Alex has a PhD in psychology from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. His specialism was in the fields of abnormal psychology and forensic psychology.
Upon graduation Cross worked as a migrant farm worker for a year.
WORK
Alex Cross went into private practice in psychology. He struggled financially for three years before giving it up.
He joined the Metropolitan Police Department in DC as a psychologist, working in Homicide and Major Crimes as a criminal profiler. He worked with ViCAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program) as a liaison between the FBI and MPD. After his stint as an FBI Senior Agent, Alex returned to private psychology practice and continued to consult for the MPD and the FBI as needed. He rejoined the MPD as a special consultant to the Major Case Squad.
A Washington Post Magazine in-depth article labelled Cross ‘The Last Southern Gentleman’ and praised him for his work in Homicide.
Articles by Alex Cross on the criminal mind have appeared in Psychiatric Archives and the American Journal of Psychiatry. He also wrote a diagnostic profile of psychopathic killer Gary Soneji/Murphy.