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Katherine Ramsland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Katherine Ramsland
BornKatherine Johnston
(1953-01-02) January 2, 1953 (age 72)
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
OccupationCrime writer, professor
GenreNon-fiction
SubjectTrue crime, supernatural
Notable works
  • Confession of a Serial Killer
  • The Human Predator
  • The Mind of a Murderer
  • The Serial Killer's Apprentice

Katherine Ramsland (born January 2, 1953)[1] is an American non-fiction author and professor of forensic psychology. Ramsland writes in the genres of crime, forensic science, and the supernatural. She is also a professor of forensic psychology and criminal justice at DeSales University.[2]

Early life and education

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Ramsland was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and grew up in the neighboring town of Saline.[3] She is the daughter of Barbara and Henry Johnston, and has three siblings.[4] She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and philosophy from Northern Arizona University in 1978, a master's in clinical psychology from Duquesne University in 1979, a Ph.D. in philosophy from Rutgers University in 1984, a master's degree in forensic psychology from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2000, a master's in criminal justice from DeSales University in 2012, and a Master of Fine Arts from DeSales University in 2021.[5]

Career

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Ramsland has written on the subjects of serial killers, crime scene investigation, vampires, forensic science, mass murder, sex offenders and ghosts, and was a regular contributor to Crime Library.[6]

Ramsland has more recently been recognized as the former instructor of Bryan Kohberger, the convicted mass murderer responsible for the 2022 University of Idaho murders.[7][8]

Bibliography

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  • Ramsland, Katherine M. (2002). The Criminal Mind: A Writer's Guide to Forensic Psychology. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest. ISBN 978-1-58297-079-0.
  • Ramsland, Katherine M. (2005). Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers: Why They Kill. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. ISBN 978-0-275-98475-5.
  • Hall, Dave; Burkey, Tym; Ramsland, Katherine M. (2008). Into the Devil's Den: How an FBI Informant Got Inside the Aryan Nations and a Special Agent Got Him Out Alive. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-49694-2, named New Mexico Book of the Year in 2008.[9]
  • Ramsland, Katherine M. (2010). The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds. New York: Berkley Boulevard. ISBN 978-0-425-23226-2.
  • Ramsland, Katherine M.; McGrain, Patrick Norman (2010). Inside the Minds of Sexual Predators. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger. ISBN 978-0-313-37960-4.
  • Ramsland, Katherine M. (2011). The Mind of a Murderer: Privileged Access to the Demons That Drive Extreme Violence. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger. ISBN 978-0-313-38672-5.
  • Ramsland, Katherine M. (2013). The Devil's Dozen: How Cutting-Edge Forensics Took Down 12 Notorious Serial Killers. New York: Berkley Books. ISBN 978-0-425-27077-6.
  • Ramsland, Katherine M. (2013). The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation. New York: Berkley Books. ISBN 978-0-425-26553-6.
  • Ramsland, Katherine M. (2016). Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer. Hanover: ForeEdge. ISBN 978-1-61168-841-2.
  • Ramsland, Katherine M. (2020). How to Catch a Killer: Hunting and Capturing the World's Most Notorious Serial Killers. New York: Sterling. ISBN 978-1-4549-3937-5.
  • Ramsland, Katherine M.; Ullman, Tracy (2024). The Serial Killer's Apprentice: The True Story of How Houston's Deadliest Murderer Turned a Kid Into a Killing Machine. New York: Crime Ink. ISBN 978-1-61316-495-2.

References

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  1. ^ "Ramsland, Katherine 1953– | Encyclopedia.com".
  2. ^ "Katherine Ramsland Ph.D." Psychology Today. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  3. ^ Shteir, Rachel (September 15, 2016). "The Serial Killer's Co-Author". The New York Times.
  4. ^ "Barbara Johnston, 88, Wife and Mother, Worked at Edwards Brothers, Was Known for Her Quilting Skills". thesalinepost.com. April 4, 2020.
  5. ^ "Katherine Ramsland, M.A., M.F.A., Ph.D." DeSales.edu.
  6. ^ "Katherine Ramsland". Crime Library. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  7. ^ Baker, Mike (July 2, 2025). "The Serial Killer Expert Who Taught the Idaho Killer Shares Her Story". Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  8. ^ Rahman, Khaleda (July 3, 2025). "Serial Killer Expert Reveals How Bryan Kohberger 'Completely' Fooled Her". Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  9. ^ "2008–2009, Announcement Two". Archived from the original on August 11, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
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