SF State professor sheds light on the Uabomber

For years Mike Rustigan, criminology professor at SF State, has conducted classes for law enforcement officials as well as students on the psychology of the criminal mind. Rustigan has taught sessions on family violence, stalkers, serial killers and gang violence, and has been quoted as an expert source for newspaper and television stories ranging from the Night Stalker murders in Los Angeles to the Polly Klass murder in Petaluma in 1993. Now he is frequently called on as an expert in the Unabomber case.

"I've studied the Unabomber like no other serial killer. I think he's fascinating. Most of the serial killers are the basic sadistic mock-murderers -- the Ted Bundys, the Green River killer, the Dahlmers -- but this guy is able to justify his murdering, his maiming, for this holy cause, his world campaign," Rustigan said. "He frequents university libraries. He's probably used the SF State library. He may have been a student of mine. He may have gone to Cal when I was there. He's a local guy," said Rustigan, who received his bachelor's in sociology from SF State and his master's and doctorate in criminology from UC Berkeley.

"It's a fascinating case. I'm just riveted by it. It's all I've been doing for the last few months and I'm a little disturbed that I'll get stuck with this guy," he said.

Since April 25, when timber industry lobbyist Gilbert Murray was killed in Sacramento after opening a package he received that contained a bomb, Rustigan's phone has been ringing off the hook.

"The Associated Press called me after the Sacramento bombing. It went on the wires. Radio, TV and newspapers picked up the stories and started calling me," Rustigan said. Before April, any Unabomber comments Rustigan made were intermingled with comments on other crimes.

"Typically I would receive maybe two calls over a period of maybe two or three weeks from the media. But since April I've been deluged with calls concerning the Unabomber," he said.

"It was unbelievable. Never before did I experience such contact with the media. Before it was just gradual. I gave interviews on the Polly Klass case, many on 'three strikes and you're out,' some of the local mass murder cases," said Rustigan, who has been teaching at SF State since the fall of 1993.

"Rustigan is one of several sources I've used for the Unabomber. He's articulate, quotable, insightful in his analysis, and has a hardy background that enables him to make comparisons with other cases," said Jenifer Warren, Los Angeles Times reporter.

"He has a layman's approach to analyzing stories -- a 'real' world way of analyzing cases. Unlike a lot of academic professionals, Mike spends a lot of time on the outside," said Warren, who has used Rustigan on stories about crime trends and homicide cases, including the Polly Klass case.

"When you find a good source you tend to stick with it. I'm sure there are other experts, but I don't know of any. He makes himself available, so he's the one we go to," said Kevin Albert of the San Francisco Chronicle.

"He has data, studies, viewpoints that might not be found with others, an expertise aside from others. We might call on a judge, law professor or a police officer. We may call him or one of a thousand other sources. In the last year and a half there have been many high profile cases -- but we don't consider him high profile," said Kevin Keeshan, KGO-TV Channel 7 special projects director.

Rustigan has appeared on the McNeil-Lehrer News Hour, The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, Good Morning America, CNN, as well as all the Bay Area stations. He has been quoted in Time, Newsweek and virtually every major newspaper in the United States, including the New York Times, Washington Post and Chicago Tribune.

"I did commentaries for the OJ (Simpson) slow speed chase for Channel 5, right up there on the counter with the anchors, which was neat-- a really novel experience. But the last few months I've really been exposed on a national basis," said Rustigan, who teaches a course in criminological theory.

The object of his national exposure is the Unabomber, whose bizarre history began in 1978 with the sending of an explosive device to Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., which injured a security guard. Since then, 15 other incidents, resulting in three deaths and 23 injuries, have been linked to the mysterious figure, who mainly targets technology professors and airline executives. In July, the Unabomber, which is an acronym splicing the first two letters of university and the first letter of "airlines" together with "bomb(er)," sent a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle threatening to blow up an airplane leaving Los Angeles International Airport.

Although the threat was bogus, the FBI, Federal Aviation Administration and airport security throughout California stepped up precautions, which included the temporary stoppage of mail that was 12 ounces or more, from leaving California. At the same time, the Unabomber sent letters to the New York Times and Washington Post threatening to carry out death threats if the papers didn't publish his manifesto decrying technology and the need to return to a more natural living environment. The papers, saying they wanted to avoid any undo harm, published the manifestos last week.

"The New York Times has gone on record saying we should not give in to terrorists. This is a cold-blooded killer and he's being rewarded for it. Why should the New York Times make an exception with this guy. Do we want our papers to be agents for killers?" Rustigan said. "I do have trouble with the decision (to print the manifesto). How do the victims feel about this? What must the victims think?"

"(For) most people who become celebrities, there's a lot of accident and luck, but most people who are successful have worked very hard. They've paid their dues. But, this guy's murdered people, he's ruined families, he's taken out the careers of others -- and to see him become famous based on an ultimatum, a demand, it's deplorable," Rustigan said.

"He's a bombsetter. It's that aspect that's frightening. To be able to get it by force. That we have allowed him to build this momentum by paying him off. He got his fame through murder, and the Times and Post bought him off," Rustigan said, and added sarcastically, "What must they (the victims) think of this guy's distinguished career?"

"This guy is very much the loner. He's consistent with most serial killers: very egotistical, very arrogant," Rustigan said. Rustigan doesn't believe the Unabomber is part of a group, but does believe he's intelligent, well versed in the social sciences, and has delusions of grandeur.

"Just in terms of his attacks on high-tech professionals, the airlines, computer scientists -- he has a university education, a BA, perhaps even a graduate," Rustigan said of the man reported to be about 40 years old, 6-feet tall, blond hair and a ruddy complexion. He has been sighted only once, on Feb. 20, 1987, in Salt Lake City.

"I want him caught and caught quickly. I don't want to be riveted to this guy for life, because I'm also studying gang violence, family violence, stalkers," Rustigan said.

"If we catch him soon everyone will applaud -- for the FBI, the Times, the Post. But, what if we don't catch him soon? What happens when new demands happen?" Rustigan said.

Rustigan believes the Unabomber is now "so pumped up" that he may make more demands or carry out violent acts to assert his power.

"He's developed an alternative career. He really thinks he's hot stuff. The hope (of the FBI) is that he's so cocky, so arrogant now, that he's going to make mistakes. If he goes quiet again and systematically bombs we might never catch him," Rustigan concluded.

[ Golden Gater Online October 3, 1995 ]

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