associate professor of criminal justice, 308.865.8775
The ability of criminals to use the Internet as an avenue to commit crimes and school violence issues will be addressed by the keynote speakers at the University of Nebraska at Kearney Criminal Justice Conference and Career Fair on Thursday, March 22.
Beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the Nebraskan Student Union Ponderosa Room 238, the event is open to the public and admission to the conference is $12.50. The conference is an annual event tailored to current national, state and local issues in law enforcement.
The first keynote speaker will be Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison, who will give a presentation titled “Murder on the Internet: The Investigation and Prosecution of Serial Killer John Robinson.”
Before being elected attorney general, Morrison served as the chief prosecutor for the 10th Judicial District in Johnson County, Kan. There he successfully prosecuted John Robinson, a serial killer who used the Internet to locate and lure his victims.
The Robinson murders were unique in that they were the first known cases of a serial killer using the Internet as the base of operations. After lunch, Park County, Colo., Sheriff Fred Weneger will present “School Violence: The Threat and Response.”
Wegener’s presentation will recount the Baily High School incident and explain the overall problem of school violence.
In the fall of 2006, an armed suspect entered the high school at Baily, Colo., and after taking six student hostages, the suspect murdered a student and committed suicide.
Weneger has been the chief law enforcement officer of Park County for three terms and has served with other law enforcement agencies for 26 years. A graduate of the FBI’s National Academy, he is also past president of the Colorado State Sheriff’s Association.
The career fair part of the event has 27 national, state and local agencies scheduled to attend. Some of the participants will include the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Nebraska State Patrol, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office and Kearney Police Department.
