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

John Edward, a world-famous psychic medium and the book’s co-author, serves as Robert Hilland’s spiritual guide and investigative partner. Growing up as the intuitive son of a skeptical police officer, Edward was conditioned to avoid law enforcement. His father’s dismissive belief that “Real cops don’t use psychics” instilled in him a deep reluctance to get involved in criminal cases (17). This internal conflict sets the stage for his unlikely partnership with Hilland. When he finally agrees to help, he steps into the role of a “psychic ‘coach,’” using his abilities to provide clues, psychological insights, and spiritual context that traditional police work cannot access. He is thus central to the book’s exploration of The Power of Intuition and Evidence Working in Tandem.

Edward’s presence also transforms the true-crime narrative into a metaphysical battle between good and evil, as well as a story of friendship. He tells Hilland that the Smith case is “a fight between Good and Evil” and that Hilland has been “chosen” for this specific battle (59). This interpretation recasts the narrative as a spiritual quest while also suggesting that some forms of evil are so profound that they can only be understood and confronted with help from a higher power. He thus becomes Hilland’s moral and metaphysical compass, offering guidance not only on the case but also on the spiritual and personal toll it takes. This ongoing partnership deepens into a personal friendship, as both men recognize shared struggles with their respective fathers. Their work becomes a source of mutual healing and understanding, fulfilling what Edward calls a “unique karmic tie” (222). He helps Hilland learn to trust his intuition and accept a world beyond tangible evidence, while Hilland’s work gives Edward a sense of purpose and validation that his own father rarely provided.

The account of Edward’s first meeting with Hilland seeks to establish his credibility as a psychic. In it, Edward immediately separates objects belonging to Fran Smith from a collection of decoys and provides accurate details about her murder that he could not have known, including her injuries at the time, the killer’s name, and the fact that she was tricked by someone she trusted. This session also establishes his methodology, which he describes as a combination of clairvoyance (seeing), clairaudience (hearing), and clairsentience (feeling). In offering leads that confirm existing evidence and open new avenues of investigation, Edward proves his value to the initially skeptical Hilland, who here functions as a reader surrogate.

Subsequent collaborations function as further proof of Edward’s abilities within the context of the memoir. However, the book does not engage directly with the criticisms Edward has faced over the years, many of which echo broader critiques of the psychic industry—for instance, that mediums’ seeming accuracy stems from allowing clients to fill in the gaps of intentionally vague statements (“cold reading”). An article in Time Magazine also referenced an incident in which Edward allegedly used “hot reading,” or covertly gathering information on clients in advance (Jaroff, Leon. “Talking to the Dead.” Time Magazine, 5 Mar. 2001). For skeptics, mediums like Edward claim abilities they do not have to profit off of others’ grief and hope.