A Killer by Design: Murderers, Mindhunters, and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mind

by Ann Wolbert Burgess, Steven Matthew Constantine (With)

Overview

Written by the forensic nurse who transformed the way the FBI profiles and catches serial killers, this thought-provoking book takes an intimate look at the creation of the Behavioral Science Unit–the inspiration for Hulu’s Mastermind documentary.

In the 1970s, the FBI created the "Mindhunters" (better known as the Behavioral Science Unit) to track down the country's most dangerous criminals. In A Killer By Design, Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess reveals how her pioneering research on sexual assault and trauma helped the FBI capture some of history’s most violent offenders, including Ed Kemper (The Co-Ed Killer), Dennis Rader (BTK), Henry Wallace (The Taco Bell Strangler), and Jon Barry Simonis (The Ski-Mask Rapist).

This book pulls us directly into the investigations as she experienced them, interweaving never-before-seen interview transcripts, crime scene drawings, and her personal insight about the minds of deranged criminals and the victims they left behind.

Haunting and deeply human, A Killer By Design forces us to confront the age-old question that has long plagued our criminal justice system: "What drives someone to kill, and how can we stop them?"

As Featured on ABC 20/20 

One of Amazon's "Best True Crime" Books

A "Best Book of the Month" Pick for Amazon (December 2021)

An Apple Audio "Must-Listen" (December 2021)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780306924873
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	10/18/2022
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	31,927
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 5.40(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess, DNSc., APRN, is a leading forensic and psychiatric nurse who worked with the FBI for over two decades. She is currently a professor at the Boston College Connell School of Nursing, and she lives in Boston, MA.

Steven Matthew Constantine (cowriter) is the assistant director of marketing and communications at the Boston College Connell School of Nursing. He holds an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars and lives in Boston, MA.

Table of Contents

Author's Note xi

Introduction: It Starts with a Test 1

Chapter 1 When the FBI Calls 7

Chapter 2 The Bomb Shelter 28

Chapter 3 Profiling the Profilers 48

Chapter 4 Reading the Crime Scene 67

Chapter 5 A Female Killer 82

Chapter 6 My Best Friend Missy 109

Chapter 7 Victimology 101 129

Chapter 8 Beneath the Mask 141

Chapter 9 "There's No Cookbook" 160

Chapter 10 A Deeper Look 166

Chapter 11 Fantasy or Reality, You Can't Have Both 185

Chapter 12 Patterns of Dismemberment 198

Chapter 13 Reading Between the Lines 217

Chapter 14 Bind Them, Torrure Them, Kill Them 227

Chapter 15 Ego Will Be Your Downfall 241

Chapter 16 Gazing into the Abyss 253

Chapter 17 The Monster Within 279

New Bonus Chapter: Proof of Concept 290

Acknowledgments 309

Sources 313

Index 314

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/18/2021

Forensic and psychiatric nurse Burgess debuts with an affecting memoir about her crucial if largely unknown role in helping the FBI develop criminal profiling tools. In 1974, Burgess, who had long worked with sexual assault and trauma victims, published a groundbreaking paper demonstrating that “sexual violence was more about power and control than the act of sex itself.” Burgess’s discoveries attracted the attention of the FBI, which had been noting an uptick in sex crimes, and resulted in an invitation from agent Roy Hazelwood, the pioneer of profiling sexual predators, to lecture on the topic. She soon assumed a formal role as the head of a criminal personality study dealing with apparently motiveless crimes and serial killers, which would help build a foundation for the creation of accurate profiles. Burgess, who worked for the FBI for decades, was involved in high-profile cases, such as that of the BTK Killer, and concludes that the criminal mind is “simultaneously foreign... while being so disturbingly close to our own.” Admirers of John Douglas’s The Killer Across the Table: Unlocking the Secrets of Serial Killers and Predators with the FBI’s Original Mindhunter will be riveted. Agent: Alice Fried Martell, Martell Agency. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

Of all the colleagues I’ve worked with, Ann is one of the sharpest—and one of the toughest.  Ann’s behind-the-scenes work had a profound impact on the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, since she taught us how to harness the chaos of serial killers’ minds and helped us decipher the undecipherable. I’d recommend that everyone read A Killer By Design; not only is it a great page-turner, but it’s about time Ann’s story was heard.”—JOHN E. DOUGLAS, former FBI criminal profiler and bestselling author of Mindhunter

“My career was shaped after reading the seminal text on sexual homicide co-authored by Dr. Ann Burgess—one of the original Mindhunters. Now, in A Killer By Design, Burgess shows how she helped refine the criminal profiling process, with an acute eye for detail and heartwarming compassion for the victims. This book has quickly become a permanent fixture on my bookshelf and is a must-read for anybody who wants to understand the history of exploring the predator's mind.  Burgess is truly a hero in the fight against evil.”—PAUL HOLES, FBI Task Force Officer, retired cold case investigator, and co-host of Jensen and Holes: The Murder Squad podcast

“I will never forget the first time I heard Ann Burgess speak about her work to a large audience at Penn. We all were mesmerized. Ann brought forensic nursing and her ground-breaking research on crime victims and trauma to the university. She completely upended how law enforcement thinks about victims of trauma and abuse, all while challenging long-held assumptions of American culture. Her story needs to be heard.”—CLAIRE M. FAGIN, Former Dean, Professor Emerita of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Interim President 1993-1994

“As a young FBI criminal profiler walking the halls of the renowned FBI Behavioral Science Unit, I quickly realized that to be successful it was critical to identify professional mentors who possessed the knowledge, skills, and abilities that I aspired to. Ann Burgess was then and still stands out as an icon for me.”—GREGORY M. COOPER, Executive Director of the Cold Case Foundation, Former FBI Profiler

“As the FBI Behavioral Science Unit (BSU) grew and evolved in the late 1970s, Ann Burgess led the way for the Unit’s training, research, and operational work to reach out to mental health professionals beyond the typical investigative/prosecutive perspective. She helped the BSU to add this new perspective and insight to its understanding of the behavior of both offenders and victims. Ann’s new book, A Killer By Design, tells the behind the scenes story of her long term work with the BSU from her unique perspective. I highly recommend this book.”—KENNETH V. LANNING, 20-year member of the FBI BSU and author of Love, Bombs, and Molesters: An FBI Agent’s Journey

“Countless investigators and detectives around the world do work every single day that is based on the research and discoveries of Dr. Ann Burgess—myself included. But here, for the first time, we are able to experience the fascinating—and often heart wrenching—stories behind these facts, figures, and procedures alongside Ann as she worked the cases that would serve as the foundation of criminal profiling. This is a riveting book and will become a staple on the shelves of both experts, and armchair detectives.”—SARAH CAILEAN, Criminal Behaviorist

“With her keen insight, decades of groundbreaking research in a male-dominated field, and relentless commitment to the victims of the worst imaginable crimes, Dr. Burgess has been a bona fide trailblazer in the forensic arena. This poignant, gripping, and long overdue account will soon prove a classic of the true crime genre.”—MICHAEL H. STONE, M.D. & GARY BRUCATO, Ph.D., authors of The New Evil: Understanding the Emergence of Modern Violent Crime

“One of my jobs at the BSU was to get the data that Dr. Burgess was analyzing in Boston to my Police Fellowship Program. I’d compare what the police fellows said on cases with what Dr. Burgess said. The foundational profiling tools we brought into the mix—which helped develop a well-defined, disciplined, and logical approach to the field of criminal profiling—stood the test of time. In A Killer By Design, readers get a behind-the-scenes look of what it was like to be at the forefront of such important work, and it’s a must-read for anyone who wants to know what criminal profiling is really like, outside of movies and tv shows.”—JUDSON M. RAY, M.S., M.Ed., FBI Profiler (ret.)

"An empathetic, insightful behind-the-scenes look at criminal profiling... [which] offers a refreshing perspective."—Library Journal

"Forensic and psychiatric nurse Burgess debuts with an affecting memoir about her crucial if largely unknown role in helping the FBI develop criminal profiling tools."—Publishers Weekly

"In a revelatory book that is brimming with the fascinating coupled with the macabre, Burgess details the inner workings of the depraved mind. The killers profiled vary in scope, from kidnapping murderers in Nebraska to Denis Rader, the BTK killer, though all the crimes are horrific. A Killer by Design shows how the BSU's evolving work has forever changed the law enforcement landscape."—Booklist

"A page-turner I devoured across a single day... Burgess’ book excels in a number of ways, filling in details in the history of how the F.B.I. came to study and understand serial killing and sexual violence, revealing her private thoughts about her own profound contributions."—Psychology Today

"Captivating and chilling... With A Killer by Design, Burgess takes center stage at last, offering important, fascinating new context and details about the history of crime-solving in America. It's an inspiring and meaningful story, too, with its up-close look at people who have dedicated their careers to catching murderers and pushing for justice."—BookPage

"The book provides a fascinating glimpse into the development of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit as well as the minds of serial killers. The excellent narration by Gabra Zackman provides the appropriate intensity and suspense... A great addition to the true-crime library that offers a unique perspective."—Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 06/01/2022

Burgess, a professor of forensic science at Boston Cornell School of Nursing, presents a riveting account of the beginnings of the criminal profiling and her work on many high-profile serial murder cases. In the '70s, her work with sexual assault and trauma victims resulted in a groundbreaking study showing that sexual violence is rooted in a display of power rather than sexual gratification. Her work caught the attention of the FBI, who were witnessing an increase in violent sexual crimes. Burgess discusses how criminal profiling, which was proving to be effective in solving these cases, was in its infancy and still being formed. Several high-profile cases that she worked on are discussed: Dennis Rader (the "BTK Killer"), Ed Kemper, and cases that may not be as well known. Subsequent interviews with the criminals helped reveal patterns and common threads in behavioral traits that would advance the methods of criminal profiling. The book provides a fascinating glimpse into the development of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit as well as the minds of serial killers. The excellent narration by Gabra Zackman provides the appropriate intensity and suspense. VERDICT A great addition to the true-crime library that offers a unique perspective.—Phillip Oliver

Library Journal - Audio

★ 10/01/2021

Burgess (professor at Boston Coll., Connell Sch. of nursing), a trailblazing forensic and psychiatric nurse, details her career working with victims of sexual assault and trauma and her recruitment by the FBI where she shaped the work of the Behavioral Science Unit, particularly regarding serial murders. This book, cowritten by Constantine (director of marketing, Connell Sch. of Nursing), centers Burgess's experiences and perspective while incorporating the history of the BSU and insider details about FBI profiling of crime suspects. She takes care not to sensationalize serial murders and focuses instead on the development of criminal profiling and advocacy for victims. Burgess was often the only woman in these spaces, and she offers a refreshing perspective. Readers interested in the FBI's profiling may also enjoy John Douglas's The Killer Across the Table: Unlocking the Secrets of Serial Killers and Predators with the FBI's Original Mindhunter. VERDICT An empathetic, insightful behind-the-scenes look at criminal profiling that will be appreciated by true crime fans and readers curious about forensic or criminal psychology.—Kate Bellody, SUNY New Paltz

Library Journal