Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060509570 ISBN 13: 9780060509576

Publisher: William Morrow, 2003

From one of the country's most preeminent criminal profilers comes this gripping, behind-the-scenes account of America's most disturbing and complex serial killer and murder investigations. A former Supervisory Special Agent in the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit, Gregg McCrary takes us deep into the minds of the nation's shrewdest and most sinister predators. In The Unknown Darkness, he digs beneath the crime scene to examine in raw first-person detail the lethal competition between the country's deviously dangerous killers and the dedicated professionals who are determined to get them off the streets.

In the basement offices of the FBI Academy at Quantico, Virginia -- now familiar from the books and films The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal -- McCrary served in one of the most elite forces for criminal investigation in the world, profiling criminals for over twenty-five years in more than a thousand cases involving homicide, serial murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault. He takes us inside his process on some of his most fascinating cases, including:

The Sam Sheppard case -- In revisiting this classic case, what new material did McCrary's analysis discover?

The Poet's Shadow -- The strange story of Jack Unterweger and the hunt for an international serial killer that had a bizarre twist.

The Buddhist Temple Massacre -- What did the crime scene reveal about the shocking evil that resulted in the deaths of nine gentle people?

The Unknown Darkness also explores the strengths and pitfalls of modern criminal investigation and offers vivid details about what happens at a crime scene, what is actually involved in bringing a killer to justice, and finally what kind of a person is able to devote his or her life to grappling with the predators among us. Daring to relive the often harrowing experiences of his time with the FBI, McCrary has put together an eye-opening account of ten of America's most frightening and riveting manhunts. He has also written an engrossing narrative on our justice system -- from the perspective of someone who has lived it day to day.

About the Author:

Gregg McCrary is one of the world's most experienced profilers. As a Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit, he reported directly to BSU chief John Douglas, and with other experts, developed the Crime Classification Manual, a system for standardizing violent crimes into categories. Since retiring from the FBI in 1995, he has taught forensic psychology at Marymount University and Nova Southeastern University. McCrary continues to consult and provide expert testimony in cases in which crime scene analysis is key, and provides expert commentary to NBC, ABC, CBS, and CNN.

From Booklist:

Many of us may think we know quite a lot about FBI profilers, but, says the former supervisor of the bureau's behavioral science unit, our knowledge comes almost entirely from fictionalized portrayals in films like Silence of the Lambs and television series like Profiler. The truth, he tells us, is rather different from fiction. This book, cowritten with forensic psychology professor Ramsland, puts profiling in the context of a more comprehensive program called Criminal Investigative Analysis. (Some readers may wonder why the FBI gives its behavioral-assessment program a name whose acronym is CIA.) Using actual cases in which he participated, McCrary demonstrates how profiling is but one part of this multifaceted crime-solving program. His explanation of the nuts and bolts of it all is surprisingly lively and will captivate true-crime fans with a yen to know more about profiling and related investigative practices. David Pitt
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