“She knew more than anybody in the room. None of this happens without Dr. Burgess.” ~ Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer

The new documentary series Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer, from Dakota and Elle Fanning and executive producer Abby Fuller, focuses on FBI specialist and experienced psychiatric nurse and professor Ann Wolbert Burgess, D.N.Sc., APRN, FAAN. Burgess, an internationally recognized pioneer in the assessment and treatment of victims of trauma and abuse, explored the minds of notorious murderers and subsequently transformed the way that the FBI profiles and apprehends serial killers.

Burgess examined the psychological complexities of both victims and perpetrators, ranging from infamous figures such as Ed Kemper and Ted Bundy to lesser-known offenders like the Ski Mask Rapist, in order to piece together the narrative necessary for apprehending killers. With unique access to the architect of contemporary serial-killer profiling, this series narrates Burgess’s journey and deep empathy for victims, positioning her at the heart of America’s most notorious true crime stories.

As executive producer Abby Fuller describes Burgess, “The throughline tends to be that Dr. Burgess does what she thinks is right, no matter what other people think. And she’s often ahead of her time and going against mainstream ideology, whether it be about believing victims, or in the Menéndez case, about believing male victims, or about understanding profiling.”

In addition to offering a perspective on the woman whose groundbreaking contributions reshaped criminal investigations, Mastermind shows that Burgess, until now largely an unsung heroine, also radically championed the plight of women in America.

Although we believe that there is more to be told about the serial killer phenomenon that is not the subject of this documentary, we wish to acknowledge Dr. Ann Burgess for her work, bravery, and innovative contributions.

Watch on Hulu

Related:

Boston Nurse Ann Burgess Studied America’s Most Notorious Killers in Order to Stop Them

A Killer by Design: Murderers, Mindhunters, and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mind (Book)

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