. ▁In ▁the ▁letter , ▁he ▁had ▁stated , ▁" Th ese ▁book lets , ▁which ▁contain ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁illustr ations ▁with ▁accomp any ing ▁text , ▁are ▁generally ▁sens ational ▁in ▁character , ▁without ▁any ▁other ▁value . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁possible ▁to ▁proceed ▁in ▁a ▁legal ▁manner ▁against ▁printer s , ▁publish ers ▁or ▁distrib utors ▁of ▁these ▁nov els , ▁nor ▁can ▁anything ▁be ▁achieved ▁by ▁not ▁making ▁paper ▁available ▁to ▁them , ▁since ▁this ▁for ▁those ▁publications ▁necessary ▁paper , ▁is ▁available ▁on ▁the ▁free ▁market ," ▁further ▁imp lying ▁that ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁civil ▁duty ▁of ▁parents , ▁teachers ▁and ▁civil ▁servants , ▁including ▁polic emen , ▁to ▁conf isc ate ▁and ▁destroy ▁com ic ▁books ▁wherever ▁they ▁found ▁them . ▁Less ▁than ▁a ▁month ▁later , ▁a ▁ 1 6 - year ▁old ▁girl ▁was ▁murder ed ▁in ▁a ▁b izar re ▁manner ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 9 ▁in ▁the ▁small ▁town ▁of ▁En k hu izen ▁by ▁her ▁ 1 5 - year ▁old ▁boy friend , ▁who ▁had ▁tied ▁her ▁down ▁to ▁rail road ▁tracks ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁killed ▁by ▁a ▁passing ▁train . ▁The ▁police ▁subsequently ▁un cover ed ▁that ▁both ▁had ▁been ▁readers ▁of ▁com ic ▁books ▁of ▁the ▁kind ▁that ▁were ▁in ▁conc ord ance ▁with ▁R ut ten ' s ▁definition . ▁T aken ▁as ▁validation , ▁a ▁w itch - h unt ▁en su ed , ▁complete ▁with ▁com ic ▁book ▁destru ctions ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁country , ▁nearly