On the morning of December 30, 1978 in Littleton, CO, Robert Spangler lured his wife Nancy into the basement with the promise of a "surprise". He then shot her in the head with a .38 handgun. Going upstairs, he shot his teenage children, Susan and David. David was slow in dying, so his father finished him off by smothering him with a pillow.
Spangler had cunningly framed the crime scene, making it appear that his wife had shot their children, and then herself. Now he was free to marry his new love, Sharon Cooper. A former high school athlete, he hiked the Grand Canyon with Sharon, who chronicled the trip in a book dedicated to her "soul mate," Spangler. But their happiness was short-lived. The marriage ended in a costly, messy divorce.
In April, 1993, when Spangler's third marriage to 59 year old aerobics instructor Donna Sundling went sour, he took her hiking in the Grand Canyon and pushed her off a 140 foot drop to her death. In 1994, when ex-wife Sharon committed suicide, Spangler became the focus of intense police scrutiny. Wracked with brain cancer, he told all to investigators in the fall of 2000, detailing his shocking serial saga - the story of a two time widower...and a four time killer.
Spangler had cunningly framed the crime scene, making it appear that his wife had shot their children, and then herself. Now he was free to marry his new love, Sharon Cooper. A former high school athlete, he hiked the Grand Canyon with Sharon, who chronicled the trip in a book dedicated to her "soul mate," Spangler. But their happiness was short-lived. The marriage ended in a costly, messy divorce.
In April, 1993, when Spangler's third marriage to 59 year old aerobics instructor Donna Sundling went sour, he took her hiking in the Grand Canyon and pushed her off a 140 foot drop to her death. In 1994, when ex-wife Sharon committed suicide, Spangler became the focus of intense police scrutiny. Wracked with brain cancer, he told all to investigators in the fall of 2000, detailing his shocking serial saga - the story of a two time widower...and a four time killer.
He promised his love til death do them part. He murdered his 2 wives and 2 children and got away with it for many years.
I'm glad this guy is outa service!
This was a very good book. I couldn't put it down. It happened a long time ago but the ending is quite recent. I say 5 stars but they won't let you fill in the fifth star.
Wife number one and two kids are murdered and the wife is set up as the killer. Wife number two gets a nasty divorce and wife number three is murdered and then Robert Spangler goes back to finish off wife number two. this a chilling read and the story was on 20/20.
This was truly a very good true crime read. It was a fascinating story which went on for a period of years and you learned much about all the characters and not so much legal jargon in the courtroom. Recommend it if you like true crime...
