The quotations from Lisker's frantic phone call to police on the morning of March 10, 1983, are taken from a tape recording of the call. The description of his conduct after police and paramedics arrived is derived from statements they gave to detectives.
The account of the Liskers' troubled family life and Bruce Lisker's drug abuse is drawn from reports by psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers who interviewed Bruce, his father Bob and others after the murder.
Quotations attributed to Bob Lisker, who died in 1995, are also from those reports. The elder Lisker's thoughts on the case are derived from interviews with his second wife and his personal correspondence.
The descriptions of Bruce Lisker's two trials and his appearances before the state parole board are based on transcripts of those proceedings.
The summary of Monsue's career is drawn from LAPD personnel records.
Details of Sgt. Jim Gavin's investigation and his dealings with superiors were gleaned from interviews with Gavin, LAPD officials and members of Lisker's defense team.
LAPD criminalist Ronald J. Raquel's finding that Bruce Lisker's shoes did not match a bloody footprint at the crime scene is detailed in his "Analyzed Evidence Report" dated Jan. 16, 2004. Raquel's subsequent finding linking that mystery footprint to a bruise on Dorka Lisker's head is described in his report dated April 20.
The photographs of the Lisker family were provided by Bruce Lisker. The crime scene photographs were obtained from the district attorney's office through a public record request. The photographs of Monsue and Gavin are from the 2000 LAPD yearbook.
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On the Web
Audio clips of Bruce Lisker's emergency call and two police interrogations, plus documents from the case, accompany this story on The Times' website. Go to latimes.com/lisker.
