Theodore Kaczynski

Dr. Theodore John Kaczynski, Ph.D., also known as the Unabomber (born May 22, 1942) is a Polish-American terrorist who attempted to fight against what he perceived as the evils of technological progress by sending mail bombs to various people over almost eighteen years, killing three and wounding 29. He was the target of the FBI's most expensive manhunt ever.

Arrest and trial

Kaczynski's younger brother David recognized Ted's writing style from the published manifesto and notified authorities, who sent officers to arrest Kaczynski on April 3, 1996, at his remote cabin outside Lincoln, Montana. David Kaczynski had once admired and emulated his elder brother but had later decided to leave the survivalist lifestyle behind. David had received assurances from the FBI that he would remain anonymous and that in particular his brother would not learn who had turned him in, but his identity was later leaked — prompting an unsuccessful internal investigation by the FBI. In addition, the family received guarantees, which were later betrayed, that prosecutors would not seek the death penalty against Ted. David donated the reward money — less his legal expenses — to families of his brother's victims. A professor of English noticed that the outlook of the Manifesto resembled that of the protagonist Verloc, an anarchist from Joseph Conrad's novel The Secret Agent. It was discovered that Kaczynski grew up with a copy of the book in his home and had read the book over a dozen times. He had also used the pseudonym Konrad on occasions.

Related Topics:
April 3 - 1996 - Lincoln, Montana - David Kaczynski - FBI - Verloc - Joseph Conrad's - The Secret Agent

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Kaczynski's lawyers attempted an insanity defense, which he rejected; a court-appointed psychiatrist diagnosed paranoid schizophrenia but declared him competent to stand trial. Kaczynski avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty on January 22, 1998. He later attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, arguing it was involuntary. Judge Garland Burrell denied his request, and that denial was affirmed by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Kaczynski is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in ADX Florence, the Federal ADX Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.

Related Topics:
Insanity defense - Schizophrenia - January 22 - 1998 - U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals - Life sentence - ADX Florence - Supermax prison - Florence, Colorado

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He has been active as a writer in prison. He has written a memoir (Truth Against Lies) and has had a scholarly letter printed in the New York Review of Books.http://www.nybooks.com/articles/18123

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