It was the spring of 1987, and crack cocaine had turned whole swaths of detroit into veritable combat zones. White boy is a 2017 true crime documentary directed by shawn rech, written by brandon kimber, seth ferranti, and scott burnstein, and produced by transition studios the documentary follows the story of richard wershe jr. Wershe was the longestserving nonviolent juvenile offender in michigan history. Former oakland county teenage drug dealer richard white boy rick wershe is the.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The trials of white boy rick is a gripping truecrime saga of hidden motives and betrayed trust. By the time he was arrested in 1988, white boy rick was having an affair with the niece of detroits mayor. The dark prophecy the trials of apollo book 2 in apple. Apr 22, 2020 but white boy rick real name richard wershe jr. In a city known for its fraught racial divide, wershe had somehow joined the ranks of the drug kingpins on the.
Oblivion director joseph kosinski to helm the trials of. An infamous teenage drug dealer in 1980s detroit who flew in kilos of cocaine from miami and drove a white jeep with the snowman emblazoned on the back, wershe was arrested at 17 and remains incarcerated. Oct 27, 2014 based on an article by journalist evan hughes, this universal production tells the story of rick wershe, a detroit teen in the 1980s who, going by the name white boy rick,became an infamous. Trons kosinski will direct the trials of white boy rick. Evan hughes the atavist sep 2014 1 h 15 min permalink. Sep, 2018 image via gettyjim spellman in 2014, the atavist published a huge article by evan hughes titled the trials of white boy rick. Man who inspired white boy rick released from custody. The trials of white boy rick by evan hughes csfgduw875ql. White boy rick was thrust into the limelight in the world of flash and style. We compare the white boy rick movie to the true story of teenage fbi informant richard wershe jr. Local 4 investigative offers a special documentary report on the life of rick wershe, jr. The film stars richie merritt, matthew mcconaughey, bel powley, jennifer jason leigh, brian tyree henry, rory cochrane, rj cyler, jonathan majors, eddie marsan, bruce dern, and piper laurie.
They put up pictures of a criminal hierarchy, and each one showed 17yearold white boy rick at the top of the ladder with every dangerous, hardened criminal in the city listed as his underling. Rick by alex gino goodreads meet your next favorite book. Youngest ever paid fbi drug informant white boy rick, 51. At his trial, the judge insisted he had no sympathy for wershe, saying he was. Follows rick, a young white boy who is just starting middle school this year.
For anyone who lived in detroit in the 80s, the drug dealer known as white boy rick remains legend. As a teenager, white boy rick rubbed shoulders and stood tall with his contemporaries and survived the deadly gangland murders while others werent so lucky. Hughes, from the very start, takes the reader moment by moment within an intensely crafted scenethe reader is placed in the middle of the no crack crews experience in such a way that it is harrowing and thought provoking at the same time. Hughes characterization of white boy rick, or rick wershe, as an eccentric, larger than life figure is successfully effective in developing the characters narrative. Sep 22, 2018 the trials of white boy rick available from. Find books like the trials of white boy rick kindle single from the worlds largest community of readers. The smaller details, notably the observation that he really did drive a white jeep with the words the snowman emblazoned on the real, contributes to a likability to his. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading prisoner of war. White boy rick is a 2018 american biographical crime drama film directed by yann demange and written by andy weiss, logan miller, and noah miller. Download and read the trials of white boy rick by evan hughes download and read book is easy. For additional info about the trials of white boy rick such as project notes, plot summary and industry news, visit imdbpro. Universal has optioned truecrime story the trials of white boy rick with oblivion director joseph kosinski attached to direct. Oct 30, 2014 in the trials of white boy rick, a kindle single bestseller, evan hughes tells the incredible story of rick wershe.
Oct 09, 2014 universal has optioned truecrime story the trials of white boy rick with oblivion director joseph kosinski attached to direct. Crime watch dailys chris hansen appears in the new documentary white boy, which is about as richard wershe jr. If i had still been an immortal, i might have flirted with her myself. In a city known for its fraught racial divide, wershe had somehow joined the ranks of the drug kingpins on the predominantly. I thought about how long it had been since i had called my own mother. The city thought it had seen everything until one evening that may, when the police arrested a 17yearold kid named rick wershe. The story of white boy rick and the war on drugs, chronicles the story of richard wershe jr. This article is adapted from the trials of white boy rick, the newest single from the atavist. Wershe was released from a florida prison in july, ending his 32 years behind. The trials of white boy rick is a gripping truecrime saga of hidden motives and betrayed trustand reveals neverbeforereported information suggesting why.
Wershes white boy rick alter ego flashy, fasttalking and quickwitted. And despite his race and age, he sky rocked to street star status in the midst of some serious violence and death. Arrested at 17 years old for drug offenses, he was locked up. Switch back and forth between reading the kindle book and listening to audible audiobook. Wershes father was also an fbi informant and first reported to the police and the federal agency alongside him before going solo. The new blockbuster movie white boy rick, starring oscar winner matthew mcconaughey, is on the big screen right now. In researching the white boy rick true story, we learned that wershes activities as an off the books confidential fbi informant were kept under wraps at the trial, which ended with him being given a life sentence. It would have been interesting to read more about white boy rick s time as the one white guy, let alone white child, amongst detroits legendary drug dealers in the mid to late 80s. It struck me that wershe was learning about the downfall of his hometown from a book. You can purchase the full story from the atavist s website. A teenager arrested for drug trafficking in new york city claims to be an undercover agent for the fbi. A detroitarea man whose decades in prison for drug dealing and work as as fbi informant inspired the movie white boy rick has been.
Man who inspired white boy rick released from custody the. Wershes story was the basis of the 2018 film white boy rick, starring matthew. White boy rick is loosely based on the story of richard. White boy climaxes with rick getting parole after 29 years. Sep 12, 2018 the police took white boy rick right to the media. In researching the white boy rick true story, we learned that wershes activities as an offthe books confidential fbi informant were kept under wraps at the trial, which ended with him being given a life sentence. The babyfaced little white boy, the news said, wasnt just a drug dealer.
Joseph kosinski has been established as a scifi director thanks to tron legacy and oblivion, his work on the black hole remake, and commercial work such as his recent destiny spot. The trials of white boy rick unabridged on apple books. Joseph kosinski to direct the trials of white boy rick. Feb 27, 2021 download and read the trials of white boy rick by evan hughes. Oct 10, 2014 the trials of white boy rick marks a departure for kosinski, who dabbled in heavy scifi for his first two features.
Wershe with his attorney, william bufalino ii, during his trial in 1988. White boy rick became the detroit fbi s most productive drug informant of the 80s, but as the book explains, things went awry amid fbi misdeeds. The book brings some incredible new revelations to light that will hopefully free white boy rick in the near future. The trials of white boy rick by evan hughes goodreads. In 2014, the atavist published a huge article by evan hughes titled the trials of white boy rick. He was the youngest paid informant in the war on drugs. Praise for the trials of white boy rick for anyone who lived in detroit in the 80s, the drug dealer known as white boy rick remains legend. White boy rick was a detroit drug dealer and informant who remains in prison. White boy rick is loosely based on the story of richard wershe jr. Rick has always felt uncomfortable with the idea of liking boys and girls, and when he learns about the rainbow spectrum club, he begins to question his identity. At just 14 years old, he helped the feds take down twenty members of a dangerous detroit drug ring, including a bigtime cocaine trafficker, per the associated press. The story of white boy rick and the war on drugs kindle edition by wade, vince.
The trials of white boy rick by evan hughes longform. The trials of white boy rick by evan hughes audiobook. Oct 10, 2014 set in 1980s detroit, the trials of white boy rick follows the true story of a teenager who was arrested on suspicion of being a drug kingpin who rose through the ranks of new york city, and. The trials of white boy rick by evan hughes it was the spring of 1987, and crack cocaine had turned whole swaths of detroit into veritable combat zones. Evan hughes is the author of the trials of white boy rick 3. Read online and download as many books as you like for personal use. The true story of white boy rick, the fbis youngest informant. Joseph kosinski to direct the trials of white boy rick for. Starting off strong with a solid opening chapter, evan hughes the trials of white boy rick is quick to draw the attention and intrigue of its audience. My mortal form was working its way upon my state of mind. The story of white boy rick and the war on drugs is the result of several years of extensive research.
The hidden oracle trials of apollo by rick riordan. The piece told the unbelievable story of rick wershe, who somehow. Hughes does an amazing job of bringing the key players to life in addition to white boy rick, hughes interviews other drug dealers like the chambers brothers as well as fbi and detroit police officers of the time. White boy rick, last juvenile sentenced to life for drugs, to be. Journalist evan hughes wrote the article, which centers on rick wershe, a teen living in detroit in the 1980s. Because this project is categorized as in development, the data is only available on imdbpro and is subject to change. The trials of white boy rick was one of detroits most notorious criminals also one of the fbis most valuable informants. Youngest ever paid fbi drug informant white boy rick, 51, is. The author might have considered either expanding it to a fullon book or zeroing in on one particular aspect of the story and exploring it in further depth. Sep 29, 2014 the trials of white boy rick is a gripping truecrime saga of hidden motives and betrayed trustand reveals neverbeforereported information suggesting why wershe is still behind bars. The story of white boy rick and the war on drugs is a mindblowing indictment of the trillion dollar war on drugs and the crooked cops, showboating us attorneys, credithogging fbi agents and complicit politicians who have left detroit, and other inner cities, devastated.
Trials of white boy rick author says film used his work. Apr 22, 2016 the trials of white boy rick is a gripping truecrime saga of hidden motives and betrayed trustand reveals neverbeforereported information suggesting why wershe is still behind bars. Many feel that it would have helped him avoid such harsh prison time. Now he is the subject of a new book, the trials of white boy rick, by. I traveled to detroit several times and spent days researching and copying court records, trial transcripts and police investigative files.
I saw sally jackson as a moma fact that both consternated and embarrassed me. Journalist evan hughes wrote the article, which centers on rick. The trials of white boy rick audiobook evan hughes. Full supports all version of your device, includes pdf, epub, mobi and kindle version. Rick wershes introduction to the detroit drug world came as a paid fbi informant who was recruited at age 14 when he was just out of eighth grade. The film premiered at the telluride film festival on august 31, 2018 and was released in the united states on september 14, 2018, by sony pictures releasing.
The city thought it had seen everythinguntil one evening that may, when the police arrested a 17yearold kid named rick wershe. The god apollo, cast down to earth and trapped in the form of a gawky teenage boy as punishment, must set off on the second of his harrowing and hilarious trials. Trials of white boy rick author says film used his work without. White boy rick seeks new life after more than 30 years behind bars. Rick tried to become a cocaine wholesaler, got caught and has spent 30 years behind bars. White boy rick wershe breaks silence after prison release. The dark prophecy the trials of apollo book 2 in apple books. You can purchase the full story from the atavists website. The trials of white boy rick by evan hughes the california sunday magazine, mental floss, the daily dot, the christian science monitor, esquire, and vice, have all used atavist to publish eyecatching feature stories on the web. The trials of white boy rick is a gripping truecrime saga of hidden motives and betrayed trustand reveals neverbeforereported information suggesting why wershe is still behind bars.
Rechs cameras capture the wershe family hugging each other and crying, but the news proves to be bittersweet, as rick is subsequently shipped to florida to begin serving the fiveyear sentence he caught trying facilitate the sale of a stolen car to his mom nearly 15 years before. The book brings some incredible new revelations to light that will hopefully free white boy rick. Sister of white boy rick angry about how her family was. White boy rick became the detroit fbis most productive drug informant of the 80s, but as the book explains, things went awry amid fbi misdeeds. He was, however, a child when he became an fbi informant.
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