The brutal murder of LaVerne Stordock, a respected family man and former police detective, shocked the residents of his rural Wisconsin community. On the surface, the case seemed closed with the confession of Stordock’s second wife, Suzanne. But the trail of secrets and lies that began with his death did not end with his widow’s conviction.

Ever since she was a teenager, Dorothy Marcic was haunted by unresolved questions surrounding the killing of her beloved uncle. Though she led a busy life as a playwright, theatrical producer, and university professor, she couldn’t put her doubts to rest—especially after the conniving Suzanne was released and began cutting a new swath of destructive behavior.

In 2014 Marcic embarked on a two-year mission to uncover the truth. She collected and studied court documents, talked to more than sixty people connected to the case, and spent more than fourteen hours interviewing the alleged killer. The more she investigated, the clearer the picture became one of a heartless woman who manipulated her own son and destroyed lives without remorse, of a troubled teenager duped into committing a heinous crime, and of a cover-up that stretched over several decades. In the bestselling tradition of Ann Rule and M. William Phelps, With One Shot weaves a spellbinding tale of unmet justice and the truth behind a shocking family tragedy.