Mindhunters | 2013 May

In Pursuit of Actual Innocence

By John Douglas and Mark Olshaker On May 31, 2013 · Add Comment

US Supreme Court

This past Tuesday, in a 5-4 vote along traditional liberal-conservative lines with Justice Anthony M. Kennedy as the swing, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling in McQuiggin v. Perkins, that in certain instances would allow imprisoned convicts to file habeas corpus motions challenging their convictions even after firm filing deadlines had passed.

The operative federal law is the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, passed during the Clinton administration. We joined the campaign for the passage of that act. Here’s why we think the high court acted properly in contravening part of it.

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A Capital Punishment Thought Experiment

By John Douglas and Mark Olshaker On May 30, 2013 · 4 Comments

Capital Punishment

For those opposed to capital punishment under any circumstances, or those who believe it is morally equivalent to state sanctioned murder, here is a thought experiment:

If it were magically possible to restore a murder victim to life, but the science required the extinguishing of another human life, would you favor the execution of the guilty offender to bring back the innocent victim?

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Evidence-Based Analysis. . . or Not

By Mark Olshaker On May 29, 2013 · 1 Comment

Michelle Bachmann

We don’t usually go in for politics on this site, but when we can make a point about a subject on which we feel strongly – in this case, evidence-based analysis – we’re willing to make an exception. The occasion here is the announcement by the four-term Republican Representative from Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District, Michele Bachmann, that she will not seek another term on Capitol Hill.

It is not our purpose here to evaluate Ms. Bachmann’s questionable Congressional record, but rather her unquestionable record of public statements. And in these we see a pattern of total disregard for facts or evidence that, if applied on a large scale to, say, our justice system, would wreak such havoc that all semblance of law and order would be obliterated.

To wit:

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Hunt for a Sex Offender?

By Mark Olshaker On May 28, 2013 · 1 Comment

Kaitlyn Hunt

As certain cases do – almost every week now, it seems – the case against 18-year-old Kaitlyn Hunt for having sex with a 14-year-old schoolmate has gone national. And in this instance, I don’t think it is because the media is trying to exploit a potentially juicy teen lesbian drama.

Rather, I think there are some real and significant issues here that need to be examined and considered.

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What Makes Jodi Arias Tick?

By Mark Olshaker On May 23, 2013 · 6 Comments

Jodi Arias’ mugshot

After my post earlier this week comparing the trials of Amanda Knox, Casey Anthony and Jodi Arias, one of our readers and friends, writer Carolyn Quinn, asked if we could provide a full assessment of Ms. Arias, who is currently awaiting an Arizona jury’s verdict on whether she should be executed or imprisoned for life for the brutal murder of her former lover Travis Alexander.

While it is risky to attempt a full psychological assessment of anyone from afar, there are several things we can say with reasonable certainty based on her established behavior.

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