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God’s Not Here, Only Devils

Revelations from the Toolbox Killers
Brief Description
The District Attorney began his opening statement with, “If you don’t know what hell is like, you’re about to find out.” In 1979, Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris went on a rape and killing rampage. The pliers, screwdrivers, hammers, sledgehammers, and ice picks they used on... Read More
Format: Hardback
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Throughout over six years of personal interviews with the “Toolbox Killer” and rapist, Lawrence Bittaker, Laura Brand has unearthed never-before-seen evidence to reopen this decades-old closed case and bring closure to the victims' families.

Throughout over six years of personal interviews with the “Toolbox Killer” and rapist, Lawrence Bittaker, Laura Brand has unearthed never-before-seen evidence to reopen this decades-old closed case and bring closure to the victims' families.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The District Attorney began his opening statement with, “If you don’t know what hell is like, you’re about to find out.”

In 1979, Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris went on a rape and killing rampage. The pliers, screwdrivers, hammers, sledgehammers, and ice picks they used on their victims became their calling card and moniker: The Toolbox Killers. They were soon apprehended and convicted for their atrocities, but for decades, refused to reveal the location of their victims’ bodies.

More than two decades later, criminologist Laura Brand had the opportunity to interview this sadistic pair as they sat behind bars, probing the depths of their depravity right up to the days of their deaths. Over this relentless six-year period, Bittaker finally gave Brand what he had withheld from law enforcement and families alike: the precise locations of two victims’ remains.

Brand’s investigation tore open sealed police reports, court transcripts, and witness accounts, and unearthed brutal and shocking new findings: undisclosed victims, forgotten evidence, and chilling new insights that resurrected this nightmare in unimaginable ways.

God’s Not Here, Only Devils is told through a powerful blend of narratives: the voices of Bittaker himself, his victims, traumatized witnesses, the tenacious lead detective, and the hardened District Attorney. This book pulls the reader into a visceral retelling of the horrors that unfolded and the legacy of terror the Toolbox Killers left behind.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9798765189528

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 25 June 2026

Country: United States

Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic

Illustration: 11 bw photos

Contributors:

  • Foreword by Lawrence Bittaker

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Laura Brand is a criminologist leading the largest collective study of serial offenders ever conducted, having interviewed over 50 serial killers as part of her groundbreaking work. She has recently teamed up with licensed forensic psychologist Dr. John White to analyze and publish these findings. Laura holds a degree in forensic psychology from Curry College. Over the past decade, she has spent significant time inside San Quentin’s notorious death row, interviewing some of the most dangerous criminals in the nation. Her investigation was the basis of the true crime documentary, The Toolbox Killer, now streaming on Peacock and Oxygen.
Laura's unparalleled skills have garnered the attention of law enforcement agencies across the country. She has assisted the San Francisco Cold Case Unit on the Charles Ng & Leonard Lake, David Carpenter, and Joseph Naso cases. Currently, she is working with the Dennis Rader BTK Task Force.
Laura’s work has been featured in major outlets such as NBC, Fox News, Newsweek, The Independent, Daily Mail, LAPD Bible, Our Culture Magazine, E! News, and The Hollywood Reporter. She is in the final stages of her first book, which chronicles her tireless re-examination of the Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris case. In collaboration with Strong Island Films, she is also working on another true crime series, hoping to secure funding for victim recovery and identification efforts.
In addition, Laura co-hosts the podcast Partners in True Crime: Serial Killer Whisperer alongside Cindy and Rob Dorfman, the CEOs of Strong Island Films. The series delves into her experiences and explores the extractions she has obtained from other serial offenders on San Quentin’s death row.

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