I got no work done in the Server Room after all. Saturday's presentation by former FBI Profiler and best-selling author John Douglas was quite interesting. Despite any stereotypes depicted by Hollywood (or from personal experiences) Douglas was easy-going, personable, and pleasant to work with on a one-to-one basis. His presentation was entertaining, fascinating, though at times intense. The former criminal profiler (one of the creators of the profession) talked about some of the most notorious and horrific cases of modern times such as: Charles Manson, O.J. Simpson, Unibomber, the Atlanta child murderer, the Green River Killer, and BTK — cases he either investigated, consulted, or in which he interviewed the parties involved. Only two images in the presentation were just too intense for many (myself included) to view –murder scene photos– and the speaker warned the audience in advance. Douglas spoke of the motives and behaviors of the monsters who commit such acts. He spoke of interviewing the killers and what techniques he used to get "inside their heads." He also discussed the planning some use in the commission of their crimes. Particularly fascinating and chilling were the draftsman-like drawings, plans from the notebooks of the BTK killer illustrating the devices he intended to use complete with realistic sketches of victims in them. All-in-all the subject matter was terrifying and it's surprising Douglas, and other law enforcement officers, can deal with such cases and stay centered. It is also reassuring, in some small way, to know that men like Douglas are out there to help find and stop the killers and get them locked up. Unpleasant facts: There are, at any given time, between 35 and 50 serial killers in this country. The US is not alone… serial killers are found in every country and in every culture; most, but not all such murderers, are male.
PhotonStopper 