Fatal Sword

A young man knocks on his neighbor’s front door, hoping to celebrate Christmas Eve with a friend. He is welcomed in, and the two spend five festive hours playing video games, strumming guitars, and drinking fine brandy. A silly dispute turns into a brawl. One friend dies, the other is charged with murder.

Small-town Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, had a short history of violent crimes, but it was 2001. Following the 9/11 terrorist strikes, residents were focused more on attacks against country than fatal fights among friends. The resulting trial featured two attorneys, one a “favorite son” and the other an unknown defender from several counties away. Readers of this true story, like jurors at the trial, will face difficult questions about motive, mental health, self-defense, and, ultimately, justice.