Dr. Anne Ulbert Burgess: Pioneer of Crime Profiling
Dr. Anne Ulbert Burgess, a well-respected American forensic nurse and professor at Boston College, is renowned for her groundbreaking work in crime profiling within the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Division. Her interviews with notorious criminals like Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and Ed Kemper have greatly influenced the field, particularly in understanding their victim choices and psychological patterns.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Dr. Burgess collaborated with the FBI to refine profiling methods that contributed to the capture of several serial killers, including Dennis Rader, famously known as the “BTK Strangler,” and Gary Ridgway, the “Green River Killer.”
Recently, comedian Obayashi paid a visit to Dr. Burgess to explore her remarkable career. During this encounter, which was featured on a recent episode of “Normal World,” he shared insights from his experiences interacting with women who have inspired the Netflix series “Mindhunter.”
Obayashi described Dr. Burgess as “the most notable person,” suggesting she is on par with the agents who initially established the FBI’s Behavioral Science Division. He humorously recounted a moment when he read her book, “Rape, Crisis, Recovery,” on a late-night train in New York City, attracting some disapproving looks from other passengers.
Reflecting on this, he joked, “I’m just talking to myself, saying, ‘Oh, that’s true,’ and ‘This is great,’ but I could see people reacting to me reading about ‘Rape.’ It appeared as if I was learning how to commit it.” Yet, the book addresses a serious issue. Dr. Burgess wrote it after witnessing a significant number of rape victims seeking care during her time as a nurse in the early 70s, recognizing that both the public and professionals frequently misunderstood the complexities surrounding these cases.
In collaboration with fellow nurse Linda Lytle Holmstrom, she co-founded one of the first hospital-based rape crisis counseling programs, contributing considerable research by interviewing hundreds of victims. Her influential work caught the attention of Robert Hazelwood, an FBI special agent, who tasked her with investigating the psychological impact of sexual violence on victims and its effects on FBI agents undergoing training.
At first, many male trainees showed skepticism towards Dr. Burgess. Obayashi recounted how they lacked respect—grinning at her—until she began showing graphic images of a severely beaten rape victim, which prompted them to take her seriously.
Dr. Burgess’s insights were crucial in helping law enforcement better understand the intricate connection between sexual violence and serial killings. As Obayashi noted, “It relates a lot to fantasy and other factors.” For further details, you can watch the episode above.
