Actor Morgan Freeman interviews convicted killer in Illinois
Photo of Morgan Freeman via FoxNews.com
CHICAGO (AP) — To understand the concept of evil, actor Morgan Freeman visited an Illinois prison to interview a serial killer.
Freeman this month visited convicted murderer Brian Dugan at Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet for an upcoming six-part documentary for the National Geographic Channel, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The 59-year-old prisoner is serving a life sentence for various crimes, including the 1983 abduction, rape and murder of 10-year-old suburban Chicago girl Jeanine Nicarico. Dugan originally was sentenced to death, but the verdict was commuted to life when Illinois abolished capital punishment.
Dugan's frankness about his "grisly and horrific actions" sparked the producers' interest, and they hope to provide "a glimpse into the mind of a man who has claimed he is repentant for his crimes, but also admits that if he were back in society, he is sure he'd be unable to keep himself from returning to his former life," Freeman's production team wrote in an email to state prison officials seeking access.
Other portions of the documentary, which Variety magazine says will be called "The Story of God," will deal with religious experiences, rituals and how discoveries in neuroscience overlap with religion.
For the episode about Dugan, Freeman worked with neuroscientist Kent Kiehl, author of "The Psychopath Whisperer," who studies criminal psychopaths.
"Dr. Kiehl has begun to reveal how mental illness can be treated and, more importantly, caught early before it manifests as criminal behavior," wrote Brandon Fibbs, an associate producer, according to the email sent to state prison officials. "We are interested in raising awareness about the fact that there may be a way to help people like Mr. Dugan before they harm others."
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Information from: Chicago Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com