“There was nothing else I could do that was as much fun,” said criminal profiler Richard Walter about his work.
Walter, who lives in Montrose, is one of the three main subjects of the newly released book, “The Murder Room: The Heirs of Sherlock Holmes Gather to Solve the World’s Most Perplexing Cases” by Michael Capuzzo.
The book, released earlier this month, details the three founding members of The Vidocq Society, a group comprised of some of law enforcement’s greatest minds from around the world and dedicated to helping shed new light on homicide cold cases.
Walter, along with author Capuzzo, will be at the Inn at Montrose from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 26 for a book signing. Books will be available.
Walter is one of the Society’s three founders, along with forensic sculptor Frank Bender and FBI and U.S. Customs Agent Bill Fleischer.
The Vidocq Society was formed in the early 1990s and is named after Eugene Vidocq who Walter describes as the “original modern criminologist.”
“He was a real guy, not like a Sherlock Holmes,” Walter said.
Once a month, Vidocq Society members gather in Philadelphia to dine and then listen to presentations by detectives about the cold case homicides they are working.
Members then make suggestions to the investigators about how to proceed with the case. Walter said the group has been “reasonably successful.”
“We’re not the investigating agency; we’re only aiding and abetting,” said Walter.
The Stephen Scher trial first brought Walter to the Montrose area. He was hired by the prosecution but never took the stand.
Walter said that on his day to testify, the defense changed its strategy and Scher took the stand himself.
“I was prepared to eat him alive,” said Walter. “I didn’t testify but he certainly knows who I am.”
Walter liked the Susquehanna County area, got to know people and has ended up staying here for the past 10 years.
A private man, Walter feels the book is a bit intrusive. “There are things in the book I hadn’t planned on being in the book,” said Walter. “Nothing terrible – just things I felt were nobody’s business.”
“One of the nice things about Montrose is the people are pretty well grounded here,” Walter said and they are unimpressed with his criminal profiler background.
“It’s what I do and there you are.”
Be the first to comment on "Book details work of local criminal profiler"