# Justice on Fire: The Kansas City Firefighters Case and the Railroading of the Marlborough Five - Hardcover

by **J. Patrick O'Connor** (Author)

On the night of November 29, 1988, near the impoverished Marlborough neighborhood in south Kansas City, an explosion at a construction site killed six of the city's firefighters. It was a clear case of arson, and five people from Marlborough were duly convicted of the crime. But for veteran crime writer and crusading editor J. Patrick O'Connor, the facts--or a lack of them--didn't add up. _Justice on Fire_ is O'Connor's detailed account of the terrible explosion that led to the firefighters' deaths and the terrible injustice that followed.

_Justice on Fire_ describes a misguided eight-year investigation propelled by an overzealous Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agent keen to retire; a mistake-riddled case conducted by a combative assistant US attorney willing to use compromised "snitch" witnesses and unwilling to admit contrary evidence; and a sentence of life without parole pronounced by a prosecution-favoring judge. In short, an abuse of government power and a travesty of justice. O'Connor's own investigation, which uncovered evidence of witness tampering, intimidation, and prosecutorial misconduct, helped give rise to a front-page series of articles in the _Kansas City Star_\--only to prompt a whitewashing inquiry by the Department of Justice that exonerated the lead ATF agent and named other possible perpetrators who remain unidentified and unindicted. O'Connor extends his scrutiny to this cover-up and arrives at a startling conclusion suggesting that the case of the Marlborough Five is far from closed.

Journalists are not supposed to make the news. But faced with a gross injustice, and seeing no other remedy, O'Connor felt he must step in. _Justice on Fire_ is such an intervention.

**Number of Pages:** 352

**Dimensions:** 1.2 x 9.5 x 6.4 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** August 21, 2018

## Details

- **Price:** 41.02 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 41.02 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Justice on Fire: The Kansas City Firefighters Case and the Railroading of the Marlborough Five - Hardcover

---

> Source: [Smart supply deals](https://smartsupplydeals.com/products/justice-on-fire-the-kansas-city-firefighters-case-and-the-railroading-of-the-marlborough-five-hardcover)
> Updated: 2026-07-23