Home Grown Terror: Author Peter Klismet's book about the largest manhunt in the West

By Mark Young

Author Peter M. Klismet’s latest book, FBI Diary: Home Grown Terror, reads like a crime-thriller fiction novel. Bullets flying. Stolen vehicles. Camo-clad terrorists. High-speed chases through rural America. One of the greatest manhunts in American western history winding up in some of the most rugged lands this country has to offer. 

Former FBI special agent Klismet writes about this event from the inside—as a participant in a manhunt for three cop-killers that disappeared into an unforgiving wilderness. It began Friday, May 29, 1998 on a warm spring morning on the streets of a small town in southwest Colorado. What started as a traffic stop for a suspected stolen truck became a fight for survival for many officers and an event that shocked the entire region.

Welcome author Klismet to Hook’em and Book’em!

MARK: Pete, thanks for returning to this blog to discuss your latest non-fiction book, FBI Diary: Home Grown Terror. It has been over two years since you wrote a guest blog for us about your first book, FBI Diary: Profile of Evil, and your experiences as a criminal profiler for the bureau. Tell our readers a little about your latest book about home-grown terrorists in Colorado.

PETE: And thank you, Mark, for having me back on your blog, which is one of the best ones around.

In May of 1998, a small cadre of three young, anti-government, paramilitary

extremists were spotted in a stolen water truck by an officer in Cortez, Colorado, and pulled over to the side of the road. One of the men jumped out of the truck with a fully-automatic weapon, peppering the police car and Officer Dale Claxton with round after round of bullets. And then the chase was on. The three men commandeered a flatbed construction truck, and wrought a path of destruction as they were chased by police cars, sheriff’s deputies and state patrolmen. The men put seven police vehicles out of commission and shot two more officers before racing forty miles into the forsaken desert wilderness and canyons near the Four Dorners. It became a national news story, not unlike the recent prison escape in New York State. With over five hundred officers from state, federal and local agencies, as well as Indian Reservation officers, it is still considered the largest manhunt in the history of the modern West. And it is a search which took nearly a decade to conclude.

MARK: I can only imagine what it must have been like trying to work within the confines of a manhunt that encompassed local, state and federal agencies from a three-state area. In the book, I thought you were very forthright about some of the problems that developed between these agencies. How did you manage to get the job done without losing your cool? What were some of the challenges you faced?

PETE: Fortunately, coordinating the search teams was not my responsibility, nor did I have a role in the ground search for the three killers. My job was supporting the investigation, identifying the three men, and working to build a prosecutable case once they were found. Regrettably, that never occurred, which is one of the more compelling parts of the story.

In doing some fairly extensive research for the book, however, I did interview a number of people who were directly involved with or coordinated the search efforts. It has saddened me to see many times over the years how people’s egos can get in the way of getting the job done. There was constant disagreement between numerous agencies, even including the Indian Reservation police. The FBI, the sheriff of a small county in Utah, the National Guard, and even the governor of Colorado, among others, were constantly in disagreement over how the search was to be conducted. Whether or not this contributed to the eventual resolution of the case is not known. But there was more than enough drama to go around, and at times it put the lives of searching officers at risk.

MARK: You write about this tragedy from a unique position. What were the motivating factors prompting you to sit down and relive this experience?

PETE: While I was in Cortez, I vowed to write a book about this case ‘someday.’ I had collected a considerable number of reports, some of which I wrote. I took over thirty pictures, some of which are inside the book. I collected news accounts for over a year. When a cop is killed, it becomes a personal issue for other cops. It took me almost seventeen years to complete the book and to keep the vow I made. I’m glad I did to venerate the memory of Officer Claxton.

MARK: Hindsight is always easier than living in the moment as things are happening all around you. Looking back, what would you have done differently in this manhunt to locate these suspects quicker?

PETE: Other than the bosses constantly being at odds, I don’t know what else we could have done to make the search easier. In hindsight, as you say, it turned out to be an unresolvable search, except for an incident when one of the three fugitives shot at a deputy sheriff and then killed himself. While we didn’t know it at the time, our efforts proved to be meaningless into the final resolution of the case. Let me simply add that it was plain luck, as often seems to happen, that the entire matter was resolved. But it was some very dramatic luck as the book points out.

MARK: Your book raises some interesting insights into possible motives driving these criminals that may have prompted them to commit these acts. Do you think that some of these motivations might reach a broader group of receptive people in light of what has happened to this country over the last seventeen years?

I think we can all agree that our rights to privacy have shrunk considerably since 1998, and the reach of government has grown beyond anything we could have imagined. People who might not otherwise think about living off the grid, for example, might have reconsidered their opinions based upon recent national trends. Certainly this broader group of citizens would not applaud what these three criminals did in Colorado, but they might share the frustration and fear that our government has overstepped its bounds. What are your thoughts?

PETE: Actually, these three had something of a fan club, and there were many people in the area with anti-government feelings who would have gladly helped them escape if possible. Since it was a national story and got major news coverage from all the large media outlets, people of a similar ilk around the country express their approval in many ways. I’d have to say these three men, like Timothy McVeigh, felt the government was far too oppressive and perhaps they believed they were the leading edge of a revolution they thought would follow. 

A lot of these anti-government sentiments started back in the 1980’s with the Farm  Crisis in the USA. However, one could also argue it started much earlies, and that the Civil Rights Movement in the 50’s and 60’s contributed, as certainly did the Vietnam War. We have more than a few issues facing our country right now, and it will be interesting to see which one surfaces as the next threat to the country.

MARK: How would you classify your three suspects—Jason McVean, Robert Mason, and Monte Pilon? Do they fit in the category of domestic terrorists, or did their anti-government rhetoric just lend them self-aggrandizing justification to commit common criminal acts of robbery and theft for personal gain?

PETE: That’s really a good question because we tend to ascribe ‘mastermind’ status to some of our criminal, most of whom are anything but. In this case, we have one leader and two bonehead followers—but all of them were equally violent. Toward the end of the book, I analyze all of the different theories as to ‘why’ they did what they did. While we’ll never know, my analysis brought the facts down to one common denominator—committing a robbery of large scale. I think I make a case for this, and I still don’t think I can be talked out of it.

MARK: What have you been up to in your writing career since your last contact with us here on Hook’em and Book’em?

PETE: In between this book and FBI Diary: Profiles of Evil, I published another book entitled FBI Animal House. This one chronicles some of the madcap adventures of my class at the FBI Academy, has plenty of funny stories of our antics, and truly exposes the fact that FBI agents are really people, just like everyone else.

MARK: Can you share with us any books that you might be working on for future release?

PETE: After several meetings with myself, I have started writing a bok with a rather unique, and hopefully ‘catchy title’—Sleeping With Torpedoes.” Before I ever went into law enforcement, I was part of the crew of an old, World War II diesel/electric sub marine. We had plenty of ‘adventures,’ and two interesting tours off the coast of Vietnam during the war. It’s something of a memoir, as are all my books, but really only amounts to a four-year slice of what has turned out to be a fairly interesting life.

MARK: Where can people go to find out more about your writing, or to buy your books?

PETE: Probably the best way is to check my website, which is Criminal Profiling Associates. I get quite a few ‘hits’ and referrals to assit law enforcement agencies with unsolved cases on the site. But I also try to keep my readers not only posted on what I’ve been up to lately, but profiles of all my books. It’s a good website, I think, mainly because my wife designed it!

MARK: Any other thoughts or comments you would like to make before we part ways?

PETE: You know, I’ve been thinking about this lately. There is something about the concept of ‘retiring’ I simply don’t get. You hear a lot of retired people say how busy they are, but I think a lot of it is less than true. Maybe busy sitting around and watching the daily soap operas. I truly am never out of something to do. In the last week, for example I spoke before a group of about 200, and a second group of 50. We took a bunch of books with us and sold the majority. I’m constantly doing that type of thing to promote my books, and I do a fair job of keeping my publishers happy. Plus, I’m trying to work on my fourth book, and have several others in mind. I am also an on-air consultant to CNN, MSNBC, and couple of local television stations, newspapers in Colorado, and even Canada’s version of CNN, Canadian TV. When something big happens, I am often called and appear on anyone of the outlets. I‘d like to get out and play some golf, but I have a hard time doing it. I doubt I’ll ever truly retire until I find myself on the south end of the grass. But as I tell Miss Nancy, I have way too much stuff left to do to die!

MARK: Again, thanks for joining us, Pete. Best wishes on the success of your latest book.

*********

Peter M. Klismet served his country with two tours in Vietnam on submarines. Following military service, he earned a college degree, then worked for the Ventura Police Department in Southern California. While there, he attended graduate school, earning two master’s degrees. He was offered and accepted an appointment as a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In a twenty-year career with the FBI, the author was highly-decorated, served with distinction in three field offices, and received numerous awards and recognition from the FBI. Klismet was selected to be one of the original ‘profilers’ for the FBI, perhaps the FBI’s most famed unit. Before his retirement, he was named the 1999 National Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.

Following his retirement, he accepted a position as an Associate Professor and Department Chair of a college Criminal Justice program. Having now retired from that, Pete and his wife, Nancy, live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Serial Killers and Criminal Profiling

By Pete Klismet
[Editor’s Note: Criminal profilers conjure up all kinds of images to the average Joe. Movies, television shows, and novels have often given us misconceptions of this special breed of investigator. Our guest writer today can help us understand this part of law enforcement because that is what he is trained to do—profile criminals. Pete Klismet, is a retired FBI criminal profiler who teaches, writes, and provides consulting services on this subject.]

“How’d you know that?”

“Are you some sort of a psychic?”

“Do you have a crystal ball or something?”

Anyone who has been trained in criminal profiling and has worked with law enforcement agencies, or has taught about the concept in college, has heard all of these comments.  And many more.  The word “profiling” conjures up some sinister images in people’s minds, and seems almost devilishly frightening to some, but yet fascinating to others.

WHAT IS CRIMINAL PROFILING?

Criminal profiling is the art of developing a behavioral profile of an offender based on evidence from a crime scene, and many other factors involved in an investigation of a violent crime.  Profiling is sometimes done by a forensic psychologist -- someone who has studied the criminal mind. However, since the mid-1980’s, the FBI has assumed a prominent role in the use of this technique.  A profile may then be used by police departments to assist in apprehending the criminal.  But a criminal profile by itself, rarely solves a crime.  In most cases, that is accomplished by old-fashioned detective work.

A profile is intended to be a behavioral portrait of an offender. If done correctly, the profiler may be able to determine ‘why’ a person committed the crime he did.  If ‘why’ can be determined, then we may have motive, and thus help identify the person who committed the crime.  There is a lot that a crime scene can tell a profiler about the person who committed the crime. This is especially true in homicide investigations. Criminal profiling is often used to help investigators identify psychopaths and serial killers who may otherwise go free. It can also be used to help identify other types of offenders, such as serial sex offenders.

In criminal profiling, a crime scene often helps to label the offender as organized or disorganized. An organized offender will plan ahead, often choosing the victim ahead of time. Any tools needed are brought by the offender. He is meticulous with details, and it is clear that the crime was well thought out. This tells a profiler much about the offender.

Organized offenders tend to be high in the birth order of their family. They are very intelligent, but often were underachievers in both school and life. Most of them have a live-in partner, are socially adept, and will follow the coverage of their crimes in the media very carefully.  Contrary to popular belief, a killer of this nature, even a serial killer, is not ‘crazy.’  Quite the opposite is true.  They also ‘hide in plain sight,’ and when identified are a complete surprise to people who know them and thought they were ‘perfectly normal.’

A more spontaneous or impulsive offense is often the work of a disorganized offender. He will act impulsively, with little to no planning involved, and the crime scene will usually show this lack of planning. Seeing this, a trained profiler can draw some conclusions about this offender.  Disorganized offenders are often of average or slightly below-average intelligence. They were younger children, they usually live alone, and are not as socially mature or competent as an organized offender. They often live or work near the scene of the crime, and tend to have a poor work history. Typically, they are younger than the organized offenders.

Criminal profiling is used not only to find potential offenders, but also to narrow down a list of offenders that has already been compiled by the police. Although it doesn’t work in every case, criminal profiling has helped investigators to apprehend hundreds of criminals. By studying the patterns and motives of previous offenders, profiling may enable investigators to predict the characteristics of current and future offenders, allowing killers and other perpetrators to be caught before they can continue on to other crimes.

SERIAL KILLERS

Serial killers are a fairly recent phenomenon on the American landscape, and many people are captivated by what they do and how they do it.  Some of them, such as Ted Bundy, Richard Ramirez “The Night Stalker,” and Jeffrey Dahmer have even had cult followings, as odd as that may seem.  In some ways it seems ghoulish, and in other ways the allure of a person who commits multiple murders seems to present a fear of the unknown, of not being able to comprehend such irrational acts, and a desire to learn more about what makes these people tick.  To some it’s not all that interesting, but to many others it’s something they can’t learn or read enough about.

I became friends with the husband of one of my students, an Air Force major, some years ago.  We both enjoyed golf, and would get together once or twice every couple of weeks and play 18 holes.  After one round, we sat down and were enjoying a couple of cool, refreshing beers.  Without any prompting, and literally out of the clear blue sky, Paul said, “By the way, I want to thank you for ruining my love life.”

“Me?  What did I do?”

“Brandy lies in bed every night with a book about one serial killer or another.  I have a hard time getting between her and her books.”

“Sorry…..my bad.”

While we both got a good laugh out of that, I know I’ve had more than a few of my college students who were similarly absorbed with learning more and more about the dark and gruesome, illogical actions of people who kill others for “fun.”  It’s one of the most irrational things man can do, yet trying to learn what drives them to kill with such blood-lust can almost consume one’s life.

When I went through what we called “Profiling Boot Camp” at the FBI Academy in the mid-1980’s, I was the same way.  I’ve spent nearly thirty years reading virtually every book on particular serial killers that I could get my hands on.  To the present date, that probably numbers well over one hundred books.  With every book I read I learn something new, and I’ve continued to do the same thing for many years.

FBI DIARIES: PROFILES OF EVIL

But in my case, there’s a method to my madness.  When I combine my years of training and experience with what I may learn from a book, it almost seems unfair to not share that with other people who may have a similar interest, or may be taking a course on criminal profiling in college.   There are other books out there which some consider textbooks.  Some of these contain information which is not consistent with what I learned and practiced.  A few of these books offer the author’s own personal ‘spin’ on profiling, and more often than not, this is someone who declared themselves a ‘profiler’ because they read some books and perhaps have taken some psychology classes in college, including “Abnormal Psychology.”

I suppose anyone can make the same claim, but relatively few of us can make the claim with the training, education and experience to back it up.  And I think that’s what’s driven me for so many years.  No one “knows it all” about criminal profiling, and I certainly won’t claim to.  In fact, one thing I’ve learned over the years is the more I learn, the less I seem to know, but I continue to want to learn as much as I can.  And that’s what I hope to offer anyone who reads this book, whether you’re similarly fascinated and want to know more, or whether this book is used as a textbook for a college class.

This is not an academic treatise in which you will have to review statistical tables with boring columns of numbers and percentages.  Unlike a college textbook, I’ve tried to write this in a conversational manner, or as if I were doing a lecture in my college classroom.  I hated reading textbooks when I was in college or graduate school.  This is a practical guide which, while it won’t turn you into an instant profiler, will give you considerable understanding into how a profiler's minds work, and why they work the way they do.  Hopefully, I’ve written it in a way that will be understandable, and the cases I’ve reviewed should add some credibility to the concepts in an earlier part of the text.

I promise you that I’ve put as much of my learning and experience into this book as I possibly can, and if you study some of the concepts and cases I’ve studied or profiled, you may gain a similar thirst to know even more.  If I’ve made you think in a different way, I’ve done my job.  And an author or a teacher can’t hope to accomplish more than that.

*******

PETE KLISMET

Pete Klismet retired as full-time Professor of Criminal Justice in May of 2013. He is also retired from the FBI, where he was selected to be one of the original group of criminal profilers. He is the founder of Criminal Profiling Associates, on the web at www.criminalprofilingassociates.com. He is the award-winning author of FBI DIARY: PROFILES OF EVIL, available from Amazon.com, his publisher at Houdini Publishing  or through the links on his own web site listed above.

Interview: Ex-counterterrorism Agent Fred Burton

Chasing Shadows:

A Special Agent’s Lifelong Hunt To Bring A Cold War Assassin To Justice

By Mark Young

An assassin lurked in the shadows of a quiet Bethesda, Maryland neighborhood in the summer of 1973, patiently waiting for an Israeli air force colonel to return home from a late-night party. Several blocks away lived 16-year-old Fred Burton, whose neighborhood—until this moment—seemed safe and secure.

The gunman opened fire as Col. Joe Alon exited his car. Moments later, the Israeli war hero lay dead. It would be thirty-seven years later before Burton—a State Department counterterrorism agent and later vice president of a global intelligence company known as the ‘shadow CIA’— could finally offer closure to the surviving Alon family. Plagued by a plethora of unanswered questions, Burton and others attacked this case years later, running down leads across the globe that led to terrorist groups, spies and treachery. They would find that this victim was much more than just a gifted pilot.

Chasing Shadows is a true-case story that is more captivating than any fiction Hollywood might conjure up on the big screen. It was written by coauthors Fred Burton and John Bruning.

MARK: Fred, thanks for returning to Hook’em and Book’em for another look at global terrorism and a fascinating glimpse into a case that took you and others years to uncover. A very tenacious effort. Give our readers a little background about this incident and what it meant to you on a personal level.

FRED:  I tried to stay centered over the years by focusing on the murder, looking for facts and motive.  The FBI destroyed the physical evidence in the case for reasons that remain unclear.  Pretty much everyone connected to the original case was dead. 

We've been successful in getting a Hebrew edition published that I'm very proud of for the victims family.  There was also a short film that coincided with the book done by an Israeli film crew. 

MARK: You coauthored Chasing Shadows with writer and military historian John Bruning. How did the two of you work together to create this captivating book?

FRED:  John is a brilliant military historian that is laser focused on aviation.  I needed his expertise.  The victim was a decorated fighter pilot.

MARK: One of the fascinating parts of your book for me—a Vietnam veteran—was the difficulty the USAF faced with North Vietnamese fighter pilots. I found the behind-scenes relationship between the U.S and Israel equally fascinating. How did you and John acquire this information and tie it into your investigation of Alon’s murder?

FRED:  FBI FOIA reports and John's subject matter expertise on military aircraft.  The original FBI case agent also was extraordinarily helpful.  

MARK: Since we last communicated on this blog, much has happened in the Mideast and northern Africa—Egypt, Syria, Libya and other hot spots. Can you share with us some perspective as to what we might expect to see in the near future from organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood?

FRED:  I think the verdict remains out as groups jockey for power.  The events unfolding in Libya are amazing. 

MARK: Can you give us a little background about the Muslim Brotherhood?

FRED:  In the shifting sands of power in the Middle East, one needs to study the old groups, whether it be the MB, Hezbollah or Black September.     

MARK:  As the events of the capture and killing of Osama Bin Laden (OBL) unfolded last spring, I couldn’t help but think about the case detailed in your first book, GHOST: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent concerning the capture of terrorist Ramzi Youseff in Pakistan. You made reference in GHOST about the political ramifications you and others faced for keeping the information close to your vest in order to have a chance to capture this man. What were you thoughts about related issues as you watched the OBL news unfold?

FRED:  Mixed emotions.  To be blunt, I would have preferred talking to OBL.  Operationally, I've also learned that one should never second guess the operators in the field.  DevGru (Navy Seal Team 6, official known as Special Warfare Development Group) did a fine job.  Thank goodness our nation has men like that.    I'm also not surprised in the least OBL was hiding in plain sight in Pakistan.  

MARK: I can only imagine what you get involved with as vice president for counterterrorism and corporate security at Statfor. Tells us a little about the services your company  offers.

FRED:  We are an intelligence company that publishes analysis of geo-political events.  I like to say we make sense of the world.  Many of our articles are free and can be found at www.stratfor.com

MARK: Can you tell us a few of the projects you have been involved with through Statfor?

FRED: I've done a great deal of work on cartel violence in Mexico recently, along with interviews for National Geographic TV and The History Channel.   I'm also in a few Gangland productions. 

MARK: Are you planning any more writing projects in the near future?

FRED:  Yes, I'm working on another book about terrorism and have been asked to write a college textbook.   Not sure I have time for the latter, but its humbling to have been asked.    

MARK:Where can readers go to purchase your latest book, CHASING SHADOWS?

FRED:  Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or any private book store. 

MARK: Thanks again for joining us. We wish you well in your effort with Statfor. Stay safe!

*********

Fred Burton is one of the world’s foremost experts on security, terrorists, and terrorist organizations. He was deputy chief of the Counterterrorism Division of the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service and is currently a vice president at Stratfor, a global intelligence agency known as the “shadow CIA.” He is the author of GHOST: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent and has appeared on The Daily Show, Glenn Beck, Anderson Cooper 360, Fox, ABC, and CBS radio. He has also written for the Los Angeles Times, among others. He lives in Austin, Texas.

John Bruning is a military historian and the coauthor of House To House. He lives in Independence, Oregon.

Domestic Terrorism and Writers

By Mark Young

Hate crimes and domestic terrorism investigations came to my mind  recently from two different sources— an arrest of a man accused of planting a bomb during a Martin Luther King Day celebration near my home and a recent airing of the television series Justified. That’s right—my mind works in strange ways. Just bear with me for a moment.

The first case involved a 36-years-old man recently arrested at his home and charged with planting a bomb along the route of a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in Spokane, Washington. Fortunately, the bomb failed to go off and an alert city worker informed the police before anyone was injured.

Earlier, I watched a segment of the Justified television series—the story of a U.S. Marshal disciplinarily sent back to his home state in Kentucky to work after killing a Miami fugitive in a justified shooting. One scene shows a heavily tattooed man in the bar talking to another parolee. The tattoos reminded me of  some of the Aryan knuckleheads we investigated in our organized crime unit, gangs perpetuating domestic terrorism.

I thought about how hard some mystery writers work to conjure up criminally-bent characters for their novels, trying to create an outlaw that has some resemblance of reality. Writers: I want to make your job a little easier. I know you might use any number of sources to create your own conflict-bent antagonist, but I wondered if you have thought of one of the easiest sources.

The FBI.

A few years ago as an organized crime investigator, sine of the web sites I regularly visited were the FBI's most wanted lists—Ten Most Wanted, Most Wanted Terrorists, and Domestic Terrorism, to name just a few. International manhunts for terrorists—like Usama Bin Laden who orchestrated the 9/11 tragedy; or Ayman Al-Zawahir for his alleged part in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nariobi, Kenya—often overshadow our own national manhunts for  homegrown domestic terrorists.

These domestic terrorists are great sources of information for character development and plot ideas. Each face posted on this list always seems to carry a fascinating story. I thought I pass on the lastest list of home-grown terrorists to help you conjure up some ideas for your next bad guy. Save a few brain cells and let the FBI create these scenarios for you. Just make sure you change the names and the specifics, unless you’re thinking of writing a non-fiction crime story like In Cold Blood Here is the current Domestic Terrorism list, compliments of the FBI:

JOANNE DEBORAH CHESIMARD

Act of Terrorism - Domestic Terrorism; Unlawful Flight to Avoid Confinement - Murder

REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $1,000,000 for information directly leading to the apprehension of Joanne Chesimard

Joanne Chesimard is wanted for escaping from prison in Clinton, New Jersey, while serving a life sentence for murder. On May 2, 1973, Chesimard, who was part of a revolutionary activist organization known as the Black Liberation Army, and two accomplices were stopped for a motor vehicle violation on the New Jersey Turnpike by two troopers with the New Jersey State Police. At the time, Chesimard was wanted for her involvement in several felonies, including bank robbery. Chesimard and her accomplices opened fire on the troopers, seemingly without provocation. One trooper was wounded and the other was shot and killed execution-style at point-blank range. Chesimard fled the scene, but was subsequently apprehended. One of her accomplices was killed in the shoot-out and the other was also apprehended and remains in jail.

In 1977, Chesimard was found guilty of first degree murder, assault and battery of a police officer, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with intent to kill, illegal possession of a weapon, and armed robbery. She was sentenced to life in prison.

On November 2, 1979, Chesimard escaped from prison and lived underground before being located in Cuba in 1984. She is thought to currently still be living in Cuba.

Chesimard may be living in Cuba. She may wear her hair in a variety of styles and dress in African tribal 

*************

JUSTIN FRANCHI SOLONDZ

Conspiracy to Commit Arson; Arson of a Government Building; Arson of Property Used in Interstate Commerce; Use and Carrying of a Destructive Device During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence...

REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Justin Franchi Solondz

Justin Franchi Solondz is wanted on multiple charges related to his alleged role in a domestic terrorism cell. On May 21, 2001, the University of Washington, Center for Urban Horticulture, in Seattle, Washington, was destroyed by fire during the early morning hours. At the same time, in Clatskanie, Oregon, several buildings and vehicles were also destroyed by fire. Fire investigators determined that both fires were the result of arson by use of timed improvised incendiary devices. Shortly thereafter, a communication was released stating that both fires were committed by members of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). The combined loss from these two arsons totaled over five million dollars.

On October 15, 2001, an arson and attempted animal release took place at the Litchfield Wild Horse and Burro Corral in Susanville, California. Investigators found multiple improvised incendiary devices at the crime scene. This arson was claimed to have been committed by the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). The damages from this arson were estimated to be eighty five thousand dollars.

On April 6, 2006, and May 17, 2006, federal grand juries in Sacramento, California, and Seattle, Washington (respectively) indicted Solondz on the following domestic terrorism related charges: Conspiracy to Commit Arson; Arson of a Government Building; Arson of Property Used in Interstate Commerce; Use and Carrying of a Destructive Device During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; and Making Unregistered Destructive Devices.

Solondz may be traveling in Canada, Europe or Asia. 

**********

REBECCA J. RUBIN

Conspiracy to Commit Arson of United States Government Property And Of Property Used in Interstate Commerce; Conspiracy To Destroy An Energy Facility; Arson Of A Building; Attempted Arson Of A Building

REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Rebecca J. 

On January 19, 2006, a federal grand jury in Eugene, Oregon, indicted Rebecca J. Rubin on multiple charges related to her alleged role in a domestic terrorism cell. Rubin was charged with two conspiracy violations related to seventeen incidents and two counts of arson. These crimes occurred in Oregon and date back to 1997. Many of the crimes she is accused of participating in were claimed to be committed by the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) or the Animal Liberation Front (ALF).

Rubin may have returned to Canada in 2005. She may have light facial hair

**********

JOSEPHINE SUNSHINE OVERAKER

Conspiracy to Commit Arson of United States Government Property and of Property Used in Interstate Commerce; Conspiracy to Commit Arson and Destruction of an Energy Facility; Attempted Arson of a Building; Arson…

REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Josephine Sunshine Overaker.

On January 19, 2006, a federal grand jury in Eugene, Oregon, indicted Josephine Sunshine Overaker on multiple charges related to her alleged role in a domestic terrorism cell. Overaker was charged with two conspiracy violations related to seventeen incidents, five counts of arson, one count of attempted arson, and one count of destruction of an energy facility. These crimes occurred in Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, and Wyoming, and date back to 1996. Many of the crimes she is accused of participating in were claimed to be committed by the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) or the Animal Liberation Front (ALF).

Overaker is fluent in Spanish. She is known to use illegal narcotics. Overaker may have a light facial moustache. She was a vegan and may still be. Overaker is an American citizen.

**********

ELIZABETH ANNA DUKE

Unlawful Possession of United States Identification; Conspiracy; Unlawful Storage of Explosives; Unlawful Possession of Firearms and Destructive Devices; Storage and Concealment of Stolen Explosives; Unlawful Possession of Five or More False Identification... 

REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading directly to the arrest and conviction of Elizabeth Anna Duke.

Elizabeth Anna Duke is wanted for her alleged involvement in a series of criminal activities during the late 1970's and early 1980's. She was allegedly a member of the radical group known as the May 19th Communist Organization which advocated communism and the violent overthrow of the United States Government. Duke was arrested in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in May of 1985 for her alleged participation in this group, but was released on bail. She later fled the jurisdiction and has been a fugitive since October of 1985. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Duke in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on November 13, 1986, charging her with the aforementioned federal charges. Duke is known to speak fluent Spanish. She has ties to Texas and is known to travel in the northern United States. **********

JOSEPH MAHMOUD DIBEE Conspiracy to Commit Arson of United States Government Property and of Property Used in Interstate Commerce; Conspiracy to Commit Arson and Destruction of an Energy Facility; Arson of a Building REWARD: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Joseph Mahmoud Dibee.

On January 19, 2006, a federal grand jury in Eugene, Oregon, indicted Joseph Mahmoud Dibee on multiple charges related to his alleged role in a domestic terrorism cell. Dibee was charged with two conspiracy violations related to seventeen incidents and one count of arson. These crimes occurred in Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, and Wyoming, and date back to 1996. Many of the crimes he is accused of participating in were claimed to be committed by the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) or the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). Dibee may have fled to Syria

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NORBERTO GONZALEZ-CLAUDIO Bank Robbery; Aggravated Robbery; Conspiracy to Interfere With Commerce By Robbery; Theft From Interstate Shipment; Foreign and Interstate Transportation of Stolen Money

Norberto Gonzalez-Claudio is allegedly a member of a clandestine Puerto Rican terrorist group which has claimed responsibility for armed robberies and terrorist bombings. A federal arrest warrant was issued on August 23, 1985, in Hartford, Connecticut, charging Norberto Gonzalez-Claudio with obstruction of commerce by robbery and conspiracy. Another federal arrest warrant was issued on March 21, 1986, in New Haven, Connecticut, charging Gonzalez-Claudio with bank robbery, aggravated robbery, theft from interstate shipment, foreign and interstate transportation of stolen money, and conspiracy to interfere with co

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LEO FREDERICK BURT Sabotage; Destruction of Government Property; Conspiracy REWARD: The FBI is offering a $150,000 for information leading to the arrest of Leo Frederick Burt.

Leo Frederick Burt is wanted for allegedly participating in the bombing of Sterling Hall, on the campus of the University of Wisconsin, on August 24, 1970. The blast from the explosion, combined with the fire, resulted in the death of a 33-year-old researcher. Additionally, there were several injuries reported and an estimated $6 million damage to the building and its contents. Reportedly, explosives had been placed in a stolen panel truck, located three blocks from the building, just several days before the blast. Also, a light-colored, late-model vehicle (Corvair) was seen leaving the vicinity of the bombing, and Burt was identified as being in the car. On September 2, 1970, Leo Burt was indicted federally in Madison, Wisconsin. He was charged with sabotage, destruction of government property, and conspiracy.

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RONALD STANLEY BRIDGEFORTH

Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution - Assault on a Police Officer

Ronald Stanley Bridgeforth is wanted for his alleged involvement in attacks on law enforcement officials in California, including the August 29, 1971, attack on San Francisco's Ingleside Police Station in which a Police Sergeant was shot and killed. Law enforcement investigation determined that this act of violence was committed by members of an extremist group known as the Black Liberation Army (BLA). The BLA had undertaken a series of attacks on police targets consisting of shootings, bombings, and attempted bombings beginning in the late 1960s and continuing through the 1970s. These attacks resulted in the deaths of several police officers around the nation.

Bridgeforth was alleged to be a member of the BLA and was detained on November 5, 1968, in South San Francisco after attempting to purchase merchandise with a stolen credit card. During questioning, Bridgeforth pulled out a revolver and fled the area. A pursuit ensued, followed by a gun battle in which Bridgeforth was wounded. He was taken into custody and charged with attempt to kill a public official and assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon. He pled guilty to these charges and was ordered to appear in court for sentencing on April 11, 1969. Bridgeforth failed to appear for sentencing and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. A federal arrest warrant was issued in the United States District Court, Northern District of California, San Francisco, California, on June 18, 2004, charging Bridgeforth with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Additionally, on January 18, 2007, California state arrest warrants were issued for Bridgeforth charging him with murder and conspiracy to murder police officers based on the multiple attacks/murders and bank robberies committed by the BLA, and in connection with the 1971 attack on the Ingleside Police Station allegedly committed by Bridgeforth and other members of the BLA.

Bridgeforth may be traveling with his common-law wife, Julie Ann Small, who is not a fugitive from the law. Bridgeforth is balding and wore eyeglasses or contact lenses. He has been known to travel internationally, including Algeria, Guinea, Morocco, Ghana, Tanzania, France, Belize, and Zimbabwe.

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See what I mean. Now—go forth and write a great novel.

Ex-FBI agent and Chicago Cop: Are You A Writer?

By John M. Wills

Editor’s Note: Today’s guest blogger is a man of many talents and experiences. John M. Wills is a retired FBI agent and former Chicago police officer with military experience. He is also a writer—a subject John shares with us today. In short, he writes from experience. Mystery writers: Tuck away information about this guy as you slog your way through another crime mystery manuscript.You may need his help someday to make your cop character emerge as more than a comic-strip figure, or need a law enforcement scene to read like the real thing.

I’m a writer. I finally feel comfortable saying that in response to people who ask me what I do. It wasn’t always that way, and I would venture to say that many of us who write may be reluctant to describe ourselves as such. Why? My sense is that there is no clear definition of a writer, no bright line of delineation that marks the point when one may claim the title of writer.

If you’re expecting me to make clear the ambiguities as to when one becomes a writer, let me disabuse you of that notion immediately. I don’t know the answer. I do know that there are many questions from not only ourselves, but from others, as to what makes someone a writer. Is it when one is paid for a particular work? Or is it perhaps, when one becomes published, regardless of whether compensation has been received? Again, I don’t know.

I tend to think that being a writer is a state of mind. Sure, there are those who write for a living—technical writers, columnists (I’ve written monthly articles for Officer.com since 2004), freelance writers who are published in magazines and online. But what about so many others who write and perhaps are never paid or published? Are they writers? I would say yes, they most certainly are. They create works of art, just as an artist who paints and never sells one painting is still considered an artist.

Being a writer is a persona one creates. Certainly, someone who has been writing since childhood is a writer. He has probably shared his poetry or prose with family members and friends. He becomes known as “the writer in the family,” or “my friend, the writer.” Writing doesn’t necessarily have to be your career, but it must be your passion.

I write fiction, thrillers, to be more precise. The third book in a series I created, The Chicago Warriors™ Thriller Series, is called TARGETED; it will be released April 6^th. My ability to write convincingly about police work is a product of my thirty-three years in law enforcement. Working the streets as both a Chicago cop and FBI agent, allowed me to draw from experience and not have to invent characters and situations. It’s a perfect example of having not only talked the talk, but having walked the walk.

As with the first two books in the series, TARGETED contains plenty of action but it also has its share of emotion. On more than one occasion while I was writing this series, I had to take a break. My characters had become real to me, so much so that when I was forced to cause them pain and anguish, or even have one killed, it affected me emotionally. Robert Frost said, “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” He’s absolutely correct. I found myself grabbing for tissues as I wrote, indeed, even as I did rewrites, the words on the page brought me to tears.

Perhaps I’ve turned into a softy in my later years, but some of my readers have told me that they’ve had the same reaction—they’ve had tears in their eyes as they read some of my work. Priceless.

Writing has been cathartic for me. I’ve been able to work through some of the darkest moments from my past and come to terms with them through my characters. My experiences in life, both good and bad, have allowed me to create interesting characters and stories. I’m reminded of a quote from Ernest Hemingway: “In order to write about life, first you must live it.” Good writers are those who write from experience, and those of us who have experienced long, full lives will have much to share.

My novels are full of suspense, it’s an element that makes the reader want to continue to read and not stop simply because the hour is late. Suspense can be included in any genre; it ramps up the readers’ interest. So how does one create suspense? Last summer, I attended a writers conference in which this element was discussed on at least two panels. On one of those panels, Simon Wood, a well-known author, provided some simple guidelines.

Give the reader a lofty viewpoint. Provide your audience with both points of view: protagonist and antagonist.

Use time constraints. Time should favor the bad guy, while the clock works against the protagonist.

Consequences or high stakes. Some dire consequence must be the outcome, one that will devastate the hero.

Creating dilemmas. Constant challenges laid down in front of the hero, causing him to make tough decisions and costing time to solve.

Unpredictability. The protagonist should be unable to solve every problem he faces.

These are some of the elements that go into the mix of creating a story with suspense. And, if you're able to pull it off, using first person POV will allow your reader to get inside the heads of your hero and bad guy.

Another key element that adds to the value of suspense is authenticity. I can’t tell you how often I’ve paused while reading an otherwise good mystery or thriller, to question a term or technique. As a writer you must strive to ensure your terminology, lexicon, vernacular is/are correct. Example: writers who are describing a scene with a pistol (not a revolver) and write the word “clip,” rather than the proper term—magazine. Anyone familiar with firearms or law enforcement will blanch at that word. Do your homework. Consult someone in law enforcement, or go to a local gun shop or range to ask if what you’re describing is technically correct. Small things like incorrectly describing a weapon or technique will detract from the flow and stop a reader in their tracks.

Now, if I may, a bit of shameless self-promotion. I am working on a non-fiction book, Women Warriors: Stories from the Thin Blue Line. I am seeking submissions from women in law enforcement, active or retired, to share their true stories in a book that will be published this fall. I’m including not only police officers, but corrections officers, dispatchers, chaplains, and prosecutors. The stories will be written by them, and will include ones which are funny, sad, oddball, tragic, in other words all of the interesting things and people that women encounter on the job. If anyone knows of a woman who might like to share their story, please have them contact me through my website: http://johnmwills.com

Writing is a gift that should be shared with as many people as possible, It’s a way in which we create a legacy, a tool with which we help craft not only our own history but that of our country. Writing allows us to pass on to others certain traditions and practices that sometimes might never be known to future generations if we don’t memorialize them by writing them down. I hope those of you reading this will take time today and write something, anything. Writing: priceless!

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John is a retired FBI agent and former Chicago Police Officer who also served in the Army. He is a freelance writer, book reviewer for the New York Journal of Books, and an NCAA authorized speaker. His experience teaching street survival around the world has allowed him to publish more than 100 articles on law enforcement wesbsites and magazines. He has created The Chicago Warrior Thriller Series, consisting of three novels. He's published a story in the book, True Blue To Protect and Serve, and is an award-winning writer of short stories. In the Fall of 2010 a devotional, Stories of Faith and Courage Cops On The Street, will be published; John has several stories contained therein.