Ethan Peterson Montana State University Psycs 382: Forensic Psychology

Ted Kaczynski

Ethan Peterson Montana State University PSYX 382: Forensic Psychology Dr. Kristin Armer April 14th, 2024.

On May 25th, 1978, a passerby discovered a package on the campus of the University of Illinois that had been stamped and addressed. It has been returned to the person listed on the return address, Professor Buckley Crist Jr.. The person who found the package called campus security, as they did not recognize the package. Upon opening, the package explodes, injuring the security officer. This bomb was the first of 16 bombs the Unabomber would mail or hand deliver over a 17 year period from 1978 to 1995. During his reign of terror, the notorious serial bomber would kill three Americans and injure

Kaczynski was by no means a simple matter and was filled with a number of controversies. One main debate in the case was the mental status of Kaczynski and if his actions were the product of someone suffering from severe mental illness, or that of a cold blooded domestic terrorist. Throughout the trial, Kaczynkski was often clashing with his lawyers as he wanted to represent himself, however it was brought to the attention of the court that he was not fit to represent himself. At trial, Kaczynski’s lawyers planned to argue that he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and consequently could not form the intent to commit a premeditated crime. On December 8, 1997, Kaczynski wrote a letter to the judge, saying that he wanted to represent himself to avoid being labeled “mentally ill” by his lawyers. In response, his lawyers discarded the plan to make a mental illness defense during trial but convinced Kaczynski to allow them to use mental illness as a mitigating factor in the event of a sentencing phase. Magid, A. K. 2009. The decision regarding whether to pursue a mental illness defense and how to present mental illness during the trial was crucial for several reasons. One reason was public opinion. The trial was widely covered by various media sources and the perception of the public could potentially sway the outcome of the trial. How Ted Kaczynski’s mental state was depicted in court affects the support of the public for his defense. Another motive for pursuing a mental illness defense was the implications for sentencing. If Kaczynski was found guilty, the use of mental illness could be a mitigating factor to potentially sway the jury into imposing less severe sentencing. However, Kaczynski was not in favor of being labeled mentally ill by his lawyers. While there were benefits to pursuing a mental illness defense, that defense would undermine his credibility and suggest that he was not responsible for his actions. This was something