On This Page
Description
In the #1 New York Times bestseller "Mindhunter," John Douglas, who headed the FBI's elite Investigative Support Unit, told the story of his brilliant and terrifying career tracking down some of the most heinous criminals in history. Using behavioral profiling and criminal investigative analysis to get into the head and psyche of both the criminal and victim -- to feel what they felt at the critical moment -- Douglas helped crack many high profile cases, including the Trailside Killer, the show more Atlanta child murders, and the Tylenol murders. Now, working again with his co-author Mark Olshaker, Douglas delves further into the criminal mind with a series of chilling new cases in "Journey into Darkness." Follow the FBI's premier investigative profiler as he penetrates the minds and motives of the most terrifying serial killers. In "Journey into Darkness," Douglas profiles vicious serial killers, rapists, and child molesters. He is straightforward, blunt, often irreverent, and outspoken, but takes pains not to glorify any of these murderers. Some of the unique cases Douglas discusses include: The Clairemont killer -- Six women were found stabbed to death in San Diego, three in the same apartment complex. In each case, the killer entered through an unlocked door or window in the late morning to early afternoon. A suspect was in custody, tied to one of the murders through a DNA match. Douglas was called upon to use his profiling techniques to link the other five murders to the suspect. Douglas looked at the "signature" of the killer, and found that all the murders were committed by the same man. The prosecution used the profile to force the jury to find the defendant guilty of all six murders, if they felt he was guilty of the one murder. Celophus Prince was found guilty on all counts. The Schoolgirl murders -- What became Canada's "trial of the century." Several schoolgirls disappeared in 1992; their bodies were dumped several weeks later, beaten and sexually attacked. Canadian police agencies contacted the FBI for help on the case and to get a profile on the killer and, according to witnesses, his accomplice. Following the advice of the Investigative Support Unit in Quantico, Canada aired a television special entitled "The Abduction of Kristin French," allowing agent Gregg McCrary to describe the killer's profile on air. Knowing that the murderer and his accomplice would be watching, he planned to confront the unknown killer, assuring him he would be caught. Paul Bernardo was arrested on February 17, 1993, turned in by his wife and partner in crime, Karla Leanne Homolka.. The profile was dead on the money. Richmond's First Serial Murderer -- In 1987, Richmond, Virginia, was struck by a serial rapist/murderer. The Richmond police called upon the Investigative Support Unit in Quantico to make up a profile of the perpetrator. The crimes and profile beared a remarkable resemblance to a string of burglaries, rapes and murders in Alexandria, Virginia, several years before. Agent Steve Mardigian then formulated a complex strategy that caught the killer who fit the profile to a tee. In the process he helped free a wrongly convicted man, who due to his low intelligence level, had become confused and confessed to the crime. The brutal and sadistic murder of Suzanne Marie Collins, a beautiful young Marine on the verge of a brilliant career. The culprit was caught and confessed to her killing, but his story was very different than what really happened. By delving into Sedley Alley's mind, Douglas helped bring the murderer to justice, recreating the evening from the perspective of a sadistic and angry man. Suzanne Collins' horrifying end haunts Douglas to this day. Douglas delves into other cases, including Polly Klaas' abduction and murder by Richard Allen Davis. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
Member Reviews
John Douglas's follow-up to the fascinating Mindhunter isn't quite as good, but still provides compelling reading for those interested in true crime stories, especially serial killers. Douglas, who pioneered profiling, is obviously bursting with knowledge -- this book's style, much like Mindhunter, is almost manic, reflecting Douglas's passionate desire to communicate the ugly realities of real murders and murderers.
One interesting note: Douglas does his own profile of the killer of two young people in a Brentwood, CA home in 1995 (i.e. Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman). His conclusion? The guilty party just might have been a former NFL star . . . .
One interesting note: Douglas does his own profile of the killer of two young people in a Brentwood, CA home in 1995 (i.e. Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman). His conclusion? The guilty party just might have been a former NFL star . . . .
Eh, wasn’t bad…I liked Mindhunter a ton better. This one started out similar, but then suddenly devoted multiple chapters to a single crime out of no where and was kind of used to push an agenda. It’s not bad but it was a weird way to go halfway through the book. Still enjoyable, but I think
I’ll take a break from these for a bit.
I’ll take a break from these for a bit.
A good quick read but not as good as I had hoped. Meandered from topic to topic for a number of chapters.
Follow the FBI's Premier Investigative Profiler as He Penetrates the minds and motives of the most terrifying serial criminals.
If you ever wanted to know how to profile a murder scene, you will learn it here.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Books read in 1997
22 works; 1 member
Author Information
12 Works 7,415 Members
32+ Works 8,506 Members
Novelist and journalist Mark Olshaker was born in Washington, D.C., on February 28, 1951. He graduated from George Washington University in 1972. Olshaker was a special correspondent for the St. Louis Dispatch in the 1970s. Although best known for his collaborations with former FBI profiler and world-renowned criminal psychologist John Douglas show more (beginning with Mindhunter), he also written Virus Hunter: Thirty Years of Battling Hot Viruses Around the World, and The Edge. As a filmmaker, he was the writer and director of Discovering Hamlet (1990), a behind-the-scenes documentary of Kenneth Branagh's first theatrical encounter with the character he would eventually bring to the big screen. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Distinctions
Series
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Original title
- Journey Into Darkness: Follow the FBI's Premier Investigative Profiler As He Penetrates the Minds and Motives of the Most Terrifying Serial Killers
- Original publication date
- 1997-02-20
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 363.259523 — Society, government, & culture Social problems and social services Public Safety - Police, Crime Investigation Police services Criminal investigation & forensics Investigation of specific types of offenses
- LCC
- HV7914 .D66 — Social sciences Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminal justice administration Police. Detectves. Constabulary
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 969
- Popularity
- 27,244
- Reviews
- 5
- Rating
- (3.79)
- Languages
- 5 — Dutch, English, French, German, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 22
- ASINs
- 9
