The Sleeping Beauty
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Tuesday's Batt!
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OPAS dating tip #1: You'll never forget your fairy tale night at the ballet.
We whole-heartedly admit, there aren't many sure things in the
dating world. But, we are certain that escorting your date to The
Sleeping Beauty is about as close as you can get.
The Sleeping Beauty features
RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET
(Company of 50)
Rudder Auditorium
February 19 and 20 at 8 PM
February 20 at 3 PM
Call 845-1234 for tickets.
J
would like to
ank
the Band, Corps, the Twelfth Man, and especially the Yell Leaders
for helping us beat the Hell outta Kansas State!
Continue the Tradition...
Febuary 20,1999
3 pm
Bring a Friend!
Texas A8fM vs. t.u.
Tickets Now Available
Page 4 • Friday, February 19, 1999
A
GGIELIFE
Austin crime writer
to hold hook signing
BY KYLE WHITACRE
The Battalion
P opular novels such as Silence of the Lambs and
Dean Koontz’s Intensity delve into fictional ac
counts of sadistic crimes, but sometimes truth
can be stranger than fiction.
Austin-based writer Suzy Spencer, whose new
book. Wasted, deals with a bizarre murder case that
occurred in Austin in 1995.
The case involves 25-year-old Regina Hartwell, a
wealthy lesbian who indulged in drugs and party
ing.
A year before her murder, Hartwell had a love af
fair with 18-year-old Kim LeBlanc, a former high
school cheerleader and student at the University of
Texas. After breaking up with Hartwell, Kim started
dating Justin Thomas.
The couple started using Hartwell for her money
and drugs. They had access to her bank account,
and withdrew large sums of money from it, but on
June 29, 1995, Spencer alleges the two decided to
kill Hartwell. They entered her house, and Spencer
said after a after a 30-minute struggle Thomas
stabbed Hartwell in the neck.
LeBlanc and Thomas both testified in court that
they took the body to the countryside and burned it.
Six days later the pair was arrested for the murder.
Justin was found guilty and sentenced to life in
prison while LeBlanc was never convicted.
Spencer, who has 20 years writing experience for
magazines including Fortune and People, said a
friend suggested she write about the murder after
the trial in the fall of ’96.
After an Austin publishing house rejected the pro
ject, a New York publisher called her and asked for
a proposal.
“From there on things just got placed together,”
Spencer said. “It was kind of like 1 was destined to
write this book.”
Coincidences followed as she researched the case,
including meeting the victim’s best friend while re
searching court documents, and meeting the chief
investigator in the case while having lunch at
Schlotzsky’s Deli.
While writing the book, Spencer interviewed
Thomas, an event she said was a chilling experience.
“It’s quite unusual sitting in the same room as a
cold-blooded murderer who was suspected of killing
at least a dozen people,” Spencer said. “His whole
Photo Cars'
Spencer's ixx>k Wasted is based upon the kf'
Regina Hartwell a wealthy lesbian who bear-
with drugs, love, and Kim LeBlanc and Jus?
upper body was covered with tattoo'd
me a tour of them.”
Spencer said Thomas still deniescoci
murder and claims LeBlanc isthetniei
said LeBlanc’s testimony, along withD' :
used during the trial helped convictTt
Spencer said a jury member notic^
tions in Thomas’ testimony. Duringde
the jury member, a former student at
out these anomalies to the other juror>
ed to convict.
Five days after Wasted was released,
extended New York Times bestseller list
“Only 50,000 books were printed
tion and all those have been shippedoiil'
said.
"The publishers are probably noi
printing so this might be the lastchaiK||
copy. ”
Spencer has started to work on a
book, this one deals with anothermurdei
in January 1995. She refers to thisct
“Southern Baptist killer stripper." ;
Spencer is spending the next few
searching this case while promotingWt
She will have a book signing at Has
Avenue from 7 \o 9 p.m. on Saturday.
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