Harry Trombitas

Book 1: The Thomas Lee Dillon Case

This book is about one of the most heinous and troubling serial murder cases that I have ever worked. The fear, anxiety, and concern that gripped most of eastern and southeastern Ohio from 1989 to 1993 cannot be overstated. Never had a serial murder case of this magnitude hit these parts of Ohio, scaring both hunters and fishermen, as well as regular citizens who were afraid to go outside for a simple walk. Three of the homicides occurred before anyone had linked the cases together. It took the fourth murder, and then the fifth, before investigators realized what exactly they had on their hands, and the communities affected to go into panic mode.

The Thomas Lee Dillon Case is about a man who had no regard for human life and the effect that it would have on the families that he destroyed. Dillon said during his interview with investigators after his capture that he thought no more of shooting his victims than he did shooting bottles at the dump.

This series is devoted to the dedication of investigators who worked the cases, as well as the strength and support shown by the victims’ families and the communities in which they lived.

Book 2: Murders, Motors, The Mob, and The Money

Join me as I share my background and how I became an FBI Special Agent. I take the reader through what the almost five months of training at the FBI Academy were like, the challenges, the stress, and, of course, some of the humorous things that happened.

Once I graduated from the academy, I was sent back to Omaha, where I was introduced to my first serial murder case. An individual by the name of John J. Joubert, an Offutt Air Force airman, abducted and murdered three young boys (one in Maine, and two in Nebraska) because he enjoyed the fear it caused the young boys before he killed them.

It was on to St. Louis, where I was part of an undercover car theft case called “Recrush.” Our undercovers purchased stolen vehicles from the “bad guys” and engines and transmissions from salvage yards known as “chop shops.” My role was to provide security for the undercovers as well as process the stolen vehicles and car parts for evidence. While in St. Louis, I was part of FBI Director William Webster’s security detail, and I write about some of the funny things that occurred, including a story about “The Jidds.”

Book 3: Murder, Betrayal, and the Tragedy of Officer Bryan Hurst

In the third installment of the Dark Places series, FBI Special Agent Harry Trombitas unravels some of the most chilling and complex cases of his career. From an inside look at the idiosyncrasies of the infamous fraudster Frank Abagnale Jr. to the violent takedown of white supremacist “Commander Pedro,” this book plunges you into the heart of criminal investigation.

Step inside the tragic yet relentless pursuit of justice—from the brutal murder of armored car guard Renold Williams to the gut-wrenching case of two kidnapped children whose fate was far darker than anyone imagined. Follow the race against time to save abducted three-year-old Ashley Taggart and the heartbreaking mystery of Erica Baker, whose disappearance remains unanswered.

Through gripping accounts of homicide, domestic violence, kidnapping, and the shocking murder of Officer Bryan Hurst, this book reveals the painstaking work behind solving cases that haunt communities.

Take a seat, pour yourself a drink, and witness the raw, relentless truth of crime and justice.

Book 4: Final Cases, Lasting Impact

If you’re a true crime fan, this book, and the entire Dark Places series, will leave you amazed and satisfied, and glad that you went along for the ride.

Welcome to Book 4, the fourth and final book in the Dark Places series. In this book, Special Agent Harry Trombitas details three of the last, but most interesting, cases that he worked in the FBI during his almost 30-year career.

Come along as SA Trombitas tells the story of “The Horror Tree: The Matthew Hoffman Case” and describes the efforts of law enforcement to quickly solve the disappearance of two women, a young boy, and a 13-year old girl, not knowing if they were dead or alive, but realizing the clock was ticking if there was any hope of bringing the victims home alive.

Find out the inside details of how “The Highway Shooter: The I-270 Shooting Investigation” unfolded and was eventually solved by a cooperative effort between law enforcement, the media, and the public, in holding the shooter accountable for causing the death of a beloved grandmother and panic among a city’s metropolitan population of over 2.2 million people.

In “The Lynn Breakers: The Brink’s Case,” understand how a group of sophisticated burglars, led by a top-level mastermind, traveled over 700 miles to make entry into one of the nation’s most secure facilities using sophisticated tools and almost made off with $100,000,00.00. Find out the intimate details of how investigators were able to identify and hold accountable the perpetrators and even recover some of the money.