To Jim Blackburn, the former U.S. attorney in Raleigh, it brought back memories of another headline -- about him.

That headline, which ran in The N&O in December 1993, said: "SHATTERED VISION: The Fall of Jim Blackburn."

"I thought, 'Ouch!' Those exact same words were used for me," Blackburn said last week.

If there's anyone who can relate to John Edwards' public humiliation, it's Jim Blackburn. Their sins were different, but each fell hard and from great heights.

Blackburn was the young prosecutor who won a high-profile murder case in 1979 when Green Beret doctor Jeffrey MacDonald was convicted of stabbing his pregnant wife and two small daughters at Fort Bragg. The case inspired the "Fatal Vision" book.

Blackburn eventually entered private practice at a top law firm. In 1993, he checked into a hospital for psychiatric treatment and admitted that he had stolen $230,000 from his law firm to cover lies he made to clients.

Blackburn confessed fully. He gave up his law license and served 3 1/2 months in state prison. In time, he repaid the money. Now Blackburn, 63, is a motivational speaker who talks openly about his crimes and his recovery.

In early 1993, Blackburn's biggest fear was that his crimes would be reported in The N&O. When the story first broke, Blackburn said he thought about rising early so he could steal the paper off his friends' driveways.

After 15 years, he still remembers, word for word, one of The N&O's first headlines about his case: "Star lawyer's career shatters in bizarre deception."

But after The N&O's Sarah Avery approached him, Blackburn decided to talk freely to her. That interview became the basis for "The Fall of Jim Blackburn."

Talking about his case was part of his healing. He needed to end his deception, he decided, and telling his full story was the way to do that, even if it hurt.

"It's the smartest thing I ever did in my life, talking with Sarah," he said. "It was cathartic for me.

"My ability to survive and start my life over is directly related to the fact that people had found out about what I'd done and I didn't have to keep a secret any more."

His advice to us: "Always remember that there's somebody on the other end of that story. It doesn't mean you shouldn't print it. But be sensitive about it."

He declined to offer advice to Edwards. He has known Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, for years. He said only, "I wish them well."

Blackburn said he went through stages of loss. Edwards, who we have not been able to reach, likely is having a similar experience.

Edwards' explanation of his affair to ABC News was found lacking even by his friends and supporters. Perhaps someday he will offer a more complete version. We would like to talk with him.

In the meantime, Blackburn will continue to speak to lawyers, business people and others. "If you put yourself out there, people will help you," he said. "People are basically nice. And forgiving."

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