Criminology Research Project Inc.

I was contacted today concerning the Ted Bundy case.  I pulled my Bundy files, twenty-six folders and three boxes, reviewed everything.  There are several photographs of Bundy on this site should you want to get a look at him.

During my several visits with Bundy, I found him in his “killer mode” only one time.  Practically all of the time he was the most polite, well spoken and the most academically inclined individual that I have ever interviewed.  I always told my classes that he would be the only person I would trust to drive my daughter, if I had one, home should there be a serial killer on the loose.  He was the kind of young man a father would want his daughter to date. Everything about  him was near perfect 99% of the time.  It was that 1% percent that made him what we remember.

My last scheduled visit with Ted was the day before his execution.  I already had hotel reservations, had been cleared by the prison and was packed and ready to head for Starke and Florida State Prison.  At the last minute my father had a severe heart attack and I had to cancel my visit.  I did, however, talk to Ted on the phone only hours before his execution.  He was up-beat, satisfied, and ready to “take the trip.”  I talked to the Prison Chaplain shortly after Ted’s execution and was told that “everything went without problem.”  Bundy was tired of being “Bundy,” and realized that he could never change.  He was aware that, while each murder would be his last, there would be others.  The ability to control his actions was beyond his capability.  This is typical of an individual suffering from Anti-Social Personality Disorder.  APD is not a defense as the individual knows what he or she is doing is wrong…they just cannot control their actions.  These killers must be apprehended so that society can be safer, but I, to some extent, feel sorry for each of them.  Bundy was not a serial killer because he wanted to be.  He was a serial killer because he had no choice.  Many of you will disagree with me on this point and, if you do, I understand.  It took me many years, and much intensive research, to come to an understanding.   Now, however, I understand and accept the APD diagnosis.  It is real, not pretty and not acceptable, but it exists and must be dealt with.  There is no argument that APD exists and must be dealt with, the differences of opinion are in how it must be approached.  I will be happy to attempt to explain it to you should you have a desire to understand the realities of this personality disorder.

Off all the serial killers I have interviewed, Bundy was the most educated.  He held a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and knew the subject well.  He described himself as, “someone society needs to be protected from.”  He said that, “I am cosmic and you, Professor Blackwelder, would be better off if you were, too.”  Till this day, I don’t know what he meant by this.

Bundy was executed by electrocution, cremated, and his ashes scattered over the area where he had dumped some of his victims.  Cremation is the generally accepted standard as the public offers money to “buy” a serial killers remains. 

His mother would talk about Ted, her son, but always spoke in the present tense.  I have not heard from her in several years but will make an effort to call her soon.

At the moment, I am preparing to travel to Sparta, Georgia, to interview Wayne Williams.  This visit will last for approximately two days, followed by a “media consultation” with CNN.  A two hour documentary is scheduled for the latter part of this year and will, no doubt, prove to be an event that you must watch.  The CNN producer in charge is well known and wrote/produced the Jim Jones documentary as well as the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination documentary that aired only a few months ago.

I know that you are probably interested in Wayne William’s personality.  Wayne, I have known him since 1982, is very polite, loves to talk, goes out of his way to accommodate my wife and me, and continues to maintain his innocence.  He calls me “collect” two or three times a week.

During his 1982 criminal trial, I got to know his parents, Homer and Faye, very well.  In fact, I ate many a meal at the William’s home and always enjoyed “Miss Faye’s” fried chicken, green peas and potatoes.  They were typical retired teachers and loved their son without reservation.

Miss Faye died several years ago after a long battle with cancer.  Homer only recently passed away.  My wife and I visited with Mr. Williams at his Columbus, Georgia, residence about four months before his death and tape recorded our three hour conversation.  It would absolutely amaze you as to what Mr. Williams had to say!  If the jury had only known some of what he said and if, of course, “politics” had not influenced the decision of the jury.  None of the evidence meant a lot to the jury, after all they had to live in the Atlanta area after the trial.  What person would want to have the distinction of being on a jury that found a serial killer innocent?  Let me make the point that Wayne Williams was determined to be “guilty” long before his arrest.  To a large extent Wayne was his own worst enemy.  He taunted the establishment and made law enforcement “want him” in the worst way.  Constitutional rights were non-existent, evidence meant little and convicting “someone” was a must!

But, the murders stopped after Williams was arrested.  WRONG!  The murders of young children continued long after Wayne was arrested, tried, found guilty and sent to prison.  On the surface it may appear that the murders stopped, however the fact is, the media stopped covering them.  “The List” was discontinued and every effort was made to satisfy the public.  It worked for a while in that the convention trade picked up and everything, pretty much, returned to normal.  Now, 2009, reality may be raising it’s head.  If so, and the attorney representing Wayne can fight the up-hill battle to control the politicians, you will be surprised at what comes out.

There have been many misconceptions created about Bundy and Williams over the years.  After all, the average citizen only hears what the media says and never takes the time to actually research the facts.  I came to the conclusion many years ago that the average man and woman on the street is satisfied when an arrested individual is found guilty.  After all, Mr. & Mrs. Average go on about their daily routine and completely forget about the case that they had heard about.  There is a mis-conception in America that law enforcement only arrests guilty people!  More on this later, but take my word for it, this is not true.

It is important to know that new evidence has surfaced that may cast a totally new light on Wayne’s case.  Even several high ranking law enforcement officials are now speaking out “for” Wayne. 

I will bring you up-to-date on Wayne’s current legal standing as soon as I return from my trip.  This trip will be an experience, visiting Wayne Williams always is!

While I am away, I ask you to consider the differences in sentences a defendant receives from one court to the next.  Same crime, different sentence!  Take time to think about this.  Why are there different sentences for the same crime?  Think “socioeconomic status,” “race”, ” community folkways and mores,” and “society attitudes.”  If you think that every citizen is treated the same you are wrong.  We are treated differently based on a number of factors.  Do you think that police have the same attitude toward a domestic call to the “upper-class” section of a community as they do to al call to the “lower-class” section of the same community?  Of course not!

It’s been in the media over the past few months about the unconscious man that was beat by police in the Birmingham area by officers that were determined to catch this so called “criminal.”  It was all videoed by a police camera!  But, to cover it up, this video was altered and was only discovered after the altered version did not operate adequately and a member of the District Attorney’s Office requested the original.  This original had not been edited, therefore the entire event was seen.  This one case is not an isolated one.  Police misconduct is not unusual, it happens regularly.

Birmingham Mayor Larry Lankford and Police Chief Roper have taken the correct action by firing the offending officers and suspending their supervisors.  It will be interesting to see how this situation “plays out.”  The attorney for the fired officers says that her clients were merely “going by the book, doing what they had been trained to do.”  I have never read this book for sure.  The ones I have read and taught from stressed the use of the “minimum amount of force” necessary to maintain control and affect an arrest.  Is beating a convicted felon that is not conscious “minimal?”  Go ahead, say this person was already a convicted felon if doing so will satisfy your need to make the police actions acceptable.

Am I anti-law enforcement?  I hope not.  I have defended many police officers over the years.  In fact, many of my former criminal justice students are now law enforcement officers.  I only hope that I instilled in them the difference between “right” and “wrong” along with the fact that the law allows only minimal force.  A police officer cannot beat someone just because they are a “cop.”  Let’s pray that this never becomes the norm.

To made my point, a couple of weeks ago I was with my friends at our early morning breakfast at a local restaurant.  Suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, I must adhere to a rather stringent medication regiment.  I got sick during our gathering and decided to head home for my medications.  I was stopped by a Piedmont police officer and told that I has not driving properly.  This particular officer approached my vehicle very professionally, both psychologically and physically, realizing that the events to follow could be anything.  He saw that I was sick, that I was on medication and that I needed to be at home and not on the road.  This young officer could have carried me to jail because I was definitely not in total control of my vehicle to the extent that public safety demanded.  The officer followed me home and, I am sure, watched to make sure I did, in fact, go into my residence.  I had never seen the officer before, didn’t know his name and don’t know what training he has had in total.  I do know that he was professional in every aspect of his job performance and represented his department and the entire city well.  I wrote a letter of compliment to the Chief of Police stating what an outstanding job this young officer had done and ask that a copy of my letter be permanently placed in his personnel file.

When police officers “step over the line,” it is the responsibility of each of us to demand immediate action, up to and including suspension and termination.  On the other hand, if we are to condemn when an officer is wrong, we are obligated to commend when he or she performs professionally.

Finally, I leave you with one question.  What are the definition of ”legal” and “illegal?”  .  What is legal and acceptable in one geographic location is illegal and unacceptable in another.  Why is gambling legal in one location and illegal in another?  My friend, it has to do with Sociology and what the legislature says is legal and not legal.  Legal and illegal is whatever society says it is.  This, thank goodness, changes from time to time.

I remember when Governor George C. Wallace stood in the doorway of Foster Auditorium on the campus of The University of Alabama to block the admittance of Black students.  At the time “segregation” was in and “integration” was not.  Today, however, our universities are racially mixed and thriving.  There are criminological and sociological terms for this and I will go into each a bit later.

Criminology Research Project, Inc., is in it’s infancy.  The Project, for short, is not another blood and guts
 true crime site for the morbidly curious to key into.  It is a non-profit academic research effort dedicated to social science research from an unbiased position.  The Project does not and will not take a particular position.  Any conclusion drawn will be adequately cited and available for study and review by those within the academic and professional communities.  Our research does not come from the “true crime” section of Books-a-Million but from case documents obtained from the Courts, prosecutors and defense attorneys, victim interviews, defendant interviews as well as input from the families of both parties.  A “total” presentation is a goal of The Project. 

Finally, Susan Atkins, infamous member of the Charles Manson Family, is suffering from terminal brain cancer.  According to her husband, Jim Whitehouse, his wife is 80% paralyzed.  I do know that medical treatment and added hospital security is costing the State of California almost two million dollars per year at a time with the state is having to issue IOU’s rather than pay it’s debts.  Should Susan be given a pardon so that she can die at home with her husband?  I can see both sides therefore I would like your seriously throughout opinion.  When I return on Tuesday or Wednesday I will look forward to finding what you have said.

Criminology Research Project, Inc., has an outstanding Advisory Board.  My special thanks goes to Chris for her dedication to making this site what it is.  The Project could not survive without Chris.  Our webmaster, Carol, is dedicated as well and has the temperament necessary to tolerate professors like me that don’t know a lot about what is going on technology wise.  My thanks to Chris and Carol!