John E. Douglas

John Edward Douglas (born June 18, 1945) is an American retired Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent and former unit chief in its Behavioral Science Unit. He is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of criminal profiling and is the bestselling author of Mindhunter.

Douglas was among the first criminal profilers in the United States and is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the development of modern criminal profiling. His work contributed significantly to the formation and evolution of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit, where he helped establish methods for analyzing and investigating serial and violent offenders.

He has written and co‑written numerous books on criminal psychology and notable criminal cases. His autobiographical work Mindhunter details his career in the FBI and the development of behavioral profiling. The book later served as the basis for the 2017 Netflix television series Mindhunter, produced by David Fincher and Charlize Theron.