Candice DeLong
Encyclopedia
Candice DeLong is a former FBI criminal profiler. DeLong was the head profiler in San Francisco, California
and worked on the Unabomber case. Currently, she hosts the Investigation Discovery program Deadly Women
, in which she uses her profiling skills to investigate women who kill. She also hosts another Investigation Discovery program, Facing Evil. She has often been compared to the protagonist
of the movie Silence of the Lambs, Clarice Starling
.
mother. Growing up, DeLong stated that her father had told her to choose a practical career. Before entering the field of criminal profiling, DeLong worked as a psychiatric nurse at Northwestern University
Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. However, by the time she was 28 years old, she was a divorcee
with a young son. Wanting a new career, DeLong went to Quantico, Virginia
in 1980 to attend the FBI training academy. She was only one of seven female recruits. DeLong worked in the FBI's Chicago office after graduating from Quantico. DeLong stated that she used humor to ease tensions while working. She claimed that her three career goals were "to be involved with a high-profile national criminal, I wanted to apprehend a serial killer, and I wanted to rescue a kidnap victim alive"
-laced Tylenol
capsules. Although no one was ever charged in the poisonings, the incident led to new packaging for over-the-counter medication
and federal anti-tampering laws. Regarding the incident, DeLong stated that "You can thank the Tylenol killer for the fact that it now takes a blow torch to get into a bottle of Tylenol."
, DeLong wrote that "he only cared about two things — his little quarter-acre of property and killing people."
, stated that the greatest day of her career was when she was able to rescue a nine-year-old kidnapping
victim who had been given crack cocaine
and been forced to participate in child pornography
. After learning of the abductor's whereabouts on a train in San Diego, California
, the boy was saved.
, DeLong stated in an interview with Diane Sawyer
on Good Morning America
that Laci's husband Scott Peterson
was speaking about Laci in the past-tense, even though her body had not yet been discovered. She was also criticized by Scott's supporters for saying that a pregnant Longview, Washington
woman who had appealed to a store clerk for help could not have been Laci Peterson because the woman claimed to have been kidnapped.
should have been enough to convict Casey.
and Facing Evil. She serves as a subject-matter expert
on Deadly Women, offering her professional opinions about the women profiled on the show. On Facing Evil, DeLong has profiled Susan Grund, Belinda Van Krevel
, Jennifer Reali, and Jennifer Hyatte from the inside of a prison, discussing the women's' motive for murder.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
and worked on the Unabomber case. Currently, she hosts the Investigation Discovery program Deadly Women
Deadly Women
Deadly Women is a television series first aired in 2005 on the Discovery Channel, focusing on female killers. It was originally a mini-series consisting of three episodes: "Obsession," "Greed" and "Revenge". After a 2 year hiatus, the show resumed production in 2008 and began airing on the...
, in which she uses her profiling skills to investigate women who kill. She also hosts another Investigation Discovery program, Facing Evil. She has often been compared to the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the movie Silence of the Lambs, Clarice Starling
Clarice Starling
Clarice M. Starling is a fictional character and the protagonist in the novels The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal by Thomas Harris....
.
Early life
DeLong was born on July 16, 1950 as the daughter of a building contractor father and a homemakerHomemaker
Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping or household management...
mother. Growing up, DeLong stated that her father had told her to choose a practical career. Before entering the field of criminal profiling, DeLong worked as a psychiatric nurse at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. However, by the time she was 28 years old, she was a divorcee
Divorcee
Divorcee, refers to a person whose marriage has ended in divorce, a legal dissolution of marriage before death by either spouse. The feminine form is "divorcée", and the masculine "divorcé". At one time the term had negative cultural and religious associations...
with a young son. Wanting a new career, DeLong went to Quantico, Virginia
Quantico, Virginia
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there are 561 people, 295 households, and 107 families living in the town. The population density is . There are 359 housing units at an average density of .-Racial composition:...
in 1980 to attend the FBI training academy. She was only one of seven female recruits. DeLong worked in the FBI's Chicago office after graduating from Quantico. DeLong stated that she used humor to ease tensions while working. She claimed that her three career goals were "to be involved with a high-profile national criminal, I wanted to apprehend a serial killer, and I wanted to rescue a kidnap victim alive"
Chicago Tylenol murders
In 1982, DeLong became involved in the investigation of the Chicago Tylenol murders, in which seven people died from potassium cyanidePotassium cyanide
Potassium cyanide is an inorganic compound with the formula KCN. This colorless crystalline compound, similar in appearance to sugar, is highly soluble in water. Most KCN is used in gold mining, organic synthesis, and electroplating. Smaller applications include jewelry for chemical gilding and...
-laced Tylenol
Tylenol
Tylenol is a North American brand of drugs advertised for reducing pain, reducing fever, and relieving the symptoms of allergies, cold, cough, and flu. The active ingredient of its original, flagship product, paracetamol , is marketed as an analgesic and antipyretic...
capsules. Although no one was ever charged in the poisonings, the incident led to new packaging for over-the-counter medication
Over-the-counter drug
Over-the-counter drugs are medicines that may be sold directly to a consumer without a prescription from a healthcare professional, as compared to prescription drugs, which may be sold only to consumers possessing a valid prescription...
and federal anti-tampering laws. Regarding the incident, DeLong stated that "You can thank the Tylenol killer for the fact that it now takes a blow torch to get into a bottle of Tylenol."
The Unabomber
In 1995, DeLong was one of the three handpicked FBI agents to mastermind the manhunt for the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski. Kaczynski had sent 16 bombs over a 17-year period to target areas, killing three people. After his 1995 capture in Lincoln, MontanaLincoln, Montana
Lincoln is a census-designated place in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,100 at the 2000 census. Its elevation is 4536 feet above sea level.Lincoln is part of the Helena Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, DeLong wrote that "he only cared about two things — his little quarter-acre of property and killing people."
California kidnapping case
DeLong, a member of the Child Abduction Task Force in San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, stated that the greatest day of her career was when she was able to rescue a nine-year-old kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
victim who had been given crack cocaine
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
and been forced to participate in child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
. After learning of the abductor's whereabouts on a train in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, the boy was saved.
Book
Following DeLong's July 2000 retirement from the FBI, she published a book entitled "Special Agent: My Life on the Front Lines as a Woman in the FBI." In the book, she discusses the criminal profiling process and how she helped solve high-profile cases. DeLong also dedicated a chapter in her book to personal safety, stating that "Prevention can be as simple as a deadbolt lock on your house."Scott Peterson case
In the early days of the investigation of the disappearance of Laci PetersonMurder of Laci Peterson
Laci Denise Peterson was an American woman who was the subject of a highly discussed murder case after she went missing while seven and a half months pregnant with her first child. Peterson was reportedly last seen alive on December 24, 2002...
, DeLong stated in an interview with Diane Sawyer
Diane Sawyer
Lila Diane Sawyer is the current anchor of ABC News' flagship program, ABC World News. Previously, Sawyer had been co-anchor of ABC Newss morning news program, Good Morning America ....
on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
that Laci's husband Scott Peterson
Scott Peterson
Scott Lee Peterson , an American, was convicted of murdering his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child in Modesto, California, in 2002. Peterson's arrest and subsequent trial dominated the American news media until 2005, when he was sentenced to death by lethal injection...
was speaking about Laci in the past-tense, even though her body had not yet been discovered. She was also criticized by Scott's supporters for saying that a pregnant Longview, Washington
Longview, Washington
Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the "Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area", which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 36,648 at the time of the 2010 census and is the largest city in Cowlitz County...
woman who had appealed to a store clerk for help could not have been Laci Peterson because the woman claimed to have been kidnapped.
Casey Anthony case
After the acquittal of Casey Anthony in the death of Caylee Anthony, DeLong told the Huffington Post that the prosecution must have offended the jury, because the amount of circumstantial evidenceCircumstantial evidence
Circumstantial evidence is evidence in which an inference is required to connect it to a conclusion of fact, like a fingerprint at the scene of a crime...
should have been enough to convict Casey.
In the media
DeLong currently hosts two programs on the Investigation Discovery Network: Deadly WomenDeadly Women
Deadly Women is a television series first aired in 2005 on the Discovery Channel, focusing on female killers. It was originally a mini-series consisting of three episodes: "Obsession," "Greed" and "Revenge". After a 2 year hiatus, the show resumed production in 2008 and began airing on the...
and Facing Evil. She serves as a subject-matter expert
Subject-matter expert
A subject matter expert or domain expert is a person who is an expert in a particular area or topic. When spoken, sometimes the acronym "SME" is spelled out and other times voiced as a word ....
on Deadly Women, offering her professional opinions about the women profiled on the show. On Facing Evil, DeLong has profiled Susan Grund, Belinda Van Krevel
Mark Valera
Mark Valera was convicted in 2000 of the gruesome murders of David O'Hearn and Frank Arkell at Wollongong, New South Wales.- David O'Hearn :...
, Jennifer Reali, and Jennifer Hyatte from the inside of a prison, discussing the women's' motive for murder.