The creation of a work like The Cannibal of Curtis Bay: The True Story of Joe Metheny is not a solitary endeavor, even when dealing with a subject as dark and disturbing as Joseph Roy Metheny. While the narrative voice adopted for the main body of this book is a fictionalized, first-person interpretation of Metheny's psyche, the factual underpinnings of his crimes, the investigation, and the legal proceedings are drawn from the diligent work of many individuals and institutions. To them, I owe a debt of gratitude.