way to a brief, un-forecasted downpour. 

One man, trained as a Marine sniper, found himself standing alone.Moments before, he and another man - a stranger - had been in a confrontation.Then came the rain. And now there was only a lingering mist, backlit by the headlights. 

He had been trained by the military for exactly this: a coolly evaluated threat, followed by a split-second decision to take action. But he wasn't on the gun range, not tonight. He hadn't calculated his move through the lens of a scope, and he hadn't picked off his target from a safe and detached distance. There were no instructions from afar. This was different. It was up close and personal. The cloudburst had not been rain, and the mist was not made up of water. It was bits of blood, brain, skin and skull. 

The shooter lowered his gun, and raised his cell phone to his ear. He needed an ambulance. A man lay shattered on the pavement, his life ebbing away as cars continued to flow past the scene. All around, an audience of dark homes, fences and trees stood as silent witnesses to what had occurred. A woman, having left the safety of her vehicle to investigate the sounds she had heard, screamed at the sight of the long black gun and the violence it had wrought. 

Was there any doubt who was the predator, and who was the prey?

Chapter 1: A Potential Case?
I was at home on my small farm outside Creswell, Oregon, on the night of the shooting. Having put my four-year-old daughter to sleep by reading Dr. Seuss' "The Pale Green Pants" a couple of times front to back, I had returned to the living room to relax. The house was quiet, the lights dimmed.The wood stove was stoked with Douglas fir rounds that I had bucked from a fallen tree from the wooded part of our property the previous year. While enjoying the warmth of the fire, I alternated between reading a case file and online news stories.  I noticed a story of gun violence pop up online. Curious, I began reviewing the sparse but gripping details on the small screen of my iPhone. 

My name is Mike Arnold and I am a criminal defense attorney who specializes in complex cases. I am the managing partner of an eight-attorney firm located in Eugene, Oregon, almost two hours south of Portland ... and just across the Willamette River from Springfield, where the shooting I was reading about had occurred. 

The criminal defense section of my firm was built on the bread and butter of low-level crime, cases involving domestic violence, driving under...

From the Back Cover

"Immensely engrossing...an examination of our legal system,good aspects and flaws...splendid writing of this harrowing investigation...amust-read book." - Grady Harp, Vine™ Voice Reviewer

A single bullet fired on a dark rural road, an unarmed manshot dead. Was it road rage murder? Or self-defense? The authorities didn'twait to find out. They showed the grand jury Gerald "The Finishing Machine" Strebendt'scredentials as a Marine sniper, an MMA fighter and a two-tour military contractorwith Blackwater in Afghanistan. They asked for a murder charge and they got it. Witnesses from all corners of his life linedup to testify against him.

"...he said he was atrained killer, that he'd killed people before...."
"...I was afraid to ridewith him in a car...."
"...he told me there wasa gun under the seat and I should point it at the other driver..."

Could Mike Arnold - a young, brash attorney who had nevertried a murder case on his own - uncover the truth of what happened on thenight of the shooting and win the case?

Live the tension of the lawyers & the accusedyourself by stepping into the mind of a criminal defense attorney & intothe mind of "The Finishing Machine."

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01LYWWE4X
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Versus Publishing; 1st edition (December 9, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 9, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 19.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 425 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0997848499
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 97 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Emilia Gardner

    Emilia Gardner

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    Emilia Gardner spent ten years as an attorney, living and working in Oregon. Reading was her first love, and there were no bounds to what genre of book she could and would curl up with and enjoy. A love of writing soon followed, but it would never take the place of consuming the words on the page written by others. Emilia is a straight forward woman and advocate, and her communication style is evident in her writing. Simple, to the point, and effective.

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  2. Mike Arnold

    Mike Arnold

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    Mike Arnold had a career as what passed as a "high-profile" criminal defense attorney in Oregon and then turned cannabis and psychedelics entrepreneur. He is also the co-inventor of the of the world’s first psilocybin nasal spray and founder of Silo Wellness (OTC:SILFF) (CSE:SILO).

    Mike is experienced in jury trials & complex criminal & civil litigation involving multiple parties & witnesses, voluminous discovery, expert witnesses, & high stakes. He was managing partner of Arnold Law for 10 years & was the chief trial lawyer of the firm until he departed in June 2017.

    Mike is also the author of "Finishing Machine,” a book about a client accused of murdering an unarmed man (a must read for anyone wishing to get a firsthand look at courthouse politics).

    He also has a steady presence in national media including a CBS 48 Hours episode entitled “Trail of Tears” & his high-profile public response to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge Occupation through his representation of Ammon Bundy. Mike gained notoriety as an attorney when he stood on the courthouse steps as Ammon Bundy's attorney & told the remaining occupiers of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge to "please stand down." In the aftermath of the standoff he was credited with assisting in negotiating a peaceful resolution for the remaining four protester holdouts.

    ----

    As stated in the Register-Guard : “Arnold says it’s rugby, which can get pretty rough, that ‘fits in perfectly with (his) personality.’ He’s quick to add that the attitude he brought to the pitch sometimes carries over to his law practice. ‘I have a tendency to put my head down & run into a wall if the cause is right.’

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4.3 out of 5 stars
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Customers say

Customers find the book to be a riveting read with a well-told true crime story. Moreover, they appreciate its thought-provoking nature, with one review highlighting its detailed account of the legal process. Additionally, the writing quality receives positive feedback, and customers consider it worth the price.

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19 customers mention "Readability"19 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a riveting and captivating read.

"...This is a great read. It is the only novel I ever purchased AFTER I read it." Read more

"Enjoyed the book. Was very thought provoking for me. An interesting peak at the behind the scenes in such a legal case." Read more

"...I learned much in this riveting book...." Read more

"Excellent book about a fascinating murder case that top-notch Eugene attorneys Mike Arnold and Emilia Gardner worked on recently...." Read more

13 customers mention "Story quality"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the true crime story well told and engaging, with one review highlighting its detailed account of the process, making it a must-read for true crime fans.

"...It is a book about parallel processes and self-reflection...." Read more

"...of UFC fighters in the PNW I can verify that much of the context of the story is spot on...." Read more

"...I learned much in this riveting book. This lawyer's true crime story of a man, an ex-Marine sniper, who would appear to almost anyone to be guilty..." Read more

"Excellent book about a fascinating murder case that top-notch Eugene attorneys Mike Arnold and Emilia Gardner worked on recently...." Read more

10 customers mention "Thought provoking"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking, with one customer noting how it explains perceptions and train of thought, while another mentions how it provides insights into the system of justice.

"...Overall this book is very intellectually stimulating." Read more

"Enjoyed the book. Was very thought provoking for me. An interesting peak at the behind the scenes in such a legal case." Read more

"The story itself was very moving. I can empathize with the defendant/main character as well as the author/narrator...." Read more

"...This true crime story was well told and provided insights into the system of justice (or sometimes, the lack thereof). LOVED this book!" Read more

4 customers mention "Writing quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book.

"...but as the individuals bond and the story becomes more human the writing opens up and becomes more personal...." Read more

"...This is a very well written book that reminds me in a certain way of the classic Kurosawa film Rashoman...." Read more

"Very well written, thoughtful and intelligent analysis of a case that probes the strengths and weaknesses of our justice system...." Read more

"Well written, and not only entertaining, but very thought-provoking and educational...." Read more

3 customers mention "Value for money"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book worth their money.

"...There is a lot of value to this book for those who follow “Law and Order” or “CSI.”..." Read more

"...This is a great read, especially for the price." Read more

"...Worth your bucks!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Ron K
    5.0 out of 5 stars Not a Legal Thriller, It is Reality
    Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I originally downloaded this book through Kindle Unlimited (KU). If I returned the book after I finished it, I would lose it in my library. I thought this was good enough to go back and buy it because I knew I would want to talk about it with my friends and I wanted to have it available for reference. This is the first book for which I have done this.

    Finishing Machine by Mike Arnold and Emelia Gardner is a legal thriller as exciting as but different from novels by John Grisham. Grisham's works may have basis in reality, Arnold's publication is a description of a process resulting in a reality for Gerald Strebendt. Throughout this review, I will refer to Arnold's novel, and Arnold, because he acts as primary narrator as well as lead attorney for Strebendt. Emelia Gardner as second-cited author also functioned as an attorney who sometimes reined in Arnold when he went “off-message.”

    There are no surprise spoiler endings to this novel. As a matter of history, readers know what happened. The value of the book is in the process, how the process went through several modifications as positive and negative information about client Strebendt emerged. If there was any surprise, it is revealed by Arnold near the end of the novel. The surprise is about Arnold, not Strebendt. While I will not say what it is, should a reader want to skip ahead and read it, the entire read from beginning to end would be seen in a slightly different light. Not good, not bad, but different. So for people who can't stand to wait, go ahead, treat yourself; it takes nothing away from the story.

    George Strebendt killed a man. The law used a legal definition of murder and charged George with the crime. But the legal definition of murder is more complex than the dictionary definition. In determining sanctions for a killing, the law (in Oregon) differentiates Murder from Manslaughter One, Manslaughter Two, and Criminally Negligent Homicide (CNH). These are charges made by the state and are different from a defense strategy, such as justifiable homicide. There was no doubt George Strebendt killed David Crofut. What was the motive? Was the killing justified? What consequences should George expect to face? The last two questions will be answered in a legal context. Possible answers to the first question will be explored both inside and outside a legal context.

    There are at least two battles being fought throughout this novel. The determination of what is “Truth” or “Justice” takes a back seat to the question of “Proof.” This is the first battle, a legal one. We know George shot David; we have proof. Did George intend to shoot David, did he have a propensity for violence as a result of his military training and martial arts expertise? That would be difficult to impossible to prove. The exploration of this question is presented by Arnold in conversations held with George as Arnold attempted to fashion a strategy that would award George a judgment deemed to be just.

    The second battle might be termed the “humanitarian” or psychological, personal battle. We see this in the narratives Arnold supplies as we see a change in the reflections of George as he revisits the scene of the immediate crime and his past life as he examines what led him to this point. Not only do we see George's battle, we see the internal battles that Arnold faces. The proceedings leading up to trial are lengthy and complex. Arnold spends much time in reflection. His background and George's background have many similarities. Apart from personal reflection, Arnold becomes disenchanted with some basic elements of judicial procedure. It seems all judges may not be totally dispassionate. Judges may influence the results of a trial through such processes as administrative gag orders thus limiting the opportunities to seek public commentary and discover witnesses.

    There is a lot of value to this book for those who follow “Law and Order” or “CSI.” Even though I am ex-law enforcement, I sometimes don't question some of what I see or I dismiss it as entertainment without giving it serious thought. I would like to interview a client (or suspect) alone, not with a supporting person. But why can't I sometimes interview someone accompanied by an emotional supporter such as a parent or someone who could encourage an introvert to be more forthcoming? Arnold explains it with this legal justification “A judge can invalidate the privilege if a third party sits in on a conversation.” (loc 419-420).

    This almost absolute power of a judge will be revisited many times in this story. I looked at a few reviews and a version of the following question appeared a few times. “Who knew the power of a judge could ...” There is an answer. Judges and their colleagues know. The police know. Courtroom personnel such as Bailiffs (I was one) know. And probably Arnold knew but prior to this case had never seen it applied in such a vigorous way that stifled his planned defense.

    This is a great read. It is the only novel I ever purchased AFTER I read it.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • M Fahrmeier
    5.0 out of 5 stars Where sometimes it is better to compromise and plead guilty
    Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    “The Finishing Machine “is more than just a book about how a Defense Attorney breaks down a case. It is a book about parallel processes and self-reflection. As Mike Arnold was eager to take this high profile case on, the case was trying for a whole other reason than just defending an innocent man who was killed in self-defense. He not only believed in his client’s innocence, but recognized his empathy for his client stemmed from more than just this innocence. It is this self-reflection that brings to the forefront what is needed to recognize the need to involve other view points to stay objective.
    In the book Mike and Emilia bring to light many issues in our justice system to the forefront. Where sometimes it is better to compromise and plead guilty, even though they may be innocent, to appeal to the political nature that has become our court systems. It takes into account the biases of the public and how it influences this decision making process. Perception is truly in the eye of the beholder, influenced by the information that is provided and our past experiences and the beliefs that we hold true to ourselves, whether right or wrong. It revealed the struggle of the legal team and their client. How devastating the experience of being tried for a crime can be.
    Overall this book is very intellectually stimulating.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Richard A Price
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great book
    Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Enjoyed the book. Was very thought provoking for me. An interesting peak at the behind the scenes in such a legal case.
    One person found this helpful
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  • JB Brooks
    5.0 out of 5 stars Yes it is better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6
    Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    The story itself was very moving. I can empathize with the defendant/main character as well as the author/narrator. As a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu who has trained with a number of UFC fighters in the PNW I can verify that much of the context of the story is spot on. It's told in a very straight forward linear fashion that lets the story speak. I have a few quibbles with the writing style, it's clearly written by an attorney as it has a "just the facts ma'am" cadence that causes the book to start slowly, but as the individuals bond and the story becomes more human the writing opens up and becomes more personal. Much more than that it is a cautionary tale every person should read and understand. Yes it is better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6, but if you make that choice, you will be judged, not by what is right, but by what you can prove.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • M. C. D.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Guilty or innocent? Who knew that hampered justice for an innocent person begins as early as the convening of a Grand Jury?
    Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Who knew that a judge has the power to put a stranglehold on an attorney trying to save an innocent person or provide the best possible defense? We all know the media can help hang an accused, but who knew that it can be stopped from helping an innocent by a judge’s order? I learned much in this riveting book. This lawyer's true crime story of a man, an ex-Marine sniper, who would appear to almost anyone to be guilty of killing another man in a fit of road rage, is a real eye-opener. Is Gerald Strebendt really innocent or is he guilty? This true crime story was well told and provided insights into the system of justice (or sometimes, the lack thereof). LOVED this book!
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for True Crime Fans!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent book about a fascinating murder case that top-notch Eugene attorneys Mike Arnold and Emilia Gardner worked on recently. The book meticulously details the tremendous efforts and resources these attorneys spent trying to exonerate their client for the charged crime of murder. The alleged murder began as a road-rage incident which quickly escalated out-of-control. Perhaps most fascinating is the exploration of the relationships between defendant, defense attorneys, prosecutor and judge and what role each played in this intriguing tale. Mike Arnold and Emilia Gardner wrote this book in hard-hitting fashion and left little to nothing about the case to the imagination. If you are a fan of true crime books or are just interested in the inter-workings of the criminal justice system, I highly recommend this great read.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Emily Webb
    5.0 out of 5 stars Insider look into a murder case from the defence attorneys
    Reviewed in Australia on December 16, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    What I found so fascinating about this book is the perspective from which it's written. I am in Australia and it's not that often you get to read books from the experience of the lawyers. In this case the book is written by the defence lawyers for a man - a former marine sniper and MMA fighter - called Gerald Strebendt who shot a man dead during a road rage incident. It's not in dispute that Strebendt shot his victim. This book details the processes that went into what eventually happened for Strebendt. You'll go on a in-depth, first person journey into how Mike Arnold and Emilia Gardner defended their client. There's questions of PTSD, what constitutes "fear" in a situation and the choices we make in life that lead to varying consequences. A thorough look into a very interesting case.
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