Author Event with Ron Peterson Jr.
Venue: Christiansburg Library, Christiansburg
Organizations: Ron Peterson, Jr.
Date: Sunday, November 16, 2025
Time: 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Event Types: Arts & Theatre, Speaking Engagements
Cost: Free
Description:
The Christiansburg Library presents an Author Event with Ron Peterson Jr. on Sunday, November 16, 2025.

True crime fans, you won’t want to miss this one! Bestselling true crime author Ron Peterson Jr., known for "Under the Trestle", is back with a new page-turner titled "Runaway Groom", a gripping true crime story you’ll be talking about long after you close the book.

Join us with your chance to meet Ron and hear the real stories behind the headlines.

Book Synopsis for "Runaway Groom":
A father seeks answers in the thirty-year-old missing persons case of his son, who disappeared two days before his wedding. Good-hearted country boy Petie Miller vanishes without a trace two days before his wedding in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley in 1983. Some speculate it’s a case of cold feet, but investigators suspect cold-blooded murder. The bride’s stepfather, a violent career criminal named Charlie Almond, is the prime suspect. Circumstantial evidence suggests that Almond killed Miller and successfully disposed of the body. But with no witnesses, no forensic evidence, and no body, Almond is allowed to walk free. Meanwhile, Miller’s father never stops seeking answers about what happened to his son. For three decades, he tirelessly pushes the investigation forward, imploring the authorities to keep his son’s case file open. Finally, 32 years later in 2015, new witnesses emerge and Almond, now an octogenarian, is charged with first-degree murder. Chances of a guilty verdict seem slim, but special prosecutor Phil Figura, known in courtrooms as the “Dragonslayer,” is determined to bring justice. Can Figura win a conviction in the oldest, coldest “no body” murder trial in United States history?

Ron Peterson, Jr. was provided exclusive access to the police case file to research this compelling story. He interviewed over fifty sources, including family members of both Petie Miller and Charlie Almond, and worked closely with prosecutor Phil Figura and lead investigator Aaron LeVeck to chronicle the incredible true events in this book.

Ron Peterson Jr. is a Virginia-based author whose best-selling true crime books explore compelling mysteries and consistently receive five-star reviews.

Peterson’s first book, "Under the Trestle" was selected as one of the Top 100 true crime books of all time and is currently in development with Mactavish Pictures as a documentary film or series. "Under the Trestle" is based on the local case of Radford University student Gina Renee Hall who disappeared in 1980. Stephen Epperly was later arrested and sentenced for her murder, making it Virginia’s first ever "no-body" murder trial.

Peterson followed with "Chasing the Squirrel", the true story of notorious drug smuggler Wally Thrasher, also a case well known to the New River Valley. Thrasher and his wife Olga lived in the New River Valley while he flew out of Florida and became one of the most-wanted drug smugglers by the FBI. Thrasher supposedly died in a fiery plane crash an investigation proved that it had been staged. Peterson’s book has been optioned to Los-Angeles-based Urban Legends Film Company for development as a television series.

Author Ron Peterson, Jr. attended Radford University and was a communications major. He has been published in newspapers throughout the state and in internal publications for two Fortune 500 companies. His career includes work at the Virginian Pilot and Cox Media, where he earned the company's annual "Outstanding Performance" award. Peterson's background also includes managing corporate television advertising campaigns on CNN, Fox News and ESPN. He is currently a board member of the Hampton Roads Sports Media Hall of Fame.

Links:

• https://www.ronpetersonjr.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/RonPetersonJr
• https://www.twitter.com/Ron_Peterson

Admission is free and all are welcome.

Books will be available for purchase from Blacksburg Books and for signing with Ron.

Bring your curiosity, your questions, and maybe a friend who loves a good mystery.

The Christiansburg Library is located at 125 Sheltman Street in Christiansburg, VA.

To view the event flyer, visit: https://i.postimg.cc/Hn1dmFCb/image.png.

For more information, visit: http://www.montgomery-floyd.lib.va.us/ or https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064875634681 or https://www.facebook.com/events/1325317395719965 or call 540-382-6965.