
A Wilderness of Error
The Trials of Jeffrey MacDonald
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $18.91
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
John Pruden
-
By:
-
Errol Morris
About this listen
Early on the morning of February 17, 1970, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, a Green Beret doctor named Jeffrey MacDonald called the police for help. When the officers arrived at his home they found the bloody and battered bodies of MacDonald's pregnant wife and two young daughters. The word "pig" was written in blood on the headboard in the master bedroom. As MacDonald was being loaded into the ambulance, he accused a band of drug-crazed hippies of the crime.
So began one of the most notorious and mysterious murder cases of the 20th century. Jeffrey MacDonald was finally convicted in 1979 and remains in prison today. Since then a number of best-selling books - including Joe McGinniss's Fatal Vision and Janet Malcolm's The Journalist and the Murderer, along with a blockbuster television miniseries - have attempted to solve the MacDonald case and explain what it all means.
In A Wilderness of Error, Errol Morris, who has been investigating the case for nearly two decades, reveals that almost everything we know about that case is ultimately flawed, and an innocent man may be behind bars. In a masterful reinvention of the true-crime thriller, Morris looks behind the haze of myth that still surrounds these murders. Drawing on court transcripts, lab reports, and original interviews, Morris brings a complete 40-year history back to life and demonstrates how our often desperate attempts to understand and explain an ambiguous reality can overwhelm the facts.
A Wilderness of Error allows the listener to explore the case as a detective might, by confronting the evidence as if for the first time. Along the way Morris poses bracing questions about the nature of proof, criminal justice, and the media, and argues that MacDonald has been condemned not only to prison, but also to the stories that have been created around him. In this profoundly original meditation on truth and justice, Errol Morris reopens a famous closed case and reveals that, 40 years after the murder of MacDonald's family, we still have no proof of his guilt.
©2012 Errol Morris (P)2012 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
-
Fatal Vision
- By: Joe McGinniss
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 27 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fatal Vision is the electrifying true story of Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, the handsome, Princeton-educated physician convicted of savagely slaying his young pregnant wife and two small children, murders he vehemently denies committing. Best-selling author Joe McGinniss chronicles every aspect of this horrifying and intricate crime and probes the life and psyche of the magnetic, all-American Jeffrey MacDonald, a golden boy who seemed destined to have it all.
-
-
Forget the Abridged Version of Any Book
- By Thornton Mellon on 07-12-18
By: Joe McGinniss
-
Cruel Doubt
- By: Joe McGinniss
- Narrated by: Stacy Keach
- Length: 4 hrs and 8 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The gruesome true story of a small town murder in 1988.
-
-
Abridged
- By Clarabelle on 09-08-19
By: Joe McGinniss
-
Blind Faith
- By: Joe McGinniss
- Narrated by: Gibson Frazier
- Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Marshalls were the model family of Tom’s River, New Jersey, living the American dream and seemingly in possession of all that money could buy. Rob Marshall, a successful insurance broker, was the big breadwinner, king of the country-club set. Maria Marshall was his stunningly beautiful wife and the perfect mom to their three great kids.Then one night, while the couple drove home from Atlantic City, Rob, his head bloodied, reported Maria had been brutally slain. Sympathy poured in - until disquieting facts began to surface....
-
-
Great listen
- By Carrie Rich on 08-23-19
By: Joe McGinniss
-
Helter Skelter
- The True Story of the Manson Murders
- By: Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 26 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the 20th century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.
-
-
Everything I remembered about the case was wrong..
- By karen on 06-22-12
By: Vincent Bugliosi, and others
-
The Delphi Murders
- The Quest to Find ‘The Man on the Bridge’
- By: Nic Edwards, Brian Whitney
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On February 13, 2017, two Indiana teenagers, Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, went for a walk in the woods near the abandoned Monon High Bridge. They never returned home.
-
-
Huge disappointment
- By Aleshia L. Hunley on 04-23-23
By: Nic Edwards, and others
-
The I-5 Killer
- By: Ann Rule, Andy Stack
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a young man, Randall Woodfield had it all; he was a star athlete with good looks and an award-winning student. Working in the swinging West Coast bar scene, he had more than his share of women. But he wanted more than just sex. An appetite for unspeakable violent acts led him to cruise the I-5 highway through California to Washington, leaving a trail of victims along the way. As the list of the dead grew, the police mobilized to stop a twisted killer who had 44 known deaths to his name.
-
-
Ann Rule always delivers
- By Anonymous User on 10-17-19
By: Ann Rule, and others
-
Fatal Vision
- By: Joe McGinniss
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 27 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fatal Vision is the electrifying true story of Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, the handsome, Princeton-educated physician convicted of savagely slaying his young pregnant wife and two small children, murders he vehemently denies committing. Best-selling author Joe McGinniss chronicles every aspect of this horrifying and intricate crime and probes the life and psyche of the magnetic, all-American Jeffrey MacDonald, a golden boy who seemed destined to have it all.
-
-
Forget the Abridged Version of Any Book
- By Thornton Mellon on 07-12-18
By: Joe McGinniss
-
Cruel Doubt
- By: Joe McGinniss
- Narrated by: Stacy Keach
- Length: 4 hrs and 8 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The gruesome true story of a small town murder in 1988.
-
-
Abridged
- By Clarabelle on 09-08-19
By: Joe McGinniss
-
Blind Faith
- By: Joe McGinniss
- Narrated by: Gibson Frazier
- Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Marshalls were the model family of Tom’s River, New Jersey, living the American dream and seemingly in possession of all that money could buy. Rob Marshall, a successful insurance broker, was the big breadwinner, king of the country-club set. Maria Marshall was his stunningly beautiful wife and the perfect mom to their three great kids.Then one night, while the couple drove home from Atlantic City, Rob, his head bloodied, reported Maria had been brutally slain. Sympathy poured in - until disquieting facts began to surface....
-
-
Great listen
- By Carrie Rich on 08-23-19
By: Joe McGinniss
-
Helter Skelter
- The True Story of the Manson Murders
- By: Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 26 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the 20th century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.
-
-
Everything I remembered about the case was wrong..
- By karen on 06-22-12
By: Vincent Bugliosi, and others
-
The Delphi Murders
- The Quest to Find ‘The Man on the Bridge’
- By: Nic Edwards, Brian Whitney
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On February 13, 2017, two Indiana teenagers, Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, went for a walk in the woods near the abandoned Monon High Bridge. They never returned home.
-
-
Huge disappointment
- By Aleshia L. Hunley on 04-23-23
By: Nic Edwards, and others
-
The I-5 Killer
- By: Ann Rule, Andy Stack
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a young man, Randall Woodfield had it all; he was a star athlete with good looks and an award-winning student. Working in the swinging West Coast bar scene, he had more than his share of women. But he wanted more than just sex. An appetite for unspeakable violent acts led him to cruise the I-5 highway through California to Washington, leaving a trail of victims along the way. As the list of the dead grew, the police mobilized to stop a twisted killer who had 44 known deaths to his name.
-
-
Ann Rule always delivers
- By Anonymous User on 10-17-19
By: Ann Rule, and others
-
The Family
- By: Ed Sanders
- Narrated by: Rhett Samuel Price
- Length: 24 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In August of 1969, during two bloody evenings of paranoid, psychedelic savagery, Charles Manson and his dystopic communal family helped to wreck the dreams of the Love Generation. At least nine people were murdered, among them Sharon Tate, the young, beautiful, pregnant, actress and wife of Roman Polanski.
-
-
The most complete history of the saga
- By Douglas on 07-15-24
By: Ed Sanders
-
Unmasked
- My Life Solving America's Cold Cases
- By: Paul Holes, Robin Gaby Fisher
- Narrated by: Paul Holes
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
I order another bourbon, neat. This is the drink that will flip the switch. I don’t even know how I got here, to this place, to this point. Something is happening to me lately. I’m drinking too much. My sheets are soaking wet when I wake up from nightmares of decaying corpses. I order another drink and swig it, trying to forget about the latest case I can’t shake. Crime solving for me is more complex than the challenge of the hunt, or the process of piecing together a scientific puzzle. The thought of good people suffering drives me to the point of obsession.
-
-
I gave it the old college try
- By Hobbes on 05-06-22
By: Paul Holes, and others
-
Bone Deep
- Untangling the Betsy Faria Case
- By: Charles Bosworth, Joel Schwartz
- Narrated by: Gary Bennett
- Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two days after Christmas, 2011, Russel Faria returned to his Troy, Missouri, home to find his wife, Betsy, dead, a knife still lodged in her neck. She had been stabbed 55 times in a brutal murder that would set off a chain of events leading to one man's wrongful conviction and imprisonment, another man's death, the revelation of a diabolical scheme, and an astounding miscarriage of justice left unresolved for another 10 years.
-
-
One of the Best
- By V. Orner on 03-01-22
By: Charles Bosworth, and others
-
Blood on Their Hands
- Murder, Corruption, and the Fall of the Murdaugh Dynasty
- By: Mandy Matney
- Narrated by: Mandy Matney
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Years before the name Alex Murdaugh was splashed across every major media outlet in America, local South Carolina journalist Mandy Matney had an instinct that something wasn’t right in the Lowcountry. The powerful Murdaugh dynasty had dominated rural South Carolina for generations. No one dared to cross them.
-
-
Disappointed and Very frustrating
- By Annie on 11-21-23
By: Mandy Matney
-
Lost Girls
- An Unsolved American Mystery
- By: Robert Kolker
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One late spring evening in 2010, Shannan Gilbert - after running through the oceanfront community of Oak Beach screaming for her life - went missing. No one who had heard of her disappearance thought much about what had happened to the 24-year-old: She was a Craigslist escort who had been fleeing a scene - of what, no one could be sure. The Suffolk County police, too, seemed to have paid little attention - until seven months later, when an unexpected discovery in a bramble alongside a nearby highway turned up four bodies, all evenly spaced, all wrapped in burlap.
-
-
No answers
- By Sam on 07-24-13
By: Robert Kolker
-
On the Farm
- Robert William Pickton and the Tragic Story of Vancouver's Missing Women
- By: Stevie Cameron
- Narrated by: Erin Moon
- Length: 25 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Verteran investigative journalist Stevie Cameron first began following the story of missing women in 1998, when the odd newspaper piece appeared chronicling the disappearances of drug-addicted sex trade workers from Vancouver's notorious Downtown Eastside. It was not until February 2002 that pig farmer Robert William Pickton would be arrested, and 2008 before he was found guilty, on six counts of second-degree murder. These counts were appealed and in 2010, the Supreme Court of Canada rendered its conclusion.
-
-
zzzz
- By Michael on 05-16-22
By: Stevie Cameron
-
A Killer Among Us
- By: Charles Bosworth
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 16 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On March 16, 1992, Elizabeth DeCaro, a 28 year-old mother of four, was found dead in her own home, murdered execution-style with two bullets to the head. Her husband, Rick, was immediately a suspect, having previously struck her "accidentally" with the family van after taking out a $100,000 life insurance policy on her. A Killer Among Us presents the true shocking story of Elizabeth's family and their search for justice against the man who continued to play father to the children whose mother he had killed.
-
-
Excellent Narration
- By A. Ellis on 10-23-15
By: Charles Bosworth
-
Devil’s Knot
- The True Story of the West Memphis Three
- By: Mara Leveritt
- Narrated by: Lorna Raver
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“Free the West Memphis Three!” - maybe you’ve heard the phrase, but do you know why their story is so alarming? Do you know the facts? The guilty verdicts handed out to three Arkansas teens in a horrific capital murder case were popular in their home state - even upheld on appeal. But after two HBO documentaries called attention to the witch-hunt atmosphere at the trials, artists and other supporters raised concerns about the accompanying lack of evidence.
-
-
Surprisingly disappointing
- By La Becket on 12-05-12
By: Mara Leveritt
-
The Castle on Sunset
- Life, Death, Love, Art, and Scandal at Hollywood's Chateau Marmont
- By: Shawn Levy
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since 1929, Hollywood’s brightest stars have flocked to the Chateau Marmont as if it were a second home. An apartment building-turned-hotel, the Chateau has been the backdrop for generations of gossip and folklore: where director Nicholas Ray slept with his 16-year-old Rebel Without a Cause star Natalie Wood; Jim Morrison swung from the balconies; John Belushi suffered a fatal overdose; and Lindsay Lohan got the boot after racking up nearly $50,000 in charges in less than two months. Much of what has happened inside the Chateau’s walls has eluded the public eye - until now.
-
-
Was enjoying it until...
- By leigh on 04-22-20
By: Shawn Levy
-
Cruel Deception
- The True Story of Multiple Murder and Two Devastated Families (St. Martin's True Crime Library)
- By: Gregg Olsen
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In and out of hospitals since birth, angelic nine-month-old Morgan Reid finally succumbed to what appeared to be sudden infant death syndrome. Morgan's Texas-born mother, Tanya, a nurse and devoted wife, pulled up stakes with her grieving husband, Jim, and moved on. It was the best way to put the past behind them. Until their son, Michael, a boy who by all accounts was terrified of his mother, began showing signs of the same affliction that stole the life of his baby sister....
-
-
Deadly Mystery
- By Judy on 06-07-22
By: Gregg Olsen
-
Indefensible
- The Missing Truth About Steven Avery, Teresa Halbach, and Making a Murderer
- By: Michael Griesbach
- Narrated by: James Foster
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An insider exposes the shocking facts deliberately left out of the hit Netflix series Making a Murderer - and argues persuasively that Steven Avery was rightfully convicted in the 2005 killing of Teresa Halbach.
-
-
I rarely rate books but this needed a rating.
- By Alisha S on 09-01-16
-
Law and Disorder
- The Legendary FBI Profiler’s Relentless Pursuit of Justice
- By: Mark Olshaker, John Douglas
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 25 years, John E. Douglas worked for the FBI, where had a brilliant and terrifying career getting inside the minds of notorious killers. Written with Mark Olshaker, Law and Disorder is Douglas’ most provocative and personal book yet. In it, he addresses every law enforcement professional’s worst nightmare: those cases where, for one reason or another, justice was delayed - or denied.
-
-
Informative...And a Miscarriage of Justice!!!
- By Andrea on 03-22-13
By: Mark Olshaker, and others
Critic reviews
What listeners say about A Wilderness of Error
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Erica P Wessmann
- 06-15-16
Captivating
This book is incredible. The story is so complicated and twisted yet Morris pulls it altogether so that facts and timelines never get confused. True TRUE drama. This audio book version is great as well, the voices are clear and uncomplicated but gripping. Very happy to have made this purchase!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Brenda646
- 12-19-21
Interesting, But Ultimately Preposterous
This book is written from the perspective of a defense attorney. There were some new tidbits to learn here, such as details about MacDonald’s colorful in-laws, Mildred and Fred. But I kept listening and waiting to hear a bombshell as to why he’s innocent. It didn’t come. All of the evidence goes back to just one person — and that’s the doctor who didn’t live up to the oath he took to Do No Harm.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Debbie
- 04-20-15
The Devil is in the Details
What did you love best about A Wilderness of Error?
The Jeffrey MacDonald case has interested me for years. This book promised to provide a new look at the court cases as well as providing new information about the night of the murders. Overall it delivered but my sense is that were I to read this myself I would have skimmed over the drier bits- and in this format I could not.
What was one of the most memorable moments of A Wilderness of Error?
It was good to hear MacDonald's voice.
Would you listen to another book narrated by John Pruden?
I am not sure.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No- and I could not have!
Any additional comments?
Since there were multiple voices- it would have been nice to have a female reading some of the parts.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Peter Coyle
- 01-26-15
Errol writes like he directs.
Methodical and fair. I still don't know who killed the family. But I know the trial was a farce. Word.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- yvonne velasco
- 12-04-21
Intriguing
I really enjoyed this audiobook immensely. It's given me a lot to think regarding what I THOUGHT I knew and why I thought I knew it. There's too much to unpack in this review, but i will say this... If you are very familiar with this case, you will need to have abln open mind. Additionally, the book goes way deeper than the FX doc did.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 04-23-16
If you've read Fatal Vision by Joe McGinnis you need to read this book!
This book reveals a lot of things Joe McGinnis' book and the corresponding movie did not. I don't know if it proves MacDonald's innocence, but I will say it's evident he did not get a fair trial.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kristin Telford
- 08-30-15
Very enlightening
This is a very enlightening case study of the state of the judicial system in the United States and effect of the media there on.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- gr8hnd
- 03-25-15
This case never gets old
If you could sum up A Wilderness of Error in three words, what would they be?
Riveting; fascinating; detailed
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
He really captured the characters well.
Which character – as performed by John Pruden – was your favorite?
MacDonald
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Every good book about the MacDonald case elicits some extreme reactions. Nothing about the case makes me laugh, nor did the narrative. Very dramatic.
Any additional comments?
Great narration.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bennett E. Werner
- 01-14-13
Well Done
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
If you're interested in the Jeffrey McDonald saga (the green beret emergency room doctor convicted of killing his wife and 2 young daughters in February 1970 (now in prison for >30 years), you'll enjoy this book. It's an encyclopedic, microscopic analysis of virtually every whisper and murmur that relates to the case. Every piece of evidence and many pieces that were never made available during the trial are treated with maximum scrutiny - truly no rock left unturned. It's well written. His research is exhaustive. Ultimately, you will have to decide for yourself if you think McD is guilty but Morris will be happy to prejudice you.
What did you like best about this story?
It's thorough
Have you listened to any of John Pruden’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Many
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chris
- 03-05-16
Govt avoiding evidence so they dont look the fool
If you dont know much about this case this is a great book....It gives both sides if the story and shows just what a cluster bomb the entire ordeal was....Another exampe of bumbling a crime scene and the govt /police/prosecutors not wanting to admit they made mistakes along the way...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!