Deal With the Devil the Death of Matthew Leveson and the Ten-year Search for the Truth Book Review

Reading this story every bit a gay human I am struck by one key ingredient – the fact that Matty Levenson was so accepted as a gay beau by his parents and brothers. From his early on days when he had girl friends who also accepted him from mail-coming out to his burial and his funeral service when his party friends from ARQ spoke lovingly of him while 'Dancing Queen' was played – was an anthem of modern love and acceptance.

1 would have live under a rock to not go familiar with the story of Matthew Levenson, the twenty year old Insurance help line worker who epitomised the always-smiling good looking Sydney beau who lived for his friends, practiced times and his loving family. Yes, there was a negative side to his life-way with ecstasy and G involved – he even probably did some dealing on the side. This cannot be minimised but is certainly not unusual and was never judged a major outcome and may take been largely inspired by some other person.

Matty'southward single problem was 'falling' for a very wrong homo and this is key to his story as it is for many others. In that location is a mutual May-December element in many relationships (gay or straight) and it can, at times, be fraught with problems at some stage of the pairing. In this case, his relationship with Michael Atkins occurs without much explanation or examination and sours as so many unfortunately practise. It is a compassion that more on this aspect is non available in this book. Given that Atkins proved himself to exist a craven, gutless, totally cocky-absorbed slice of work is not surprising when the reader is made aware of his background and behaviour during the heat of critical events. It is a compassion that Matty did non develop more sensation of this aspect faster (his terminal phone messages gave a glimmer of this).

The other aspect that dominates this tale is the sheer tenacity of his parents, Marking and Fay, to fulfil their twin aims, to observe their son and to ensure that the person responsible for his death and disappearance was located and punished if necessary. The reader can but wonder and admire at their persistence in their ain efforts and their capacity to stimulate others to be interested and supportive. Their outcomes proved not to exist entirely to their expressed hopes and they find fault with some Police investigations (and investigators) and the whole judicial procedure which they feel is overly weighted in favour of the defendant. Personally, I tend to disagree with their understandable frustrations on this matter and tin can just point out those who accept been falsely accused and punished even to the death sentence. I likewise try to sympathise the needs of investigative and judicial systems that need to be highly regulated in order to prevent unnecessary later appeals. It is all a matter of perspective.

Ultimately, after many (x) years of investigative processes and stonewalling from Atkins, he was acquitted of murder and manslaughter while the location of Matty's body remained a mystery. Through risky processes (including wiring Matty's male parent and having his mother hug and caress the human being who was at least almost certainly responsible for disposing of Matt's body) an inquest was called and Atkins cornered into a bargain that gave him immunity from further prosecution except perjury if he gave upward the grave site. The 'deal with the devil' was washed and the body found at literally the terminal minute.

The author spent fourth dimension with the family and does not spare detail on the pain, hopes and exasperation the entire family endured, and its makes deeply saddening reading only countered past the tenacity of investigation and the grit of Matty's parents.

Atkins sequestered himself in Brisbane living an almost identical lifestyle in New Farm cultivating young men again. He was exposed and departed and may well be doing the aforementioned thing somewhere else.

This is a tragic cautionary tale and needs to made aware to all families with or without LGBTI children to increase awareness of this potential and be sensitive and persistent when offer assist and support where at that place is any indication it may be appropriate.

(BCC library has ten copies)

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Source: https://queerreaders.wordpress.com/2019/06/11/deal-with-the-devil-the-death-of-matthew-leveson-by-grace-tobin-2018-a-review-by-john-cook/

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