A retired FBI special agent who played a key role in the Unabomber case and was the model for the criminal profiler in "Silence of the Lambs" will speak Wednesday [April 9] at Mississippi State University.
John Douglas of Washington, D.C., will discuss the agency's 16-year Unabomber effort at a free program in Lee Hall Auditorium. Sponsored by the Campus Activities Board, his presentation--which will include a question-and-answer session--begins at 7 p.m.
Douglas recently was hired by John and Patricia Ramsey of Boulder, Colo., to help solve the December murder of their 6-year-old daughter, JonBenet. The case is receiving worldwide attention.
Douglas is the author, with Mark Olshaker, of the best-selling "Unabomber: On the Trail of America's Most Wanted Serial Killer." Former head of the FBI's Investigative Support Unit, Douglas developed the first psychological profile of the then-unknown killer.
He was the model for the Scott Glenn character in "Silence of the Lambs," the 1991 Academy Award-winning movie that also won best acting Oscars for Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins.
During his 25-year law enforcement career, Douglas also worked on other major serial killer cases, including San Francisco's Trailside Killer, the Atlanta child murders and the Tylenol poisoner, among others.
Douglas, an Air Force veteran who holds a doctorate in education, also teamed with Olshaker to produce "Mind Hunter," another popular book on criminal profiling.
Earlier, he alone wrote two landmark criminology texts, "Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives" and "Motives and Crime Classification Manual."
For additional information on his visit to Mississippi State, telephone Kathryn Matheny or Beth Waltrip at (601) 325-2930.