Special Agent John Douglas, the former chief of the FBI's Investigative Support Unit---the team that tackles the most baffling and senseless of unsolved crimes---will give a talk about his career at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 27, in Strong Auditorium on the University of Rochester's River Campus.
A legendary figure in law enforcement, Douglas is the man who ushered in a new age in behavioral science and criminal profiling. He has hunted some of the most notorious and sadistic criminals of modern time, including the Tylenol poisoner, the Atlanta child murderer, and the Trailside Killer in San Francisco. He examined crime scenes and created profiles of the perpetrators, describing their habits and predicting their next moves. He also developed the first psychological profile of the Unabomer.
Douglas has confronted, interviewed, and studied dozens of serial killers and assassins: Charles Manson, Sirhan Sirhan, Richard Speck, John Wayne Gacy, and David Berkowitz (Son of Sam). Douglas was even the model for a character in the movie The Silence of the Lambs.
Expanding on his national best sellers, Obsession, Mind Hunter, and Unabomber: On the Trail of America's Most Wanted Serial Killer (all co-authored with Mark Olshaker), Douglas's lecture program delivers a fascinating inside look at some of the most intriguing criminal cases of our time.
This event is free and open to the public, and is sponsored by the Outside Speakers Committee.