The Forsaken

Based on a True Story...

In the quiet suburb of Simi Valley California in 1978, the unthinkable shattered a family forever. Twenty-four-year-old Rhonda Wicht and her four-year-old son, Donnie, were brutally slain in their own home—a place that should have been their sanctuary. Their lives were cut short in an act of unspeakable violence that left a community reeling, and a sister’s heart forever broken.

For nearly forty years, their accused killer sat behind bars—convicted, condemned, and written into history as the man responsible. But when he was pardoned in 2017, everything changed. The justice Shelley Hamilton had clung to was ripped away, leaving her not with closure, but with torment—the devastating belief that a guilty man had been set free, while her sister and nephew were left forsaken by the system that had once spoken for them.

The Forsaken is the story of darkness and betrayal—but also of resilience, love, and one woman’s refusal to let her sister and nephew be forgotten. Shelley’s voice echoes through these pages, a heartbroken reminder that sometimes, justice does not merely fail—it is undone. Her relentless pursuit is not only for Rhonda and Donnie, but for truth itself, even when the courts and public opinion are willing to turn away.

Shocking, deeply human, and profoundly moving, this book pulls readers into a decades-long struggle between memory and doubt, law and conscience. It is a reminder that behind every headline lies a devastated family… and that even against the tide of history, one woman’s love refuses to be silenced.

Book cover of The Forsaken by Alicia Doyle.

Upcoming Events...

book club 9-24

Chi-chi's pizza 9-27

junkyard Cafe 9-26

Book-signing and discussion from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at a private home in Simi Valley. Reservations required. To RSVP, call or text 805-501-6512

junkyard Cafe 9-26

Chi-chi's pizza 9-27

junkyard Cafe 9-26

Book-signing, presentation and panel discussion at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 26 at Junkyard Cafe, 2585 Cochran Street in Simi Valley

Chi-chi's pizza 9-27

Open book camarillo 9-28

Casual meet-and-greet on Sunday, September 27 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Chi-Chi's Pizza, 5145 E Los Angeles Avenue in Simi Valley

Open book camarillo 9-28

california writers club 10-3

Open book camarillo 9-28

Casual book-signing from 5 to 7 p.m. at Open Book in Camarillo, 740 E. Ventura Blvd., Suite 222 in Camarillo

california writers club 10-3

Book-signing and presentation at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 3 at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Wasserman Campus, 23388 Mulholland Drive in Woodland Hills

simi valley library 11-21

california writers club 10-3

Book-signing and presentation from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 21 at the Simi Valley Library, 2969 Tapo Canyon Road in Simi Valley

Endorsement for The Forsaken

“These horrific murders stressed, traumatized and even injured many of those involved; but nothing on the level approaching what Shelley and her family have endured. I choose the word ‘endured’ because that is what Shelley has done — she has endured years of trial by fire, trial by innuendo, trial by lies, trial inspired by malice and trial by incompetence. Through it all she has maintained a poise and dignity that stands in stunning contrast to the actions of the perpetrator and his acolytes. With this book, nobody can ever say that Rhonda and Donnie have been forsaken. They are forever honored by the work of Shelley and Alicia.”

— Robert Klamser, Lieutenant (retired)

Simi Valley Police Department

Learn more...