Infamous for targeting universities and airports with crafted bombs, Ted Kaczynski, better known as the Unabomber, died Saturday in prison at 81.
When Kaczynski first started his bombings, this terrorist built crude bombs packed with matchheads, but over time, Kaczynski learned to use commonplace items such as nails and lamp cords to cause damage while remaining untraceable. Isolated from society, he lived alone in a small 10 by 12 feet cabin three miles from Lincoln, Montana.
Having graduated from Harvard, Kaczynski was no doubt an intelligent individual. However, he chose to use his knowledge in his violent pursuit of an “ideal society,” crafting bombs to draw attention to his mission. In his manifesto, he states that “In order to get our message before the public with some chance of making a lasting impression, we’ve had to kill people.”
Kaczynski would also plant false evidence in his bombs, such as hairs he found in a public restroom. Additionally, he would write letters with return addresses located at the FBI headquarters and other false messages, such as carving the message “Wu – It works! I told you it would-RV,” on his bombs to distract investigators with his nonsensical messages.
After 18 years of investigation, 3 deaths, and 23 injuries, Kaczynski was finally arrested in 1996, making his case the longest and most expensive investigation in the history of the FBI. The FBI spent more than $50 million tracking him down and offered a $1 million reward for information that could lead to his arrest. More than 150 FBI agents, profilers, analysts, and others were working to find Kaczynski.
In a 1995 letter, Kaczynski claimed that he would stop his killings if either the New York Times or Washington published a manifesto that he wrote. In it, he called for the destruction of modern technology and “industrial society.” As he claims, “It would be better to dump the whole stinking system and take the consequences.”
Eventually, Kaczynski’s brother David read his manifesto and was able to identify Kaczynski’s style of writing. Through an attorney and a private investigator, David Kacyznski’s tip helped the FBI locate and arrest the terrorist. Kaczynski was eventually sentenced to 8 life sentences without chance of parole.
Sources:
https://eb18600f7bb2916037f5ee8e636ce199.cdn.bubble.io/f1686436770584x554189352828208000/Ted%20Kaczynski%20dead_%20Unabomber%20had%20eluded%20FBI%20for%20years%20-%20Los%20Angeles%20Times.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20081218190755/http://www.courttv.com/archive/casefiles/unabomber/documents/affidavit.html
When Kaczynski first started his bombings, this terrorist built crude bombs packed with matchheads, but over time, Kaczynski learned to use commonplace items such as nails and lamp cords to cause damage while remaining untraceable. Isolated from society, he lived alone in a small 10 by 12 feet cabin three miles from Lincoln, Montana.
Having graduated from Harvard, Kaczynski was no doubt an intelligent individual. However, he chose to use his knowledge in his violent pursuit of an “ideal society,” crafting bombs to draw attention to his mission. In his manifesto, he states that “In order to get our message before the public with some chance of making a lasting impression, we’ve had to kill people.”
Kaczynski would also plant false evidence in his bombs, such as hairs he found in a public restroom. Additionally, he would write letters with return addresses located at the FBI headquarters and other false messages, such as carving the message “Wu – It works! I told you it would-RV,” on his bombs to distract investigators with his nonsensical messages.
After 18 years of investigation, 3 deaths, and 23 injuries, Kaczynski was finally arrested in 1996, making his case the longest and most expensive investigation in the history of the FBI. The FBI spent more than $50 million tracking him down and offered a $1 million reward for information that could lead to his arrest. More than 150 FBI agents, profilers, analysts, and others were working to find Kaczynski.
In a 1995 letter, Kaczynski claimed that he would stop his killings if either the New York Times or Washington published a manifesto that he wrote. In it, he called for the destruction of modern technology and “industrial society.” As he claims, “It would be better to dump the whole stinking system and take the consequences.”
Eventually, Kaczynski’s brother David read his manifesto and was able to identify Kaczynski’s style of writing. Through an attorney and a private investigator, David Kacyznski’s tip helped the FBI locate and arrest the terrorist. Kaczynski was eventually sentenced to 8 life sentences without chance of parole.
Sources:
https://eb18600f7bb2916037f5ee8e636ce199.cdn.bubble.io/f1686436770584x554189352828208000/Ted%20Kaczynski%20dead_%20Unabomber%20had%20eluded%20FBI%20for%20years%20-%20Los%20Angeles%20Times.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20081218190755/http://www.courttv.com/archive/casefiles/unabomber/documents/affidavit.html
