The Girl with the Crooked Nose: A Tale of Murder, Obsession, and Forensic Artistry

THE GIRL WITH THE CROOKED NOSE: A Tale of Murder, Obsession, and Forensic Artistry tells the true story of forensic sculptor Frank Bender's harrowing exploits south of the border as he works to put faces on five of the skulls of the feminicidios, nearly 400 young women who were murdered around Juarez in the early 1990s. Frank's ability to reconstruct faces and give them personalities is legendary in law enforcement, but in addition to being an investigative superstar, Frank is a real character. At times the outrageous details of his personal life threaten to overshadow his brilliant sleuthing. Trust me--he's one of a kind. (He identifies himself on his voice-mail message as the "recomposer of the decomposed.") Read the book and you'll see what I mean.

I knew I had to read this book as soon as I saw it advertised. I've had the pleasure of meeting Frank Bender and the opportunity to see him work. Bender is a self-taught forensic artist whose work has helped identify murder victims and apprehend numerous fugitives. He sacrificed a career in commercial photography to work with law enforcement agencies around the world, a choice that has often put him in danger, jeopardized his marriage and brought him near bankruptcy at one point. Though Bender and his work have had publicity over the years, Botha does a good job of introducing him and his fascinating technique to a wider audience. In chapters fluctuating back and forth in time he intersperses Bender's history with details of the perplexing unsolved case in which some 400 young women were murdered in Mexico. Along the way, the author provides information on the development of facial reconstruction techniques, detailing both the American system pioneered by Wilton Krogman and the European perfected by Mikhail Gerasimov. Another intriguing aspect of the book is how Bender, along with William Fleischer, a customs agent and polygraph expert, and Richard Walter, a criminal profiler, founded the Vidocq Society. Named for the founder of the French Surete, the organization of amateurs and professionals focuses on unsolved deaths and disappearances.

Ted Botha's book -- "The Girl With the Crooked Nose" -- is a thrilling account of the remarkable real-life adventures -- and remarkable life -- of forensic artist Frank Bender. The publication of this work fills a void that, for a long time, had been waiting to be filled. The book succeeds on several levels. First, there is the "frame story," which concerns the mysterious disappearance and murder of hundreds of women in and around Juarez, Mexico. Bender is called in on the case and encounters a language which, after a while, becomes far more difficult for him to understand than Spanish: something mysterious, deceptive, altogether unnerving -- and dangerous. Ultimately the symbol of this convoluted and heartbreaking exploit is the Girl With the Cooked Nose, whose skull -- like those of the other murdered girls -- needs a face and a name. On another level the book is about Frank Bender himself; and in moving back and forth between the present-day Juarez story and his biography, the fascination does not let up. This subject is in itself a valuable account on its own: his first exposure to forensics (a word he did not even know), his first (and incredibly successful) attempt to bring face to a skull and each elaborately different case thereafter, always working (like Sherlock Holmes) as a uncannily gifted "amateur" or bohemian "outsider"; the development of his approaches and all the interesting professional connections he makes as well as the macabre, touching scenarios that develop -- all these elements form an engaging catalog of one person's personal quest. To Botha's credit, the writer never depicts gore gratuitously but only as need to understand a case or the emotional reaction to a discovery. In addition, students of forensic science will relish this book not only for the subject matter itself, of course, but for the insights into Bender's actual technique and his thought process -- his early uncertainties, his triumphs, his nightmares and his relationship with the nameless victim whose identity he must help uncover. All in all, this is a fascinating and important work, not only because it deals with the tragic Juarez murders and with forensics but because it gives insight into the singular personality of Frank Bender. Not an easy person to profile, he is genuinely worth this kind of detailed treament.

this story is up there with Kathy Reichs novels for forensic suspense but even better it's a true story. The information about Frank Bender's life & how he self-taught himself is incredible, his concentration & sixth sense is very remarkable. I have personnally known Frank (and Jan, his wife) for over thirty years & can truly tell you that every word is true!! These two people have an amazing bond that has stood the test of time & personnel trials for thirty or more years. May I suggest that you feature this book for your readers who are interested in anthropology and/or forensic stories. It's a terrific read & again all true.

I have recently been educating myself on the women of Juarez and the surrounding areas who have been found tossed like garbage over the Mexican country side. Before this effort, however, Frank Bender was well known to me by his excellent reconstruction work since the late 70's. You can read this book several different ways-it is a story of the obsessed, driven artist who has the task of breathing life into the dead, broken and forgotten who cross his path. Or you could look at the book as an attempt to bring attention to over 400 women whose bodies have dotted the landscape in Mexico since the count began in 1993. Or you could realize the hopelessness of the task of finding justice in a country where the politicians, police and cartels are sometimes indistinguishable from one another....it is a small book that is a must read for anyone living in North America who has a conscience and an ounce of compassion.