Local author aims to shed light on cold-case murders

The islands off the coast are known for their sunny beaches and easy-going lifestyle. But as with many small communities, some murky mysteries are waiting to be uncovered.

Author Alan Cross is the latest at-home investigator to dive into one of Anna Maria Island's most significant unsolved crimes: the 1980 killings of four people.

Three Island Monkeys, the exclusive vendor of the book on Longboat Key, held an signing event on Sept. 13.

This is Cross' second book in his series, "Tales from the Island." His first, published in July 2023, focused on a series of short stories on subjects like how the restaurant The Ugly Grouper got its name.

Photo by Dana Kampa

His second project was several years in the making as he spoke with investigators, viewed evidence from the crime and compiled his theory as to what happened that day.

Cross, who moved to the area in 1987, said he's always been fascinated by the cold case. He remembers learning about the incident through coverage of the 10th anniversary, when an assailant fatally shot a witness and three family members and critically wounded a fourth.

At the book signing, Cross shared with readers insights into how he went about exploring the case.

One moment that dramatically moved the project forward was when he worked with the Holmes Beach Police Department to view crime scene photos, several of which he included in the book. He did pause the writing process for a few weeks while he processed what he'd seen.

Photo by Dana Kampa

"A wave of emotions hit me when I opened the evidence box," he said.

But those insights proved invaluable in bringing his true crime story together.

This book signing has been in the works for a while behind the scenes. Cross said he and his wife, Joan, met store owner Brigette Kubin while she was picking up balloons for her store opening.