Joseph John Maloney (1940-1999) Papers (KC423)

Joseph John "J.J." Maloney was born October 31, 1940 in St. Louis, Missouri.  Maloney was sent to a Catholic boy’s home at age five.  At the age of 14 he was sent to the Missouri Training School for Boys in Boonville, MO.  By 19 Maloney was convicted of murder and armed robbery and sentenced to serve four consecutive life terms. 

While at the Missouri State Penitentiary Maloney began painting and writing.  The Kansas City Star published many of his poems while he was in prison.  By the time he was paroled in 1972 he had landed a job with the Star as a consultant on a prison series.  The series won many awards and Maloney was hired on as a full-time investigative reporter.  During the six years he worked at the Star Maloney won several journalism awards and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize four times.  In 1980 he moved to California and worked for the Orange County Register until 1981.  In 1982 he moved back to Kansas City and became a free-lance writer.

J.J. Maloney has written several books, Beyond the Wall 1973, I Speak for the Dead 1982, The Chain 1986, and The Pariah’s Handbook 1992.  He also launched a “true crime” internet magazine called Crime Magazine in 1998. 

J.J. Maloney was married three times and divorced three times.  He died December 31, 1999 in Webster Groves, MO.

This collection consists of personal correspondence and finished and unfinished manuscripts, writings, and poems.  It also contains research that Maloney performed in his capacity as investigative reporter.  There are some photos mostly related to his research and court and police documents for the cases on which he was working.  1924-1992.

13 cubic feet.

© WHMC-KC, University of Missouri

updated: Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Kansas City
(816) 235-1543 WHMCKC@umkc.edu