David Abrahamsen (June 23, 1903 – May 20, 2002) was a Norwegianforensic psychiatrist,psychoanalyst, and author who wrote analyses ofRichard M. Nixon andDavid Berkowitz.
He was the father ofInger McCabe Elliott.[1][2][3]
Abrahamsen was born inTrondheim, Norway in 1903. He studied medical science at theRoyal Frederick University inOslo and graduated in 1929. He eventually relocated to England, taking positions at theTavistock Clinic and theLondon School of Economics.[4]
He moved to the United States in 1940 and joined the staff atSt. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, D.C. Later he served as a psychiatrist and criminalpsychopathologist at two major prisons in the U.S., first theIllinois State Penitentiary inJoliet, and then theSing Sing Correctional Facility inOssining, New York. He also worked for theNew York State Psychiatric Institute atColumbia University, and served as a teacher and research associate at Columbia'sCollege of Physicians and Surgeons.[4]
Abrahamsen belonged to one of the oldest families of Jewish settlers in Norway, and his heritage informed the writing of his first book,I Am a Jew, which described and compared the traditional Norwegian and Jewish ways of life.[4]
Abrahamsen's paper,A Study ofLee Harvey Oswald: Psychological Capability of Murder, was published in the Bulletin of theNew York Academy of Medicine, in October 1967. His book,Our Violent Society, came out in 1970, aFunk & Wagnalls' publication.[5]
Abrahamsen's expertise in psychopathology was enlisted by authorities during the notoriousSon of Samserial murder case: when the killer, David Berkowitz, was finally in custody, Abrahamsen was directed by the Brooklyn District Attorney to evaluate his ability to stand trial. He deemed him competent, but Berkowitz never went to trial, pleading guilty instead and receiving multiplelife sentences. Abrahamsen continued to examine Berkowitz in jail, and ultimately documented his life inConfessions of Son of Sam (1985).[4]
Abrahamsen suspected PrinceAlbert Victor andJames Kenneth Stephen worked as a collaborating team to commit theJack the Ripper murders.[6] The book was criticized for providing no solid evidence.[7][8]
Columbia University Library maintains a trove of research notes, drafts, correspondence and articles written by Abrahamsen on topics of criminals and criminality.[9]
