BUDDY SCALERA PHOTOGRAPHS NEW TRUE CRIME NOVEL
Writer Takes Photos of Crime Scene for “Body Dump”

DATE: 7/17/02 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A photo of a crime scene photographed by writer Buddy Scalera is featured on the cover of "Body Dump" a true crime novel.

The photograph features the house of Kendall Francois, a serial killer from Poughkeepsie, New York. Francois was convicted of eight murders. He stashed his victims in the house in which he lived.

Scalera originally intended to write the true crime novel, but had to leave the project due to conflicts. His good friend and mentor Fred Rosen completed the novel, which is on the stands now.

The photograph on the cover and the six interior photos feature the gruesome murder site. “It was one of the creepiest things I’ve ever shot,” said Scalera, a former newspaper reporter and photographer. “Even though the murderer was in jail and all the victims recovered…I still wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.”

The true-crime novel is one of seven written by Scalera’s former journalism professor Rosen. Rosen’s novels include Needle Work, Blood Crimes, Doctors from Hell, Lobster Boy, The Mad Chopper, and Deacon Of Death.

“Body Dump” is a journalistic report of Francois’ horrific murders of eight prostitutes. He was a gigantic, overweight man who strangled women during sexual intercourse. After they were dead, he would bathe their corpses in his family’s bathtub and then stash the bodies in the attic. When he ran out of room, he buried them in a crawlspace under the house.

Scalera’s website features a free look at his original book proposal, the sample chapter he wrote for the publisher, and the introduction that he wrote for “Body Dump.” “Unfortunately, the introduction was cut from the final book package,” said Scalera. “So I may as well post it here.”

At the time of the photography, Scalera had done basic research and outlining of “Death Resides Here.” He visited the house, researched court records, and created a custom database of information about the victims. Some of the research is featured in Rosen’s “Body Dump.”

Background
Scalera wrote and co-wrote 10 popular issues of Marvel Comics’ Deadpool. His work also appears in X-Men Millennial Visions, Marvel Knights Millennial Visions, Marvel Millennial Visions, and X-Men Unlimited. Scalera also has written portions of the recently announced Weapon X project. Scalera also self-published the horror title Necrotic: Dead Flesh on a Living Body through After Hours Press.

Scalera recently solicited the new CD-ROM “Visual Reference for Comic Artists,” which will ship through Diamond in late August.
After Hours Press released “Celestial Alliance” in July at the Wizard World: Chicago 2002 convention. After Hours Press had full exhibitor booths in Chicago and Philadelphia.

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