Pam Basu, age 34, was forced from her car, a 1990 BMW, at a stop sign near her home in suburban Laurel, Maryland.

Pam Basu (February 17, 1958 – September 8, 1992), an Indian immigrant, was an award-winning research chemist with the W. R. Grace and Company in Columbia, Maryland.

Although Miller was only a passenger of the carjacked vehicle, he actively participated in the crime, helping to throw Basu from the car and later extricating her battered body from it.

[3] Basu's death shocked people nationwide and prompted the United States Congress to make carjacking a federal felony.

[6][7] In addition, several states, including Maryland, have passed tougher carjacking laws because of the Basu attack, which drew national attention when it occurred.

Lilley is a retired Howard County police sergeant, who had investigated the Basu case some twenty years prior to writing his book.