Brenda Michelle Keller would have been 47 years old today. She left this life more than 34 years ago at the age of 12, but most people will never have the impact she’s had on myself and others in her far-too-short life. Like many folks, I think of Brenda often, particularly on her birthday and […]
Sharing an excerpt from ‘Goodbye, Butterfly’ on Brenda Keller’s birthday Read More »
The following is an excerpt from Chapter 2 of Ernie W. Webb III’s “Goodbye, Butterfly: Murder, faith and forgiveness in a small Kansas town.” The chapter introduces readers to Brenda Keller and her family. To know the Kellers is to know their faith. The son of a pastor, Bob is well-versed in God’s word, and
“What’s the title?” In the years leading up to the release of “Goodbye, Butterfly: Murder, Faith and Forgiveness in a Small Kansas Town,” that was the question people asked more than any other. For six years, I didn’t have an answer. Book titles are tricky. They are also incredibly important. Without a good title, you’re
Twelve Days of Christmas 2024, Part II: The origin of the title “Goodbye, Butterfly” Read More »
Oct. 19, 1991, was just like most of my Saturdays growing up. As was the case on many of our weekends during the fall, my brother and I were with our parents at craft shows. On that Saturday, I was with my dad at the Maple Leaf Festival in Baldwin City, Kansas. It was one
Thoughts about the book on the 33rd anniversary of Brenda Keller’s death Read More »
I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out how to start this blog, and I suddenly realized the lead is sitting in my lap. Literally. For several years now, I’ve used a large scrapbook my mother gave as a small table while I write from the couch (usually with a Royals game or ID channel
A thank you on the official release day for ‘Goodbye, Butterfly’ Read More »
Note: This story ran in the Aug. 22, 2024, edition of the Osage County Herald-Chronicle, which was the first paper I worked at as a high school student in the early 1990s and later as a sports editor during college. It was written by Sheila Curtis, who is not only a mentor (my high school
Note: This story ran as the centerpiece in the Aug. 9, 2024 edition of the Topeka Capital-Journal. Thank you to the Capital-Journal, especially Jack Harvel and Evert Nelson. You can purchase “Goodbye, Butterfly: Murder, faith and forgiveness in a small Kansas town” at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or through Ernie W. Webb III’s website. Read
Topeka Capital-Journal’s story on ‘Goodbye, Butterfly’: Dover has never been the same Read More »
THE VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT Page 1 In the summer of 1991, 12-year-old Brenda Michelle Keller decided she was going to be a better athlete. At 5-foot-5 and 112 pounds, she had powerful legs from riding her bike miles across the hilly, winding country roads in the southwest corner of Shawnee County, 15 minutes from Topeka, Kansas.
‘Goodbye, Butterfly: Murder, faith and forgiveness in a small Kansas town’: Chapter One Read More »
One of the first things I realized when I started working on my capstone project in early 2017 is advances in technology weren’t always going to make the project easier. That became abundantly clear when I tried to track down Bob and Tracy Keller’s phone number. Ironically, that would have been much easier 20 years
Webb: A tough call in ‘Goodbye, Butterfly’ Read More »
Why am I here? I often asked myself that at the end of 2009 and beginning of 2010. I’d just moved to Tulsa, the last stop in a nomadic journalism career that included six newspapers, four states, nine cities and 12 residences in 11 years. Some of that frantic journey was about working my way
Tulsa plays an important role in ‘Goodbye, Butterfly’ Read More »
