It was one push.
One of the most controversial and captivating murder cases of the 21st century began the moment Amber Hilberling, a pregnant teenager raised in affluence, pushed her husband Josh inside their 25th-floor apartment living room. Amber watched in horror as Josh fell into a window, which collapsed on contact, then plummeted through the Tulsa sky to his death.
Amber claims she pushed him in self-defense in the middle of a fight. Josh's family and friends, though, saw it differently. They immediately launched a public campaign accusing Amber of being a mentally-ill monster who had a history of abusing her husband. The local, national, and international media ran wild with that storyline, even vilifying Amber for reportedly having had "mood swings" while pregnant. The public tide against Amber was swift and vicious. Hate websites were launched, resembling modern-day lynch mobs. They called for her execution in graphic detail. Strangers harassed her and her family.
The State of Oklahoma charged her with murder and prosecuted her aggressively, using troubling tactics that call into question all notions of a fair trial. The dramatic case gripped the area and dominated headlines for years. National and international media attention followed, with shows such as Dateline NBC and Dr. Phil devoting multiple episodes to the case.
The pressure drove Amber, new mother to a baby boy, to the edge.
In Pushed, J.R. Elias, an award-winning journalist turned attorney who worked on the case, pulls back the curtains and shares the gripping full story: the explosive behind-the-scenes dramas, heated family conflicts, crucial evidence withheld from the public and jury, the disturbing twists of the murder trial, and the toll the grueling case took on many lives.
Just after he finished the book, the already-tragic story reached a shocking and heartbreaking conclusion, captured in a newly-added Epilogue.
Neither the public nor the jury has ever heard the full story. Until now.
One of the most controversial and captivating murder cases of the 21st century began the moment Amber Hilberling, a pregnant teenager raised in affluence, pushed her husband Josh inside their 25th-floor apartment living room. Amber watched in horror as Josh fell into a window, which collapsed on contact, then plummeted through the Tulsa sky to his death.
Amber claims she pushed him in self-defense in the middle of a fight. Josh's family and friends, though, saw it differently. They immediately launched a public campaign accusing Amber of being a mentally-ill monster who had a history of abusing her husband. The local, national, and international media ran wild with that storyline, even vilifying Amber for reportedly having had "mood swings" while pregnant. The public tide against Amber was swift and vicious. Hate websites were launched, resembling modern-day lynch mobs. They called for her execution in graphic detail. Strangers harassed her and her family.
The State of Oklahoma charged her with murder and prosecuted her aggressively, using troubling tactics that call into question all notions of a fair trial. The dramatic case gripped the area and dominated headlines for years. National and international media attention followed, with shows such as Dateline NBC and Dr. Phil devoting multiple episodes to the case.
The pressure drove Amber, new mother to a baby boy, to the edge.
In Pushed, J.R. Elias, an award-winning journalist turned attorney who worked on the case, pulls back the curtains and shares the gripping full story: the explosive behind-the-scenes dramas, heated family conflicts, crucial evidence withheld from the public and jury, the disturbing twists of the murder trial, and the toll the grueling case took on many lives.
Just after he finished the book, the already-tragic story reached a shocking and heartbreaking conclusion, captured in a newly-added Epilogue.
Neither the public nor the jury has ever heard the full story. Until now.
