THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 6, 1995 TAG: 9501060494
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARIE JOYCE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
By gunning down workers at abortion clinics, a murderer could fuse his name forever with one of the biggest issues in America.
And that could be what John C. Salvi III wanted, says an expert in homicide who reviewed the six-page statement Salvi wrote in jail.
Gregg McCrary, a former agent with the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Unit in Northern Virginia, who spent years profiling the mental makeup of killers, also said the inflammatory rhetoric of extremist anti-abortion groups could be enough to push a mentally unstable person to violence.
Salvi is accused of killing two workers at abortion clinics in Massachusetts, and strafing a Norfolk clinic with gunfire.
``Obviously you're dealing with a guy with some delusions here, and some paranoia as well,'' McCrary said after reading the letter. McCrary now works as a private consultant.
Salvi's grandiose plans - the need for sweeping reforms in the Catholic church - are fairly typical of serial murderers, said McCrary, who reviewed a copy of Salvi's statement at the request of The Virginian-Pilot.
The abortion shootings could be classified as a ``spree-killing,'' said Janet Warren, a clinical social worker who has studied the psychology of serial killers for the Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.
Spree-killing is similar to serial murders, except there is no cooling-off period between incidents, McCrary said. Spree killings also usually are done under the banner of a particular idea, said Warren.
Desire for power is the one thread common to these types of killings, McCrary said.
``The power of life and control of death - it's a God-like rush of power. These people are really playing God,'' he said. ``Generally, (the murder) is done by people who feel very powerless and have no control, and this is a way to rectify that situation.''
Salvi has a history of career failures. In Florida several years ago, he was fired from a job with a maintenance company after he dropped his pants and exposed himself to a woman.
Acquaintances said Salvi had once tried to start his own business in the shellfish industry, but that the effort was more talk than anything else and quickly faltered. He also tried a stint as a security guard, but soon left that job as well.
He had recently been fired from a Massachusetts beauty shop.
Serial killers' desire to be important is similar to what drives a political assassin who wants to be part of history, McCrary said.
McCrary pointed to Salvi's demand in the letter to be interviewed by Barbara Walters.
``He thinks he's an important guy, and he doesn't want to be interviewed by you or me or anybody else,'' he said.
The abortion issue is perfect for feeding that need, McCrary said, partly because it's in the news a lot. The religious component of the debate also may be an attraction.
A person who commits a crime like this may believe he is on a mission from God, experts said.
``He may have felt he has some special type of connection with the Bible or with God,'' said Dr. Jonas Rappaport, a Baltimore-based psychiatrist who is medical director for the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law. The laws of man no longer apply, he said.
The shooting spree began in Brookline, Mass., Dec. 30. A day earlier, Salvi's parents had left his home following a tense Christmas visit.
Six days earlier, during a Christmas Eve service he attended with his parents, Salvi reportedly had gone to the altar and ranted against the church. An off-duty New Hampshire state trooper who was attending the service took him outside.
For people with mental disorders, anti-abortion rhetoric such as ``killing children'' and ``holocaust'' might trigger violent acts, McCrary said.
Although Salvi is an ardent anti-abortionist, it's probably not accurate to see his alleged actions as a political or religious statement, Warren said.
``This individual did this not because of his beliefs about abortion, but because of his own internal aberration,'' she said.
Warren said mental-health workers who deal with crime have a tricky job, separating mental illness from what someone claims is extreme religious fervor.
Generally, said Warren, she asks the leaders of a religious movement whether this act is an accurate expression of their beliefs.
Catholic bishops and major pro-life groups have condemned the murders, although some extremist pro-life leaders have defended Salvi. MEMO: Staff writer Steve Stone contributed to this story. by CNB