Murder and the Professor - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Janice · 07-26-2003, 10:23 PM

Would anyone mind having this man as a professor, co-worker, friend, neighbor, babysitter, etc?

Prof's Murder Conviction Stuns Penn State

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Last month, Penn State University officials learned something about professor Paul Krueger that wasn't on his resume - he is on parole for a triple murder committed in Texas nearly 40 years ago.

The university knew nothing about Krueger's conviction until late last month, when the Pennsylvania Bureau of Probation and Parole contacted the university, spokesman Bill Mahon said Friday.

"We're in shock to find out some of the details, and we're still looking into it,'' Mahon said. "We've never had a situation like this before.''

Mahon said the university doesn't require prospective faculty members to report their criminal backgrounds.

But it may soon be a moot point. A spokesman for National University in California confirmed that Krueger had accepted a teaching job there, and Texas parole officials said they already were working on that move.

"We are, as a matter of fact, to meet with him at our headquarters here today to do some of that paperwork,'' said Kathy Shallcross, deputy director of Texas' parole division said Friday.

Hoyt Smith, spokesman for National University, the La Jolla-based college where Krueger will be associate professor of business, said officials were shocked to learn of the conviction from a reporter Friday, but that it wouldn't necessarily affect his employment.

"He had excellent credentials. He came highly recommended from Penn State,'' Smith said.

Krueger, who has been at Penn State for four years, has no telephone listing in the State College area. He did not immediately respond to an e-mail from The Associated Press.

In 1965, when he was 18, Krueger and a 16-year-old friend, left San Clemente, Calif. The two passed through Texas and rented a motor boat hoping to travel to Venezuela, where they intended to become "soldiers of fortune,'' according to a 1979 story in the Austin American-Statesman.

Along the Intracoastal Waterway near Corpus Christi, they encountered a fishing boat with a crew of three, John Fox, 38; Noel Little, 50; and Van Carson, 40. As night fell on April 12, 1965, all five went to shore and put in for the night.

For reasons Krueger never made public, he shot the three fishermen that night, unloading 40 bullets into their bodies. Sam Jones, then the district attorney for Nueces County, later referred to the shooting as "the most heinous crime in the history of the Gulf Coast.''

Krueger pleaded guilty in 1966 to three counts of murder and was sentenced to three life terms, to be served concurrently.

Corrections officials described Krueger as a model inmate. He earned his diploma and an associate's degree, volunteered with alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs and reported for the prison newspaper.

Two parole commissioners, in 1977, called Krueger, "probably the most exceptional inmate'' in the entire state. "There is nothing further he can do to rehabilitate himself,'' they said. Two years later, he was paroled to West Covina, Calif., where he enrolled in graduate school.

Krueger's academic credentials are unquestioned - he graduated summa cum laude from Sam Houston State University, going on to earn a master's degree from California State University-Los Angeles, a Ph.D. in sociology from South Dakota State University and an Ed.D. from the University of Southern California.

He was a visiting professor at Idaho State University and held a tenure-track position at Augustana College in South Dakota before coming to Penn State, where Krueger was director of the Institute for Research in Training and Development, teaching mostly graduate courses and studying employee training programs.

Some of his previous employers expressed surprise when learning of Krueger's conviction.

"I'm sitting here thunderstruck. I'm virtually speechless,'' said Anne Oppegard, chairwoman of the business department at Augustana. "I'm practically stuttering I'm so dumbfounded.''

BrandonS · 07-26-2003, 10:30 PM

I'll bet his students are polite to him in class. Forty bullets, geez, I guess they were dead.

TJL · 07-26-2003, 10:40 PM

It's amazing that this guy turned his life around, but I'm not sure I would want to be anywhere near him.

dawsongirl · 07-26-2003, 11:47 PM

Gosh...and he was getting ready for next term, when he'd teach Criminology 205...Solving My Crime

Janice · 07-27-2003, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dawsongirl
Gosh...and he was getting ready for next term, when he'd teach Criminology 205...Solving My Crime

or....Triple Murder 101. The Art of Serving 12 Years for 3 lives.

dawsongirl · 07-27-2003, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Janice

or....Triple Murder 101. The Art of Serving 12 Years for 3 lives.

He could teach both!

Liza · 07-27-2003, 11:14 AM

It's so scary that Penn State didn't require Profs to say if they had any criminal convictions. Come on! The guy had well over ten years with nothing to do so he put himself through school. Good for him, but I wouldn't want him goin anywhere near me!

Janice · 07-27-2003, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Liza
It's so scary that Penn State didn't require Profs to say if they had any criminal convictions. Come on! The guy had well over ten years with nothing to do so he put himself through school. Good for him, but I wouldn't want him goin anywhere near me!

I agree Liza. If he snapped once, who's to say it won't happen again. If he had killed people in the commision of a crime, say a bank robbery, I could get my mind around it better. I would still think he belongs in prison for the rest of his life, so I'm not implying that it would be okay.
However, to murder three people in cold blood and to actually overkill them with 40 bullets....well, professor or not, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near him in any capacity.
The families of his victims must feel awful.

bandito · 07-27-2003, 11:26 AM

How did this Loon get out? I mean who in their right mind would parole someone who killed three people. That's just plain

Liza · 07-27-2003, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bandito
How did this Loon get out? I mean who in their right mind would parole someone who killed three people. That's just plain

Time off for good behavior, if you can believe it

It's awful. The guy put himself through school and became a professor while in prison - that just ain't right.

BrandonS · 07-27-2003, 02:57 PM

The criminal justice system endorses the idea that some people can be rehabilitated, and perhaps this person was. Perhaps not. But it's just a fact that if your crimes were very horrific, no one is going to want to be around you no matter how much evidence you give that you're a different person.

Kay Scarpetta · 07-28-2003, 10:51 AM

I still don't get why he shot the people! For reasons he "wouldn't name?" That makes me think he's crazy even more. eek.

07-26-2003, 10:23 PM	#1
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	Murder and the Professor Would anyone mind having this man as a professor, co-worker, friend, neighbor, babysitter, etc? Prof's Murder Conviction Stuns Penn State STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Last month, Penn State University officials learned something about professor Paul Krueger that wasn't on his resume - he is on parole for a triple murder committed in Texas nearly 40 years ago. The university knew nothing about Krueger's conviction until late last month, when the Pennsylvania Bureau of Probation and Parole contacted the university, spokesman Bill Mahon said Friday. "We're in shock to find out some of the details, and we're still looking into it,'' Mahon said. "We've never had a situation like this before.'' Mahon said the university doesn't require prospective faculty members to report their criminal backgrounds. But it may soon be a moot point. A spokesman for National University in California confirmed that Krueger had accepted a teaching job there, and Texas parole officials said they already were working on that move. "We are, as a matter of fact, to meet with him at our headquarters here today to do some of that paperwork,'' said Kathy Shallcross, deputy director of Texas' parole division said Friday. Hoyt Smith, spokesman for National University, the La Jolla-based college where Krueger will be associate professor of business, said officials were shocked to learn of the conviction from a reporter Friday, but that it wouldn't necessarily affect his employment. "He had excellent credentials. He came highly recommended from Penn State,'' Smith said. Krueger, who has been at Penn State for four years, has no telephone listing in the State College area. He did not immediately respond to an e-mail from The Associated Press. In 1965, when he was 18, Krueger and a 16-year-old friend, left San Clemente, Calif. The two passed through Texas and rented a motor boat hoping to travel to Venezuela, where they intended to become "soldiers of fortune,'' according to a 1979 story in the Austin American-Statesman. Along the Intracoastal Waterway near Corpus Christi, they encountered a fishing boat with a crew of three, John Fox, 38; Noel Little, 50; and Van Carson, 40. As night fell on April 12, 1965, all five went to shore and put in for the night. For reasons Krueger never made public, he shot the three fishermen that night, unloading 40 bullets into their bodies. Sam Jones, then the district attorney for Nueces County, later referred to the shooting as "the most heinous crime in the history of the Gulf Coast.'' Krueger pleaded guilty in 1966 to three counts of murder and was sentenced to three life terms, to be served concurrently. Corrections officials described Krueger as a model inmate. He earned his diploma and an associate's degree, volunteered with alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs and reported for the prison newspaper. Two parole commissioners, in 1977, called Krueger, "probably the most exceptional inmate'' in the entire state. "There is nothing further he can do to rehabilitate himself,'' they said. Two years later, he was paroled to West Covina, Calif., where he enrolled in graduate school. Krueger's academic credentials are unquestioned - he graduated summa cum laude from Sam Houston State University, going on to earn a master's degree from California State University-Los Angeles, a Ph.D. in sociology from South Dakota State University and an Ed.D. from the University of Southern California. He was a visiting professor at Idaho State University and held a tenure-track position at Augustana College in South Dakota before coming to Penn State, where Krueger was director of the Institute for Research in Training and Development, teaching mostly graduate courses and studying employee training programs. Some of his previous employers expressed surprise when learning of Krueger's conviction. "I'm sitting here thunderstruck. I'm virtually speechless,'' said Anne Oppegard, chairwoman of the business department at Augustana. "I'm practically stuttering I'm so dumbfounded.''

07-26-2003, 10:40 PM	#3
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,588	It's amazing that this guy turned his life around, but I'm not sure I would want to be anywhere near him.
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07-27-2003, 11:26 AM	#9
bandito Going Topless Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 28, 2002 Location: The Steel City Posts: 6,320	How did this Loon get out? I mean who in their right mind would parole someone who killed three people. That's just plain
	__________________ bandito

07-28-2003, 10:51 AM	#12
Kay Scarpetta Defy Gravity 8.26.05 Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 04, 2001 Location: La Vie Boheme Posts: 28,013	I still don't get why he shot the people! For reasons he "wouldn't name?" That makes me think he's crazy even more. eek.
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07-26-2003, 10:30 PM	#2
BrandonS Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Aug 18, 2002 Posts: 8,824	I'll bet his students are polite to him in class. Forty bullets, geez, I guess they were dead.

07-26-2003, 11:47 PM	#4
dawsongirl Member Forum Icon Join Date: Jan 04, 2001 Posts: 53,140	Gosh...and he was getting ready for next term, when he'd teach Criminology 205...Solving My Crime

07-27-2003, 11:14 AM	#7
Liza BestYearsofOurLives Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 24, 2001 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 6,537	It's so scary that Penn State didn't require Profs to say if they had any criminal convictions. Come on! The guy had well over ten years with nothing to do so he put himself through school. Good for him, but I wouldn't want him goin anywhere near me!

07-27-2003, 02:57 PM	#11
BrandonS Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Aug 18, 2002 Posts: 8,824	The criminal justice system endorses the idea that some people can be rehabilitated, and perhaps this person was. Perhaps not. But it's just a fact that if your crimes were very horrific, no one is going to want to be around you no matter how much evidence you give that you're a different person.