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The Grand Canyon Black Widower

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Pub Date Sep 29 2026 | Archive Date Aug 31 2026

Penzler Publishers | Crime Ink


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Description

Colorado, 1978–1994: Three wives, five murders, one man at the center.

In December of 1978, three members of a family in Arapahoe County, Colorado, were found dead in their home. Police concluded that the mother had shot her two children and then herself, leaving behind a devastated husband.

In April of 1993, a woman fell to her death in the Grand Canyon while hiking with her husband. The man appeared heartbroken on television as he recounted the terrible accident.

Then in October of 1994, a third woman died of a presumed overdose shortly after reconnecting with her ex-husband.

These three cases had one thing in common: Robert Spangler, the grieving widower. Was it a cruel twist of fate that this one unassuming man should face the tragic and unexpected deaths of three wives? Or was he actually the architect of these seeming tragedies? When Spangler was diagnosed with terminal lung and brain cancer, investigators at the FBI realized they had only a short time to get him to confess the whole truth.

Journalist Vincent Manilève meticulously retraces the path of this chilling serial killer, from his Colorado homes and hiking trips to a federal district court in Arizona.

50 States of Crime: France’s leading true crime journalists investigate America’s most notorious cases, one for every state in the Union, offering up fresh perspectives on famously storied crimes and reflecting, in the process, a dark national legacy that leads from coast to coast.
Colorado, 1978–1994: Three wives, five murders, one man at the center.

In December of 1978, three members of a family in Arapahoe County, Colorado, were found dead in their home. Police concluded that...

Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781613167861
PRICE $15.99 (USD)
PAGES 240

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Average rating from 7 members


Featured Reviews

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What an excellent book. It’s mesmerizing, frightening, engrossing. If you need to know how a psychopath works read this book. I couldn’t put it down and that rarely happens
It’s pretty much incomprehensible, what this protagonist did. There it all is, in detail, yet people still have such a hard time believing it. This book should become a best seller. There are typos etc, a few words should be changed but 99% is a terrific read.

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I’ve become really fond of the 50 States series, and this installment didn’t disappoint. The combination of true crime and local history works well for me, and I always come away feeling like I learned something new. A quick, engaging read that made me want to learn more about the people and places involved.

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A good read. The line, "He was such a nice person" fits well here. The author provides a great look into the life and crimes of the murderer as well as the victims of his crimes. The book is a fast read and held my attention and made me not want to put it down till I finished. A good true crime read. This is the fourth book of this series I have read, and I have enjoyed all of the stories. A good series.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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