{{short description|American writer}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2013}} {{Infobox person | name = Sondra London | image = File:S.London.jpg | caption = London in 2000 | birth_name = Sandi Stewart | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1947}} | birth_place = Florida | occupation = True crime author | nationality = | partner = Danny Rolling (fiancée) }}
'''Sondra London''' (born 1947 in Florida)<ref name=Sondra>{{cite web|last=London|first=Sondra|title=About Section|url=http://sondralondon.com/about/back/007.htm|work=official website|publisher=Sondra London|access-date=3 February 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221181942/http://sondralondon.com/about/back/007.htm|archive-date=February 21, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> is a controversial American true crime author. A onetime girlfriend of convicted murderer and suspected serial killer Gerard John Schaefer and the fiancée of convicted serial killer Danny Rolling (later executed for his crimes), she interviewed both and published the results. Feral House published London's study of vampirism, ''True Vampires'', in 2004. The book is illustrated by French killer Nicolas Claux.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://feralhouse.com/titles/crime/true_vampires.php |title=Feral House | Titles | Crime | True Vampires |access-date=2006-11-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061024004431/http://feralhouse.com/titles/crime/true_vampires.php |archive-date=October 24, 2006 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> In 2016, she published ''Good Little Soldiers: A Memoir of True Horror''.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.goodlittlesoldiers.com/ | title= Diane Fitzpatrick Tells Sondra London |website= goodlittlesoldiers.com |publisher= CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform|access-date= January 23, 2022 }}</ref>
==Writing== In a documentary by Errol Morris, London related how she first was inspired to write about crime after reaching a plateau in her career as a technical writer. London interviewed incarcerated serial killer Gerard John Schaefer, whom she had dated in high school shortly before his graduation in 1964, at length following his conviction; she later published a compilation of his short stories and drawings entitled ''Killer Fiction'' in 1990. A second book, ''Beyond Killer Fiction'', followed two years later. The stories within ''Killer Fiction'' and ''Beyond Killer Fiction'' typically involve the graphic torture, mutilation and murder of young women, usually penned from the perspective of the killer, who is often a rogue police officer.<ref name=Sondra/>
A revised edition of ''Killer Fiction'', published after Schaefer's death, included numerous stories and rambling articles from the first two books and a collection of letters to London, in which Schaefer claimed to be responsible for the murders of scores of women and girls. He also claimed that fellow serial killer inmate Ted Bundy, whom he labeled a "tyro" by comparison to himself, both admired and envied him; he also accused Bundy of "playing at copycat" regarding his own crimes.<ref name=Sondra/>
London ended her collaboration with Schaefer in 1991, shortly after publicly repudiating his claims that he was merely a "framed ex-cop" who wrote lurid fiction. Upon hearing that he had been publicly rebuked by London, Schaefer allegedly repeatedly threatened her life. One of the many frivolous lawsuits he filed was directed against her for publicly referring to him as a serial killer in print format.<ref name=Schaefer2011>{{cite book |last=Schaefer |first=Gerard|editor-last=London |editor-first=Sondra |editor-link=Sondra London |title=Killer Fiction |publisher=Feral House |location=Vancouver, Washington|date=2011 |isbn=978-1-936239-19-1}}</ref>{{rp|142}} In support of London's defense against this lawsuit, she compiled an exhibit of photocopies of five hundred incriminating pages of Schaefer's handwritten correspondence. The judge immediately dismissed Schaefer's lawsuit. His aforementioned lawsuits against Newton and Wilson were likewise dismissed after London provided copies of the five-hundred page exhibit to them; his lawsuit against Kendrick was still ongoing at the time of Schaefer's 1995 murder.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://m.openjurist.org/57/f3d/1073/schaefer-v-newton|title=Gerard Schaefer v. Michael Newton|website=openjurist.org|date=June 8, 1995|volume=F3d |issue=57 |page=1073 |access-date=June 13, 2022}}</ref>
London collaborated with serial killer Danny Rolling in writing ''The Making of a Serial Killer: The Real Story of the Gainesville Murders'', a psychological memoir which included Rolling's confessions to five murders, along with other capital crimes for which he had not been charged. The book was published by Feral House and was illustrated by 50 pictures hand drawn by Rolling in prison. The confessions were published in a three-part series appearing in the ''Globe''. London and Rolling were sued by the State of Florida under a version of the Son of Sam law.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.courttv.com/archive/verdicts/rolling.html |title=Court TV Verdicts: Florida v. London and Rolling |access-date=2006-02-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060202220316/http://www.courttv.com/archive/verdicts/rolling.html |archive-date=February 2, 2006 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Rolling's relationship with London, which developed while he was behind bars, was the focus of an episode of Errol Morris' ''First Person''. Both became romantically involved, eventually becoming engaged. The series overviewed their romance, his artwork, and his supposed feelings of remorse over the crimes he committed. It also included a segment of Rolling using one of his hearings as an opportunity to publicly display his affection, serenading London in the courtroom.<ref>{{YouTube|hDiVAUz5Jyo|Serial Killer Danny Rolling Defends Sondra London}}</ref>
==Television== In 2000, an episode of director Errol Morris's ''First Person'' television series centered on Sondra London. She has appeared on ''Dateline NBC'', ''Turning Point'', ''Larry King Live'', ''Geraldo'', ''Leeza'', ''A Current Affair'', and ''Court TV'' in the United States; Channel 4 and BBC in UK; German and French cable, and Australian ABC.
==AOL boycott== In September 1997, America Online (AOL) was threatened with a boycott due to London's website, "Serial Killers talk to Sondra London".<ref name="aol_s.london">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/1997/09/aol-to-take-down-serial-killer-site/|title=AOL to Take Down Serial-Killer Site|magazine=WIRED|access-date=2021-08-12|language=en-US}}</ref> Then-Governor of Wyoming Jim Geringer and child advocate Marc Klaas called for the boycott. They objected to the site which included writings of serial killers including Keith Hunter Jesperson who had been convicted of three killings in Oregon and was facing extradition to Wyoming in regard to another killing. AOL took down the site within hours. In October 1997, London was interviewed by Larry King on ''Larry King Live'' in regard to the website's removal in an episode dealing with the right of free speech.<ref name="l.king_s.london_1997">{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKPBoYV9B_w |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/hKPBoYV9B_w| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Larry King Live |website=YouTube |date=September 3, 2008 |access-date=2021-08-12}}{{cbignore}}</ref> London said the site's information could help gain insight into the thinking of serial killers.<ref name="aol_s.london" /><ref name="l.king_s.london_1997" /> One document included Jesperson's response to the question of why he killed people.<ref name="salon_s.london_1997">{{Cite web|url=https://www.salon.com/1997/10/03/news_384/?fbclid=IwAR3vzA1o64v5qXk7eL6aRAHYUktR9yo-20IrkUtcuzN6DO9pzbmdkn0O26c |author=Cassel, David |work=Salon |title=A Killer Site |date=1997-10-03 |access-date=2021-08-12}}</ref> Free speech advocates protested, and the website was restored.<ref name="salon_s.london_1997" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{Official website|http://sondralondon.com/}} * {{YouTube|u=ErisDiscordiana}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:London, Sondra}} Category:Living people Category:American non-fiction crime writers Category:New College of Florida alumni Category:American women crime writers Category:Discordians Category:1947 births Category:21st-century American women