Ann Rule
Ann Rule was a prominent American true crime author, born on October 22, 1935, in Lowell, Michigan. Her fascination with crime and law enforcement began in childhood, influenced by her family's law enforcement background. Rule earned a BA in creative writing from the University of Washington and later worked briefly with the Seattle Police Department. Following her divorce, she began writing under the name Andy Stack to support her children, eventually transitioning to full-time writing in 1969.
A pivotal moment in her career occurred when she became acquainted with serial killer Ted Bundy, leading to her best-selling book, *The Stranger Beside Me* (1980), which significantly raised her profile as a true crime writer. Rule's works, characterized by thorough research and multifaceted storytelling, often explore the narratives of victims, killers, and law enforcement. With over 20 books making *The New York Times* Best Seller list, she is considered a leading figure in the genre. Rule received numerous accolades, including the Peabody Award and Anthony Awards, and continued to engage in crime-related education and advocacy throughout her life. She passed away in 2015 at the age of 83.
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Ann Rule
- Born: October 22, 1935
- Birthplace: Lowell, Michigan
- Died: July 26, 2015
- Place of death: Burien, Washington
Biography
Ann Rule was born Ann Stackhouse on October 22, 1935, in Lowell, Michigan, to Chester “Stack” Stackhouse, a sports coach, and Sophie (Hansen) Stackhouse, who taught the developmentally disabled. Rule became interested in crime and law enforcement at an early age. A grandfather and an uncle were sheriffs in Michigan, a cousin was a prosecuting attorney, and another uncle was a medical examiner. Her relatives would trade stories about their work at family get-togethers. Throughout her childhood, Rule and her family frequently moved as her father’s coaching career progressed, living in Pennsylvania, Oregon, and California. During summer vacations, Rule helped her grandmother prepare meals for prisoners in the local jail and became a budding student of criminal behavior.
Rule earned a BA in creative writing from the University of Washington, with minors in psychology, criminology, and penology. She later earned an additional two-year degree in police science at Highline Community College. She worked for a year with the Seattle Police Department before poor eyesight ended that career.
After divorcing her husband, writer Bill Rule, Ann Rule turned to writing to support her young children. Using the name Andy Stack, she worked as a stringer for a number of true crime magazines and became a full-time writer in 1969. By 2005, she had published more than 1,400 articles.
The pivotal event in Rule’s life occurred in 1974, when several women in the Pacific Northwest were missing after being in the company of a man named Ted. The man turned out to be serial killer Ted Bundy, who had worked beside Rule at a crisis clinic and who kept in touch with her during his odyssey of murder. Envisioning the possibility of moving from articles to books, Rule attended Bundy’s 1979 Florida trial, an experience that resulted in her best-seller The Stranger Beside Me (1980).
Stranger launched Rule’s career. Her series of examinations of sensational crimes and their aftermath, including Want-Ad Killer (1983), The I-5 Killer (1984), and Green River, Running Red: The Real Story of the Green River Killer, America’s Deadliest Serial Murderer (2004), have made her America’s preeminent true crime writer. Her books typically involve copious research. Each case is approached from three angles: the victim’s story, the killer’s story, and the law enforcement story.
Twenty of Rule’s books, both full-length works and collections of shorter pieces, have made The New York Times Best Seller list; Every Breath You Take (2001) and Last Dance, Last Chance (2003) were on the list simultaneously. Four books have been adapted as made-for- television films and five others have been optioned for film adaptation. Rule received the Peabody Award as author for the television miniseries Small Sacrifices, based upon her novel of the same name. She has garnered two Anthony Awards, one for the collection A Rose for Her Grave, and Other True Cases (1993) and another for Dead by Sunset (1995). She has been nominated three times for Edgar Awards, winning in 1999 for . . . And Never Let Her Go.
Rule, the mother of five, including author Leslie Rule, and the grandmother of five, made a lifelong study of the criminal mind. She served as instructor or task force member on a wide range of crime-related matters. She also testified before Congress on victims' rights and serial killers. Rule died in 2015 at the age of eighty-three.
Bibliography
"Ann Rule." Fantastic Fiction, www.fantasticfiction.com/r/ann-rule/. Accessed 3 Nov. 2017.
Dean, Michelle. "Ann Rule's True Crime Books: What Made Them so Compelling?" The Guardian, 30 July 2015, www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/30/ann-rule-true-crime-books-what-made-them-so-compelling. Accessed 3 Nov. 2017.
Grimes, William. "Ann Rule, 83, Dies: Wrote about Ted Bundy (a Friend) and Other Killers." The New York Times, 28 July 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/07/29/arts/ann-rule-best-selling-author-of-true-crime-books-dies-at-83.html. Accessed 3 Nov. 2017.
McDaniel, Mike. "True-Crime Writer Ann Rule Sees Ted Bundy Story as a Warning." Houston Chronicle, 21 Mar. 2003, www.chron.com/entertainment/article/True-crime-writer-Ann-Rule-sees-Ted-Bundy-story-2113259.php. Accessed 3 Nov. 2017.
Moyer, Justin. "The Twisted Friendship of Crime Writer Ann Rule and Serial Killer Ted Bundy." The Washington Post, 28 July 2015, www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/07/28/crime-writer-ann-rule-and-killer-ted-bundy-were-friends-before-they-were-famous/. Accessed 3 Nov. 2017.