Chasing Evil: Shocking Crimes, Supernatural Forces, and an FBI Agent's Search for Hope and Justice

The narrative structure in these chapters juxtaposes methodical, procedural investigation with psychic insight, creating a rhythm of failure and breakthrough. The physical acts of investigation—including the massive excavation at Grace Lane and the off-the-books dig at the Boone property—frequently culminate in dead ends. These failures serve a narrative function, demonstrating the limitations of conventional evidence-gathering when faced with decades-old crimes. Each procedural failure, however, is immediately followed by a consultation with Edward, whose pronouncements recalibrate the investigation. This pattern establishes a structural dependency where supernatural intuition is a necessary catalyst for conventional police work. This structure mirrors Hilland’s evolving methodology, forcing him to embrace a hybrid approach where the inexplicable becomes a tool for discovering the provable.

This section thus continues to dramatize the theme of The Power of Intuition and Evidence Working in Tandem. The book repeatedly shows seemingly surreal details—rainbow-colored hair, a body preserved for five years, etc.—being systematically validated through empirical inquiry. Moreover, it increasingly frames Edward’s intuitions as actionable leads: Hilland’s discovery of the Armstrong Funeral Home, and its proprietor Dick Armstrong, stems from Edward’s vision of a location “to the right” of the family garage smelling of “cherry pipe tobacco” (143). Armstrong’s demonstration of a simple formaldehyde preservation method in turn provides a scientific rationale for Michael’s otherwise unbelievable account of Janice’s mummified state. This sequence is crucial, as it shows intuition providing the “what” and “where” that allows Hilland to pursue the “how.” The book depicts the discovery of the “Lady in the Box,” a cold case in Indiana that perfectly matches the details of Michael’s confession and Edward’s visions, as the ultimate validation of this complementary relationship. The exhumation on Janice’s birthday, which Edward had foretold as a “birthday present,” solidifies the argument that intuition can unlock cold cases.

The interrogation and manipulation techniques employed throughout these chapters explore the theme of Coaxing Truth from Deception Through Psychological Insight by focusing on psychological strategy over direct confrontation. Having failed to break John Smith through a conventional interrogation, Hilland pivots to indirect methods that target the weaker links in the Smith family’s chain of deceit. His handling of Grace Smith hinges on psychological leverage; by feigning interest in her fraudulent business dealings, he manipulates her self-interest to gain consent for a property search.

The controlled phone calls between Michael and Smith are another variation on the theme. These calls are carefully scripted performances designed to dismantle Smith’s defenses. However, Smith’s responses underscore the distinction between the ability to discern the truth and the ability to prove it in court. Smith suspects that his phone has been tapped and does not confess. His “goat in the box” story persuades no one (175), but it does not have to. All that matters, from a legal perspective, is that he does not admit to killing his wife; the mere fact that he is lying is not evidence of guilt. This in turn adds nuance to the work’s exploration of intuition versus hard evidence. On the one hand, it normalizes the idea of relying on the former, suggesting that anyone who sees through an obvious lie to the probable truth is doing just this. On the other hand, it reveals a tension between intuition and the criminal justice process, where proof must meet standards more rigorous than those used in everyday life.

The book, however, frames Smith’s guilt as obvious. The characterization of the Smith family as dysfunctional and secretive contributes to this effect, contextualizing Smith’s behavior while also furnishing further circumstantial evidence of his crimes. Each family member represents a different facet of complicity and conscience. Grace is framed not merely as a mother but as a primal source of evil, whom John Edward describes as the “energy source [Smith] came from” and compares her to the alien queen in the film Aliens (144). This characterization elevates her to the archetypal figure from whom John’s cruelty and violence derive. The interview with her contributes to this portrayal, as her manipulative tactics with Hilland mirror her son’s own methods of control. In stark contrast, Michael serves as the family’s fractured conscience. He is both complicit in the cover-up and tormented by it, his confession driven less by the promise of immunity than by years of psychological burden. This dynamic frames the two brothers as foils: John, who seeks to erase the past through denial, and Michael, who is haunted by it and ultimately seeks release through truth.

The exploration of dysfunctional family dynamics coincides with recurring images of domestic horror. Janice’s body is stored not in a remote, sinister location but in a common family garage for five years. Similarly, the basement of Patricia Donnolly’s childhood home, with its scorched walls and scrawled pleas for help, is situated within an ordinary suburban house. These factual details of the investigation echo Alex’s complaints that Hilland brings the darkness of his work into their home life. Indeed, the memoir has already established that Hilland’s personal and professional lives are inseparable, the trauma of his own childhood contributing to his drive as a law enforcement official. The emphasis on the home as a site of trauma thus obliquely hints at The Cost of Chasing Justice.