THEY MUST BE MONSTERS is the first full account—the untold story—of an event that ultimately changed the way Americans care for their children. Authors MATTHEW LEROY and DERIC HADDAD lay out the facts of the McMartin Preschool case and explore the phenomenon that occurred within Manhattan Beach, California, during the mid-1980s in the wake of widespread accusations of sexual abuse.

“McMartin,” the case of a renowned preschool where hundreds of children were said to have been ritualistically abused, was one of the most horrific news reports ever broadcast. The case spanned nearly seven years and became the longest, most expensive criminal proceeding in American history.

Yet, when it ended, a mystery remained—the enigma of Judy Johnson, the mother whose initial accusation was believed to have sparked a mass hysteria similar to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.

THEY MUST BE MONSTERS offers the classic elements of a “great injustice” interwoven with the human interest of many personal tragedies as it ultimately delivers a deeper understanding of the inequities of the American justice system.

This is a true story about a place in time, a small community overwhelmed by forces beyond its control, a fateful encounter with history that was never reconciled—until now