True crime authors to be at Sparta books

SPARTA — Richard Muti, a former resident of Sparta and former Sparta Municipal Prosecutor, will appear with his co-author at Sparta Books today, Thursday May 31 at 6:30 p.m.

The non-fiction book is about one of NJ's most notorious murder cases. "The Charmer: The True Story of Robert Reldan — Rapist, Murderer, and Millionaire — and the Women who Fell Victim to his Allure" was written by Muti and Deputy Attorney General Charles Buckley, who spent 25 years as one of New Jersey's top trial prosecutors.

It is free to attend the event in which the authors will give a lecture about the murder case and will do a book signing afterwards.

About the book Serial rapist/murderer Robert Reldan — a handsome, personable charmer of the Ted Bundy mold — had an engaging, friendly smile — a smile that promised a charming personality and inspired trust. A smile that would, over the next 20 years, cause a dozen or more unsuspecting women to drop their guard and place themselves under the power of one of New Jersey's most ruthless criminals.

In an ironic twist of fate, Reldan, while serving life plus 30 years for the Heynes and Reeve murders, would become, briefly, the wealthiest lifer in the prison system. The aunt he'd tried to have killed —s till charmed by her beloved nephew and never believing he'd plotted to murder her — left him an $8.9 million trust fund when she died in 2007. Arthur Reeve, father of victim Susan Reeve, would go after Reldan in the courts and, eventually, deprive him of his inheritance.

Sparta Books is located at 29 Theatre Center in Sparta. 973-729-6200