Prosecutors: Man killed for rare first edition of The Wind in the Willows

Prosecutors in England say an antiques dealer was killed by a cold, calculating murderer looking to steal his rare first edition of the classic children's book The Wind in the Willows, worth $64,000.

Police in Oxford found Adrian Greenwood dead at his home in April. He was stabbed and beaten to death, and prosecutors allege Michael Danaher, on trial for his murder, spent several months planning the killing. Police say Danaher discovered Greenwood online, when he was trying to sell the book on eBay, and had a spreadsheet where he listed his robbery targets, noting that he expected to take "rare books" from Greenwood. They also found e-books on his computer with sinister titles like "Opening Locks Without Keys" and "The Technique of Silent Killing," the Los Angeles Times reports.

Danaher has admitted to killing Greenwood, but claims it was in self-defense. The Wind in the Willows, by British author Kenneth Grahame, was first published in 1908, with illustrations later added. The book has been adapted for the stage and screen, and can be read for free at Project Gutenberg.

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