Media & News

As a professor of criminology and a former FBI Special Agent, I am frequently asked about my field and surprised by the misperceptions of what we study and do. With the recent tragic murders of four young students at the University of Idaho, and arrest of suspect Bryan Kohberger, a PhD student in criminology at Washington State University, these misperceptions seem to have hit a tipping point.
- Bryanna Fox, invited op ed, New York Times 2023

"A former FBI special agent who teaches in the department of criminology and the department of mental health, law, and policy at the University of South Florida, added that the denial can often be a form of cognitive dissonance. 'For many people, the idea that such a tragedy could occur to us, our sons, our brothers, or our friends is difficult, if not impossible, to truly digest and believe,' Fox says. 'Therefore, the ability to mentally attribute these accidents to a ‘boogeyman’ who can be avoided, if known, alleviates the cognitive concern that such a terrible thing can happen to us or someone we know.' The Smiley Face Murder Theory, the families of men like William Hurley are stuck without closure."

"The first 48 hours are also critical because that's when investigators have the best chance of following up on leads, before people's memories start to fade, Dr. Bryanna Fox, former FBI agent and criminology professor at the University of South Florida told ABC News.

'The information that law enforcement gets tends to be a little more accurate, and they are able to act on the information and hopefully get that person who is missing quicker,' Fox said.

As time goes on, there are fewer 'bread crumbs' to follow, Fox said."