Tanya Chalupa

Tanya Chalupa moved into the true crime genre when a murder of a homeless vet in the town where she was running a federal grant led to the capture of the Box Car Serial Killer. Accompanied by her research partner, Bill "Elvis the Lawman" Palmini, she steps into dangerous territories to interview killers, gang members, and those that are part of the underworld, to achieve a deeper understanding of the cases she writes about. Born in a DP camp in post-war Germany to Ukrainian parents, Chalupa grew up in the South Bronx. After she graduated from Queens College,City University of New York, she and her husband, Leo, moved to California, where she became the force behind California's Child Seat Restraint Law and other prevention legislation for babies and tiny tots, after her daughter's life was saved by a car safety seat. She piloted national and statewide programs for NHTSA and the California Office of Traffic Safety, OTS, and set up law enforcement task forces.She worked as a publicist and has produced numerous publications, including articles in national professional journals and newsletters.She is recipient of national awards: The Peter O’Rourke Award from the National Association of Governor’s Highway Safety Representatives, NAGHSR, and the Public Service Award from NHTSA. She is also President of TKC Communications, Inc. She now resides in Northern Virginia with her husband.