Jack Crawford (FBI)

Jack Crawford is a supporting character appearing in the Hannibal Lecter series of books by Thomas Harris, in which he is in charge of the Behavioral Science division of the FBI in Quantico, Virginia. Though a fictional character, he is modeled after John Douglas, who holds the same position.

Related Topics:
Hannibal Lecter - Thomas Harris - FBI - Quantico, Virginia - John Douglas

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In the books, Crawford is a friend and mentor to the two heroes, Will Graham and Clarice Starling.

Related Topics:
Will Graham - Clarice Starling

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His first appearance is in the book Red Dragon, where he calls upon Graham, his former protegé, to ask for his assistance in solving the murders being committed by the "Tooth Fairy." As a profiler, Graham had a reputation for being able to think like the criminals he hunted, thus making it possible for the FBI to apprehend them. He had retired after being attacked and nearly killed by Lecter, a Baltimore psychiatrist who had helped the FBI on several occasions, after Graham intuited that he was the serial killer he sought. Crawford convinced Graham to come out of retirement to help solve the "Tooth Fairy" murders, and soon they both realized that they would need Lecter's help again. Crawford helped shelter Graham and his family after Lecter sent the killer, Francis Dolarhyde, his old nemesis' address. They eventually solved the case, but Dolarhyde permanently disfigured Graham before he was finally killed. Crawford was haunted with guilt and resented Lecter for the rest of his life.

Related Topics:
Red Dragon - Profiler - Retired - Baltimore - Psychiatrist - Serial killer - Francis Dolarhyde - Guilt

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Red Dragon was filmed first in 1986 as Manhunter, in which Crawford is played by Dennis Farina. In the remake, Red Dragon, he is played by Harvey Keitel.

Related Topics:
1986 - Manhunter - Dennis Farina - Red Dragon - Harvey Keitel

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Crawford appears again in The Silence of the Lambs, once again investigating a serial killer, this one know as "Buffalo Bill," and once again needing to call upon the services of Dr. Lecter. This time, he sent a trainee, Clarice Starling, to interview him. By way of information obtained from Lecter, Crawford and the FBI attempted to track down the killer, Jame Gumb. However, the address they obtained for him was out of date. Gumb had killed the employer of one of his former victims and moved into her house to use its large basement. Realizing that Buffalo Bill probably knew his first victim, Frederica Bimmel, Starling set about interviewing everyone close to her, and ended up stumbling upon Gumb's house. All of Gumb's victims had been large women, so her suspicions were aroused when Gumb asked if Bimmel was "a great big fat person." Upon stepping inside, she saw a Death's Head moth like the ones that Buffalo Bill stuffed into his victims' throats, and realized she had found the killer. She pursued him into his basement, where she fatally shot him and rescued his last victim, whom Gumb was about to kill when she knocked on his door. Crawford did not arrive until afterwards.

Related Topics:
The Silence of the Lambs - Buffalo Bill - Clarice Starling - Death's Head moth

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During the novel, Crawford's wife, Bella, dies of cancer. Lecter somehow finds out and sends him a note expressing his condolences. Crawford was offended by the gesture and momentarily lost his trust in Starling, thinking, incorrectly, she had told Lecter about his personal life.

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In the film version of The Silence of the Lambs, Crawford is played by Scott Glenn.

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Crawford appears as a relatively minor character in the book Hannibal, and dies close to the end. He does not appear in the film. A deleted line of dialogue refers to him having died between films.

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