Robert Ressler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Ressler
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Ressler in 1986
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Robert Kenneth Ressler
February 15, 1937 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Died | May 5, 2013 (aged 76) |
| Alma mater | Michigan State University |
| Occupation | FBI agent, author |
| Known for | Criminal profiling |
| Military career | |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1957–1962 |
| Rank | Major |
Robert Kenneth Ressler (February 15, 1937 – May 5, 2013) was an American FBI agent and writer. He was very important in developing "psychological profiling" in the 1970s. This is a way to understand why criminals act the way they do. After he retired from the FBI, he wrote several books about criminals. He also gave many talks about the study of crime, called criminology.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Robert Ressler grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He went to Schurz High School and finished in 1955. His father, Joseph, worked in security for the Chicago Tribune newspaper. Robert went to community college for two years.
Joining the Army
After college, he joined the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. After two years, he decided to study criminology. He enrolled at Michigan State University. He earned a bachelor's degree there. He started graduate school but went back to the army as an officer.
Military Service
Ressler served in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1962. He was a leader of a team of MPs in Germany. His job was to solve crimes like robberies and fires. After four years, he became the commander of a Criminal Investigation Division (CID) team. This team investigates crimes.
Finishing His Studies
The army paid for him to finish his master's degree. He studied police administration at Michigan State. In return, he served two more years in the army. He spent a year in Thailand and another year at Fort Sheridan. He left the army as a Major. Then, he joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
FBI Career and Profiling
Ressler joined the FBI in 1970. He became part of the Behavioral Science Unit. This unit focuses on understanding the minds of criminals. They create psychological profiles of people who commit serious crimes. These profiles help police understand who they are looking for.
Creating Vi-CAP
Ressler and a retired detective named Pierce Brooks helped create Vi-CAP. Vi-CAP stands for the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. It is a special computer database. It stores information about unsolved serious crimes. Vi-CAP helps different police forces share information. This makes it easier for them to find criminals. It helps them see if the same person is committing crimes in different places.
Later Life and Legacy
Ressler retired from the FBI in 1990. He wrote several books about crime. He also traveled a lot, giving talks to students and police officers. He taught them about criminology.
His Death
Robert Ressler passed away at his home on May 5, 2013. He was 76 years old. He died from Parkinson's disease.
Inspiration for Characters
Robert Ressler's work has inspired many fictional characters.
- The TV show Mindhunter is based on a book by his colleague, John E. Douglas. In the show, the character Special Agent Bill Tench is based on Ressler.
- In 2021, an actor named Jake Hays played Ressler in the movie Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman.
- In 2024, Sean Cameron Michael played Ressler in the TV series Catch Me a Killer (TV series).
Books by Robert Ressler
- Whoever Fights Monsters: My Twenty Years Tracking Serial Killers for the FBI (with Tom Shachtman) (1992)
- Justice Is Served (with Tom Shachtman) (1994)
- I Have Lived in the Monster (with Tom Shachtman) (1998)
See also
- Crime Classification Manual
- FBI method of profiling
- Forensic psychology
- Investigative psychology
- Offender profiling
