Criminology Research Project, Inc., Executive Director, Dr. Edward Blackwelder, will bring you updates as developments are made known.  Blackwelder says that a reliable Hardin, Texas, source indicated that the crime rate, at least until now,  rated of “1″ on a scare of 1 to 10.  It seems this statistic will change and Hardin will become a name to be remembered in the anals of crime in America.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is sending in an Evidence Response Team to begin an immediate investigation.

As Executive Director of Criminology Rresearch Project, Inc., I understand that mental illness, like various physical illnesses, is just that…an illness.  However, the added reality of a potential reoccurance of his actions will be, within all probability, a repeat of his original act which would not be the case with other illnesses to the degree that innocent lives would be lost or serioius injury inflicted.   Mental illness is a serious condition however and is no fault of the one suffering from it.  The major problem is that  upon release, be it a week from now or five years from now, Loughner will be given medications to control his urges and actions but only if he properly and regularly takes these medications.  Statististics indicated that this type individual usually does not.

This past Monday the United States Supreme Court, in a 5 -4 decision, made public it’s ruling that the rights of conficted felons are viiolated if they are housed in over-crowded penal institutions.  The results will be a mass release of prison inmates.  This being said I point out that Loughner will not be one of these as he is not going to prison.

Loughner will most probably spend years in confinement but this is not a certainty.  He could be released at anytime which is not a comforting thought.  He will, to some degree, receive supervision which will decrease as he lives out his life in the free world.   My research and “best guess” is that he will not maintain his appropriate medication intake and will revert back to his original diagnoses which brought about the January shooting spree.

Dr. Edward Blackwelder

Executive Director

Criminology Resesarch Project, Inc.

More information will be available soon from Dr. Edward Blackwelder, Executive Director of Criminology Research Project, Inc.

This is what occurs when Ben Laden releases a video that stirs random extremists halfway around the globe to commit a bombing or shooting.  There are many other examples:  the resulting deaths at the Tennessee Unitarian Church, the three police officers killed in Pittsburg, the mass murders at a Virginia Tech University, the Fort Hood mass murders, etc., and the list continues. 

We see stochastic terrorism in media in comments made by many politicians.   Stochastic terrorism, or “hate talk,” has become a common denominator in our political climate today and we must pause to reflect upon its strength and force that causes it to become as lethal is the Arizona shooters Glock .33 magnum weapon.   

Stochastic terrorism activates societies “lone wolves” with its “get your guns” and “someone has to come forward to save the nation” mentality.   The actual “shooter,”  no doubt a mentally ill young man, actually pulled the trigger and should be dealt with.   Nevertheless, what this young former college student did was an inappropriage reaction to the actions of supposedly tempered media commentators and politicians who, for years, have been more interested in winning a political battle or war than tempering the truth by yelling “fire” in a crowded theatre.

I urge you to review the news concerning this tragedy and zero in on the terminology—the words—that have been spewed out.  To someone already mentally sick these words are inflamatory, they are a call for immediate action, they are nothing less than shouting “fire” in the crowded theatre.

Dr. Edward Blackwelder

Criminology Research Project, Inc.

Executive Director

However, recently, a Pizza Hut delivery person returned to his store after having delivered a pizza only to face two armed robbers who threatened both him and the store manager.  The delivery person pulled his weapon and “brought down” at least one of the robbers; ultimately saving the life of the manager and himself. 

While corporate headquarter should be bestowing some type reward upon on this responsive employee he was, instead, terminated from his employment with Pizza Hut!

I am not necessarily anti-gun in attitude at all, in fact, I believe that an individual has a constitutional right to protect himself, his family and his property.  True, the delivery person did violate an employment regulation but the result was positive—he saved two lives!

A company, such as Pizza Hut, can have as many regulations as it wishes but I, the customer, will be the final decision maker as to whether I will frequent a Pizza Hut in the future.  Believe me,  I won’t!

Let’s control guns, certainly, but let’s be reasonable as well.  I do know that when a person is known to be armed that person drastically reduces the likelihood of being robbed, even murdered.  Such was the case not far from the city limits of Piedmont, Alabama, not long ago.  A lady, in the middle of the night, heard someone breaking into her residence.   Having a legal weapon she fired at the burglar.  This burglar didn’t survive.

Good for the lady!  I’m willing to wager that the next potential burglar will think twice before he/she attempts to burglarize this particular residence.

Dr. Edward Blackwelder

Executive Director

Criminology Research Project, Inc.

A valid report indicates that Alabama is the fifth largest per capita supplier of guns used in crimes in other states.  Again, thank goodness for Mississippi, as it is the leading gun supplier.  Georgia, Virginia, South Caroline, and Kentucky, all Southern states, are also among the top ten.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns indicates that 1,561 guns sold in Alabama were used in crimes in other states last year alone.  According to MAIG this indicates a statistic of 33.2 Alabama guns used in crimes for every 100,ooo Alabama citizens which is alot higher that the 14.1 gens per 100,000 for the nation overall.

The Mayors Against Illegal Guns has come out as stating that Alabama is a “supermarket for guns.”  MAIG has come up with a number of options to curb this trend such as making it illegal for someone to purchase a gun for someone else who is, for whatever reason, not qualified by law to make the gun person himself, background check requirements before taking possession of the firearm, requiring gun permits for all handguns, requiring the reporting of lost or stolen guns to law enforcement, and allowing law enforcement to inspect gun dealerships. There is not wrong with any of these ideas afterall, if one has noting to hide why not?

It is important, I must point out, that the public has a constitution right to possess arms however there must be ways to keep these guns away from criminals.  The difficult question is, “Where is the balance?”

Criminology Research Project, Inc., goes not  take a stand on this issue but offers information and research that will enable the seriously minded citizen to know the facts.  It is then the duty of this citizen to vote appropriately.

Dr. Edward Blackwelder

Executive Director

Criminology Research Project, Inc.

Mr. Buckner wrote an article entitled, the preacher and the Predators, for The Anniston Star (October 18, 2009) on Criminology Research Project, Inc., Executive Director, Dr. Edward Blackwelder’s long time ministry to prison inmates and inmate families.  Buckner’s article detailed the numerous infamous serial killers that Dr. Blackwelder had worked with over many years, an article that has been quoted in many criminology class rooms throughout the nation as pointing out that “regeneration,” not “rehabilitation” is the secret to lowering the recedivism rate among our nation’s prison population.

Brett Buchner is commended for his excellent work.  He is a true professional in every respect and deserves recognition of the highest standard.  Brett, according to Criminology Research Project, Inc., Executive Director,  Dr. Edward Blackwelder, “second to none in quality jornalism and will become more and more familiar to the reading public in years to come.”

Criminology Research Project, Inc., congratuates Brett Buckner on having been awarded this most prestegious award.

I thank each and every one of you for the many kind words and numerous cards and e-mails that were sent.  Believe me, not a single one went unnoticed.  While it’s impossible to personally answer each one you can rest assured that either my wife or I read each.

You can expect more from us in the future and I encourage you to visit our Criminology Research Project, Inc., site often.

As always, all questions from serious minded individuals are welcome and every attempt will be made to answer each.  This is an academic oriented site therefore students and professors requests must take precedent.  Nevertheless, each of you that is intersted in crime is encourage to contact CRP, Inc., with your questions.

Dr. Edward Blackwelder

Executive Director

Tonight at 8:00 p.m. EST a two hour docmentary will air on CNN entitled, The Atlanta Child Murders.  I have had the distinct privilege of working with the professionals at CNN for the past year in researching the series of murders that took place in the  Atlanta, Georgia, metropolitan area that, in 1982, culminated in the arrest, trial, and conviction of an unknown black man—Wayne Bertram Williams.

Since 1982 I have called Wayne Williams “my friend.’  He’s this, not because he may or may not be guilty; that he may or may not be a serial murderer; that he may or may not be, as some call him, “A black monster.”  I call Wayne “my friend” because I have come to know him as most never will and have come to see the human side of this particular inmate that very few other have. 

This is a brief recap of my ministry to infamous sadistic serial killer Wayne Bertram Williams.

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In 1982 I was a criminology college professor and departmental chairperson at a large Alabama community college.  I also directed an academic crime laboratory which presented the opportunity to work with prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys in a variety of criminal cases.

I well remember on late afternoon when my secretary informed me that I had a telephone call from an attorney in Atlanta.  What in the world would an Atlanta attorney be calling me, a small time college professor from a small community hardly anyone had ever hear of?

I took this call and my life has never been the same.  Here’s why.

The caller was Atlanta attorney Mary Welcome requesting that I travel to her city to review and give an opinion on an undetermined amount of physical evidence that the State of Georgia had against her client—Wayne Williams.  This was the first time I had ever heard the name.  I had read several newspaper articles concerning the murders of young children in the Atlanta area but William’s name had never been mentioned.

I agreed to drive to Atlanta for a single meeting—one meeting—and left the safety of my academic nest for the Peach State’s capital city.  The trip wasn’t remarkable in any way and didn’t actually take as long as I had anticipated. 

I arrived, found Mrs. Welcome’s office, parked and went inside.  I was met by a young male attorney that introduced himself as being the brother-in-law of a former fraternity brother of mine.  I had suddenly had my very first question answered, “How did you get my name?”

I waited for a very few minutes, just long enough to drink a cup of coffee, and was then ushered into Mrs. Welcome’s average looking office.  So this is what an Atlanta attorney’s office looks like, I remember thinking.

Mrs. Welcome was most gracious and immediately got to the point of my visit.  She had recently be hired by the parents of a young black man that had been arrested by a police task force and accused of having kidnapped and murdered a number of young black children and adults.  Here I hear the name for the second time—Wayne Williams.

I reviewed her “Brady” evidence, gave my opinion, was taken to lunch by Mrs. Welcome and her legal crew and then headed back to Alabama never to return.

This was not to be as I soon received a second telephone call asking that I consider becoming a member of William’s defense team.  Me, a college professor from a small town in Alabama, becoming a member of the criminal defense team of, at that time, the most highly publicized serial murderer in American history?  At the time I didn’t know if this was an opportunity of a lifetime or a curse—I would definitely find out later.

I remember the first time Wayne and I met face-to-face.  It was in the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta.  He didn’t appear to be a criminal as many think a person accused of a crime is suppose to look.  He didn’t have blood dripping from his hands, his eyes didn’t appear as beads, his handshake was strong and firm and he was polite; heck, he wasn’t even foaming at the mouth.

Wayne and I sat down at a small table and began talking.  He ask me questions, the usual ones, and I did the same.  We learned who each other was and, as best we could, came to an agreement as to who we were, what we would be doing for each other, etc.

For whatever reasons Mrs. Welcome soon stepped aside and a Mississippi Attorney, Al Binder, came to Atlanta to assume the role of lead attorney for Williams.  It would be Al Binder that I would sit next to in the courtroom of the Fulton County Courthouse during the nine or so week criminal trial of Wayne Williams. 

To say that my “new position” created an opportunity to see a big time trial from the inside is an understatement.  You can only imagine what it was like; media from throughout the world, even Switzerland;  reporters so thickly standing in front of the courthouse each morning that I was forced to be “delivered” into the courthouse basement by automobile.  Walking from the Atlanta Downtown Hilton had become an impossibility just had eating a quite meal.  No one would leave me alone…not for a moment.

I’m not going to say whether Wayne Williams is guilty or not…I don’t know.  I only know a jury found him to be on February 27, 1982, and he’s presently inmate number 408135 at Hancock State Prison located in Sparta, Georgia. 

Daily, throughout the 1982 trial, I met with Wayne to discuss trial strategy and, when we had time, to just “shoot the bull” about common, ordinary things: football, baseball, music, etc.  My daily lunch ended up being in the “holding cell” at the Fulton County Courthouse where Wayne and I dined on hamburgers, fries and a Coke or two from a nearby MacDonald’s.  The meals were unusual at all, the company, however, certainly was.  I was becoming friends with the most infamous serial killer in American history and I was beginning to like him!

Let me stop here to emphasize that I will not say, nor imply, that I think Wayne Williams is innocent.  He may well be guilty of the close to thirty dastardly murders of which he is accused.   However, I must point out that he was convicted and sentenced for having committed only two of these murders and both of them were of adults not children.

For nine long weeks, seven days per week, I was in Atlanta working with various legal oriented professional who were cast into the role of providing an adequate criminal defense to this infamous sadistic serial murderer merely because he, just as every American, has the constitutional right to such.  Remember, in theory at least, everyone is assumed innocent until proven guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt and to a moral certainly.” 

At the conclusion of tonight’s CNN two hour documentary you will have the opportunity to cast your vote:  guilty, not guilty, or not proven.  You have one vote with three choices and I encourage each of you to take a moment to cast your vote. 

Let me point out from a criminological point of view that Wayne Williams was arrested, charged, tried and convicted of two murders.  But police statistically cleared 22 additional cases, one of which Wayne Williams was not charged.  Therefore, police show a clearance rate of 85.8% in these particular murders attributed to Wayne although they made arrests in only 6.9%.

Equally important is the fact that Wayne was jailed in June of 1981, and the authorities stopped counting and adding names to “The List.”  The Atlanta police-FBI Uniform Crime Reort tabulations show seven (7) unsolved killings of blacks—ages 15 60 25—in Atlanta’s city limits from July through December of 1981 after Wayne Williams was locked up in jail!

When I made this earlier mentioned first trip to Atlanta I had already been teaching criminal justice and criminology for several years during which time I had visited correctional facilities on a regular basis.  My theory is that a student can learn so much from a book but the total learning experience must include a certain amount of “hands on” experience.  This theory allowed students to accompany me when I went to visit the likes of Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy and many others.   The students, no doubt, met Wayne and seemed to like him rather well. 

To make a very long story a bit shorter, from 1964 until present I have regularly gone into correctional facilities in a number of states and, at the suggestion of one of my Liberty University minister friends, narrowed my work to death row inmates and serial killers.   Today I continue to work more with this group than the broader overall prison population although I do, quite regularly, work with inmates serving lesser sentences.

It wasn’t long into my “prison experiences” that I noticed the large recidivism  rate, the percentage of inmates being released only to return to prison.  It didn’t take a Ph.D. to figure out that rehabilitation wasn’t working.

By now I  had experienced the saving grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and was learning that He, through “regeneration,” lowers this above mentioned recidivism rate.  In short, rehabilitation doesn’t work—regenerations does!  Here I invite you to read 2 Cor. 5:17 for the answer as to why.

During my many prison visits I began to interject more and more “Jesus” into my interviews.  I got to the point that I was preaching more than I was researching which goes to show that, yes, God does work in mysterious ways indeed.

You can call it “funny,” “odd,” “peculiar” or whatever adjective suits your desires but I can only call it “God doing His thing.”

The more I told  inmatse about Jesus the more they seemed to become interested.  I point out the importance of the word “seemed” as those of us experienced in ministering to our nation’s prison population well know how inmates will make every attempt and exert every effort to “use” the new guy to get what they want.  I, for sure, experienced my share of being used and, out of necessity, I soon learned to spot it, stop it, and proceed without it.

This article, however, is not about other infamous inmates, it’s about Wayne Williams.  My wife says I’m great at getting “off point” and I think I just did!

Anyway, due to a combination of economics, sociology, psychology , politics and plain hysteria Wayne Williams was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences and was transported to the Georgia Receiving and Diagnostic facility in Jackson, Georgia.  This is where I next visited with Wayne.

Football, baseball, etc., were our main Jackson topics but there was one more….Jesus!   I was serious about salvation by this time but I wasn’t at all sure that Wayne was.   I had to make sure—this is what Christians are supposed to do you know.

I bought Wayne a Bible but wasn’t allowed to give it to him since it came from the “outside,” therefore I secured one from the institutional chaplain and gave it to him. 

I remember so well that the first verse we read was, as mentioned earlier, 2 Corinthians 5:17 which talked about regeneration, becoming a new person, staring over, etc. 

I liked Wayne—I certainly didn’t agree with what he had been found guilty of having done—but I felt compassion, Christian love and a sense of duty to the guy.

Wayne was receptive to hearing The Word and I diligently “put it to him” in no small doses.   I didn’t do anything but God sure did!   Wayne, after a rather lengthy theological discourse looked at me and said, “Eddie, you believe all this stuff don’t you? You really believe that I can go to heaven when I die.”    Not shocked, but a bit surprised, I answered that I believed it to the point of knowing that a person would go to heaven if certain things took place and that he as much as anyone could gain this assurance to the point of being as sure of heaven as he would be if he were already there. 

Time passed, visits continued, our friendship survived several bouts of disagreement, but God continued to work.  My friends, God won!

It was midday when Wayne prayed the sinners’ prayer.    It was just the three of us; God, Wayne, and me.

The Bible tells us that Christians have differing talents that must be used for His good.  It says, also, that every Christian has one common talent—the talent to witness and that we must witness to all people.   This is not a suggestion, my friend, it is a commandment directly from God Almighty!  For those that just may not understand the word “all,” let me give you Webster’s definition: 

ALL:  The total entity or extent of; the whole number, amount, or quantity; every; any whatsoever; each and everyone.

Remember as well that God didn’t make any junk—not a single piece.  Each one of us was made in the likeness of Him and this includes Wayne Williams.   You might as well grow accustomed to the idea, friends, its God telling you this, not me.  You may disagree and if you do the only thing I can suggest is that you take it up with The Master, after all He wrote it!

I ask you this…..how long has it been since you ministered to a prison inmate or an inmate family member?  The Bible speaks throughout about the necessity of ministering to this particular groups of individuals and I urge you to stop using the Bible as  a Sears-Roebuck catalog and read everything in it including the verses that command us to go into the prisons and minister to these incarcerated souls.

I have invited many so-called Christians over the years to accompany me to prison church services—very few have ever gone.  Their reasons are: “I’d be scared to death”—“I wouldn’t know what to say,” Would they want to talk about their crime,” etc.

Ministry friends, I have been going into prisons from California to New York and I’ve never been threatened, harassed, or hurt by a single inmate.  In fact, just the opposite is true with one exception.   These men and women are just like you and me and, believe me, any of us, under circumstances,  could find ourselves exactly where these people are.   (By the way, the exception was “The Clown Killer,” John Wayne Gacy, who made the single threat upon my life that I have received directly from an inmate).

I must say this about being a prison minister—it’s not easy.   The problem isn’t with the inmates or inmate family member; the problem is with what the inmates refer to as the “free world population.”   This free world population is you and me—those of us who have never committed a crime or, at least, have never been caught!

Sadly, the free world population does seem to look with distain upon us prison ministers and among these looking with distain, the most vocal are our good Christian brothers and sisters.   Yep, you didn’t mis-understand,  our church going, singing in the choir, Amen corner, Sunday go to meeting Christians are the last to support a prison ministry, last to say, “Preacher, you’re doing a great job,” last to contribute toward the purchase of a gallon or two of gasoline and, last but not least, the last to forgive!

In closing I must say that practically all of the more infamous inmates I have ministered to are certainly guilty as charged, there’s no doubt about this.   Nevertheless, in the scheme of theology and Christian witnessing this does not matter and should be of no concern to your witnessing potential. 

Listen people, if we got what we deserve we would all go to hell….every single one of us without exception.   It’s only by the grace of God, the death of His Son Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary, that we have a choice between spending eternity in a beautiful place called heaven or an eternity in a literal place of fire called hell. 

You have these two choices for your eternal future, I have these choices and, accept it whether you like it or not, every inmate in every prison does as well. 

Is Wayne Williams going to heaven when he dies—-yes!    Am I sure that he will—absolutely.   How do I know?   I know because I believe in God, I believe in His Son Jesus Christ, I believe in the death, burial, and resurrection.   I believe that every letter of every word of every verse of every book in the Holy Bible is the literal truth and Word of God without exception.

Finally, I encourage you to watch tonight’s CNN presentation, The Atlanta Child Murders, and decide for yourself whether you believe that Wayne Williams is guilty of killing almost thirty black children and young adults or not.  Don’t forget to vote at the conclusion of the documentary.  I understand you will have an hour following the ending of the broadcast to cast your vote.

Also, the broadcast times have changed a bit due to the oil spill.  Here are the new times:

Initial CNN airing:  8:00 p.m. EDT

Re-airing:  10:00 p.m. EDT This documentary

This documentary will be re-broadcast several additional times over the following week and you can get these times by visiting my criminology web-site at: www.criminologyresearch.org

Bible References

Prisons

Judg. 16:21

Ps. 142:7

Matt. 14:10

Acts 5:19

Acts 16:27

1 Kings 22:27

Rev. 18:2

Prisoner

Ps. 102:20

Ps. 146:7

Matt. 27:15

Rom. 7:23

Eph. 3:1

2 Tim. 1:8

Dr. Edward Blackwelder

Executive Director

Criminology Research Project, Inc & Liberty Chaplain Ministries

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Van der Sloot was apparently without funds therefore he demanded money from Miss Holloway’s family to the tune of $250,000 and actually received $15,000.  This $15,000 was used by van der Sloot to travel to Peru where evidence indicates he killed Stephany Flores who met the Dutchman while playing poker at a casino.

The very man that killed Natalee Holloway traveled to his next known criminal spree on Holloway funds!

So many times individuals, especially those in a desperate situation, will illogically contribute to the criminal spree of an derranged person by giving them money therefore this is no surprise.  It’s sad, so sad, but not without precedent.

This comes at no surprise as Miss Holloway’s family is groping for anything that casts the slightest possibility of a safe return of their daughter.  Rational thinking and judgment doesn’t plug into the formula in cases such as this.

Criminology Research Project, Inc., urges anyone that receives a demand such as this to do two things: 1. Don’t provide the funds and, 2. contact the FBI immediately.

Now Miss Holloway’s family is out $15,000, Natalee remains missing and another young lady is dead.

The best that can be hoped for is civil action to recover the lost funds, which, under the circumstances is unimportant, and to never give up hope.  Hope is the only thing Miss Holloway’s family have at the moment.

Plus, its interesting to note that we now know that there were legal routes that could and should have been taken advantage of that, for whatever reason, weren’t.  What a shame and what a blight on our criminal justice system.

This is, more than likely, going to be a long, drawnout case and, in my opioion we have only seen the tip of the iceberg.  We can only hope and pray, yes pray, that criminal justice officials in Peru, Chile, and Aruba.  With in inbreeding apparent within these “professional” organizations it’s highly unlikely that anyone’s going to be satisfied when the story crosses the finish line.

To the Holloway family I say only that you shouldn’t feel guilt for having funded van der Sloot’s latest crime spree.  You were, afterall, merely grasping for straws in an ongong effort to locate and bring back your daughter.

I seriously doubt that Natalee and Stephany are the only two victims of van der Sloot but there’s no evidence to say that is is correct.  Knowing and believing is not proving.  Proof and only proof is all that counts.  Plus, of course, it would be nice to know that there are unbiased, professional, and knowledgable investigators doing due diligence.  For the latter—I wonder.

My prayer is that justice will prevail but I seriously doubt it will bring any significant degree of closure.  If is justice does prevail it won’t bring Natalee back to Alabama nor will it bring life back to Stephany Flores.

Finally, as for justice, I understand that in the almost certain event van der Sloot is tried and convicted his sentence is likely to be no more than thirty five years in prison!

Dr. Edward Blackwelder

Executive Director