On a June night in 1994, Rob Whedbee awoke to see a dark figure wielding a butcher knife above him, and suddenly found himself in a struggle for his life. Rude Awakening, a new book in progress, recounts the story of the attempted murder, and one of the biggest cases in Tennessee judicial history. The story fueled national and international interest, and was covered in major newspapers and magazines across the country, and on news tabloid television programs such as Dateline, Snapped, City Confidential, Hard Copy, and A Current Affair. A collaboration between the victim, Rob Whedbee, and writer, Sheree Martines, the true story chronicles the years leading up to the crime and the legal fiasco that followed.
Knife and baseball bat used in the attempted murder
Excerpt from the upcoming book Rude Awakening - The Attempted Murder of Rob Whedbee...
"Like a rat in a hole, he crouched there, stiff from the seven hours he had laid in wait in the cramped confines of the basement closet. He was dying for a Virginia Slim and contemplated creeping outside for another one. Hell, he smoked more than four packs a day, however that was possible. Everyone agreed he always smelled like mentholated smoke. He cautiously opened the closet door and listened. The house was silent and still. He quickly slipped out the sliding door, slicing through the dark for a second as he lit up. Crouching against the brick, he sucked hard on his cigarette.
He was quite pleased with himself. He was part of a grand plan that had been months in the making. None of the bullies he’d encountered through life would believe “scrawny, mild-mannered Michael” could ever do anything so horrific. He had meticulously selected his garb, wearing black jeans, black socks and shoes, and to make a statement, his black Phantom of the Opera t-shirt. Latex gloves and a black stocking mask, he would don later, were crammed in his pockets. Focusing on the prize at hand, he felt no fear."
"He snubbed out his smoke, threw the butt out into the yard, and made the short trek back to his berth. He was infused with demonic adrenalin as he envisioned his mission. He was there to slay the dragon, driven by his consuming desire for her. He would save her and she would be his…She would be his! His heart thundered as he clutched the wicked blade, and waited for her word. Michael Frazier, preacher’s kid and choir boy, was about to commit cold-blooded murder."
Frazier's t-shirt stained with Rob Whedbee's blood
"He snubbed out his smoke, threw the butt out into the yard, and made the short trek back to his berth. He was infused with demonic adrenalin as he envisioned his mission. He was there to slay the dragon, driven by his consuming desire for her. He would save her and she would be his…She would be his! His heart thundered as he clutched the wicked blade, and waited for her word. Michael Frazier, preacher’s kid and choir boy, was about to commit cold-blooded murder."
Frazier's mugshot
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