My special guest is author Marla Bernard, who's here to discuss the murder of 15-year-old Ann Harrison and how it shook Kansas City. Get her book now from Amazon. The true crime story of the kidnapping, rape, and murder of a Missouri teen and her family’s journey to justice. In the early hours of March 22, 1989, two friends—career criminals with violent felony convictions—drove around the eastern Kansas City area in a stolen car, committing a series of crimes. The weather was mild for late March in Kansas City; the sky was clear, and the pale remnant of a Full Moon bore the dubious name of Death Moon, the last full moon of winter. A little before 7 a.m., fifteen-year-old Ann Harrison walked to the end of her driveway on Kansas City’s east side to wait for the bus to take her to Raytown South High School. Ten minutes later, she disappeared, but no one saw what happened. As if waiting for her return, her belongings were still stacked carefully by the side of the road. By the Side of the Road is the true crime story of the kidnapping, rape, and murder of Ann Harrison and the long journey forced upon her family, who had to wait nearly three decades to see her killers brought to final justice. About Marla: Marla Bernard is a passionate advocate for victims' rights, author, and public speaker. She received her Master of Arts with honors from Baker University. She serves as adjunct faculty for a national university, writing several criminal justice courses and contributing to federal law enforcement publications. She was recently filmed for an upcoming true crime series in the United Kingdom for an episode based on her first book, Through the Rain. Her work has been published in two Chicken Soup for the Soul volumes. She is writing her third book, a collection of short stories about individuals whose positive influences significantly impacted her life. Additionally, she is conducting historical research to develop a fictional biography of her ancestor, Margaret Stephenson Scott, the last victim of the Salem Witch Trials. Marla and her husband, retired Sgt. David Bernard resides in the Midwest near the loves of their lives – their two children and three grandchildren. Support the show