They Must Be Monsters: A Modern-Day Witch Hunt - The untold story of the McMartin Phenomenon: the longest, most expensive criminal case in U.S. history Paperback – Import, 31 July 2018

An agonizing read given that so many people lost their livelihoods, community respect and years of their lives based on false accusations supported by bogus medical and psychiatric efforts. To my mind Kee McFarlane and Dr. Summit should have had their licenses revoked and the medical doctors who claimed to have found physical evidence of rape should at a minimum have been censured and required to undergo further training.This book explains so much that I wasn’t aware of about cousins on my father’s side. We spent an afternoon at the beach with the Buckey’s in the early 1960’s on a visit to Ray’s paternal grandmother. It was an idyllic afternoon, our first visit to a beach on the Pacific Ocean. To know that they were forced into this ordeal is heartbreaking. As well the pain of the parents of these so-called victims and those children themselves who likely continue to struggle with the after effects of this highly publicized incident. And to the teachers who lost jobs were ostracized by the community they dedicated themselves to. Hopefully this will never happen again.

It's our natural tendency to believe without question those things that provoke a deep passion within us. It's also very natural to believe without question things told to us by experts - be they credible psychologists, credible government officials, or credible media organizations. This book is a powerful example of why we must remain objective in all things. The amount of destruction this case caused is incalculable. This book is a non-dramatic presentation of the history of the McMartin Preschool sex abuse scandal. It is a fascinating read. I couldn't put it down. I read it in one day! It was thorough, but humble enough to not answer all questions. It makes me want to learn so much more. I love true stories above all else. This one is written in a different format than I've ever encountered before, and it gave me the ability to insert myself and my thoughts into the story without being emotionally manipulated.

I grew up in Santa Monica just north of Manhattan Beach, and while I was too young to read the papers and barely watched the news, I recall the gist was “there are tunnels and witches and torture and rape at the preschool.” That was the hype for seven years. It is refreshing that this book clarifies the chain of events and the proclivity to presume guilt. I couldn’t put the book down, although I have minor criticism- the book slows to nearly a halt at the end, with way too much about Judy Johnson rather than the real climax - the trial! I actually forgot the verdicts in 1990 and to me that is more important than which city park Judy was living in. Also, a lot of time is dedicated to two unrelated but similar cases that occurred nearby. Other than that, this is the most gripping book I’ve read in years.

This book lays out all the machinations of the Mc Martin trial and the utter lawlessness of the crazed prosecutors . It treats Judy Johnson the paranoid schizophrenic the genesis of the initial charges kindly and wants it clear she was not in her right mind and should have investigated. It’s only right that Ray Buckey was exonerated as well as his grandma, sister, and mom and the other teachers but oh what a price they all paid. A similar sexual abuse case occurred in 2014 when the accused tonya Craft Book named ACCUSED), a kindergarten teacher was acquitted of all charges but it’s frightening to know 30 years after the Mc Martin cases such atrocities are still being perpetuated.

Terrific book. Adds immeasurably to our knowledge of the McMartin case by filling in much-needed detail. Shows how the "witch-hunters" destroyed so many other lives besides the McMartins. Leal Rubin. Kee McFarlane (who I know), Robert Philobosian, Dr. Roland Summit and all the other quack doctors involved in the case as wellas the monster Det. Hoag should all rot in Hell, along with the long-dead ABC reporter, Wayne Satz. The monster neighbor, Mr. Norrie, should have been sentenced to prison. The current of psychoses that ran through this very affluent community of Manhattan beach tells us a lot about the psychology of the country we live in.