The Home Invaders: A Book that Inspired EAR?

[Any of N]

We speculate all the time as to how our guy acquired his capture-evading skills. Maybe he worked in law enforcement or the military. Maybe he took college courses on criminal justice. Maybe he read true crime magazines. Maybe he was a big nerd who read a lot of books. I tend to keep my eyes open regarding the last two possibilities, and came across this last night:

I don't necessarily expect you to be impressed with the cover. What makes it possibly interesting is the metadata:

• Title: The Home Invaders: Confessions of a Cat Burglar
  
• Published in January of 1975
• Written by "Frank Hohimer" which is a pseudonym for John Seybold, an actual jewel thief

Might this book have possibly served as inspiration for the EAR while providing a tip or two? The timing is right as it came out a few months before the first canonical attack. It's hard to find any details on its content, though. Apparently it's long out of print, as paperback copies go for $100 or more on Amazon.  On the other hand, it looks like it was published as Violent Streets in the UK, and a copy can be had for an affordable price -- $17 with shipping -- but it has to be mailed from across the pond.

I'm thinking, what the heck, it might be worth a read to see what's there. But why go on a fishing expedition if someone else has done so already? sammyt , I will be absolutely 1000% shocked if you haven't read it. Somebody interested in the case must have taken a look before now. Can anybody provide some info? I bet somebody in the UK could pick it up from a used book store for a pound or two.

BTW, the book inspired the 1981 film Thief starring James Caan. I suppose our guy could have watched it if he had read Seybold first.   


EDIT1: Not really sure anymore that Francis Leroy Hohimer is a pseudonym. See post on Page 2.
EDIT2: That appears to be a false alarm. Someone more knowledgeable sent me a PM. Hohimer = Seybold.

[winters]

Great find. The "someone may shine a light in your face around three in the morning" gave me the chills.

[Any of N]

claudius_2014,

According to the 12-26-75 podcast, the last official VR attack occurred in December of 1975. So the book was published 10 or 11 months before the VR-EAR gap, but I don't know when it was readily available in bookstores in Northern California. Who knows, if VR became EAR, he could have discovered and read the book between the two crime sprees.

I'm generally neutral on the possible VR-EAR connection, but that's an interesting thought.

[windsorcastle]

This is too perfect, from the ski mask on the cover to the "shine a light" line. Either this is a really big coincidence or it was an inspiration as you think. Out of interest was that the cover for the 1975 first edition?

[Any of N]

I wish I knew the answer to that question. Here's where I lifted the photo: US Amazon link. And was the paperback out by June of 1976?

Here's another book cover that turns up in a web search, but it's hard to determine if it was actually used at any time.

 

[windsorcastle]

Oct 27, 2017 1:43:26 GMT Any of N said:

I wish I knew the answer to that question. Here's where I lifted the photo: US Amazon link. And was the paperback out by June of 1976?

Here's another book cover that turns up in a web search, but it's hard to determine if it was actually used at any time.

 

The big question now is what was in the book. The author you said was a jewel thief, so the million dollar question is what did the author write that could be related to the MO.

[windsorcastle]

Oct 27, 2017 2:08:12 GMT winters said:

We'll find out soon enough... someone offered to import it for me.

I hate this case... I remember when I used to get flowers. Now I get books with cross-eyed rapey ninjas on the cover.

Holy * the guy on the cover is cross eyed, that makes it worse

[interesting]

Oct 27, 2017 0:30:21 GMT Any of N said:

We speculate all the time as to how our guy acquired his capture-evading skills. Maybe he worked in law enforcement or the military. Maybe he took college courses on criminal justice. Maybe he read true crime magazines. Maybe he was a big nerd who read a lot of books. I tend to keep my eyes open regarding the last two possibilities, and came across this last night:

I don't necessarily expect you to be impressed with the cover. What makes it possibly interesting is the metadata:

• Title: The Home Invaders: Confessions of a Cat Burglar
  
• Published in January of 1975
• Written by "Frank Hohimer" which is a pseudonym for John Seybold, an actual jewel thief

Might this book have possibly served as inspiration for the EAR while providing a tip or two? The timing is right as it came out a few months before the first canonical attack. It's hard to find any details on its content, though. Apparently it's long out of print, as paperback copies go for $100 or more on Amazon.  On the other hand, it looks like it was published as Violent Streets in the UK, and a copy can be had for an affordable price -- $17 with shipping -- but it has to be mailed from across the pond.

I'm thinking, what the heck, it might be worth a read to see what's there. But why go on a fishing expedition if someone else has done so already? sammyt , I will be absolutely 1000% shocked if you haven't read it. Somebody interested in the case must have taken a look before now. Can anybody provide some info? I bet somebody in the UK could pick it up from a used book store for a pound or two.

BTW, the book inspired the 1981 film Thief starring James Caan. I suppose our guy could have watched it if he had read Seybold first.   

Where did John Seybold live in the 70's and 80's? Yes, that would be a good read. To see if anything is similar to the EAR crimes...?

[newramonnovarro88]

I know this has been talked about and discussed and analyzed on this site over and over again. I saw the new ID channel series, Home Alone. They said that home invaders usually live within 2 miles from their target homes. That way they can observe the daily routine of the people who live there. It definitely would apply to the GSK. He seemed to always know when the women were alone. Especially that time that he boldly ran out with no pants. Also if he was a normal guy he'd fit right in perfectly and wouldn't be considered an immediate suspect.

[windsorcastle]

Oct 27, 2017 3:51:19 GMT newramonnovarro88 said:

I know this has been talked about and discussed and analyzed on this site over and over again. I saw the new ID channel series, Home Alone. They said that home invaders usually live within 2 miles from their target homes. That way they can observe the daily routine of the people who live there. It definitely would apply to the GSK. He seemed to always know when the women were alone. Especially that time that he boldly ran out with no pants. Also if he was a normal guy he'd fit right in perfectly and wouldn't be considered an immediate suspect.

For the Rancho Cordova crimes Im inclined to agree with you. But everything else in Contra Costa and Goleta also suggest he was more than willing to go far. He had many cars and always seemed to drive or bike. He most certainly was able to case the blocks he was planning on attacking whether it was 5 miles away for 15 miles away. Rancho Cordova was the cloest thing he had to a "comfort zone" but he showed himself to be more than willing to go outside of it at will

[winters]

Oct 27, 2017 2:13:35 GMT interesting said:

Where did John Seybold live in the 70's and 80's? Yes, that would be a good read. To see if anything is similar to the EAR crimes...?

Probably not related to EAR activity -- he was 53 years old in 1976 and was based many many miles away. Apparently he was given 30 year federal term at one point, and served a 6 year term later.

[jthou]

I'm really curious to know what's in the book because I'm getting mixed signals here. When I think of cat burglars and jewel thiefs I think of someone who gets in and out as stealthily as possible which is quite different than a home invader who terrorizes the victims. Who knows maybe he did both depending on the situation but the flashlight in the eyes tagline seems to be more of a scare you into buying the book rather than a method he used but until someone reads this then it's all conjecture.

[portofleith]

The book was used as the basis for the 1981 film "Thief", starring James Caan.  "Thief"is available on Amazon and from the description, Seybold sounded very much like cleared EAR suspect Gerry Curtis Branagan.

[cityofchill]

Oct 27, 2017 15:51:05 GMT portofleith said:

The book was used as the basis for the 1981 film "Thief", starring James Caan.  "Thief"is available on Amazon and from the description, Seybold sounded very much like cleared EAR suspect Gerry Curtis Branagan.

So he was an armed robber before getting out of jail, after which time he became a cat burglar. I am guessing from the fact that police suspected him in a failed home-invasion robbery that he was a home invading armed robber and not one who pulled heists at businesses and banks. EAR/ONS was essentially a home-invading robber too. It's pretty clear that he was also a cat burglar at times too, whether his motivations were for profit or as an incidental part of reconnaissance for attacks is hard to say. I think there is a strong possibility with all the items he stole that quite a few were fenced. If he knew a fence, it is possible he was part of a network and maybe even part of a crew at times. I think the attacks were mostly solo missions, but I would not be surprised to learn that he was part of crew of burglars. 

[V]

Anyone see if their local library has it?

Would be amazing to know what Sac area libraries may have had it and if check out records still exists. But that seems highly unlikely.

Interesting find tho. 👍🏻