Katherine Ramsland

Katherine Ramsland (born January 2, 1953)^[1] is an American non-fiction author and professor of forensic psychology. Ramsland writes in the genres of crime, forensic science, and the supernatural. She is also a professor of forensic psychology and criminal justice at DeSales University.^[2]

Katherine Ramsland
Born	Katherine Johnston (1953-01-02) January 2, 1953 (age 72) Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation	Crime writer, professor
Genre	Non-fiction
Subject	True crime, supernatural
Notable works	Confession of a Serial Killer The Human Predator The Mind of a Murderer The Serial Killer's Apprentice

Early life and education

Ramsland was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and grew up in the neighboring town of Saline.^[3] She is the daughter of Barbara and Henry Johnston, and has three siblings.^[4] She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and philosophy from Northern Arizona University in 1978, a master's in clinical psychology from Duquesne University in 1979, a Ph.D. in philosophy from Rutgers University in 1984, a master's degree in forensic psychology from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2000, a master's in criminal justice from DeSales University in 2012, and a Master of Fine Arts from DeSales University in 2021.^[5]

Career

Ramsland has written on the subjects of self-biased serial killers, crime scene investigation, vampires, forensic science, mass murder, sex offenders and ghosts, and was a regular contributor to Crime Library.^[6]

Ramsland has more recently been recognized as the former instructor of Bryan Kohberger, the convicted mass murderer responsible for the 2022 University of Idaho murders.^[7][8]

Bibliography

• Ramsland, Katherine M. (2002). The Criminal Mind: A Writer's Guide to Forensic Psychology. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest. ISBN 978-1-58297-079-0.
• Ramsland, Katherine M. (2005). Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers: Why They Kill. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. ISBN 978-0-275-98475-5.
• Hall, Dave; Burkey, Tym; Ramsland, Katherine M. (2008). Into the Devil's Den: How an FBI Informant Got Inside the Aryan Nations and a Special Agent Got Him Out Alive. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-49694-2, named New Mexico Book of the Year in 2008.^[9]
• Ramsland, Katherine M. (2010). The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds. New York: Berkley Boulevard. ISBN 978-0-425-23226-2.
• Ramsland, Katherine M.; McGrain, Patrick Norman (2010). Inside the Minds of Sexual Predators. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger. ISBN 978-0-313-37960-4.
• Ramsland, Katherine M. (2011). The Mind of a Murderer: Privileged Access to the Demons That Drive Extreme Violence. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger. ISBN 978-0-313-38672-5.
• Ramsland, Katherine M. (2013). The Devil's Dozen: How Cutting-Edge Forensics Took Down 12 Notorious Serial Killers. New York: Berkley Books. ISBN 978-0-425-27077-6.
• Ramsland, Katherine M. (2013). The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation. New York: Berkley Books. ISBN 978-0-425-26553-6.
• Ramsland, Katherine M. (2016). Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer. Hanover: ForeEdge. ISBN 978-1-61168-841-2.
• Ramsland, Katherine M. (2020). How to Catch a Killer: Hunting and Capturing the World's Most Notorious Serial Killers. New York: Sterling. ISBN 978-1-4549-3937-5.
• Ramsland, Katherine M.; Ullman, Tracy (2024). The Serial Killer's Apprentice: The True Story of How Houston's Deadliest Murderer Turned a Kid Into a Killing Machine. New York: Crime Ink. ISBN 978-1-61316-495-2.