“He promised to kill me when he got out. I believed him. If I wanted justice, I had to fight both him and the courts…maybe kill him first. If I didn’t do something, I was going to die.” This is not a manufactured dialogue from a thriller but the words of attorney Sharon Muse. They came after she survived an attempted kidnapping, rape, and murder at the hands of Larry Morrison, a former client. … Morrison, a former client. On April 7, 2006, Muse miraculously escaped from the sociopathic Morrison, only to find that the threat to her life was just beginning. Ineptitude in the justice system threatened to release Morrison and allow him the opportunity to finish the job, which he adamantly pledged to do. Muse would have to fight at every step to ensure her safety.
Muse would act as her own advocate, investigator, legal counsel, and bodyguard in the years following the event. Kidnapped by a Client covers the brutal kidnapping, two trials, two appeals, procedural errors galore, one Supreme Court reversal, and even Muse’s intricate plan to murder Morrison before he could get to her. Muse would not ultimately execute that plan, and she would emerge victorious in the legal battle thanks to her faith and her own determination and legal acumen. But her safety is not ensured: Morrison is up for parole in 2026. Muse regularly monitors his status.
Muse recounts her stranger-than-fiction story in Kidnapped by a Client. Muse analyzes the failures of the legal system, the mistakes she made, the steps she took to protect herself, and how she has coped with trauma. Readers will find not only a compelling narrative, but also insight into how to protect oneself and ensure one’s own safety and well-being.
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I followed the trial back in 2011, and I can’t believe that the author is promoting this book as a true story.
Just a few examples.
1. The author, Sharon Muse, testified at the trial. But she didn’t tell the jury about the Defendant’s alleged threat to come after her in the future. If you read carefully, you’ll notice that even the assistant prosecutor didn’t mention this alleged threat in his well-reasoned closing argument (which is quoted at length). Ms. Muse is really pulling a fast one on her readers.
2. Ms. Muse didn’t testify about the supposed items in the Defendant’s duffle bag — the hammer, rope, and duct tape. Now why didn’t Ms. Muse mention these items to the jury back in 2011? Maybe she was saving it for her book.
3. The Defendant did not brutally beat Ms. Muse. Ms. Muse is grossly exaggerating her injuries. If you haven’t noticed, Ms. Muse doesn’t include a copy of her certified hospital records or pictures of her “injuries” in her book.
4. Ms. Muse’s assertion to the contrary, the prosecutors addressed the sexual abuse charge at trial. Ms. Muse testified about the alleged sexual abuse and the assistant prosecutor specifically asked for the jury to convict on this charge. The sexual abuse charge was marginal to begin with (the Defendant had scratched Ms. Muse’s chest above the right breast during the struggle in the car), and it’s not surprising that the jury returned a not guilty verdict on this count.
5. Ms. Muse claims that the jury never saw the knife. This is technically true. But she doesn’t tell you that the prosecutors introduced a picture of the knife and showed it to the jury.
6. Ms. Muse blasts the prosecutors and law enforcement. But the fact remains that the prosecutors convicted the bad guy at trial and got the maximum sentence, Life. I don’t quite see how Ms. Muse was “betrayed” by the system.
If you question what I say, you can request a video of the trial from the Bourbon Circuit Clerk in Paris, Kentucky. In addition, you can inspect the exhibits that the prosecutors introduced into evidence. The name of the case is Commonwealth v. Covington. The case number is 06-CR-62.
Don’t waste your money on this book.
So scary how it happened. Just a normal day and her life was turned upside down in a moment. Reality of the trauma victims live with in the aftermath of an assault.
I couldn’t put it down.
Almost unbelievable story of how this woman endured a nightmare.
I learned some very disturbing facts about how our dysfunctional legal system works…very educational.
A story of faith as well.
Excellent book, I couldn’t put it down. I read this own very quickly. 100% kept my interest. Well written.
I think that everyone needs to read this book. I certainly didn’t understand what could happen to the victim of a crime. Her faith, strength and dignity are amazing!
Good story! Felt like I was in the car living the nightmare, then the frustration of a badly-handled investigation. Tell em to call Uber!
Frightening true story. The author’s search to find justice and permanent safety was truly inspiring and taught me a lot about the value of perseverance. Also appreciated all the criminalistics details of how evidence should be Collected and preserved after a crime. The miraculous escape was evidence to me of God’s intervention.
WOW, what a fantastic book! It just just shows how easy it is for everyone to drop the ball. Sharon had to go through all of this and she knows the legal system, it’s really scary to an ordinary person such as myself. I can’t imagine putting myself in her place! Keep fighting the great fight Sharon!
Sharon Muse’s Kidnapped by a Client is a page-turning and terrifying account of an attorney’s unimaginable ordeal of being kidnapped and nearly murdered by a dangerously obsessed former client. The author brings a keen eye and perceptive fast-paced recounting of the desperate battle, not only for her life, but for her case as it precariously wound its way through the court systems where justice can often be elusive.
Muse takes the reader on a raw transparent journey into the depths of fear, the criminal justice system, and the faith to survive it — challenging readers to consider their own journeys and how to triumph over tragedy to thrive in a life of forgiveness.
A thoroughly compelling true crime story — a brutal attack, an attorney victim expecting justice to be done, and her disturbing ride through the broken criminal justice system. Sharon Muse’s account of her long quest for justice and personal safety is gripping and multi-faceted, and a deeply insightful look into what it means to be a victim, an advocate, and a person striving for spiritual understanding in the face of violence and injustice.
Sharon Muse takes her readers on a deep dive into fear and danger. As a trial attorney who becomes a crime victim, she shares a perspective few others can, and when she finds her voice and her power, she teaches others how to do the same.
As a huge true-crime fan I thought this book would be right up my alley. This is very different from Ann Rule or M. William Phelps. It is told by the victim of a horrendous crime. Most of the book is taken up with an education on the law and listings of filings. It was dense and at time it felt like a lecture. While I wholeheartedly empathize and support Sharon Muse, this is not what I was expecting.