Ann Burgess

Ann C. Wolbert Burgess (born October 2, 1936) is an American researcher and psychiatric clinical nurse specialist whose work has focused on victims of trauma and abuse, and is author of A Killer by Design: Murderers, Mindhunters, and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mind and Expert Witness: The Weight of Our Testimony When Justice Hangs in the Balance (2025). She is a professor at the William F. Connell School of Nursing at Boston College and professor emerita at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. She received her master's degree from the University of Maryland and her doctorate from Boston University.

Early life and education Burgess was born and grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. As a young woman, she said the only career choices for women at that time were to become a nurse, a secretary, or a teacher. She eventually got her nursing degree at Boston University. Burgess received a Bachelor of Science from Boston University, a Master of Science from the University of Maryland, and a Doctor of Nursing Science from Boston University.

Career Burgess is a doctorally prepared, board-certified psychiatric clinical nurse specialist.

She pioneered assessing and treating trauma in rape victims. She co-founded one of the first hospital-based crisis counseling programs at Boston City Hospital with Boston College sociologist, Lynda Lytle Holmstrom. Together, she and Holmstrom conducted extensive research regarding 1960s rape victims in Boston. The BSU was interested in doing similar research to Burgess, except with perpetrators rather than victims. Burgess was granted access to the early cassette tapes that were recorded during the first serial killer interviews, such as discussions with Edmund Kemper, Ted Bundy, and Charles Manson. At first, she questioned working with the FBI, as she had four young children and knew it would take up time from her family. However, the importance of the work is what made her agree: "I was feeling pressured to make the right decision. I mean, I didn't care much about the offenders, they were killers. The biggest motivation from my perspective was helping victims. I focused on that as much as I could," she said in the Hulu docuseries "Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer", based on her work. Burgess was sent to Louisiana to interview his victims. When she first arrived alone and introduced herself as a member of the FBI, authorities called the FBI believing she was impersonating an agent due to her being a woman. As she conducted her interviews, Burgess told the women that they were essential to the investigation, as their information could help catch the offender. She said this is what led so many of them to open up to her, as they realized authorities believed their story. Burgess realized the pattern of victims: women who lived a wealthy lifestyle. She surmised the attacker would be driving a flashy car. The profile her team created with her work led police to arrest Simonis.

John Joubert After a young boy was killed in Nebraska, a member of the BSU gave police a profile for who the killer might be. The profile was incorrect and led to a wrong arrest. After a second young boy was killed, establishing that this was a serial killer, Burgess was officially brought into the profiling room. Burgess profiled him as a white man in his early 20s with a weak build. Evidence pointed to his boy victims trusting him, so Burgess profiled that he may be a teacher, coach, or scout leader. Later, it was confirmed that John Joubert was an assistant scout master. Burgess also noted that he may be interested in detective magazines, as that was a common pattern with similar serial killers. Joubert's belongings included a detective magazine that was dog eared on a page about a young newspaper boy being abducted.

Opal Horton Burgess was called to interview eight-year-old Opal Horton in Illinois. Horton was riding a bike with her friend, Melissa Ackerman, when a man attempted to abduct them and place them in the backseat of his car. Horton was able to escape through a window, but Ackerman was brought into the man's car and had not been found. It was imperative they got as much information from Horton as possible. During the interview, Burgess asked Horton to make drawings of the incident, hoping it would make it easier for the child to communicate. The child drew the crime scene and what she was feeling during the time. Police used Horton's description and sketch of the car that was used during the abduction to arrest Brian Dugan. As she did with Opal Horton, Burgess asked Erik to draw the crime. She believed this would make it easier for Erik to discuss as it did not require him to look at her directly. Burgess says Erik drew his father as large and controlling. According to Burgess, many of the sketches Erik drew of him and his father took place in the bedroom, which she thought was an "unusual place". She asked for further information about his father and the bedroom, leading Erik to draw a depiction of incestuous, sexual abuse. "They killed their parents. Absolutely no matter what the circumstances are, that's still wrong. But they certainly were abused. I could sympathize with what they had to put up with. And so I decided to testify for the defense," Burgess said. Fellow agents criticized her. John E. Douglas told her directly she was making the wrong choice. However, she felt compelled by the motive: "To me, it was important in terms of getting the truth out about trauma and abuse." When asked why her profession was changed, Burgess said, "I think they felt they had to give this Wendy Carr an occupation or profession that people would understand, and they didn't understand nursing." Burgess also said that, though Carr's character is a lesbian, Burgess is not.

In 2024, Hulu released a three-part docu-series about Burgess and her work titled Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer.