Overview

The basis for the critically acclaimed film In the Valley of Elah

Using court transcripts, personal interviews, and police records to retrace the key events of the case, this journey to uncover the truth about what happened to Richard Davis provides a disturbing, eye-opening look into the problems of today's military. After surviving tours in Bosnia and Iraq, Davis was mercilessly tortured and ultimately murdered before his remains were set on fire in the woods of Georgia. Four members of his own platoon were arrested for the crime. When one was asked why they set Richard on fire, his answer was both cold and revealing: "Because that's the way we got rid of bodies in Iraq." There is no other case on record in which American soldiers have killed one of their own in such a twisted manner. They were home. They were alive. So the only question is, why? This is not only the exploration of the heinous murder of a soldier; it is also a call to action for U.S. citizens to provide support and necessary programs for veteran reentry and reassimilation into U.S. society.

Reviews

"This work has been created with an insightful heart and an activist's drive. Cilla's writing denotes a deep sense of personal responsibility for the veterans of the Iraq War and it is from this platform that she advocates and encourages the reader to feel the same." —Paul Haggis, writer/director, Crash, In the Valley of Elah, Million Dollar Baby, and Quantum of Solace

"With eloquence, determination, and passion, Cilla McCain has dared to tell the world a story that must be told, a story that the powerful do not want to be told and that the prosecution and defense withheld from the jury." —Mark Shelnutt, criminal defense attorney

Author Biography

Cilla McCain is a writer focusing on social justice issues who grew up near various army bases until her family settled outside Fort Benning, Georgia. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.