Revised Edition, The I-5 Killer

Good personality analysis but little suspense buildup. The long list of victims made it hard to keep track of who's who. Book provides food for thought for potential "Bundy killing-type victims"...POS

I was very disappointed that the author did not correct the errors that I pointed out her before she died. Now they can never be corrected because I was a responder/friend to two of the murders and she made several mistakes

The first book that I have read from Ann Rule was "Green River, Running Red." In a review for that book, I didn't like it much. I had read a couple of other books about the Green River Killer, and I found those more thought-provoking and interesting. But after watching a movie called "Hunt for the I-5 Killer," I decided to read this book since I was intrigued.

I also wrote before that I'm not much of a fan anymore of printed material. I far prefer reading books on a Kindle device; the reasons are obvious. They became more obvious to me when I read this book - which wasn't available in digital form - when my "real" bookmark fell out of the pages and I had to find the place where I was reading, a couple of times. That wasn't fun. That, and the search capabilities, and WhisperSync of digital. . . . I probably will therefore only buy books in a digital form now in the future.

All of this said, I found this book much better than GR3. This book followed the true-crime pattern that I'm looking for: What was the motivation of the killer? What did the police do to catch him? What historical events were going on at the time? To me, these things must be answered for an intriguing read of this genre. Otherwise, I lose interest.

One minor complaint, of course. Ms. Rule discusses the defendent at one point, saying something like, "He complained that women in prison only had female guards to watch over them. He thought that therefore he and other men incarcerated should only have men watch over him in prison as well." She mentioned this twice, and I had the feeling that she believed that he didn't have a right to an opinion on this since, well, he was a serial killer. Wrong. Far be it from me to defend the man who was found guilty, but his logic was correct. Why should women held in the prison system get benefits that men do not? That is faulty logic from the author, if she is implying this opinion.

Much better effort here from Ms. Rule. I will probably now give another book or two a try. . . .

Well this was not one of my favorites. I seem to have gotton the large type verson so reading it felt like it took 30 mins to read, i dont remember anything good about this book so, that should tell you how good it is.

I have read 5 Ann Rule books and consider her one of the best True Crime writers. This book left me wondering if the same author penned it.

Usually I cannot stop reading her books. This one took me three brutal weeks, not because I didn't want to finish it, but because it was awful. The focus on dueling states and police departments took up way to much, the normal, more sympathy for the victims did not come through.

I felt at times I was reading a travelogue. I would not recommend this book, but I will continue to read her books.

I don't know where Ann Rule finds the fortitude and perseverance to write about serial murderers like the I-5 killer, Randy Woodfield. This particular degenerate actually filed a $12 million libel suit against the author, which was dismissed by Oregon's federal court. More power to her, I say, for educating her readers about these sociopaths. This one began his career by exposing himself to women and stealing from his college roommates. According to the author, he blamed his criminal tendencies on his bossy mother and older sisters.

If you look up Woodfield's case on the Internet, e.g. Wikipedia or the serialkillerdatabase, this criminal was even deadlier than Ann Rule could have known, when she published this book in 1984. By 1990 he was suspected in at least 13 homicides, not just the three murders she concentrates on in "The I-5 Killer." In 2001 and 2006, DNA testing linked Woodfield to yet another two murders in Oregon.

Woodfield was not only a serial murderer, but a serial rapist and burgler. He didn't care how young his victims were, as two of the girls he assaulted were only eight and ten years old, and one of his rape/murder victims was 14 years old.

A major frustration highlighted by this book is the fact that Woodfield was never tried for the majority of his offenses. For instance, he was never extradited to California for the rape and murder of Donna Eckard and her young daughter on February 3, 1981. The Oregon prosecutors and police convicted him in an assault and murder case where they had accumulated their strongest evidence, including the testimony of one of the victims who survived two gunshots to her head. Hopefully, this conviction will keep him in jail for the rest of his life.

Ann Rule (writing as Andy Stack) details the biography of Woodfield from birth through his college years where he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers and chosen by `Playgirl' as a centerfold candidate. One of her reiterated questions is: how could a guy with so many opportunities throw them all away to cruise the I-5 freeway in search of female victims? She also narrates the macabre story of his extended crime spree, his trial, and his first few years in prison. I think she gets as far into the mind of this psychopath as any normal person can.

I picked this book as my monthly read for my Mystery Book Club We had to choose a book about a real crime and I chose this one because the crimes took place along Interstate 5 - the main north-south interstate freeway in the area where I grew up but also because my nephew lived in the unit in a duplex in Beaverton Oregon, where the I-5 Killer committed one of his murders.

Ann Rule provides an interesting account of how the various local police were able to solve the crimes committed by the I-5 Killer, who drove up and down the interstate, exiting to commit a crime and quickly leaving that area via the nearby I-5 exit right after the robbery or murder. He committed these crimes from Washington State all the way down into California in what seemed to be a random pattern. There were several police jurisdictions looking for the same perpetrator without knowing it - until some piece of the puzzle - evidence or MO - started to link the crimes.

Randy Woodfield, who became the I-5 Killer, seemed to be the All-American guy, handsome, a star athlete, attractive to women, but hiding some serious problems, insecurities and quirks. In high school in the 70's, he started exposing himself to girls, but wasn't caught at first. He began to expose himself more and more often and the law caught up with him which destroyed his career with the Green Bay Packers before it began and resulted in jail time. In the 1980's, he added robbery and oral sex crimes and finally rape and murder to his repertoire. He always chose young female victims working late at night in business along the exits on I-5. While in jail in the 70's, he learned about disguises and used beards and hooded sweatshirts in his crimes, making it difficult to get a good ID. The case challenged the old belief that men who expose themselves don't escalate to more serious crimes. The book explored the reasons that lead Randy Woodfield to his crimes, which included insecurity in his relationships with women and his sexual problems. It was quite interesting to read how the various police departments gathered information and gradually came to the conclusion that they were all seeking the same person and then trying to coordinate their investigations. Very interesting read and comforting to know that this guy is serving life in prison without a chance for parole.

I don't usually read true crime, because I like to try to figure out the mystery. In true crime, the reader usually knows who committed the crimes, so the investigations leading to arrest and conviction and the reasons for the crimes becomes the most interesting part of the book.

I am a fan of True Crime, been reading them for about 22/23 years. Ann's was not the first one I came across. However, when I finished reading the first one I was just mezmorized. Not in the way of "ok my turn", in a way of amazed that somebody can do such a thing.

Ann's First book I read was Small Sacrafices. Holy crap, how in the world can you do that to your kids? Anyway. I purchased another one, then another, then the next thing you know I am hooked.

When I finaly got to this one, I actually had to put it down and set it aside! I had never had to do that before. The things he did, just sickened me. She put details in there, that were rough, but it's was happened. Again, how in the world can you do such a thing? She is a wonderful author. Learning that she used to set next to Ted Bundy, wow. Now I learned that LONG before it was in a book though.

This man would start at the top of the interstate and work his way down, then go back up. This was his thing. Once in a while he would do something that wasn't him. Thank God he finally got caught. I was amazed to learn who was in the book.

If you have the gut, on true crime, then this is an interesting book to read.

"The I-5 Killer" is the story of Randall Woodfield, a multi-sport high school star who was drafted into the NFL after a successful college football career as a Wide Receiver.

He had the same problem as Lance Rentzel of the Dallas Cowboys, a severe problem with exposing himself to young women. Unlike Rentzel, Randall Woodfield's behavior escalated to more serious activities like armed robbery and sexual assault. It's difficult to understand how that led ultimately to murder. The final number of murder victims may never be known.
Woodfield has suggested that steroid use was a factor in his becoming aggressive.

Ann Rule details the jurisdictional battles of law enforcement entities that were involved in the investigation. That battle may have been responsible for Woodfield's destruction of incriminating evidence in the interim.
She also explains the evidence that originally tied him to the multiple crimes around the I-5 freeway in multiple states.

The thinking behind California deciding not to prosecute the double-murder charges was explained.

Randall Woodfield is a narcissist, totally wrapped up in himself and his "image". What's so puzzling is how someone with a popular social life and apparently normal family background could become a serial killer.
Ann Rule tells the story of the I-5 killer in gripping style!

Although I have read a considerable number of true crime novels, this is the first Ann Rule book I've ever read. I generally avoid books that have covers where the author's name is in bigger print than anything else, but as the saying goes, "don't judge a book by its cover." Sure enough, Rule has crafted a very suspenseful story about serial rapist and murderer Randall B. Woodfield.
I've seen a number of ...reviewers bemoan the absence of a rigid chronological approach in this book, but I feel that this book would not have been nearly as successful in conveying the horror of Woodfield's crimes if they had simply been discussed one after another. By first introducing us to various women who had the misfortune to become involved with Woodfield, we are even more shocked when some of them turn up dead. Also, this book is generally oriented around the investigators who were hunting an unknown serial rapist and murderer; these detectives were not able to piece together a complete catalog and timeline of Woodfield's crimes until late in the investigation.
There seems to be no consensus about Rule's body of work -- whether or not she's getting better as time goes on, or whether or not she's "lost it." Regardless of what you think about her writing career as a whole, "The I-5 Killer" is a gripping true crime story. Woodfield's life and crimes are introduced and explored from a variety of perspectives. This certainly isn't the best true crime story I've ever read -- at times it feels like the story wanders a bit, and sometimes there seems to be extraneous detail -- but this is still an above-average book.

The I-5 Killer is the shocking story of a serial killer that nearly played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers. It is supposed that he may have been cut for his tendancy for exposing himself which he may have exercised in Green Bay. It was after Randall Woodfield was cut that his life began spiraling into a muderous cycle.

Randall Woodfield was a gifted athlete even at a young age. Even in his youth, he was a sexual deviant with a strong propensity for exposing himself in public. Unfortunately, his deviancy was never treated. He was arrested once, but it was overlooked as he initiated his football career. After the Packers cut him, he returned home and was arrested when he attempted a sexual assault on a plain clothed female officer. After two years in prison, he was on the street with a greater thirst for sexual assault. All of his murders were along the I-5 highway between Oregon and California which led to his nickname. It is believed that he was responsible for twenty-two crimes ranging from rape to murder.

While this book was a great work of true crime, it also highlights the flaws in the criminal justice system. Randall Woodfield was incarcerated too many times for predatory sexual crimes to be allowed future opportunities at freedom. It is sad to realize that his murder spree could have been avoided. At the very least, treatment for his sexual deviancies could have been attempted.

The title of my review is kind of taken from the back of the book which I think is understandable. Again, Ms Rule has written with knowledge & with an edge that keeps one hooked from page to page. This book was the most terrifying I've read so far just because the killer, Randall Woodfield, spent a great amount of time in the area where I grew up (SW Portland) and at the same time when I was 16 years old (the age of girls he was attracted to). The bar where he worked is less than a mile from where I lived at the time. I probably saw him at some point but did not know it. I think that's pretty scary!

Randall Woodfield was a sick, disgusting pervert that received exactly what he deserved...LIFE in prison. Ms. Rule's research states that he is not eligible for parole until he is the age of 81 years old. God help us all if he is still alive! This book just goes to show that you cannot judge a book by its cover. Even though someone may look like an Adonis, it does not mean that they are the same way on the inside. Randall Woodfield still is every young woman's nightmare. Ann Rule writes with such detail and really brought this story to life for me.

This book is a real gripper! 1 to 2 nites regardless of the time. My wife read the book and then told me about it and that Woodfield was the guy that was caught here in our area and that he was the guy that the State police used to stake out the West 11th ave. Taco Time for while she and my sister worked until midnite. They thought that because it was so secluded that he would possibly try to case the place. Well they caught him somewhere else shortly after that and then I had the story told to me. I wasn't very happy having my girlfriend and sister used as bait but they were probably safer on those nights. When ever we drive by the State Pen on I-5 in Salem I always say "there is Randall Woodfields house! " and my wife just shakes her head and I say honey tell the kids how you and Aunt Mary were part of the stake out to catch Randy Woodfield when you worked at TacoTime in 1981. Our kids just cant believe it when I told them how many people he had killed. It has been a long time since the book first came out but I read it twice and so this review is quite overdue. Enjoy- Skip

i lived in medford, oregon, at the time i read this book.
i often traveled up and down I-5 to go to eugene to party.

also, i had an ad in a pacific northwest sex magaine looking for interesting friends.

so, i'm reading along in Rice's book, can't put the book down it's so fascinating,
and get to the photos in the middle.
DAMN! there was a photo of a guy who had been writing to me from that ad!

randy was in prison, and in his letters he said he was wrongly accused of crimes,
he liked my ad, and hoped that i would become a visitor of his. he asked for my name
and social security number often, so that i could be put on his visitor's list.
i refused, but his letters were so well written, in big easy-to-read letters,
like a teenage girl would do, with smiley faces and other drawings, that i continued
correspondence with him.

when i saw the same photo, of him flexing his arms wearing only shorts,
it was the exact same one he had sent me!

so i wrote back and said that i found his photo in this book, and he admitted it was
him, and he was wrongly accused, blah blah blah.

anyway, i stopped correspondence with him. saved the letters because in the paperback
book because it was such a coincidence to have happened.

showed someone the book and letters, and guess they "borrowed" them from me.

but the book was detailed, and could be considered erotic by some.

Another great combination: Ann Rule writing her inimitable true crime! I know: maybe it a little perverse that I really enjoy this kind of book, but it is what it is in Ann Rule is really good at it. She captures the doubts and realities!
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I Love Anns books and this was no exception. However, unlike some of her others, there wasn't much suspense in this one. I generally like the way she describes the seemingly great relationships that slowly fall apart and then turn into a murder mystery. She has a great writing style that keeps you interested every step of the way. In this book, the wheels blew off from the very beginning and there wasn't much detective work, suspense or mystery involved. We know who did it, where he did it and I felt like she was just going over police reports, rather than building a story like she does in her other books. It was much more about what a psychopath this guy was, and while interesting, it wasn't one of my favorites, but worth the read.

Randall Woodfield seemed to have it all. Growing up he had a stable home life, did well in school, and was an exceptional athlete, excelling in every sport he tried. He was such a good athlete, in fact, that the Green Bay Packers drafted him. But Woodfield didn't make the team and he never finished college, instead drifting from job to job, from city to city. He also went from woman to woman, pursuing all of them intensely. Still, he seemed like a nice enough guy and people who knew him were shocked to find out that he was the I-5 killer, committing a series of robberies, terrorizing and assaulting young women, killing some of them.

"The I-5 Killer" is one of Ann Rule's early true crime books and it shows. It's not a bad book, but it's not as good as her later efforts. Rule focuses more on Woodfield than his victims, consequently, although the crimes against the victims were horrific, I felt detached since I never came to know what any of them were really like. There are eight pages of photos, but only one picture of a victim, which also adds to the feeling of detachment. Woodfield's trial had a bit more detail to it and was quite interesting.

This isn't a bad book, but someone trying Ann Rule for the first time should try reading one of her newer books.

The best true crime/serial killer type genre book I have ever read( and I have read at least 40-50). I was so glued to every page, and could not even attempt to put it down until I finished, and quickly started to feel sadness and separation anxiety over being done it and having no more to read.. Even once I finished it I was online reading about the killer and all the aftermath for days and days. So early in her career Ann rule really shows us why she is one of the best of the true crime style out there. Hopefully I am not reincarnated into a frog or anything so that in my next life I can read it again.

Writing a review for a book is difficult. I want to tell a potential reader what I liked, but then I would need to include content. Ann Rule is a fantastic writer. She takes her true crime novels and presents them with the facts. Rarely do I see her volley back and forth on anything. She does her research and presents it fluidly. Anytime the book says Ann Rule, if you want a detailed true account of the subject, she will most certainly deliver.

Ann Rule is already missed - she passed away recently at age 83.

She did a great job with this book, describing how a young man who seemed to have it all - looks, brains, athletic ability, a great future, was actually a serial rapist, and how the clues were put together to identify him and convict.

I enjoy reading true crime stories, and I was familiar with Ann Rule. This was a hard book to put down. Women can be so misled by handsome, soft spoken men, which have led to their demise. Such was the case of this serial killer who thought he was just too clever to be caught. He was just so thoughtful, handsome but so deadly. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes true crime.

If you enjoy reading true crime stories, no one tells the stories better than Ann Rule. I have read most of her books and, as usual, this one was a real page turner. It's so hard to understand how a man like Randy Woodfield (that came from such a good family background and had everything going for him) could turn into such a disgusting pervert. A book you will not be able to put down

'The I-5 Killer' is a decent but unremarkable effort by Ann Rule, the queen of true crime novels. While it does give accounts of horrible sexual crimes and murders by a completely unrepetent monster, the book lacks many elements of Ann Rule's better works: intricate courtroom drama, in-depth analysis of the criminal's background, and detailed chronology of the police/forensic work done in proving the criminal's guilt. I suppose all this is unsurprising since 'The I-5 Killer' is only about half the length of Ann Rule's best works (eg, 'The Stranger Beside Me').
Bottom line: certainly very readable and credible, but Ann Rule can and has done better.

Ann did an awesome job as always; researching, investigating & telling the story. My heart goes out to the victims and families that this monster came into contact with. He is one of the most sickest individuals I have ever heard of. This man does not deserve to live another day on this earth. I live in Texas & thankfully we still have the death penalty here. Randall should've gotten the electric chair years ago but that is just my opinion. I understand why California didn't extradite him & even though California has the death penalty, they don't enforce it like Texas does and that is just a shame!

I love Ann rule and have always appreciated her books however this one wasn't the best I think she could've spent more time on the trial and less on his fake affair with Diane Downes she was a bad bad case herself and if you haven't read her story I recommend it as well

This being an early Ann Rule book it lacks in some areas, including the meticulous detail that she is known for. While some did not like the event sequence of the book, I found it easy to follow. I especially liked the beginning of the book where Ms. Rule spends time getting to know Woodfield's "girlfriends". It made the murders all the more chilling.
Not one of her best works, but good nonetheless. I'd recommend this to any true crime fan.

"The I-5 Killer" lacks the elements that make Ann Rule books so fascinating. Granted that Randy Woodfield is a complex criminal, and his story is interesting, but when Ann Rule wrote this book she had not yet started delving into the perpetrators' pasts and psychological makeup. Like her other early works, "Lust Killer" and "The Want-Ad Killer", Randy Woodfield's story is a better-than-average true crime offering when compared to books by lesser authors, but not nearly up to the level of Ann Rule's writing today.

As a first-time true crime reader I'm glad I started out with "I-5 Killer" by Ann Rule. Truly Ann has the inside mind of Randall. He had everything going for him. Family money; good looks; athletic; charming, but something happened to his persona Randall never grew a conscience never felt sympathy , never felt empathy for anyone or anything. Was he born like this? Or was he made like this? Having 2 older sisters isn't enough reason to kill, maim, or hate women or have oral sex as your turn-on through-out life. We are missing something here in his early childhood! Overall ,I enjoyed this book very much...I reccomend it to True Crime readers.

Ann Rule is a no-brainer when I'm searching for a true crime novel. This one was heavy on the trial end, lost some momentum for me about halfway through.
Unnerving to find so many parallels between Woodfield and a man I used to know, master of manipulation.

Randy Woodfield had it all. He was the boy next door, a star athlete and he had good looks. He also had an appetite for horribly violent acts which led him to cruise the I-5 highway through California to Washington. Randy Woodfield raped and killed women through many states. It's horrible to think that someone could be so awful to do those kinds of things to another person. This was another great book by Ann Rule.

This book doesn't disappoint. Her background in police work helps us understand how these horrible crimes are solved and there's never a dull moment. Ann Rules books dig into the mind of the killer.

The I-5 killer...was one of the best books that I have ever read..the suspense, the chills...the fear that it brings to you. It was so realistic. Ann Rule is an amazing author that knows how to write a great book. It is one of those books that you would want to read more than once.

As a psychology student (and a campus police officer), I was very intrigued/and numbed at the way Ann went into detail into the mind of Randall Woodfield (the killer). This book will not only intrigue criminal justice students, but psychology students as well. I would encourage everyone to read this book

I understand this book has been around a while and that Rule has gotten considerably better since it first came out years ago. Doesn't matter -- after this one, I won't go near her. If you like your true crime complete with graphically drawn-out scenes of torture and murder that not only should disgust any civilized reader but could easily arouse a child rapist, then by all means, let this book be seen on your coffee table.

I'm just beginning "The I-5 Killer". Just finished "Small Sacrifices", which I couldn't put down for nothing. I think "Small Sacrifices" may be the best true-crime account by Ms. Rule along with "Last Dance".

Thank you.