This is the Zodiac Speaking: Into the Mind of a Serial Killer - Hardcover

Kelleher PhD, Michael D.; Van Nuys, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0275973387 ISBN 13: 9780275973384

Publisher: Praeger Publishers Inc, 2001

Synopsis

California was thrown into a paralysis of fear in 1969, distraught over the unsolved murders of the Zodiac killer. The Zodiac became the most elusive and frustrating adversary ever encountered by the law enforcement community in the San Francisco Bay Area. A series of letters, allegedly written by the murderer himself and published in local newspapers, only added to the mystery and panic. Over 30 years after he exploded onto the headlines of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Zodiac serial killer remains an enigma that is unparalleled in the history of crime in America, and the case remains unsolved. Violence expert Michael Kelleher and psychologist David Van Nuys attempt to provide a glimpse into the mind of this mysterious murderer. Kelleher and Van Nuys reconstruct the crime scenes, delve into the records, and psychoanalyze the Zodiac's letters to newspapers and the law enforcement agencies. The facts of the case and the fragmentary glimpses of the Zodiac's psychodynamics that came through his letters forced the authors, reluctantly, to draw a conclusion that is sure to be controversial-namely, that the Zodiac suffered from multiple personality disorder. They also debunk many popular legends and myths about the case, laying out the limited facts that we do have on the notorious Zodiac.

About this title

Review:

"Michael Kelleher and David Van Nuys have combined journalistic and psychological skills to resurrect the Zodiac Case and give it new life. I was among the uniformed officers searching for Zodiac 30 years ago. Back then, we were never provided the kind of specific facts and theories so well compiled by Kelleher and Van Nuys, nor did we have these psychological profiling capabilities available to us. This excellent rendering of Zodiac's evil psyche could have made a difference. As it is, this deft analysis raises the possibility that the Zodiac may still be among us. We may get him yet!"-Alan W. Benner, Ph.D San Francisco Police Department 35 years service, retired as SFPD's Chief Psychologist

About the Author:

MICHAEL D. KELLEHER, who has written widely on the subject of violence, specializes in threat assessment, strategic management, and human resources management for organizations in the private and public sectors. He is the author of When Good Kids Kill (1998), Murder Most Rare (1998), Profiling the Lethal Employee (1997), Flash Point: The American Mass Murderer (1997), and New Arenas for Violence (1996), all published by Praeger. DAVID VAN NUYS is Chair of the Psychology Department at Sonoma State University in Northern California. He serves on the board of directors of Division 32 (Humanistic Psychology) of the American Psychological Association. Van Nuys earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan and has worked as a licensed psychotherapist in both New Hampshire and California. A frequent public speaker, he has also published in professional journals, popular magazines and was the author of a nationally syndicated newspaper column. In addition to his university teaching, Van Nuys is President of e-FocusGroups, a market research consulting firm.

About this edition

• Publisher: Praeger Publishers Inc
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0275973387
• ISBN 13: 9780275973384
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272