“But Michael’s rage was unstoppable. He aimed the Glock at Victoria’s chest and pulled the trigger. The bullet tore through her, and the infant she held so tightly, in a horrifying instance of violence. Sydney crumpled from her grasp, a tiny life snuffed out in the blink of an eye.”

That is a passage from the book, “Chameleon,” written by Howard Frank. The plot tells the story of 23-year-old Michael John Parrish, who murdered his 21-year-old girlfriend, Victoria Adams, and their 19-month-old son in July 2009 at an apartment on Route 115 in Effort. Their son, Sydney, had received a heart transplant nine months before.

Frank became interested in writing about the event after he was permitted to attend Parrish’s trial. “I worked for the Pocono Record for 12 years as a columnist and a reporter,” he said. “When I heard about this case, I was fortunate to be invited to sit in on the trial as a member of the press.”

The trial was swift and the jury’s verdict unanimous. Parrish was sentenced to be executed by injection until Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a moratorium on the death penalty and changed the sentence to life in prison.

Despite all the evidence and the certainty of the verdict, Frank became fascinated with the defense’s argument.

“Parrish had changed his plea from guilty to not guilty,” said Frank. “His attorney argued that his client did not have an intent to commit murder. He carried out his actions in a fit of rage brought on by circumstances of the moment that he could not handle.”

Frank wrote that Parrish was angry that his girlfriend wasn’t home to give their son the medicine the boy needed to fight off infections of his new heart. Parrish also thought Victoria, who was out with friends, was late because she was having an affair.

The fit of rage that Parrish experienced that night of carnage ended after he shot 13 times into the bodies of Victoria and Sydney. Yet in an attempt to keep the murderer away from the death penalty, there was still that question of intent.

When Parrish was first brought before a judge to be arraigned, the now 38-year-old inmate housed at a Phoenixville prison, said, “I just lost it” as to why he committed the crimes, “and then I wasn’t mad anymore.”

Perhaps Parrish should have been declared unfit for the trial due to a personality disorder that prompted Frank to use the word “chameleon” for his book’s title.

“It appears that Parrish had multiple personalities,” Frank said.

As a young child, he exhibited bizarre behavior when his father introduced him to the life of Adolf Hitler. Parrish became obsessed with Hitler. In fact, he was married before he committed the murders and he and his wife had a baby girl. They named his daughter, Eva, after Eva Braun, who was Hitler’s mistress and brief wife.

“Parrish was a complicated man,” Frank said. “What you see is not what you always get. He morphed into a white supremacist, an FBI informant, and even a Muslim. And he really is an intelligent guy.”

Frank had written letters to Parrish at the prison to arrange for an interview, but he was told no by the inmate.

The book published in February reveals interesting details about whether Parrish had intended to commit murder or if it happened without a premeditated cause.

Now a resident of Bethlehem, Frank holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan and had worked for 30 years in the garment industry that made bluejeans. Like all authors, Frank enjoys the writing process.

“I used to write business reports,” he said, “but this book was much more of task, especially with the editing process. It took me about a year to finish.”

“Chameleon” is available for purchase on Amazon and has received rave reviews. One reader wrote: “This is a chilling retelling of a series of horrible, tragic events that resulted in the lives of two people being snuffed out. Howard Frank diligently and dramatically reconstructs one of the most memorable crimes in the heart of the Poconos in Pennsylvania. This gripping true-crime account will stay with you long after you’ve finished.”