Cases of the FBI's Original Mindhunter – serie

The legendary FBI criminal profiler and international bestselling author of Mindhunter and The Killer Across the Table returns with this timely, relevant book that goes to the heart of extremism and domestic terrorism, examining in-depth his chilling pursuit of, and eventual prison confrontation with Joseph Paul Franklin, a White Nationalist serial killer and one of the most disturbing psychopaths he has ever encountered.Worshippers stream out of an Midwestern synagogue after sabbath services, unaware that only a hundred yards away, an expert marksman and  avowed racist, antisemite and member of the Ku Klux Klan, patiently awaits, his hunting rifle at the ready. The October 8, 1977 shooting was a forerunner to the tragedies and divisiveness that plague us today. John Douglas, the FBI’s pioneering, first full-time criminal profiler, hunted the shooter—a white supremacist named Joseph Paul Franklin, whose Nazi-inspired beliefs propelled a three-year reign of terror across the United States, targeting African Americans, Jews, and interracial couples. In addition, Franklin bombed the home of Jewish leader Morris Amitay, shot and paralyzed Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt, and seriously wounded civil rights leader Vernon Jordan. The fugitive supported his murderous spree robbing banks in five states, from Georgia to Ohio.Douglas and his writing partner Mark Olshaker return to this disturbing case that reached the highest levels of the Bureau, which was fearful Franklin would become a presidential assassin—and haunted him for years to come as the threat of copycat domestic terrorist killers increasingly became a reality. Detailing the dogged pursuit of Franklin that employed profiling, psychology and meticulous detective work, Douglas and Olshaker relate how the case was a make-or-break test for the still-experimental behavioral science unit and revealed a new type of, determined, mission-driven serial killer whose only motivation was hate.A riveting, cautionary tale rooted in history that continues to echo today, The Killer's Shadow is a terrifying and essential exploration of the criminal personality  in the vile grip of extremism and what happens when rage-filled speech evolves into deadly action and hatred of the “other" is allowed full reign.The Killer's Shadow includes an 8-page color photo insert.

From John Douglas—the legendary FBI criminalprofiler, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and inspirationfor the Netflix show Mindhunter—comesa chilling journey inside the mind and crimes of Larry Gene Bell, one of themost dangerous serial killers Douglas confronted, and the desperate effort toidentify and catch him.On May 31, 1985, two days before her highschool graduation, Shari Smith was abducted from the driveway of her familyhome in South Carolina. Based on the crime scene and the abductor’s repeatedand taunting calls to the family, law enforcement quickly realized theywere dealing with a sophisticated and highly dangerous criminal. A letter arrivedthe next day entitled “Last Will & Testament,” in which Shari, knowing shewas to be murdered, wrote bravely and achingly of her love for her parents,siblings, and boyfriend, saying that while they would miss her, she knew theywould persevere through their faith. The abduction rocked her quiet town,triggering a massive manhunt and bringing in the FBI, which enlisted profilerJohn Douglas. A few days later, a phone call told the family where they couldfind Shari’s body.Then nine-year-old Debra May Helmick waskidnapped from her yard, confirming the harsh realization that Smith’s murderwas no random act. A serial killer was evolving, and the only way to stop himwould be to use the study of criminal behavior to anticipate his next movebefore he could kill again. Douglas devised a risky and emotionally fraughtstrategy to use Shari’s lookalike older sister Dawn as bait to draw out theunknown subject. Dawn and her parents courageously agreed.One of the most haunting investigations ofDouglas’s storied career, this case details how theeerily accurate profile he created—alongside his carefullycrafted and stage-managed manipulation of the killer’s psychology—combined withdedicated police work and cutting-edge forensic science to end a reign ofcriminal terror. As Shari’s family took incredible personal risks to lure herkiller from the shadows, Douglas and the FBI pushed criminal profiling to itslimits, culminating in one of his most dramatic andeffective confrontations with a sadistic and remorseless killer.