Sexual Desire, Violent Death, and the True Believer

J. Reid Meloy, Ph.D., is a board-certified forensic psychologist (A.B.P.P.) and consults on criminal and civil cases throughout the United States and Europe. He is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, and a faculty member of the San Diego Psychoanalytic Center, as well as a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and past president of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. Dr. Meloy has authored or coauthored over 200 articles published in peer-reviewed psychiatric and psychological journals, and has authored, coauthored, or edited 11 books. His first book, The Psychopathic Mind (Jason Aronson, 1988), was an integration of the biological and psychodynamic understanding of psychopathy. His coedited book with Drs. Hoffmann and Sheridan, Stalking, Threatening and Attacking Public Figures: A Psychological and Behavioral Analysis (Oxford University Press, 2008), led to a commissioned study for the National Academy of Sciences on threats toward public figures published in 2011 (www.nap.edu). His most recent book with Dr. Hoffmann is the International Handbook of Threat Assessment (Oxford University Press, 2014). He has been a consultant to the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 2002.
Address correspondence to J. Reid Meloy, Ph.D., San Diego Psychoanalytic Center, 4455 Morena Blvd., Suite 202, San Diego, CA 92117, USA. Email: