A double murderer once spent months inside Auburn Correctional Facility quietly practicing how to escape — hidden in plain sight from guards.
That shocking plan sits at the center of a new book releasing February 5. Ungrateful Bastard: The Shocking Journey of a Killer and Escape Artist digs into the life and crimes of Gordon “Woody” Mower, who murdered his parents in 1996 and later attempted to escape prison concealed inside what he called a “coffin.”
Author Susan Ashline bases the book on extensive reporting and direct communication with Mower. She traces his story from a troubled childhood through murder, incarceration, and the careful planning behind the failed escape attempt.
The book offers new, previously unreported insight into how the 2015 escape plot developed inside Auburn Correctional Facility. Ashline examines both Mower’s psychology and the prison conditions that allowed the scheme to progress without detection.
Ungrateful Bastard revisits a case deeply tied to Auburn’s history and raises broader questions about prison security and oversight that linger years later.
Library Journal awarded the book a starred review, a distinction given to only a small percentage of titles each year.
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