too young to kill: a true story of teen bullying, torment, and murder

New and updated anniversary edition!

As daily headlines about bullying and teen violence render it more timely than ever, this shocking true crime tale of a vulnerable small-town girl gruesomely murdered by the peers she called friends is now updated with chilling new details and insights from New York Times bestselling author, investigative journalist, and host of the hit podcast Crossing the Line, M. William Phelps.

After leaving her troubled home life in Texas, 16-year-old Adrianne Reynolds hoped for a fresh start as part of her adoptive father’s family in East Moline, Illinois, near the banks of the Mississippi River. Seeking acceptance, she was drawn to a trio of classmates steeped in, and obsessed with, the Juggalo culture--fans of the rap duo Insane Clown Posse. Though they bonded over their feelings of being outcasts, sporting dark clothing, ＂killer＂ clown makeup, tattoos, and piercings, Adrianne was ill-prepared to deal with the twisted tangles of jealousy and domination in her new social world. After a brutal murder stunned the community and was traced back to the teens, bonds were severed and loyalties tested . . . as the shocking truth finally emerged.

In this updated edition of a true-crime classic, M. William Phelps revisits the alarming and timely saga of a girl who tried to find herself, the youths who befriended and then betrayed her, and the heartbreaking problems of bullying and teen-on-teen violence that continue to shock and bewilder us.

M. William Phelps is an investigative journalist, podcast host, television expert and New York Times bestselling author of over 40 nonfiction books, including the groundbreaking crime memoir Dangerous Ground. Winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists and the New England Book Festival Award, he’s spent over 300 hours on television as a true crime expert, appearing on numerous shows, including CBS’ Early Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, the Today Show and The View. He created, produced and starred in the series Dark Minds and also stars in Deadly Women, Sex, Lies & Murder, Oxygen’s Snapped, Killer Couples and KillerPost. He is the creator and host of the hit podcast series Crossing the Line and Paper Ghosts, and has been called ＂the nation’s leading authority on the mind of the female murderer＂ by Radio America. Touched by tragedy himself through the unsolved murder of his sister in law, Phelps is able to enter the hearts and minds of his subjects like no one else. He lives in a Connecticut farming community and can be found online at MWilliamPhelps.com.