NPR: Hello Charlie: Letters from a Serial Killer

Blog of the Nation

Hello Charlie: Letters from a Serial Killer

Listen to this 'Talk of the Nation' topic

Criminal profiling -- getting inside the minds of killers -- has always been fascinating to me. That's why my Tivo is programmed to record every episode of Law and Order: SVU. Enter Robert Charles Browne -- possibly one of the worst serial killers in American history. He claims to have buried the bodies of dozens of victims in 17 states across the country. Former CIA and FBI agent Charlie Hess had unique access to Browne: over the course of several months, he exchanged letters with Brown, and eventually met him, in an attempt to find the truth. Hess, co-author of Hello Charlie: Letters from a Serial Killer, joins us today to tell us what he discovered.

Ashley Grashaw

Tags: Charlie Hess | Hello Charlie | Robert CHarles Brown | Serial Killers

1:56 PM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

Does anyone remembers the fiasco of Henry Lee Lucas whose multiple confessions led to 213 cold cases being supposedly "closed"? He later recanted the confessions, stating the Texas Rangers led him with their material, even allowing him to read police reports, and that he only participated to improve his living conditions and make a fool of the Texas Rangers.

Sent by James | 3:52 PM ET | 02-27-2008

Did Robert reveal anything of his upbringing and do you think it had anything to do with how and why he became a serial killer?

Sent by Francesca | 3:53 PM ET | 02-27-2008

Send a Comment

Comments are reviewed and edited by NPR prior to display. All comments will be read, but not all will be posted.

NPR reserves the right to read on the air and/or publish on its Web site or in any medium now known or unknown the e-mails and letters that we receive. We may edit them for clarity or brevity and identify authors by name and location. For additional information, please consult our Terms of Use.

E-mail this Page

Recipient's e-mail address:	» Up to twelve addresses, separated by commas.
Your e-mail address:
Your name:
Personal message (optional, 600 characters max):
Your NPR member station:
Are you a member of your local NPR station?	Yes No
Would you like to receive information from your local NPR member station? (see NPR's privacy policy)	Yes No
May we contact you with information about NPR programming and services? (see NPR's privacy policy)	Yes No

(Information collected by NPR will be used solely for internal NPR or NPR member station purposes and only if you selected 'yes' above. See NPR's privacy policy for more information.)

Bloggers

About Blog of the Nation

Blog of the Nation is the official blog of the NPR talk show Talk of the Nation. For more information about the blog, the show and everything else in between, please be sure to read our show's Frequently Asked Questions guide and the discussion rules.

ToTN Podcasts

Search the Blog

Browse Topics

Services

Programs

Text-only

Blog of the Nation

Hello Charlie: Letters from a Serial Killer

Comments (Send a comment)

Send a Comment

E-mail this Page

Bloggers

Neal Conan

Scott Cameron

Sarah Handel

Barrie Hardymon

Share Your Story

Recent Comments

Categories

About Blog of the Nation

ToTN Podcasts

Related News Feeds

Archives

Recent Entries

Contact Us:

Search the Blog

Blogroll

Browse Topics

Services

Programs