David Lane Williams and his best friend once used two gallons of go-kart paint on themselves one sweltering Texas afternoon in 1970. He recalls the liberal use of acetone, a bristle brush, and brand-new curse words by their parents—it explains a lot. He recovered in time to pursue a decorated thirty-year career in public safety, with assignments in paramedicine, helicopter rescue, patrol, mental health outreach, and Special Investigations Unit detective. Today, he teaches criminology at the University of Arkansas and writes a monthly column for Killer Nashville Magazine. He and his family live in the Ozarks, where they offer a haven for rescued donkeys and horses.