Review of Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom by McCracken Poston Jr. Rating *****
You can’t judge a book by its cover—or, in this case, its title. When I first read the title of this book, I did not react positively to it. I don’t know what exactly turned me off about the title, except that I didn’t like it. After reading the book, I now feel that it is the perfect title. Zenith Man has more than one meaning. For one, the person at the center of this story, Alvin Ridley, had his own Zenith television repair shop. It was also a nickname he earned because of his work on Zenith televisions. Additionally, it is a suitable reference to a condition later diagnosed long after the events of this story take place.
Author McCracken Poston is a lawyer. This book is his recollection of serving as the defense counsel for Alvin, who had been charged with the murder of his wife.
The story begins with the author recalling his failed attempts at political office. Offering his help to Alvin, a man he knows mostly in passing, is an opportunity to help someone he believes is being railroaded by a quick-to-judge justice system.
It doesn’t take long to realize that Alvin Ridley is a bit odd. He and his wife lived an isolated life. They were recluses. This isolation was at the center of the suspicion against Alvin. When he calls 911 to report that he needs help because his wife isn’t breathing, rumors start flying that Alvin’s wife, Virginia, had not been seen in public for many years. Part of the back story involves family members who insisted that she was being held against her will. That claim resulted in the judge requesting to speak with Virginia in his chambers. At the conclusion of that talk, the case was dismissed because Virginia stated that she wanted to be with her husband.
Still, the rumor mill was that Alvin had been keeping his wife in the basement for thirty years and not allowing her to leave. When the coroner examined the body, he became aware of the rumor about Alvin keeping his wife in the basement, which then clouded his report, which indicated that Virginia had died from suffocation, with the most significant evidence being petechiae.
Since we are getting the story from the lawyer representing Alvin, the reader gets an insight into his interactions with his client and his thinking as he goes about trying to prove his innocence. The fact is, that once things progress to a trial, the odds are heavily in favor of the prosecution. Alvin’s odd behaviour before and after his wife’s death doesn’t help his cause.
Towards the end of the murder trial, Alvin tells his attorney that Jesus told him to take the stand. McCracken is rightfully against this idea and tries to convince Alvin to rethink his position. But Alvin is insistent. It doesn’t go quite as well as McCracken had hoped. Here is one exchange. McCracken is doing the direct examination.
“Did you have any insurance, Alvin?”
“No, sir.”
“Did you gain anything from Virginia dying?
“Naw.”
“What did you lose, Alvin?” This was a long, slow, underhanded softball pitch.
He thought, and answered, “I lost…a funeral bill.”
Had it not been for an offhanded remark by a pathologist picked up by McCracken, Alvin might be in prison even now. Virginia had periods of epileptic seizures. One peculiar habit of people with this type of medical condition is that they tend to write a lot, a habit that Virginia had. Additionally, petechiae could be explained as a result of a seizure.
I won’t give away the ending, but this story shows how false suspicions and gut reactions can lead to wrongful convictions. I listened to the audiobook as well as read portions on my Kindle.