Belzer's next book

[Kathleen Collins]

I think most of you are aware of Richard Belzer and co-writer David Wayne's books. Another one is coming out called "Hit List." Well, guess what. They are using my shock crime theory of Karyn Kupcinet's death. My name will be mentioned twice. The book is about the strange deaths of many people, Karyn being one, after Kennedy's Assassination.

I know most of the theories, if not all. I theorized that her death was to keep the Mob and Ruby out of the headlines in Chicago. And maybe give Irv Kupcinet something to do in his free moments instead of following the mob trail to the Assassination. When that wound down Frank Sinatra Jr was kidnapped. That kept people riveted. Who worked harder to get Kennedy elected than Frank Sinatra? BTW, the Chicago Mob offered to go out to Hollywood and try to solve the murder. Irv Kupcinet declined. Why?

There's a story that has been going around that Karyn had committed suicide, especially as the coroner lied about how she died. He had a fetish for strangled women. Two women were exhumed and found to have died from other causes than strangulation. He made a comment to one of his colleagues, "At least I didn't break the hyoid bone on that one." Whose hyoid bone did he break? Karyn's? This had to get back to the Kupcinets.

But the story going around is that she killed herself and Irv wanted the whole thing quieted as she was on speed big time. He wouldn't even take a favor from the Mob. He didn't want it getting out that she was a "hop-head," in James Ellroy's term. But when that coroner got into trouble, Kupcinet had to wonder: did she commit suicide? All his friends thought she did.

Kathy C