How the Real Unabomber Was Caught, and Why Netflix’s New ‘Unabomber’ Movie Has Everyone Talking
Director Janus Metz’s ‘Unabomber‘ has overtaken every other title on Netflix since its September debut and now sits as the most watched film on the service. The story follows a young Ted Kaczynski, played by Jacob Tremblay, as he takes part in ethically questionable psychological experiments run by Russell Crowe’s Professor Henry Murray.
Now that the film has viewers glued to their screens, one question keeps coming up. How was the Unabomber caught after so many years on the run? The real answer is stranger than most thrillers, because an investigation lasting nearly two decades ended thanks to Kaczynski’s own words.
How the Unabomber Got Caught After Years of Dead Ends
Between 1978 and 1995, Kaczynski mailed bombs to chosen targets, killing three people and injuring 23 others. Investigators nicknamed him the Unabomber, short for University and Airline Bomber, yet they knew very little about who they were chasing despite it being the largest and most expensive FBI investigation in U.S. history.
The effort grew enormous. It eventually drew more than 150 full time investigators, analysts and agents from the FBI, the ATF and other agencies. Even so, the bureau had little to show for its work until 1995, when Kaczynski sent his manifesto to news outlets.
The Ted Kaczynski Manifesto That Cracked the Case
In June 1995, the bomber sent a 35,000 word manifesto to The New York Times, The Washington Post and other outlets, railing against modern technology. The task force recommended publishing it in the hope that a reader might recognize the author, even though officials feared giving in to the demands of a terrorist.
The gamble paid off. FBI Director Louis Freeh and Attorney General Janet Reno authorized publication, reasoning that it could lead to the bomber’s identification. A woman named Linda Patrik read it in The Washington Post and spotted phrasing, arguments and writing habits that resembled those of her brother in law, Ted Kaczynski.
Her husband was skeptical at first. David Kaczynski later told ABC News that on an emotional level the words sounded like his brother’s voice.
David Kaczynski’s Tip to the FBI and the Arrest in Montana
The couple did not rush. They worked with a private investigator and a former FBI behavioral science expert to judge whether Ted could be the Unabomber before contacting the bureau. Analysts on that side concluded the letters were probably written by the same person behind the manifesto, and a lawyer then contacted the FBI on the family’s behalf.
Investigators then went to work on the writing itself. David forwarded a 23 page essay Ted wrote in 1971, and the phrase sphere of human freedom, found in both documents, jumped out at FBI special agent Terry Turchie. That, along with other writing anomalies and evidence, helped authorities secure a search warrant for the tiny Montana cabin.
Agents arrested Kaczynski near Lincoln, Montana on April 3, 1996, and found another bomb, bomb making components and the original manuscript of the manifesto. They also recovered more than 40,000 handwritten journal pages describing bomb experiments and the crimes themselves. Kaczynski later pled guilty to avoid the death penalty and received four life terms.
The cost to the family was real. David wanted his role kept confidential, but his identity quickly leaked, and Ted vowed never to forgive him.
What the ‘Unabomber’ Netflix Movie Does With the True Story
Anyone expecting a straight retelling of the manhunt may be surprised. Rather than focusing on the years of attacks, the film jumps between different periods of Kaczynski’s life, including his time as a Harvard student. Netflix describes it as a drama inspired by true events, following his path from Harvard prodigy and test subject to the Unabomber as the FBI closes in.
Critics are divided on that balance. SlashFilm called it a surprisingly effective thriller with a slick look and intense performances, but argued it keeps losing momentum whenever it cuts to the FBI storyline. Another reviewer gave it three out of five and noted that the agent character, Joanna Miller, is probably built from many different agents who worked the case.
The film has still found a huge audience. History suggests that when Netflix makes a project about a real life criminal, it usually lands in the top ten, and true crime appetite shows no sign of fading. Since the real capture hinged on a family’s painful choice, do you think ‘Unabomber’ should have spent more time on David and Linda instead of the FBI subplot?
