The Strange Case of the Mad Professor

May 20, 2013
John Buettner-Janusch’s academic achievements were stellar (he was the chair of New York University’s anthropology department in the 1970s, and an expert on lemurs), but as journalist Kobel (Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and Triumph of Movie Culture) uncovers in this vivid tale, during his down time, the “mad professor” explored darker territory. On the surface, Buettner-Janusch—or B-J, as he was known to friends and colleagues—was a brilliant scientist and teacher, yet Kobel unearths a complex, contradictory man who lied to reach the heights of the Ivory Tower before being ousted by feds who discovered his illegal on-campus drug manufacturing operation. Although he claimed the LSD and quaaludes were for animal research, the court found him guilty of manufacturing the drugs and sentenced him to five years in prison, a punishment that B-J, when released on parole, sought to avenge by sending poisoned Valentine’s Day chocolates to the judge. Attempted murder earned him another 20 years. Ending with the disgraced scientist’s 1992 demise—behind bars—and an informed epilogue on lemurs, Kobel expertly wraps up this bizarre true crime tale. B&w photos. Agent: Martha Kaplan, Martha Kaplan Agency.

May 15, 2013
Longtime magazine journalist Kobel (Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture, 2007) documents the controversial life and death of Professor John Buettner-Janusch (1924-1992), the world's expert on lemurs and a man so out of control that he served two prison terms for two separate crimes. Buettner-Janusch gained his reputation as an animal anthropologist at Duke University and New York University. There is no question his research on the lemur species added greatly to the knowledge of animal and human behavior. However, the flamboyant professor struck almost everybody who knew him as strange due to his moodiness, authoritarian manner, persecution complex, sartorial choices and sexual preferences. While married to a fellow researcher, he maintained a modicum of equilibrium, but after her cancer-related death in 1977, the professor's strangeness increased noticeably. Law enforcement authorities began investigating the use of his NYU research laboratory for the manufacture of LSD and other illegal narcotics unrelated to the lemur research. Charged with felonies by federal prosecutors, Buettner-Janusch ended up in prison after a jury trial. Released in 1983 but still on parole, the former famous researcher could not find meaningful employment. He began to plot revenge against men and women he felt had betrayed him, focusing especially on the federal judge, Charles Brieant, who presided at the drug manufacturing trial. In 1987, the unbalanced former professor sent poisoned chocolates to the judge's home on Valentine's Day. The judge never consumed the candy, but his wife did and became seriously ill. Buettner-Janusch pled guilty and received a new prison sentence. He died in prison in 1992. He rarely, if ever, expressed remorse and died mostly forgotten. A well-researched, clearly written biography of a strange character.

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