James St. James (professor)

**James St. James** is a professor of psychology at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. In 1967, at the age of 15, St. James (then known as James Wolcott) killed his mother, father, and sister, and was subsequently arrested. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity, and spent six years in a mental hospital before being released. Afterwards, St. James changed his name and pursued a career in psychology.

In 2013, investigative journalists discovered Wolcott's new identity, resulting in a highly publicized scandal at the university. Despite this, Wolcott continues to teach at Millikin, where he is reportedly well-liked by students and faculty.

## Early life

James David St. James, born James Gordon Wolcott was born in either 1951 or 1952, to parents Dr. Gordon Bloomfield Wolcott (1910-1967), and Elizabeth Wolcott (née Williams, 1919-1967). His older sister, Elizabeth "Libby", was born in 1950. The family lived in Georgetown, Texas, where his father worked as a biology professor at Southwestern University. As a teenager, Wolcott was regarded as highly intelligent and talented, with an IQ of 134.

Wolcott was active in Vietnam War protests, resulting in conflict with his parents. In later police interrogations, James would state that he harbored deep hatred for his family, and claimed that he had begun having suicidal thoughts in 1966.

### Wolcott family murders

Wolcott later admitted that he had begun planning the murders a week in advance. On the evening of August 4, 1967, 15-year-old Wolcott, his sister, and several friends attended a show in Austin. They returned home at around 10 PM; Wolcott's mother and sister went to bed, while he and his father stayed up.

Wolcott sniffed airplane glue to give himself a "boost", then grabbed a .22 caliber long-barrel rifle and loaded it. He proceeded to shoot his father twice in the chest, killing him. He then went to Libby's bedroom and shot her in the chest and face. Lastly, he attacked his mother, who had been awakened by the commotion. She was shot twice in the face and once in the head.

After the shooting, Wolcott entered the attic above his bedroom and hid the rifle, then left the home at around 1 AM. He flagged down a car carrying three college students, and informed them that his entire family had been killed, though he did not admit he himself was the killer. The students reluctantly entered his house where they discovered the bodies of his family members, and noticed that Elizabeth was still alive with labored breathing. The students called for the police and an ambulance.

Wolcott acted hysterical, feigning shock at the death of his family. Feeling uneasy, believing the gunman could still be within the house, the students left the scene.

Police soon arrived and took James and Elizabeth to the hospital. James continued to feign shock until he was told of his mother's passing, at which point he simply responded, "Thank you". He was questioned by police about what he witnessed, before he was asked directly, "Did you kill your parents, son?". James hesitated, then admitted to murdering his family.

### Arrest and imprisonment

Wolcott was taken into custody at the Williamson County Jail. The murders were heavily talked about by local press and gained a modicum of national attention. In 1968, Dr. Douglas M. Benold evaluated Wolcott and diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia, exacerbated by inhalant use. Wolcott was found not guilty by reason of insanity. He was subsequently ordered to be committed to the Rusk State Hospital indefinitely.

## Release and psychology career

In 1974, Wolcott was released from prison and pursued multiple degrees in psychology. 3 years later, in 1976, he had his name legally changed to "James David St. James", and left little trace of his whereabouts.

In the following decade, Wolcott earned a bachelor's degree in psychology, and in 1988, earned a PhD.

### Millikin University

Around 1983, St. James began his professorial career at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. St. James won awards during his career as a professor, and was well-liked by students and faculty, earning a position as chairman in the university's behavioral sciences department.

## Reveal

In July 2013, a reporter from the Georgetown Advocate investigated Wolcott's history after his prison release, and discovered he had changed his name to James St. James and was a 61-year-old professor at Millikin University. This caused immediate outrage, with many, including Decatur's mayor, Mike McElroy, calling for his resignation.

In an official statement, Millikin University said, "Given the traumatic experiences of his childhood, Dr. St. James’ efforts to rebuild his life and obtain a successful professional career have been remarkable". St. James remains a member of the university's faculty.

## Citations

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 http://www.thelizlibrary.org/liz/wolcott.pdf
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2383953/Award-winning-university-psychology-professor-61-unmasked-man-killed-entire-family-teenager--guilty-reason-INSANITY.html
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/james-st-james-millikin-u\_n\_3696505