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Sometimes the stories that scare us most
are the ones we forget too easily. Madman
by M.F. Gross pulls a chilling true crime case out of obscurity and
reintroduces it with urgency, depth, and haunting emotional clarity.
In the summer of 1949, the sleepy Florida
town of Crystal Beach was shattered by a brutal home invasion and the murder of
a young mother. The suspect, John Calvin “Rastus” Russell, was a former asylum
patient and escaped convict whose history of violence had gone unchecked for
years. What followed was a sprawling, high-stakes manhunt that lasted over a
month and terrified communities across the Gulf Coast. Madman is more than a retelling of this forgotten crime—it is a
vivid and emotionally resonant portrait of a town in crisis, a justice system
under pressure, and a society struggling to understand how such darkness could
erupt in their midst. With evocative prose and exhaustive research, Gross draws
us into the swamps, orange groves, and dirt roads where this drama
unfolded—reconstructing not just what happened, but how it felt.
Excerpt
Context: It's August of 1949, Crystal Beach, Florida. A handsome,
charismatic, young stranger has entered the house of Norman and Anne Browne - a
retired couple from New York. The stranger claims he is interested in seeing
the Browne's house - as it is for sale. The Browne's invite him in for coffee.
It's early on a Sunday morning. The following transpires...
Rattlesnake Road has not been named arbitrarily.
The climate and landscape of Florida’s Gulf
Coast offers ideal living conditions for the venomous reptiles. The animals
thrive in the area’s warm, subtropical environment and diverse ecosystem. The
abundant availability of prey and variety of ample hiding spots makes Norman
Browne’s backyard – and, in fact, most of Pinellas County, a prime habitat for
rattlesnakes to call home.
For residents of Crystal Beach in 1949, this
most often means Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes or the tiny but potent Pygmy
Rattlesnake. The former is the largest venomous snake in North America, with
specimens in the South often reaching six feet or longer.
While residents rarely see the slithering
reptiles, a thriving population infests the wooded area around Norman Brown’s
secluded home. Also inhabiting the woods around Crystal Beach are ample
populations of raccoons, opossums, and coyotes.
As such, Norman keeps two shotguns on hand for
encounters with unwelcome wildlife on his property. In fact, the retiree
recently killed a six-foot Diamondback not far from the house. Inside the
female snake, he found twenty-two eggs*
On this day, one of the weapons leans
innocuously in a corner of the Browne’s bathroom. Rastus Russell has just
disappeared behind the bathroom door. When he emerges, the visitor is gripping
Browne’s loaded .12-gauge shotgun in his rugged, farm worker hands. And he’s
not examining it for purchase. He raises the weapon and points it at Norman
Browne’s chest.
“What’s
the idea?” Browne demands, seated at the dining room table.
Irritated, Russell smashes the coffee cup and
saucer out of Browne’s hands with the butt of the weapon. The cup crashes to
the table, breaking off a piece of porcelain and staining Mrs. Browne’s white
tablecloth with hot, dark coffee.
“I’m a desperate man!” he tells Browne as he
explains his situation.
He tells the terrified couple that he is
connected to a Chicago drug smuggling gang looking for a hideout. He threatens
that if anything happens to him, his gangster pals will “take care of it.” He
then demands to know where the Brownes keep their money.
When the Brownes state they have no money,
Russell becomes agitated. He continues to argue with the couple, repeatedly
asking about the money. The Brownes try to convince Russell they are telling
the truth.
Rastus Russell isn’t buying it. He tells Mr.
and Mrs. Browne he is going to tie them up while he looks for it. He asks if
they prefer to be tied up in the bedroom or their garage. Apparently making the
decision himself, the lifelong criminal marches the couple out to the back
porch, down the steps, and takes them on the short walk through the yard to the
garage.
The Brownes obediently comply – the powerful
weapon pointed at their backs.
Inside the tiny, wooden, dirt floor structure,
the Brownes breathe the trapped, familiar air smelling of earth, mildew, and
mouse droppings. The intruder finds some spare rope. Between old cardboard
Crisco boxes, light wood bushel baskets, and Norman Browne’s push-powered grass
cutter, Rastus Russell binds the couple by the hands and feet. He then tosses
the rope over the wooden beam in the ceiling, pulling the couple’s hands over
their heads, tying the rope tight. Leaving the Brownes restrained in the garage,
Russell closes the dual, barn-like doors and locks them with the outside
deadbolt, securing a steel hasp.
He vanishes into the house.
Norman and Anne Browne hear their captor
rustling through their home, searching for money he is convinced is inside.
After a short time, Rastus Russell exits the house and, unexplainedly, climbs
back into the Ford and drives away.
Traumatized but relieved, the Brownes believe
their ordeal is over.
M.F. Gross is a nonfiction author and
independent researcher who specializes in unearthing the stories history
quietly leaves behind. With a background in financial journalism, he brings a
sharp eye for detail, an instinct for narrative tension, and a deep respect for
truth to his work. For Madman, he
spent over a year digging into archives, court records, forgotten newspaper
clippings, and local oral histories to bring this disturbing case back to
light. Gross lives on Florida’s Gulf Coast, not far from where the real events
took place. His work combines investigative rigor with literary storytelling,
offering readers not only what happened—but why it still echoes today. Visit
him at his website
and on Instagram.
How did you research your book?
I started with pulling all newspaper and media files
from the entire incident. From there, I incorporated private researchers, a
private detective (to locate survivors and descendants of those involved – for
interview purposes), visits to actual locations, police files, files from local
historical societies, ancestry.com, etc, etc, etc…. It was a time consuming but
fascinating process.
What’s
the hardest scene or character you wrote—and why?
The hardest scene to write was the actual murder scene
and what happened right before it. The only witness was Mrs. Browne and she was
not only hit on the head and likely suffering from concussion, she may have had
something to hide. Some of her explanations and time lines simply do not make
sense. I had to connect the dots on some of it.
Where do you get your ideas?
I never planned or aspired to be a true crime writer.
I just discovered that this story happened in my own neighborhood, just 100
yards from my house, 75 years ago. I became fascinated with it and decided to
write the book. It’s funny how second careers start!
What sets your book apart from others in your genre?
For one, it is a period piece. It happened in 1949 so
part of it is recreating the time period. Secondly, it's not a straightforward
true crime piece. It starts out as “Charles Manson comes to 1949 Mayberry.” But
then it morphs into an action/adventure, cat and mouse like chase movie, all
wrapped within a twisted love story involving a teenaged girl. Oh yeah, and the
judge that set the killer free years earlier? He might have been his father.
What helps you overcome writer’s block?
I never had writer's block. I pretty much just
followed the story in chronological order – doing flashback chapters here and
there to add depth and context. When it was time to write a chapter, I’d
organize all the source material I had for that topic and go to work. That’s
the great part about writing non-fiction – you don’t have to make anything up.
It's all organizing and deciding how you want to present it.
What’s your favorite compliment you’ve received as a writer?
“I couldn’t
stop reading it. I had to find out what happened next.” When one of my beta readers said that, I knew
I’d done something right.”
Your Writing Life
Do you write every day? What’s your schedule?
When I’m working on a book, I write almost every day –
usually 5-6 days a week. It's not like work to me. It's pure flow, like
meditation. For this book, I typically would write 2-3 hours per day –
sometimes a little more if I was on a roll. My write time was mid to late
afternoon. I think it was Stephen King who said anything more than 4 hours per
day and your brain turns to mush.
Where do you write—home, coffee shop, train?
I’m a closet introvert so home is my castle. I can’t
write anywhere else.
Any quirky writing rituals or must-have snacks?
Not really. Well, yes, I guess I would typically have
an ice coffee before I started. Milk, no sugar. I’d put enough milk in so it
looked like a White Russian in a glass.
Behind the Book
Why did you choose this setting/topic?
The crime happened about 100 yards from my house. So I
was literally living on top of the former crime scene. That connection
fascinated me – and I believe walking near that and other related sites
regularly during the writing allowed me to absorb some of the energy from it. I
know it sounds strange but it felt real.
If your book became a movie, who would star in it?
Funny you
should mention that. I hired a screenwriter to adapt the book to a film script.
He has not only shopped it but got call backs from 3 major studios. We’re
keeping our fingers crossed. Anyway, the tone of the book reminds me of HBO’s True Detective, season one. I’d love for
Matt McConaughey or Woody Harrelson to play the detectives. Matt or Woody, if
you’re reading this, we could make magic together!
Which author(s) most inspired you?
I’ve always been a huge Hemingway fan and read most of
his books when I was in my 20s. I’ve also read his tips and advice on writing
style. Also, I don’t read a lot of Stephen King’s books (although The Shining is a classic) but his book
on writing is fantastic. He is also hilarious in person – the opposite of what
you would expect from his work. You start to get the feeling that all of his
terrifying, weird stories are done tongue in cheek – which makes them even more
enjoyable.
Fun & Lighthearted Qs
What’s your go-to comfort food?
Oh, ice cream -without a doubt. Sad, stressed,
anxious, - it will do the trick. Vanilla with a spoonful of peanut butter – or
if I’m feeling really indulgent, peanut butter fudge.
What are you binge-watching right now?
Landman,
Mobland, and old Sean Connery
James Bond flicks.
If you could time-travel, where would you go?
Probably the roaring twenties (1920s.) It was a very
romantic time in history and modern lifestyles were just starting to take
shape. The other time would probably be colonial times in the 1700s right
before the American Revolution. Not during the war though. It gets romanticized
now but it was a terrible time for those who experienced it.
What three books would you bring to a desert island?
I would bring three books I haven’t read yet! For
pleasure, I read a lot of “peril at sea” stories. For some reason, I never seem
to get tired of them. I can read stories about a shipwreck 300 years ago. But
I’ll take equal pleasure from reading about a sea rescue on the Bering Sea last
year. And if I was left on a desert island, I’d be living my own “peril at sea”
story at the same time.
What’s something that made you laugh this week?
Somebody sends me clips on Facebook of Anthony
Jeselnik comedy clips. He makes me laugh out loud, including several times this
week. He’s got an offbeat sense of humor, like me.
Amazon:
bit.ly/47jCHui
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/235731573-madman
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