Steven B. Epstein, a native of Long Island, graduated with B.A. and law degrees from the University of North Carolina. “Deadly Heist” is his fourth true crime book. By day, he tries cases and practices family law at Poyner Spruill LLP in Raleigh, North Carolina. He and his books have been featured on TV documentaries, including “Dateline NBC,” TV newscasts, and true crime podcasts and livestreams.
SunLit: Tell us this book’s backstory. As a lawyer geographically far removed from the United Bank massacre, what inspired you to write about it?
Steven Epstein: I have been writing true crime books since 2017. My first three focused on romantic relationships that turned sour—sour enough to result in the murder of one of the spouses. I wanted to get outside that paradigm for my fourth book.
In November 2023, I was judging a college mock trial competition in which the fact pattern centered on an art heist. The word “heist” rung in my ears during my 30-minute ride home from the courthouse. I began googling “heist” to determine if there was an interesting one that had never been fully explored in book format.
Within minutes, I stumbled onto the 1991 Father’s Day Massacre and was instantly hooked. There were so many intriguing aspects to the story—particularly a 3-week trial in which the jury was torn over its decision for nine days—I knew I had found the topic of my next book.
SunLit: Place the excerpt you chose in context.
Epstein: I chose Chapter 16, “A Hankering for Chess,” in which readers first meet retired sergeant James King at his small Golden, Colorado, bungalow a week after the crime. Getting to know King—and what makes him tick—is hugely important as readers follow his journey from person of interest, to suspect, to a criminal defendant on trial for his life.
SunLit: The James King trial unfolded in the early days of Court TV. How did that help your research and influence the writing of “Deadly Heist”?
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Epstein: I couldn’t have written this book without the footage I obtained from Court TV. Many of the characters who play a vital role in the book are the lawyers and witnesses (including James King) who appeared in that footage.
Hearing their voices, watching their mannerisms, and seeing their passion and emotions—particularly King, Judge Dick Spriggs, and defense attorney Walter Gerash—allowed me to breathe life into their characters and flesh them out in three dimensions. Since more than half of the book occurs inside the courtroom, it was critical for me to give my readers a ringside seat, to allow them to feel like they were sitting on the jury.
SunLit: Tell us about the scope of your research, and the availability of primary sources. How did the people who lived through the investigation and trial react to recounting it all these years later?
Epstein: What was fascinating to me was how seared this case was in the memories of the people who agreed to speak with me: lead prosecutor Bill Buckley, defense attorney Scott Robinson, defense investigator Tony DiVirgilio, former DPD lieutenant Tom Haney, United Bank security supervisor Jim Prado, TV news reporters Tom Costello, Paula Woodward, and Brian Maas, and jury foreperson Joni Haack.
“Deadly Heist”
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More than three decades have passed since their involvement, yet each spoke with me as if they were still immersed in the events of 1991-92, instantly recalling intricate details of the crime and investigation. Paula even shared with me never-before released notes of her post-trial interviews of James King.
Beyond my interviews and the Court TV footage, I relied heavily on the contemporaneous reporting from the Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post, a book attorney Walter Gerash authored in 1997, DPD and FBI reports, and the criminal court file. I spent three days in Denver visiting the sights—including Father’s Day, June 16, 2024 (magically the same date as the crime)—and had Jim Prado provide me a guided tour of the bank complex, now named the Wells Fargo Center.
SunLit: There were some remarkable moments during the trial, especially with regard to the issue of witness identification, and other matters. As an attorney yourself, how did you assess both the prosecution and the defense strategies?
Epstein: The prosecution strategy was to center their case around the eyewitness identifications of five of the six bank tellers, and also focus on the unbelievability of King’s alibi, and his explanations for discarding his police revolver and securing a larger safety deposit box the day after the massacre.
The defense strategy centered on the failure of each of those tellers to identify King’s picture when they first saw it four days after the crime together with the lack of any forensic evidence connecting King to the crime scene. I found the defense’s attacks on the eyewitness identifications very effective, particularly their use of an expert witness to demonstrate how a disguise including a fedora hat, dark sunglasses, and a mustache can prevent recognition of even Hollywood movie stars.
That said, the defense’s decision to put James King on the witness stand—to show that his soft-spoken demeanor didn’t equate to that of a killer—may have backfired, as Bill Buckley scored numerous points on his cross-examination.
SunLit: Beyond a thorough examination of the crime and the eventual trial, did you feel any themes emerging as you wrote “Deadly Heist”? What did you hope for readers to come away with after reading your book?
Epstein: As with all of my books, I want my readers to understand the tireless efforts law enforcement officers and lawyers pour into their cases, the human drama that unfolds in the courtroom—for the lawyers, defendant’s and victim’s family members, witnesses, and jurors—and how the American criminal justice system is something we should all be very proud of.
SunLit: As a writer, how did you approach telling this story? Are there literary influences that helped shape the style and structure of the narrative?
Epstein: There are a couple of things that make my true crime stories unique. I am intensely focused on the victims and making sure my readers get to know them as fully fleshed out human beings, whose lives were worthy of the justice being sought by their families, investigators, detectives, and prosecutors.
As the only contemporary true crime writer who is also a lawyer—writing stories about cases in which I wasn’t involved—I plop my readers inside the courtroom, try to help them understand the nuances of what’s going on, and strive to capture the passion and drama that are the hallmarks of a great trial.
SunLit: Tell us about your next project.
Epstein: Since I’m both a practicing lawyer and a writer, I always take a deep breath—and a good chunk of time—before even thinking about my next project once a new book finally launches. So, TBD.
A few more quick questions
SunLit: Which do you enjoy more as you work on a book – writing or editing?
Epstein: To me, those words are interchangeable: trying to make your writing better through rigorous editing is still … writing.
SunLit: What’s the first piece of writing – at any age – that you remember being proud of?
Epstein: I actually wrote a series of “books” in elementary school. One was called “The Cave Expedition” and another “The Bicentennial Expedition.” My sister illustrated them.
SunLit: What three writers, from any era, would you invite over for a great discussion about literature and writing?
Epstein: True crime writers Anne Rule and Joe McGinness (both deceased) and crime novelist Scott Turow (another lawyer/writer).
SunLit: Do you have a favorite quote about writing?
Epstein: “Write what you know.” Mark Twain
SunLit: What does the current collection of books on your home shelves tell visitors about you?
Epstein: I’m a sucker for good memoirs and books about professional golf.
SunLit: Soundtrack or silence? What’s the audio background that helps you write?
Epstein: Silence, though I have no trouble writing on airplanes.
SunLit: What music do you listen to for sheer enjoyment?
Epstein: Country.
SunLit: What event, and at what age, convinced you that you wanted to be a writer?
Epstein: Since my writing journey occurred more as a mid-life crisis than an ambition—in my early 50s—I’m still not entirely convinced I “wanted to be” a writer. All of a sudden, I was.
SunLit: Greatest writing fear?
Epstein: Spotting a typo following publication.
SunLit: Greatest writing satisfaction?
Epstein: Seeing the publisher’s rendition of the cover of a newly completed manuscript for the very first time.