I Got a Name by Eliza Robertson with Myles Dolphin @ElizaRoberts0n @myles_dolphin @PenguinCanada @librofm

the setup…
On March 1, 1992 Ronald Bax entered Krystal Senyk’s home in the small town of Carcross in the Yukon and shot her with a rifle, killing her. He disappeared and has never been found. His motive? He blamed her for helping his wife Colleen leave him and file for divorce. But there’s more to this story than just Krystal’s death. Bax gave plenty of warning and made enough threats before that final act. Krystal asked for help and the failure of law enforcement to take either her or Bax seriously was systemic. Eliza Robertson and Myles Dolphin provide an insightful look into who this woman was and the system that failed to protect her and find Bax after he took her life.

the heart of the story…
This isn’t your typical true crime story where the focus is on the investigative clues leading up to the crime. Sure, there’s the analysis of Bax and his domestic abuse that led to Colleen leaving with their two children. But the heart of this story lies with knowing who Krystal was from the people who loved and admired her. Equally compelling was the exhaustive and outstanding research into the attitudes and biases that led to law enforcement’s decisions to leave Krystal (and others like her) vulnerable and the lack of outrage within these communities. Many of those attitudes persist today beyond the Yukon so it’s as relevant now as it was in the past. I had moments of real anger throughout because not only did Krystal not have to die but Bax should have been captured. I liked how Robertson pursued some of the strongest leads to his whereabouts, offering objective analyses of all theories.

the narration…
The story is narrated by the author and she was okay as I consumed it without difficulty. But storytelling is an art and that was missing from this highly relevant narrative. There was a lack of distinction between the research & statistics and the more emotional aspects related to Krystal. It matters.

the bottom line…
I can’t emphasize strongly enough the timeliness and relevancy of this story. Krystal was a talented, remarkable and independent woman whose life was snuffed out at age twenty-nine but not before she’d already left an indelible mark on those close to her. In telling her story, Robertson and Dolphin give her voice, amplifying how strong, independent and, to an extent, fearless women can become targets in a misogynistic environment. There were many mistakes made by the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) leading up to her murder and the period after where Bax was allowed to escape despite one of the largest manhunts in Yukon history, undertaken far too late. I formed an opinion about whether he escaped, died in the wilderness or committed suicide. I believe he’s still out there and do believe he was once living in Mississippi. One of my reasons for reading Krystal’s story is to breathe new life in finding, exposing and arresting Bax. For Krystal. For her remaining family. Wouldn’t that be a fitting tribute to her?

Book Info

• Release Date: May 23, 2023
• Narrator: Eliza Robertson
• Audio Length: 7 hours, 52 minutes
• Publisher: Penguin Canada

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(Thanks to Libro.fm and the publisher for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.