Galloway, N.J. – Stories of serial killers, while terrifying, also spark intrigue and fascination. John White, professor of Psychology at Stockton University who is also a former Investigator Sergeant for the Dallas Police Department, has been telling that narrative through research with students since he began his teaching career at Stockton in 1992.

Specifically, Stockton graduates Matthew Gentile ‘05, Krystyn Margeotes ‘13, Jake Lipman ‘16, Kerry Black ‘18 and Meghan Privitello ’19 served as lead coordinators in compiling a serial killer database with White. The graduates helped guide fellow students in gathering the research which is a continuous work in progress. White has contributed material from the database to the writers and technical advisor of the famous crime drama “Criminal Minds,” as well as the documentary series, “Killer Profile,” which aired on the Biography Channel and Lifetime Network.

“One of the producers of Criminal Minds asked me to join him at the 2018 CrimeCon that was held in Nashville, Tennessee," White said. "Of course, our subject was serial killers. We received excellent reviews and the organizers of CrimeCon asked me to give a solo presentation at CrimeCon 2019 in New Orleans, which I did.”

White had over 400 people attend his program at Crimecon 2019 which was held in June. CrimeCon is a true crime organization sponsored by the Oxygen Channel. Darice Pico ’94 is White’s presentation editor, and edited the program he gave at CrimeCon. Other speakers during this conference included Nancy Grace, the hosts of “Dateline” and “48 Hours”, Christopher Darden, victims Debra and Tara Newell from the “Dirty John” series, and Jan Broberg from Netflix’s documentary “Abducted in Plain Sight”.

White said that he personally learned a great deal from the other speakers and the victims of crime who attended.

“Their insights and information will certainly enrich the content of my courses as I relay what I have learned. Much of the material concerns real life, present day cases that can be integrated into the theories of forensic psychology,” he said. “Many of the cases have been aired on Netflix, Dateline, and 48 Hours, as well as the Oxygen Channel.  And, of course, attending the conference affords me the opportunity to talk about Stockton University.”

The fact that White had former police experience and is a current psychology professor allowed him to share a multi-faceted perspective on the material he presented.

“It was an amazing experience because it was three days of intense energy. The audience is filled with those from all over the world who are true crime buffs with never-ending questions. This may sound strange, but the conference blends fun and camaraderie with serious, heartbreaking stories,” White said.

White is also a practicing forensic neuropsychologist who treats sex offenders.  He also continues to serve as a consultant for law enforcement on homicide cases throughout the United States. He authored a fiction novel inspired by his police experience called “In Pursuit of a Serial Killer: The Archetype Case” which was published in 2015 and also edited by Pico.

Reported by Mandee McCullough