George Zinkhan
Encyclopedia
George Martin Zinkhan, III (February 17, 1952 – c.
May 9, 2009) was an American academic
and poet
. Zinkhan was a professor of marketing
at the University of Georgia
from 1994 until April 26, 2009. He was named as the prime suspect in a triple homicide before authorities announced on May 9, 2009 that they had found and identified Zinkhan's body.
in English literature
from Swarthmore College
. This was followed by a Masters in Business Administration with high distinction from the University of Michigan
in 1979. Zinkhan also received his doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Michigan
in 1981.
Zinkhan was the Conn Professor of Marketing for thirteen years at the University of Houston
beginning in 1981. For one year he also was an associate professor for the University of Pittsburgh
in 1987. He began as a professor at the University of Georgia
's Terry College of Business
in 1994, and served as Department head for Terry's Department of Marketing and Distribution from 1994 until 2001. He held an endowed chair as the department's Coca-Cola Company Professor from 1994 to 2009. According to a university spokesman, he had an impeccable track record as a teacher and was a respected professor on campus.
academic journal
s, as well as numerous chapters in edited books. He was the editor of the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
from 2003 to 2006, and of the Journal of Advertising
from 1991 to 1995, as well as the book review editor of the Journal of Marketing from 1991 to 1995. In addition, he edited or co-edited several books:
Zinkhan's curriculum vitae listed 22 works under a section called, "Research Activities: Poetry". Zinkhan's poems—many of which the American Marketing Association
published on its website—cover topics ranging from university politics to the Appalachian Trail
.
in the U.S. state of Georgia
. Zinkhan owned a second home in Amsterdam
, the capital of the Netherlands
, where he was a marketing professor at the Vrije Universiteit
.
in northeast Georgia. The murders occurred during a picnic reunion of the Town & Gown Players, and all three of those killed were active in local theater productions. Two bystanders were injured by bullet fragments. According to neighbors and colleagues, there had been no advance signs of trouble. Police said Zinkhan and his wife, Marie Bruce, were having “marital difficulties,” that Tom Tanner appeared to be his “specific target” in the shootings and that Ben Teague was “at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Tanner was shot first, police said.
On the same day, "Zinkhan was charged with three counts of murder and a state arrest warrant
was issued in Clarke County, Georgia. A federal arrest warrant was issued on April 26, 2009, after he was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution."
was found on the night of April 30, 2009, in northwest Clarke County, Georgia
. Cadaver dogs located Zinkhan's body on May 9, 2009, approximately one mile from the Jeep.
Investigators said that Zinkhan used a shovel to dig a 15 to 18 in (381 to 457.2 mm) grave in the woods behind Cleveland Road Elementary
, lay down in it, took an old wooden pallet he had covered with dirt and debris and pulled it over top of the hole. He then fired a single shot from a .38-caliber handgun into his head.
Zinkhan's body was claimed by a son from a previous marriage one day before it was scheduled for burial in a pauper's grave by the Athens-Clarke County coroner's office.
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
May 9, 2009) was an American academic
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
and poet
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
. Zinkhan was a professor of marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
from 1994 until April 26, 2009. He was named as the prime suspect in a triple homicide before authorities announced on May 9, 2009 that they had found and identified Zinkhan's body.
Career
In 1974, Zinkhan received his Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
from Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
. This was followed by a Masters in Business Administration with high distinction from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1979. Zinkhan also received his doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1981.
Zinkhan was the Conn Professor of Marketing for thirteen years at the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
beginning in 1981. For one year he also was an associate professor for the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
in 1987. He began as a professor at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
's Terry College of Business
Terry College of Business
The C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry College of Business is the business school at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. The Terry College is the flagship business school in the state of Georgia and one of 16 schools and colleges at the oldest state-chartered public university in the...
in 1994, and served as Department head for Terry's Department of Marketing and Distribution from 1994 until 2001. He held an endowed chair as the department's Coca-Cola Company Professor from 1994 to 2009. According to a university spokesman, he had an impeccable track record as a teacher and was a respected professor on campus.
Awards
Zinkhan received an award for Outstanding Contribution to Research in 2004 which was presented by the American Academy of Advertising. He also received the Terry Outstanding Faculty Award 2006 and 2009 presented by the economics faculty of the Vrije Universiteit.Publications
Zinkhan published over 100 articles in peer-reviewedPeer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
academic journal
Academic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
s, as well as numerous chapters in edited books. He was the editor of the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
The Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science is a scholarly journal in marketing. JAMS has been ranked as #5 in perceptual journal ranking studies in marketing in 1987, 1997, and 2009...
from 2003 to 2006, and of the Journal of Advertising
Journal of Advertising
The Journal of Advertising is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering significant intellectual development pertaining to advertising theories and their relationship with practice. The Journal of Advertising is owned by the American Academy of Advertising and published by M. E...
from 1991 to 1995, as well as the book review editor of the Journal of Marketing from 1991 to 1995. In addition, he edited or co-edited several books:
Zinkhan's curriculum vitae listed 22 works under a section called, "Research Activities: Poetry". Zinkhan's poems—many of which the American Marketing Association
American Marketing Association
The American Marketing Association is a professional association for marketers. As of 2008 it had approximately 40,000 members. There are 76 professional chapters and 250 collegiate chapters across the United States....
published on its website—cover topics ranging from university politics to the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
.
Personal life
Zinkhan had two children, a son and a daughter, with his wife, attorney Marie Bruce. Zinkhan also had three children from a previous marriage. The family lived in the town of BogartBogart, Georgia
Pink ponies live in this town and then good vj is b=Bogart is a town in Clarke and Oconee counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. The town is mostly in Oconee County, with a portion extending into Clarke County. The population was 1,049 at the 2000 census — 931 of the town's 1,049 residents lived...
in the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. Zinkhan owned a second home in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, the capital of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, where he was a marketing professor at the Vrije Universiteit
Vrije Universiteit
The Vrije Universiteit is a university in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch name is often abbreviated as VU and in English the university uses the name "VU University". The university is located on a compact urban campus in the southern part of Amsterdam in the Buitenveldert district...
.
Murder charges
Zinkhan was named the prime suspect in the April 25, 2009, shooting deaths of his wife and two other people, Tom Tanner and Ben Teague, outside the Athens Community Theatre in Athens-Clarke CountyAthens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
in northeast Georgia. The murders occurred during a picnic reunion of the Town & Gown Players, and all three of those killed were active in local theater productions. Two bystanders were injured by bullet fragments. According to neighbors and colleagues, there had been no advance signs of trouble. Police said Zinkhan and his wife, Marie Bruce, were having “marital difficulties,” that Tom Tanner appeared to be his “specific target” in the shootings and that Ben Teague was “at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Tanner was shot first, police said.
On the same day, "Zinkhan was charged with three counts of murder and a state arrest warrant
Arrest warrant
An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual.-Canada:Arrest warrants are issued by a judge or justice of the peace under the Criminal Code of Canada....
was issued in Clarke County, Georgia. A federal arrest warrant was issued on April 26, 2009, after he was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution."
Death
Zinkhan's red Jeep LibertyJeep Liberty
Inspired by styling from the Dakar and Jeepster concept cars, the Liberty was intended as a replacement for the discontinued Jeep Cherokee . Three trim levels were initially offered; the top end Limited, a more rugged looking Renegade and the base Sport. All were made available with either 2WD or 4WD...
was found on the night of April 30, 2009, in northwest Clarke County, Georgia
Clarke County, Georgia
Clarke County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 101,489. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 114,063...
. Cadaver dogs located Zinkhan's body on May 9, 2009, approximately one mile from the Jeep.
Investigators said that Zinkhan used a shovel to dig a 15 to 18 in (381 to 457.2 mm) grave in the woods behind Cleveland Road Elementary
Clarke County School District
The Clarke County School District is a public school district in Clarke County, Georgia, USA, based in Athens, Georgia. It serves Clarke County, which includes the communities of Athens and Winterville, and part of Bogart, Georgia.-Schools:...
, lay down in it, took an old wooden pallet he had covered with dirt and debris and pulled it over top of the hole. He then fired a single shot from a .38-caliber handgun into his head.
Zinkhan's body was claimed by a son from a previous marriage one day before it was scheduled for burial in a pauper's grave by the Athens-Clarke County coroner's office.