Prodigal Crimes is a story that stretches from the narrow streets of Brooklyn to the bowels of the Dark Web to the perverted lifestyles of the ultra-wealthy.A beautiful young woman is found murdered in her apartment; the horrific mutilation of her face initially suggests her death was the work of a 'trophy killer.' Detective Captain Daniel Dragona, a decorated former Army Ranger whose courage under fire earned him the nickname ' Danny the Dragon' in the media, is assigned to lead the NYPD investigation.The investigation moves forward on the theory the victim may have been targeted at her job at an upscale gentlemen's club owned by a multi-millionaire entertainment business executive. A tip from an NYPD Intelligence analyst who has been investigating cold cases involving missing human organs from funeral homes suddenly steers the investigation in a new direction.Could the victim's face have been surgically removed for sale on the Dark Web? JW Lucas, author of the Daryl Richardson and Dan Dragona Crime Mysteries series, is a retired law enforcement Detective Sergeant and Healthcare Security executive, his careers spanning forty-five years.As a detective, he received advanced training in crime scene processing, evidence, and forensics, including being among a select group of investigators who received intensive personal training from internationally renowned forensics expert, Dr. Henry Lee, at the University of New Haven, Connecticut.In February 1981, he led the criminal investigation of a murder that prompted shocking, sensational headlines worldwide that created a media frenzy.Coming to be known as the 'Devil Made Me Do It Case,' the accused, through his attorney, made the unprecedented claim of demonic possession as a defense.The murder became the basis for the 1983 ABC television movie, 'The Demon Murder Case,' the screenplay written by Academy Award winner William Kelly, (Witness, starring Harrison Ford) and more recently, the 2022 Warner Brothers distributed movie 'Conjuring 3,' and a 2022 two-hour Discovery TV Network documentary 'The Devil Made Me Do It.'He has led many major crime investigations, including homicide, kidnapping, serial bank robberies, undercover narcotics, and white-collar crimes.His crime mystery series focuses on the human side of the investigators; the doubts and frustrations they encounter with unexpected twists and turns in their cases, the emotional toll horrific crime takes on its victims and their families, and the use of forensics and technology to solve the crimes.JW Lucas lives in Connecticut. He enjoys hearing from readers at:jwlucasbooks1@gmail.com
