Comic Book Tells the Story of a Kansas City Double Murder

By PETER RUGG

It’s been almost 20 years since a pair of elderly Missouri farmers were convicted of murdering drifters and burying them in shallow graves roughly an hour north of Kansas City. The duo, Faye and Ray Copeland, became the oldest couple in American history to be sentenced to death. Now a Texas Chainsaw Massacre version of the story is being offered for free online – and it’s written by a member of the Copelands’ own family.

“Family Bones” is the story of the Copelands through the eyes of great-nephew Shawn Granger. The comic series, now in its sixth issue, is available for free online. How the Copeland’s offspring feel about the attention remains to be seen. You can read responses to Faye’s 2004 death at this blog posting to see how her descendants still argue over what involvement Faye had with the murders. So you have to wonder how they feel about a comic version from their own family, with covers featuring a pair of dead-eyed retirees wielding a shotgun and hatchet under headlines like “Who Bloodied My Cheese? Based On a True Story.” Download the comics here.