PART 2: 1956- New York City is in a state of fear as powerful bombs are discovered hidden in public spaces like libraries, movie theaters, and subway stations. Sixteen years have passed, yet the elusive Mad Bomber continues to evade capture, leaving citizens in constant dread. To draw the bomber out, the NYPD shares case details with the press, sparking a tense cat-and-mouse game. This triggers numerous bomb threats that blur the line between pranks and real danger, while genuine explosives are found, threatening death and devastation, with the NY bomb squad exhausted.
With each tip scrutinized meticulously, police keep an eye toward Dr. Brussel's profile of the bomber. However, as the investigation unfolds, alibis emerge that clear countless suspects, and the detectives face disappointment after disappointment. What drives the Mad Bomber? Is it revenge or something darker? When will law enforcement finally catch him, so New Yorkers can regain their peace of mind?
In a bold move to break the case, Captain Howard Finney consults Dr. James Brussel, a psychiatrist from the Department of Mental Hygiene. This partnership gives rise to the groundbreaking practice now known as criminal profiling, merging psychiatric insight and intuition with the hard facts of the case. How could the profile be used to catch a serial bomber? How could law enforcement use profiling to catch serial bombers, murderers and even serial killers?
Buy Michael Cannell's INCENDIARY; The Psychiatrist, the Mad Bomber, & the Invention of Criminal Profiling on AMAZON. Buy on BARNES AND NOBLE.
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Sources, photographs, and information can be found on Jill's blog: January 2026
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