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  • Beyond Cruel

  • The Chilling True Story of America's Most Sadistic Killer
  • By: Stephen G. Michaud
  • Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
  • Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (52 ratings)
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Beyond Cruel cover art

Beyond Cruel

By: Stephen G. Michaud
Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
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Summary

Authorities opened the door on one man's hidden life...

Mike DeBardeleben was known as the Mall Passer for the way he passed off fake money at local shopping centers. But when US Secret Service agents finally arrested him, they were met with more than just phony bills. They found that their counterfeiter led a shocking double life....

...only to discover a house of horrors.

DeBardeleben's home was littered with drugs, bondage gear, and a collection of audio tapes in which he recorded the abuse of his countless victims. As the evidence mounted, a terrifying profile emerged of a man who forced women to be his accomplices, practiced sadism, even dressed up in women's clothes - a serial killer whose depraved fantasies led to a spree of violence that would last as long as 18 years...and would end in a sentence of almost 400 years in prison. As terrifying as it is true, this is the story of a man who proved to be, beyond the shadow of a doubt, beyond cruel.

©1994 Stephen G. Michaud (P)2020 Tantor

What listeners say about Beyond Cruel

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting story

the story was very interesting. the narration in my opinion was boring at times making a good story to look bad. definitely worth your time though

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

excellent

an excellent account of an evil man I'd never heard of. well narrated, chilling.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Super interesting read/listen

Very interesting case in huge and disturbing detail. Caught in at every minute. Very interesting and informative

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting if not a bit gruesome

Never heard of this guy before…up there with the most crazy for sure. An interesting read.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Well told account of a lesser known criminal

Well narrated and laid out story with one criticism, that being that in places there was an overwhelming amount of frankly superfluous minute detail which detracted from the overall narrative.
A good listen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beyond Cruel.

I thought this would be an interesting listen as I’m doing my degree in Criminology & Sociology. It was fascinating as it was disturbing. Love the narrator too.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Sleep inducing

Why use a paragraph when you can use a whole chapter! This was an overextended long winded painfully boring read. The narrator’s voice and enunciation were irritating and hard to listen to. Honestly, don’t waste your time

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

The dreary waffling

Oh dear, I’ve never heard such dreary waffling. The section called the mall passer was particularly coma inducing. To tell your audiences “there are minor differences between each forger” would be enough, but no, what we received was a whole chapter of the idiosyncrasies of different forgers produce. A fascinating subject explained ad nauseam. I enjoy detail as much as the next autistic person but this section of this book brings a quantum level of tedium

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

4 stars

Good book on a lesser known serial killer who is as sadistic as any in history. In fact it might be the only book on audible about debardelaben.

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