The end of innocence : the remarkable true story of one woman's fight for justice
Estelle Blackburn.

Publisher
Prahran, Victoria, WA : Hardie Grant Books | c2007.

Summary
AU Author. The father of Eric Edgar Cooke despised his baby son from the moment he saw him. Bashings and a hate-filled childhood followed for the boy with the crooked mouth, launching a personality unique among serial killers. He stalked the city of Perth for months, shooting strangers in the dead of night and using a sickening variety ofweapons to steal the lives of his victims. Unknown to the terror-stricken citizens of this trusting, emerging metropolis, the young father of seven children who pulled the trigger had for years been doing other sinister night work. In a remarkable twist of fate, the killer's life tangled with that of 19-year-old John Button, whose 17-year-old girlfriend was killed. Both men confessed to that crime. Estelle Blackburn's riveting investigation into the life and untold crimes of thelast man to hang in Western Australia reveals new evidence to indicate that two innocent men, John Button and Darryl Beamish, went to jail for one of Cooke's murders. Here, for the first time, Estelle goes behind the scenes and relates how she came to write Broken Lives - the investigative trail, the suspects and the cops involved, the families she befriended. Passionate, inspiring and compelling, The End of Innocence takes the reader on a journey to the heart of our criminal justice system - where good and evil are tightly entwined and truth is sometimes hard to find.

Like so many Australians, Estelle Blackburn lived through the horror as Cooke stole cares and money, ran over woman over, and shot, stabbed and strangled others.
In a tragic twist of fate, Cooke crossed paths with 19-year-old John Button, whose girlfriend, Rosemary Anderson, had been killed in a hit and run. 
Although both men confessed to the crime - and Cooke became the last person to be executed in Western Australia - John Button was convicted and jailed.
Estelle went on to forge a successful career as a newspaper, radio and television journalist. But a chance social meeting with John Button's brother in 1991 prompted a search for the truth about Rosemary's death.
Estelle painstakingly examined police and prison files, trial material and media reports, and spoke to previously unknown witnesses, publishing the groundbreaking book, Broken Lives, in 1998.
Estelle's 13-year quest for justice turned her life upside down, almost bankrupting her, as she helped expose a deep vein of injustice in the West Australian legal system. Her efforts led to two innocent men - John Button and Darryl Beamish - being exonerated.
Here, for the first time, Estelle goes behind the scenes of Broken Lives. Passionate, inspiring and compelling. The End of Innocence takes the reader on a journey to the heart of our criminal justice system - where good and evil are tightly entwined and truth is sometimes hard to find...

Goes behind the scenes and relates how the author came to write Broken Lives, the investigative trail, the suspects and the cops involved, the families she befriended. Passionate, inspiring and compelling, this book takes the reader on a journey to the heart of our criminal justice system.
"Broken Lives, Estelle Blackburn's riveting investigation into the life and untold crimes of Eric Edgar Cooke, the last man to hang in Western Australia, revealed new evidence to indicate that two innocent men, John Button and Darryl Beamish, went to jail for one of Cooke's murders. Here, for the first time, Estelle goes behind the scenes and relates how she came to write Broken Lives - the investigative trail, the suspects and the cops involved, the families she befriended. Passionate, inspiring and compelling, The End of Innocence takes the reader on a journey to the heart of our criminal justice system - where good and evil are tightly entwined and truth is sometimes hard to find..."--publisher.

Notes
Cover subtitle: The remarkable true story of one woman's fight for justice.
Bibliography: p. 331-332.

Physical Description
338 p., [8] p. of plates : ill., ports., facsims. ; 24 cm.

Dewey Call Number
364.1523 BLA
347.941012

Museum Call Number
XXX

ISBN
9781740661621 (pbk.)

Subjects
Button, John, 1944-
Beamish, Darryl Raymond.
Cooke, Eric Edgar.
Judicial error -- Western Australia.
Evidence (Law) -- Western Australia.
Criminal justice, Administration of -- Western Australia.
Criminal procedure -- Western Australia.
Criminology -- Australia.
Justice, Administration of -- Australia.
Cooke, Edgar.
Beamish, Darryl.
Blackburn, Estelle.
Button, John.
Beamish, Darryl Raymond.
Cooke, Eric Edgar, d. 1964.
Button, John, 1933.
Button, John, 1944-
Trials (Murder) -- Western Australia.
Murder -- Western Australia.
Journalists -- Western Australia -- Biography.
Homicide investigation -- Western Australia.
Judicial error -- Australia -- Western Australia.
Homicide investigation -- Australia -- Western Australia.
Journalists -- Australia -- Western Australia -- Biography.

To view this document please make an appointment with the Museum of Perth: reece@museumofperth.com.au