Millikin University Professor Brutally Murdered His Family In The 60s, But He’s All Good Now

Rob Fox12 years ago

“Airplane glue is a hell of a drug, your honor.” – Defense lawyer in Texas, circa the late 1960s.

James St. James, the chairman of the psychology department at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, had a dirty little secret about him revealed the other day. For most 60-something men that usually means someone found out that he dresses up in lingerie and sings show tunes or that they have a Filipino boy locked in their basement and lots of illicit pictures on their computer. James St. James wishes all he had was a Filipino boy locked in his basement. No, the skeletons in St. James’ closet happen to be the skeletons of his family members, whom he brutally murdered in the late ’60s while clinically insane and high on airplane glue.

Yeah, in 1967, the head of Millikin University’s psychology department got high on airplane glue and murdered his parents and sister. He was 15 years old at the time, living in Georgetown, Texas. Georgetown, for those unfamiliar, is just a little bit north of Austin.

Somehow managing to avoid the death penalty in Texas, St. James, then known as James Wolcott, was determined by the court to be not guilty by reason of insanity. He was ordered to be hospitalized until he “became sane.” Apparently that only took seven years. I’m not so sure I believe in his sanity, however. The first thing St. James did after being released was petition to have his name changed from James Wolcott to James St. James. What sort of sane person names themselves James St. James? HE STILL THIRSTS FOR BLOOD.

Most disconcerting of all though, is what the doctor who cleared St. James had to say about the professor’s rebuilding of his life when asked by the Georgetown Advocate reporter who unearthed all of this.

Douglas M. Benold, the now-retired doctor who declared St. James insane after a 1968 examination, told the Sun-Times, of St. James’ new life: “I think that’s wonderful, if it’s for real. Knowing his background, I’m glad he’s there instead of in Georgetown.”

WHAT!?!?! If it’s for real? YOU CLEARED HIM YOU SICK SON OF A BITCH! What do you mean, “If it’s for real”!?! What’d you say when you let the triple murderer leave the psych ward? “Eh, he’s been here seven years, he’s probably fine, probably won’t kill again. I just hope he freakin’ leaves Texas, ‘cuz the guy gives me the creeps.”

I know he’s retired, but can we revoke Dr. Benold’s medical license anyway? It’d be largely ceremonial, but it needs to be done.

The incident, however, that incident being that St. James murdered his family, is long in the professor’s past, presumably except for when his family’s angry spirits visit him at night. Since his release from a Texas mental institution, St. James has earned multiple degrees in psychology. He’s really turned his life around, post-patricide/matricide/sororicide (TSM?).

Meanwhile, Millikin is standing by its long tenured professor/killer, though there are many in the community calling for St. James’ resignation, including the mayor of Decatur. St. James, however, fully plans on teaching this fall. Enjoy sending your children off to Millikin, parents.

In the meantime, one has to wonder, would there be more or less outrage if we found out St. James was blowing truckers at a highway rest stop instead of being guilty-ish for the murder of his family? Who am I kidding, there’d be WAY more outrage for the former.

[via Huffington Post College]