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Former FBI agent recalls the one serial killer who left her ‘shaken’: ‘He just didn’t seem human’
Jana Monroe wasn’t expecting to receive a phone call from “The Co-Ed Killer.”
It was the early 1990s and Monroe was a member of the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit at Quantico, Virginia. She wasn’t afraid to go face-to-face with a serial killer – but this encounter with Edmund Kemper was different.
“He left me shaken,” Monroe admitted to Fox News Digital. “I certainly didn’t give him any way to contact me, and yet he was able to do just that. It’s very difficult in prisons or mental institutions to make phone calls. You can earn that right with good behavior. So I was surprised to hear from him. And that monotone voice – it’s very chilling. Very creepy.”
REAL ‘MINDHUNTER’ RECALLS MEETING ‘PERSONABLE’ SERIAL KILLER EDMUND KEMPER: ‘HE DIDN’T APPEAR TO HOLD BACK’
Jana Monroe was the model for Clarice Starling (played by Jodie Foster) in “The Silence of the Lambs.” (Michael Ochs Archives)
The former FBI agent recently wrote a memoir titled “Hearts of Darkness: Serial Killers, the Behavioral Science Unit, and My Life as a Woman in the FBI.” It explores the challenges she faced as a woman in the male-dominated Bureau, as well as the cases that have stayed with her over the years.
Monroe was the model for Clarice Starling in “The Silence of the Lambs.” She even helped train Jodie Foster for the Oscar-winning role. Monroe has consulted on more than 850 homicide cases, including those involving serial killers such as Kemper.
In the ’70s, Kemper murdered eight people, including his mother and her close friend.
Edmund Kemper was charged with killing eight people, including his mother. (Getty Images)
“I don’t know whether Anthony Hopkins used him as a model, but his role as Hannibal Lecter reminded me so much of Kemper,” Monroe explained. “Kemper had a way of staring at you and through you. He didn’t blink very much. His face was emotionless. He would just stare at you and not blink. The same was true of his voice. It’s completely devoid of emotion. Just flat. Hearing it gives you the chills. He just didn’t seem human.”
Jana Monroe didn’t know how Edmund Kemper, known as “The Co-Ed Killer,” was able to find her number and call her. (Getty Images)
Kemper, known as “Big Ed” for his towering 6’9″ frame, first committed homicide at age 15 when he fatally shot his grandparents in 1964. Kemper, diagnosed with schizophrenia, was remanded to the custody of San Luis Obispo County’s maximum-security Atascadero State Hospital, Investigation Discovery reported.
According to the outlet, he was released in 1969 at age 21. Kemper was allowed to live with his mother in Aptos, California, because he convinced psychiatrists he was no longer a threat to himself or society. Soon after, he went on an 11-month killing spree. His last known homicide occurred in 1973. He was convicted that year and sentenced to life in a maximum-security prison.
WISCONSIN KILLER, BODY SNATCHER ED GEIN’S VOICE HEARD IN UNEARTHED RECORDINGS: ‘BARNEY FIFE WITH A CHAINSAW’
Edmund Kemper’s right arm is bandaged following a suicide attempt in his Redwood City cell. He received eight concurrent life sentences. (Bettmann)
“I don’t know if you believe in IQ tests or not, but he always tested very high on those standardized tests,” Monroe said. “He was very intelligent. But what was so significant about him was that he had no conscience… A true sociopath. He would try to conjure up a tear when he spoke of his mother because he knew that’s what normal people would do if they were feeling sad or guilty. But he could never quite pull it off. So to see someone who truly has no feelings, someone who tries to mimic feelings… it’s just creepy. I hadn’t seen anybody do it to that extent.”
Jana Monroe’s book, “Hearts of Darkness,” is available in bookstores. (Harry N. Abrams)
Monroe was never in the same room as Ted Bundy because he wanted “absolutely no females present.” One of the nation’s most prolific serial killers, who slaughtered at least 30 women and girls across the country in the ‘70s, was executed in 1989. He was 42.
“The reason he didn’t want to speak to a female investigator was based on how he looked at females,” Monroe explained. “He didn’t look at women with respect. He didn’t think they could hold a position above him, even with him being behind bars. He degraded women and did not want to think of them in any kind of professional setting.”
Ted Bundy refused to meet with a female investigator. (Getty Images)
Monroe learned that Bundy only chose what he described as “worthy victims.”
“What he meant was he selected women that were, by his standards, very attractive,” she said. “They were in college or had jobs, careers. He didn’t think prostitutes were worthy because anybody could have them. Part of that excitement and thrill he got was having an attractive, well-accomplished woman take note of him and being able to take control of them.”
“For him, it was all a challenging game,” she said.
‘MONSTER’: JEFFREY DAHMER SURVIVOR NEVER RECOVERED AFTER HARROWING ESCAPE FROM KILLER, DEFENSE ATTORNEY SAYS
Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced to 15 consecutive life terms, or a total of 957 years, in prison. Dahmer was killed by a fellow prisoner, Christopher Scarver, 28, in November 1994 at Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin. (Eugene Garcia/Getty Images)
In 1994, Monroe was supposed to interview Jeffrey Dahmer, known as “The Milwaukee Cannibal.” But two days before their sit-down, Dahmer was bludgeoned to death by a fellow inmate. He was 34.
“I wasn’t surprised,” Monroe admitted. “We have a term called ‘prison justice.’ It’s a pecking order. Within prison walls, the worst are the child molesters and incest cases, but especially any case involving a child. Although not all of Dahmer’s victims were that young, some were certainly under the age of 21. He was also homosexual. Typically, prisoners like that are in protective custody or have them isolated from others for that reason.”
There was one serial killer Monroe felt “very badly” for – Aileen Wuornos. She was convicted of murdering six men working as a prostitute along highways in central Florida. She was executed in 2002 at age 46.
Aileen Wuornos is shown in this undated photograph from the Florida Department of Corrections. Wournos was executed by lethal injection on Oct. 9, 2002, in Florida for murdering six men when she was a prostitute. (Florida DOC)
“If you look at her history, in my opinion, she didn’t have a chance,” Monroe said. “From the day she was born, her mother gave her up in a card game. Then she was molested [by an adult]. She went to live in a variety of foster homes. After she was apprehended, she claimed she was either molested or assaulted at these foster homes.”
“She had, from her perspective, a really good reason not to like men,” Monroe continued. “I think it would have been outstanding if she had grown up to have morals and be on the spectrum of normal. But when talking about a bad childhood, she had one of the worst that I’ve studied.”
Monroe also studied women who fell in love with serial killers. She said they were the greatest mysteries of her career.
At one time, Jana Monroe was the only female agent in the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit at Quantico. She later became the first assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division. (Courtesy of Jana Monroe)
“One of the women we interviewed was an emergency room nurse with a master’s degree,” she said. “She could have easily made her own money and lived on her own… Many of these women stayed with these serial killers. I would have assumed these women would have been really needy and financially dependent. That proved to be inaccurate… They loved these bad boys on steroids. They’re the ones, in my opinion, that should really be studied. How can an emotion be so strong that it overcomes any kind of judgment?”
TED BUNDY’S EX-GIRLFRIEND RECALLS HORRIFYING ENCOUNTER WITH THE SERIAL KILLER: ‘HE JUST LAUGHED’
Jana Monroe in Quantico. (Courtesy of Jana Monroe)
Monroe hopes her book will shine a light on the cases she studied over the years. A common question people tend to have about serial killers is why.
“The big misconception that still exists is that a serial killer looks a certain way,” Monroe said. “People expect a serial killer to look like Charles Manson – someone with weird eyes. There must be something physically different about them, or they just don’t engage in conversation. But the truth is, serial killers can mask all of that.”
“If you were to run into one at a grocery store, they would have a conversation with you,” she shared. “I think people don’t expect that. They underestimate some of the pretense and social skills they can have… It’s compelling and repulsive at the same time.”
Jana Monroe, right, trained Jodie Foster on how to confront a serial killer. (Courtesy of Jana Monroe)
“Why are people fascinated by serial killers?” Monroe reflected. “Well, it’s like a traffic accident. People don’t want to see others hurt or injured. But at the same time, they can’t stop looking.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Southeast
Murdaugh trial court clerk pleads guilty to showing sealed crime scene photos to photographer
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A former South Carolina court clerk pleaded guilty Monday in connection with showing sealed court exhibits related to the murder trial of disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh to a photographer and lying about it in court.
Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill, who served as the court clerk in Colleton County, pleaded guilty to four charges — obstruction of justice and perjury for showing a reporter photographs that were sealed court exhibits and then lying about it, plus two counts of misconduct in office for taking bonuses and promoting a book she wrote on the trial through her public office.
“There is no excuse for the mistakes I made. I’m ashamed of them and will carry that shame the rest of my life,” Hill said in a statement read to the court.
She was sentenced to three years of probation.
ALEX MURDAUGH’S MONEY MAN PAYS THE PRICE AFTER ADMITTING ROLE IN MILLION-DOLLAR CRIME SCHEME
Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill is sworn in before taking the stand to testify during the Alex Murdaugh jury-tampering hearing at the Richland County Judicial Center, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. (AP)
Her sentence would have been much harsher had evidence surfaced that she tampered with the murder trial, Judge Heath Taylor told Hill.
During Murdaugjh’s murder trial, Hill was responsible for taking care of the jury, overseeing exhibits and assisting the judge. Murdaugh was eventually convicted of murdering his wife and son after a six-week trial, which drew nationwide attention.
Murdaugh’s lawyers said Hill tried to influence jurors to vote guilty and that she was biased against Murdaugh because of her book.
ALEX MURDAUGH SLAMS NEW TRUE CRIME SERIES DEPICTING FAMILY’S DOUBLE-MURDER: ‘MISLEADING PORTRAYALS’
Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill smiles after pleading guilty on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in St. Matthews, S.C. Hill pleaded guilty Monday to showing sealed exhibits from Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial and other charges. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
Solicitor Rick Hubbard told the judge that a journalist informed investigators that Hill showed graphic crime scene photos to several media members.
He did not name the journalist.
The photos were posted online, and the metadata from the images matched a time when Hill’s courthouse key card indicated she was inside the locked room where the photos were kept, Hubbard said.
Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill is sworn in during a court hearing on Monday in St. Matthews, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
Hill resigned in March 2024. One of the charges against her stemmed from money prosecutors said she took for herself. She brought a check to court on Monday to repay nearly $10,000.
Journalist Neil Gordon who worked with Hill on “Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders” and previously accused her of plagiarism, commented on Hill’s plea to Fox News Digital.
Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill pleaded guilty Monday to showing sealed exhibits from disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial and other charges. (Fox Nation/ Tracy Glantz/The State via AP, Pool)
“I appreciate seeing Becky step up and take responsibility for her actions, including the charge of misconduct in office, as it was directly related to the book I co-authored with her,” he said in a statement. “The specific instance was her decision to arrange a “Facebook Live” from her clerk’s office with the Colleton County Chamber of Commerce solely to promote our book.”
“The fact that it occurred during the workday showed boldness, poor judgement, and frankly ignorance of the oath she took as an elected official.,” he added. “Sadly, poor judgement around our book had been a pattern for Becky, as we later learned she plagiarized its preface.”
Meanwhile, Murdaugh is also serving a prison sentence for stealing money from his family’s law firm and client settlements.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Murdaugh’s attorney.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Southeast
Florida designates Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations, DeSantis says
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Florida is designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist organizations, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday.
The move mirrors a similar action taken by Texas in which Gov. Greg Abbott designated the CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations.
“Florida agencies are hereby directed to undertake all lawful measures to prevent unlawful activities by these organizations, including denying privileges or resources to anyone providing material support,” DeSantis wrote on X.
TRUMP MOVES AGAINST MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AS ISLAMIST GROUP SPREADS IN WEST
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantissaid CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood will be designated as foreign terrorist organizations. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
The governor’s order said the Muslim Brotherhood has long engaged in and supported violence, political assassinations and terror attacks on civilians with the intent of establishing a worldwide Islamic caliphate.
It also said the group, as well as Hamas have active fundraising arms in the United States.
SCATHING REPORT CALLS ON US TO LABEL ISLAMIST GROUP INFILTRATING ALL ASPECTS OF AMERICAN LIFE AS TERRORIST ORG
The order said CAIR, which was created to challenge stereotypes against Islam and Muslims, has had individuals associated with it that have been convicted of providing and aspiring to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations.
In a post on X, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said: “Great news! Thanks for this important Executive Order, Governor. We are ready to support!”
A joint statement by CAIR and its Florida chapter said the DeSantis administration has prioritized serving their interest of the Israeli government over the people of the state.
“He diverted millions in Florida taxpayer dollars to the Israeli government’s bonds. He threatened to shut down every Florida college’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, only to back off when CAIR sued him in federal court,” the statement said. “Like Greg Abbott in Texas, Ron DeSantis is an Israel First politician who wants to smear and silence Americans, especially American Muslims, critical of U.S. support for Israel’s war crimes. Governor DeSantis knows full well that CAIR-Florida is an American civil rights organization that has spent decades advancing free speech, religious freedom, and justice for all, including for the Palestinian people. That’s precisely why Governor DeSantis is targeting our civil rights group with this unconstitutional and defamatory proclamation.
“We look forward to defeating Governor DeSantis’ latest Israel First stunt in a court of law, where facts matter and conspiracy theories have no weight,” the groups added. “In the meantime, we encourage all Floridians and all Americans to speak up against this latest attempt to shred the Constitution for the benefit of a foreign government.”
Florida’s designation is at the state level. It doesn’t carry the legal force of a federal Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) listing, which only the U.S. State Department can issue.
In Texas, Muslim and interfaith leaders have demanded that Abott reverse his proclamation regarding CAIR. In a lawsuit against Texas over the governor’s declaration, CAIR argued that it violates both the U.S. Constitution and state law.
Texas Gov. Greg Abott designated CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, as a foreign terrorist organization. (Getty Images)
The order violates its First Amendment rights and due-process protections, CAIR said, arguing that the state overstepped its authority because terrorism designations fall under federal, not state, jurisdiction.
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Florida mom says teens ‘lured’ 14-year-old daughter into woods before shooting, setting her on fire: report
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The mother of murdered Florida teenager Danika Troy says her 14-year-old daughter was lured into the woods by one of the boys now charged with killing her, a teen she believed had romantic feelings for her.
In an interview with the New York Post, Ashley Troy said 16-year-old Gabriel Williams “pretended to have feelings for her,” leading Danika to trust him enough to follow him into the wooded trail where she was ambushed.
“That’s how she was lured,” she said.
Williams and 14-year-old Kimahri Blevins have both been charged with first-degree premeditated murder in Danika’s death.
FAMILIES CLAIM TEEN MURDER SUSPECT WAS ‘PLOTTING’ DEADLY HIT-AND-RUN FOR MONTHS BEFORE KILLING TWO GIRLS
The mom of Danika Troy, a 14-year-old Florida teenager, says she believes her daughter was lured into the woods by Gabriel Williams, who allegedly pretended to have romantic feelings before the girl was murdered. (GoFundMe)
Ashley said she is still desperate for answers. “I still need answers. I’m just left asking why,” she told the outlet. “She just wanted to be in love.”
Danika was reported missing by her mother on Dec. 1. The next day, a passerby discovered her body in a wooded area in Pace, a community in Florida’s Panhandle. Investigators said she had been shot multiple times and set on fire.
Authorities quickly identified the alleged killers, two teens who knew Danika from school, and took them into custody.
MOTHER SAYS ALLEGED STALKER WHO KILLED HER DAUGHTER SHOULD BE TRIED AS AN ADULT
Authorities said two teenagers are facing murder charges in the death of 14-year-old Danika Troy, who was found shot to death and burned in a wooded area in Florida after being reported missing. (Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office)
Detectives initially believed the murder may have stemmed from a social-media dispute over Thanksgiving break. According to the sheriff’s office, the boys claimed they targeted Danika because she had blocked Blevins on social media and called Williams “worthless and a gang banger.”
Ashley rejected that narrative. “What those boys said is an excuse,” she told the Post.
Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson confirmed Thursday that Danika’s body had been positively identified and said investigators rapidly zeroed in on Williams and Blevins. Both suspects had prior “run-ins” with law enforcement, he said, though details were not released because of their ages.
TEEN MURDER SUSPECT ALLEGEDLY SWATTED VICTIM’S HOME WEEKS BEFORE DEADLY HIT-AND-RUN: LAWYER
Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson told reporters that the suspects were supposedly friends with the victim from school. He said investigators were still working to determine a motive. (Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office)
Johnson described the killing in stark terms.
“This is where it gets really horrific,” he said, explaining that Williams allegedly stole his mother’s handgun before shooting Danika. “It’s bad enough you kill a 14-year-old. You’re 14. You’re 16. Shoot her multiple times, and then they set her on fire.”
The motive for the killing remains unclear. Johnson said the explanations the teens offered “don’t fit the forensics or any facts of the case,” adding, “so we don’t have a legit motive.”
REPEAT OFFENDER ALLEGEDLY KILLS 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL, HAS CRIMINAL HISTORY DATING BACK TO 2000: OFFICIALS
Both suspects remain held without bond at the Department of Juvenile Justice on first-degree murder charges. Prosecutors are coordinating with investigators as they determine whether the teens will be charged as adults.
“If you do an adult crime, you gotta do adult time,” Johnson said.
Ashley previously said she believes “evil influence” played a role in her daughter’s killing, but she wants accountability. She said she wants “nothing less than for them to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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