Dory Maust
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Tribune Review
"Connellsville native is focus of upcoming serial killer book"
By Mark Hofmann
DAILY COURIER
Sunday, October 19, 2008
A Connellsville native is the subject of a book being written on the troubled life that led him to become a serial
killer.
David Maust had very fond memories of his hometown of Connellsville.
Born and raised in the city until he was 8 years old, Maust's fondest memories included a kind woman he knew as
Betty, who gave him candy during trick-or-treat and even had him over for dinner on occasion.
"Connellsville was always in the back of his mind," said Dory Maust, a writer living in Pennsylvania. "His childhood
in that town was what made him able to feel what a normal life had been. If not for those memories, more people
would be dead."
Dory Maust, the author of "Blood Stained: The Biography of a Serial Killer," is not related to David Maust.
In 2006, David Maust, at the age of 51, died after a suicide attempt while he was incarcerated in an Indiana prison
for the murders of four boys and one 19-year-old man.
Unfortunately, the author said, David Maust had other memories of Connellsville that left a different impression.
According to Dory Maust:
• At the age of 4, David Maust's mother left him alone in a high chair for hours, but the high chair tipped over and
caused the young Maust to crash on the floor, which caused enough brain damage to render the toddler blind for
12 hours.
• After his parents' marriage broke up, David Maust's mother would often take her son to bed and molest him.
The mother would also often verbally abuse David Maust, telling him that he would be better off dead.
• At the age of 8, David Maust was sent to a psychiatric hospital in Chicago.
From there, his decline quickened as he suffered from schizophrenia and developed a split personality. He was
part Dave, who had tendencies to kill others, and part Davy, who had tendencies to kill himself. Both traits were
becoming more and more prevalent with David Maust from his childhood to his teen years.
David Maust's life, his psychology, his motives and how he slipped back into society are documented in the book.
Dory Maust didn't hear of David Maust or his story until earlier this year when his brother contacted Dory, who's
been a full-time novelist for three years, about collaborating with him on a book.
She reviewed the case with David Maust's attorney, Tom Vanes, and Ron Johnson, an Indiana detective who
brought David Maust to justice.
Johnson and Vanes not only had access to court documents and other information on David Maust, but also
David Maust's hand-written autobiography...
Dory Maust said worked with Johnson and Vanes on the book.
"I had approximately 2,000 handwritten pages from him (David Maust), 15,000 pages of reports and other
information all the way back to that first hospital stay," Dory Maust said. She also interviewed David Maust's family
as well as the family members of some of the victims.
"Everything that David wrote, I had to back up and look up every single report," she said.
Johnson said that Dory Maust was torn between learning about the young David Maust and his early years and
then seeing what he did to his victims.
"Some people are disgusted that I feel sorry for him -- I feel sorry about what happened to him as a child, but I
don't condone him for what he did," Dory Maust said.
Johnson added that when Dory Maust came to Hammond, Ind., he saw how the case affected her and he could
relate. "She was suddenly able to see and feel what I and others have been experiencing since the beginning of
this case," Johnson said in an e-mail.
A supervisor in the Juvenile Bureau of the Hammond Police Department, Johnson received the case of two
missing boys in 2003.
The first review of the case appeared as though the boys ran away until Johnson spoke with the mother of one of
the missing boys. "It is hard to describe the feeling that I was hearing in her voice when she asked me if I could
help her find her son," Johnson said. "Her voice was crackling, trying to keep from all-out crying and she got my
attention right away."
After that phone call, Johnson agreed that he would help the mother as much as he could to find her son.
Believing that the boys were runaways, Johnson originally thought he would find them and bring them home.
"As the days went on and I started to find out bits and pieces about David, I became deeply concerned, but still
had no evidence," Johnson said. "That's why I couldn't convince anyone else about my feelings; I had no
paperwork about David."
Johnson spent his after-work hours following up on leads. "No matter where I went to get answers, everything
came back to David," Johnson said. "It all came down to David being the last one to have contact before the boys
went missing. He did a good job of making everyone think the boys ran away, but persistence finally won out in
this case."
In 33 years on the police force, Johnson said that he had never talked to anyone before or since like David Maust.
"This guy was calm, nice, soft spoken, joked, laughed, teared, was stubborn, and also seemed like he wanted me
to be his friend," Johnson said. "I could see how David was able to convince someone, especially troubled kids, to
go with him. It was the other side of David that I wanted him to show me and tell me about. He only came close
when he described how he killed the boys and buried them."
From the initial investigation to the video confession, it took three months for Johnson to get David Maust behind
bars.
"If it were not for Ron Johnson, those children would not have been found and more children would more than
likely have been murdered," Dory said.
Dory Maust said the book should be available sometime in 2009, and half the proceeds from its sale will go to
Stand Up For Kids, an organization committed to the rescue of homeless and street kids.
Mark Hofmann can be reached at mhofmann@tribweb.com or 724-626-3539.
Author's Note: David left Pennsylvania at age 4 and went into the psychiatric hospital at age 9.
"Connellsville native is focus of upcoming serial killer book"
By Mark Hofmann
DAILY COURIER
Sunday, October 19, 2008
A Connellsville native is the subject of a book being written on the troubled life that led him to become a serial
killer.
David Maust had very fond memories of his hometown of Connellsville.
Born and raised in the city until he was 8 years old, Maust's fondest memories included a kind woman he knew as
Betty, who gave him candy during trick-or-treat and even had him over for dinner on occasion.
"Connellsville was always in the back of his mind," said Dory Maust, a writer living in Pennsylvania. "His childhood
in that town was what made him able to feel what a normal life had been. If not for those memories, more people
would be dead."
Dory Maust, the author of "Blood Stained: The Biography of a Serial Killer," is not related to David Maust.
In 2006, David Maust, at the age of 51, died after a suicide attempt while he was incarcerated in an Indiana prison
for the murders of four boys and one 19-year-old man.
Unfortunately, the author said, David Maust had other memories of Connellsville that left a different impression.
According to Dory Maust:
• At the age of 4, David Maust's mother left him alone in a high chair for hours, but the high chair tipped over and
caused the young Maust to crash on the floor, which caused enough brain damage to render the toddler blind for
12 hours.
• After his parents' marriage broke up, David Maust's mother would often take her son to bed and molest him.
The mother would also often verbally abuse David Maust, telling him that he would be better off dead.
• At the age of 8, David Maust was sent to a psychiatric hospital in Chicago.
From there, his decline quickened as he suffered from schizophrenia and developed a split personality. He was
part Dave, who had tendencies to kill others, and part Davy, who had tendencies to kill himself. Both traits were
becoming more and more prevalent with David Maust from his childhood to his teen years.
David Maust's life, his psychology, his motives and how he slipped back into society are documented in the book.
Dory Maust didn't hear of David Maust or his story until earlier this year when his brother contacted Dory, who's
been a full-time novelist for three years, about collaborating with him on a book.
She reviewed the case with David Maust's attorney, Tom Vanes, and Ron Johnson, an Indiana detective who
brought David Maust to justice.
Johnson and Vanes not only had access to court documents and other information on David Maust, but also
David Maust's hand-written autobiography...
Dory Maust said worked with Johnson and Vanes on the book.
"I had approximately 2,000 handwritten pages from him (David Maust), 15,000 pages of reports and other
information all the way back to that first hospital stay," Dory Maust said. She also interviewed David Maust's family
as well as the family members of some of the victims.
"Everything that David wrote, I had to back up and look up every single report," she said.
Johnson said that Dory Maust was torn between learning about the young David Maust and his early years and
then seeing what he did to his victims.
"Some people are disgusted that I feel sorry for him -- I feel sorry about what happened to him as a child, but I
don't condone him for what he did," Dory Maust said.
Johnson added that when Dory Maust came to Hammond, Ind., he saw how the case affected her and he could
relate. "She was suddenly able to see and feel what I and others have been experiencing since the beginning of
this case," Johnson said in an e-mail.
A supervisor in the Juvenile Bureau of the Hammond Police Department, Johnson received the case of two
missing boys in 2003.
The first review of the case appeared as though the boys ran away until Johnson spoke with the mother of one of
the missing boys. "It is hard to describe the feeling that I was hearing in her voice when she asked me if I could
help her find her son," Johnson said. "Her voice was crackling, trying to keep from all-out crying and she got my
attention right away."
After that phone call, Johnson agreed that he would help the mother as much as he could to find her son.
Believing that the boys were runaways, Johnson originally thought he would find them and bring them home.
"As the days went on and I started to find out bits and pieces about David, I became deeply concerned, but still
had no evidence," Johnson said. "That's why I couldn't convince anyone else about my feelings; I had no
paperwork about David."
Johnson spent his after-work hours following up on leads. "No matter where I went to get answers, everything
came back to David," Johnson said. "It all came down to David being the last one to have contact before the boys
went missing. He did a good job of making everyone think the boys ran away, but persistence finally won out in
this case."
In 33 years on the police force, Johnson said that he had never talked to anyone before or since like David Maust.
"This guy was calm, nice, soft spoken, joked, laughed, teared, was stubborn, and also seemed like he wanted me
to be his friend," Johnson said. "I could see how David was able to convince someone, especially troubled kids, to
go with him. It was the other side of David that I wanted him to show me and tell me about. He only came close
when he described how he killed the boys and buried them."
From the initial investigation to the video confession, it took three months for Johnson to get David Maust behind
bars.
"If it were not for Ron Johnson, those children would not have been found and more children would more than
likely have been murdered," Dory said.
Dory Maust said the book should be available sometime in 2009, and half the proceeds from its sale will go to
Stand Up For Kids, an organization committed to the rescue of homeless and street kids.
Mark Hofmann can be reached at mhofmann@tribweb.com or 724-626-3539.
Author's Note: David left Pennsylvania at age 4 and went into the psychiatric hospital at age 9.