Now that you have some sense of how Richards portrayed himself to the press and the “Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency” (WTF? How about the Subcommittee to Investigate Men Who Rape Children and Film It?)–as a poor schlep who needed a side gig and then couldn’t walk away–take a look at what was really going on.

A reader found copies of Better Life Monthly and the Hermes Newsletter at the Joseph A. Labadie Collection of “printed ephemera” at the Hatcher Graduate Library at the University of Michigan. Richards testified that he met his “partner” in the N. Fox Island “boys camp” scheme via Better Life Monthly.

Here is what the reader discovered:

Better Life Monthly had a relatively short life as a newsletter—and that is what it was, a newsletter and not a magazine.  Its first volume was March 1974 and it had monthly issues throughout that year; the second volume had a single issue that was published in June 1975; the third volume had a single issue in May/June 1976, and then nothing more.  Each issue is about 8-12 pages.  Attached is the cover page of the very first issue (BL 1(1) March 1974 Cover).  I’ve put a star next to the “What Not To Expect” warning to readers. . .yeah, right. That first issue was the only one that posted personal ads in its own section (BL 1(1) March 1974 Ads p. 5).  In subsequent issues, a few personal ads are scattered here and there.   

In the following issues there is always a combination of media reviews (the interest in boy television actors is incredible), book reviews, poetry and short essays on pedophile organizations such as the Rene Guyon Society and the Childhood Sensuality Circle.  The authors of most of the content are not named.  A list of international pedophile organizations and newsletters was also provided (BL 3(4), May/June 1976 Org’s/news p.9). 

A masthead appears in only one issue (BL 1(9) Staff p. 2), but there are occasional references to staff in all of the issues.    

There was an average of 2 photos of boys/issue and none was explicit, i.e. showing nudity, genitalia and/or sexual acts.  There was an average of 2 drawings/issue; these were more explicit in that they showed nudity and/or genitalia.  It’s subjective, of course, but my impression was that the language throughout the issues was generally quite tame; the descriptions of the attraction to boys and the nature of sexual desire was really more sophomoric than lurid—even by mid-1970s standards. 

Jerry Richards told the Senate investigating committee that his BL number was #147.  That number does not show up in personal ads or in photo contributions.  He had told the police when he was arrested in 1976 that he had met Frank Shelden two years before through Better Life Monthly; he claimed he had advertised his magic show and Shelden had responded to the ad.  I did not find such an ad in any of the issues, but the newsletter opened up other opportunities for “boy-lovers” to communicate with each other, so their contact may have occurred through one of those.  Although the sources of some of the photos in the issues were not always cited, Richards was not a contributor of any that were.   

There is nothing in the issues about North Fox Island, Brother Paul’s, or more vaguely about nature camps for boys.  There is no solicitation of support or sponsorship. There is no Michigan presence at all.  I can’t say that none of the few photos is of a Michigan boy, but I have no proof or even suspicion that any one is. 

I also reviewed the Hermes newsletter that Richards told police he advertised in.  There are no personal ads in the newsletter.  It is a much more sophisticated publication than Better Life – better designed and the articles are much better written (although authors are never cited).  Its language is much more explicit, as are its drawings.  The photos , however, are not explicit.  I’ve attached a photo of its cover (Hermes 2(2) May 1975 cover).  

From a reader/researcher

A warning that the images from these “newsletters” are disturbing and potentially triggering.

(The circled paragraph on the right shows the privatization of the ads and contacts, presumably to build a network.  It may have been through this that Richards and Shelden met.)

Much appreciation to this reader for taking the time to send this material to me. THIS is what was going on. Not “modeling sessions.” Now consider how easy it is for these monsters to join forces on the internet.

Three months after my brother Tim’s abduction and murder, Congress was preparing legislation against child pornography and held hearings May-September of 1977. On hand to testify was Jackson Prison inmate, Michigander, pedophile and purveyor/distributor/creator of child pornography, Gerald S. Richards. His testimony is that of a manipulative, pathological criminal who was granted leniency for this bullshit testimony. He portrays his “work” with boys as “models.” He says next to nothing about the wealthy, well-connected Frank Shelden, his “friend” and partner in the monstrous “boys nature camp” on N. Fox Island, where victims have report being raped, sexually assaulted and filmed.

Click to access 46772NCJRS.pdf

See also,

Click to access 51083NCJRS.pdf

The Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation Act of 1977 was passed and then followed with other legislation throughout the decades to keep up with technological advances criminals used to exploit children.

While I have written a time or two about this criminal, Richards, I am not an expert on N. Fox Island, Frank Shelden, Gerald Richards, Adam Starchild or Dyer Grossman. Here is an excellent overview:

https://thehotstar.net/northfoxisland.html

It was against this backdrop that the Oakland County child murders took place from February 1976-March 1977. There was plenty of amazingly deep reporting on Shelden and N. Fox Island by Marilyn Wright of the Traverse City Record-Eagle, but very little reporting in southern Michigan. Wright’s reporting was entered into the Congressional record before the committee considering the 1977 legislation.

Reporter Michael Sneed of the Chicago Tribune managed to interview Gerald Richards:

Sneed also testified at the hearings, describing the investigation done by a team at the Tribune to investigate child pornography in Illinois and the nation-wide links. The committee acknowledged the import and gravity of the work done on this subject by the Tribune.

https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/51083NCJRS.pdf (pages 109-118).

Genesee County (MI) Prosecutor Robert Leonard (then also president-elect of the National Association of District Attorneys) and assistant prosecutor Lenore Ferber also gave testimony including their eight-week investigation into who we now know were pedophiles Greg Greene, Chris Busch, Douglas Bennett and a fourth unnamed man who was in Ohio. (Id., beginning at 92.)

But really nary a word in the Detroit area the summer of 1977 about the very real possibility that the Oakland County child abductions could be exactly what happens when pedophilia and child pornography are allowed to flourish and, unchecked, to escalate to murder. The press black out began after Kristine Mihelich’s body was found in January 1977 and continues unabated to this day, aided by the now quite ridiculous assertion that nobody can comment on an “ongoing” investigation.

While shit was going down in Flint, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois, in Birmingham, Michigan and all of Oakland County it was a version of Mayor Vaughn’s statement to the residents of Amity in the 1975 movie Jaws: “I’m pleased and happy to repeat the news that we have, in fact, caught and killed a large predator that supposedly injured some bathers. But, as you see, it’s a beautiful day, the beaches are open and people are having a wonderful time.”

Except for those four dead kids.