The Family Annihilator Turned University Professor – James Gordon Wolcott

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25th September 2019  •  4 min read

In 1967, 15-year-old James Gordon Wolcott murdered his mother, father, and sister. He was committed to a psychiatric hospital until 1974. He faded into obscurity before becoming a university professor.


The Family Annihilator Turned University Professor - James Gordon Wolcott

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On the 5th of August, 1967, Southwestern University professor, Gordon B. Wolcott, his wife, Elizabeth Wolcott, and their 17-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, were found shot in their home in Georgetown, Texas.

They had all been shot with a .22 caliber rifle. Gordon was found in the living room with two shots to his chest. Elizabeth Sr. was found in her bed with two shots to the left side of her head. Elizabeth Jr. was found in her bed with one shot above her right eye and one shot to the heart.1 Gordon and Elizabeth were both pronounced dead at the scene but Elizabeth Sr. died shortly after arriving at the hospital.2

The murders stunned the community of just around 5,000. The Wolcott family were well-known around town and lived in a large white frame house near Southwestern University on College Street. Elizabeth was anticipated to become the valedictorian at  Georgetown High School. While the murders themselves were shocking, the revelation of who killed them was even more astounding to the tight-knit community. As the bodies were being taken to the mortuary, the Wolcott’s 15-year-old son, James Gordon Wolcott, was being arrested for their murders.

Following the murders, Wolcott had flagged down a passing car at around 4:30AM. He told the occupants of the car that his parents had been shot. He directed them to the house where they “started finding bodies all over the place.”3

Wolcott was an upstanding student at Georgetown High School where he received good grades. He had a high IQ, was a peace activist and was active in Methodist youth work. Almost as soon as he was arrested, he confessed to the murders. He calmly stated that he was tired of his mother’s loud chewing and his sisters “bad accent.” He said that he was annoyed at his father, who disproved of his anti-Vietnam pins and forbid him from travelling to Austin to attend anti-war, peace marches. According to court records, Wolcott felt as though his family was “conniving against him to drive him out of his mind.”

The funerals for the family were held in the First Methodist Church and Sheriff Henry Matysek said that Wolcott could leave his jail cell to attend the funerals. Wolcott declined, stating “for all concerned, it is best that I don’t attend.”

In 1968, Wolcott was the first juvenile to ever be tried as an adult in Williamson County. Psychiatrics for the court, the defence, and the prosecution all testified that Wolcott was paranoid and had delusions of persecution at the time of the murders. They also testified that Wolcott showed no remorse for his actions.4 They told the jury that Wolcott had contemplated suicide numerous times in the months running up to the slayings. They said that he had sniffed glue in a bid to get the courage to end his life and that on the night of the murders, Wolcott had been snuffing glue.

They all unanimously recommended that Wolcott be committed to a psychiatric hospital.5

Ultimately, the jury agreed and found Wolcott not guilty by reason of insanity. His defence lawyer, W.K. McClain thanked the jury for their verdict. When the verdict was read, James smiled. He later told reporters that the verdict pleased him.

He was sent to Rusk State Hospital where he remained until 1974. He was released after a court found him sane after just 15 minutes deliberation. Court officials declared that Wolcott would not have to stand trial for the murders because he was “insane” at the time of the offence. Wilson Nicar, the chief psychiatric social worker at Rusk Hospital described Wolcott as a “dependable, trustworthy and highly intelligent individual.”6  The same year, he enrolled in Stephen F. Austin University.7

Following his release, Wolcott kept to himself and faded into obscurity. That was until 2013, when it was reported in the media that Wolcott had changed his name to James St. James and had been a psychology professor at Millikin University in Illinois for the past 27 years.

Then 61-years-old, Wolcott was the chairman of the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Millikin. When the revelation was reported in the media, the university issued a statement which said “given the traumatic experiences of Dr. James’ childhood, his efforts to rebuild his life and obtain a successful professional career have been remarkable.” It was reported that Wolcott had joined the faculty at the university in 1986 and in 1997, received Teaching Excellence and Leadership Award.

While a number of people called for Wolcott to be fired, administrators at the private Millikin University allowed him to keep his job. “It seems odd to me that he hated his father enough to kill him but then he’s living his father’s life,” said Williamson County District Attorney Jana Duty.8 The decision pleased Wolcott’s students, one of which published a letter on The Daily Beast:

“Dr. St. James has not willingly spoken to the media about his past, and I can’t blame him. But days before I wrote this piece, I sent a message to him offering him my support of the new life he has created. I didn’t expect a reply considering the amount of mail this news storm must have created. But whatever you may believe of Dr. St. James and his past, in his present, he is a teacher first and foremost. Despite the current news cycle, he remains responsive and available to students both past and present. He answered my e-mail with the same intelligence and willingness for discourse that I remember from his classroom years ago. As one who has had the privilege of teaching both high school and college students, I find great good in his commitment to his students as well as his dedication to the profession he has spent his adult life serving.

Does that negate the horror of what happened in 1967? No. Nothing can. But knowing that he has devoted his life to a purpose that might save other families the same terrible fate he visited upon his own? To me that is far more justice than most victims ever receive.

So maybe I’m naïve. Perhaps it is my fervent wish that people can be redeemed that makes me write these words. But I stand by Dr. James St. James and I am hopeful that since he demonstrated that there is a way out of the darkness that others can find it, too.”9

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Footnotes:

  1. The Daily Register, 7 August, 1967 – “Juvenile Hearing Set in Slaying”
  2. Springfield Leader and Press, 5 August, 1967 – “Youth Held: Family Slain”
  3. Daily News, 6 August, 1967 – “Professor, Wife, Daughter Slain; Husky Son, 15, Jailed”
  4. Brownwood Bulletin, 2 February, 1968 – “Wolcott Acquitted by Jurors”
  5. Austin American-Statesman, 2 March, 1974 – “Suspect to get Sanity Hearing”
  6. Austin American-Statesman, 9 July, 1974 – “Jury Declares Wolcott Sane”
  7. Waco Tribune-Herald, 11 July, 1974 – “Murder Suspect to Enter College”
  8. Austin American-Statesman, 1 August, 2013 – “Family Killer Became Teacher”
  9. The Daily Beast, 8 September, 2013 – “My Professor the Killer”

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Beverley Potts
Beverley Potts
5 years ago

This made me conflicted. I don’t know if I believe he was insane but he is clearly rehabilitated and wants to make a difference in the world now.

Susanna Vesna
Susanna Vesna
4 years ago

To really understand medically insane, serial killers and other psychopaths, you probably need to have their traits & experiences. His intelligence allowed him to survive and take control of his clearly violent tendencies. I find this story incredible. This being said, I would not remain alone with him in the same room.

ROB
ROB
4 years ago
Reply to  Susanna Vesna

He taught me great guy

Todd haines
Todd haines
4 years ago
Reply to  ROB

Do you think his family thinks he’s a great guy

jellybean
jellybean
1 year ago
Reply to  Todd haines

i dont think his family is available for comment as to their opinion on his character

Stephan Sanders
Stephan Sanders
4 years ago

It doesn’t say anything about being in missouri. But good try!

Andy Zukowski
Andy Zukowski
4 years ago

Omg….I never heard this story….is he still alive?

Todd haines
Todd haines
4 years ago
Reply to  Andy Zukowski

Well if Karma is real then hopefully someone has returned the favor to him, but in a respectful intellectual way

aberdeen
aberdeen
2 years ago
Reply to  Todd haines

im late to this discussion but he is alive, not only that but still teaching and retires in about a year. he works at milikin university in decatur, illinois.

peanutbutterjellytime
peanutbutterjellytime
2 years ago
Reply to  aberdeen

i live near decatur…that’s cool!

Yougottobekiddingme
Yougottobekiddingme
4 years ago

WAIT, so your telling me, a man who was”deemed insane” murdered his family, got sent to the looney bin for years, AFTER, he smiled and said he was pleased with the verdict, now teaches psychology… how stupid could you be to hire a mentally ill – no remorse – psychopath to teach in your university. WT ACTUAL F. So what happens when he gets mad again, at the way a student chews or someone’s accent. Mental illness doesn’t just “go away”. Morons.

Nokidding
Nokidding
3 years ago

So, mentally ill people shouldn’t be allowed to teach? Would you say the same with physically ill people? Mental illness is not a stigma.

Besides, we don’t know the details of his crime, the motives, the reasson he was found not guilty etc

whatisthisworldcomingto
whatisthisworldcomingto
2 years ago
Reply to  Nokidding

mentally ill people who slaughter their entire family should certainly NOT be allowed to teach!! think about what you just said…really think about it. Is that who you want teaching YOUR kid?

Madison
Madison
2 years ago
Reply to  Nokidding

We do know the reason. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity and they claimed he suffered from schizophrenia. But oddly enough, after the murders he never had an episode again. Schizophrenia in incurable… and he never had to suffer from it ever again? Just once when he brutally murdered his family?

Nancy
Nancy
1 year ago
Reply to  Nokidding

I’m glad I read your comment now that I have. It totally makes me question the whole story. If you’re mentally ill, you don’t stand trial. That is decided before hand because if you’re deemed mentally ill, you can’t participate actively in your own defense so therefore, you don’t even get tried, and us go right to the loony bin. If you’re deemed not mentally ill, and stand trial, the way you end up at the loony bin anyway is because it was decided through the verdict that at the time of the crime you were insane not mentally ill… Read more »

Kelly Noble
Kelly Noble
3 years ago

Because he changed his name, they didn’t know his past when they hired him. Did you not read the article?

Lily
Lily
3 years ago

You are going to be so mad when you learn I’m a med student with a remorse-impacting personality disorder.

Miranda Gehrke
Miranda Gehrke
3 years ago

this story reeks of white male privilege, entitlements and wealth.

whatisthisworldcomingto
whatisthisworldcomingto
2 years ago
Reply to  Miranda Gehrke

totally agree!

Nik
Nik
1 year ago

Good grief!! This boy/man thought this whole thing through! It was a setup, from beginning to end! And, ANYbody who doesn’t get that needs some serious help, themselves! He pegged EVERYbody right, & is STILL PLAYING the SAME GAME!! When you support a murderer, & that IS what he is… you also share his victim(s) blood 🩸 on your hands! Forget about Heaven, cause you’ll never make it backing the Wrong Horse! Decide.

Rip
Rip
1 year ago

DISGUSTING THAT SOMEONE LIKE THIS TEACHES OUR CHILDREN. SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUT TO DETH

TBone
TBone
1 year ago

I do not see him on the faculty roster…

Cheryl
Cheryl
1 year ago

Only in this upside-down world can someone (a ‘peace activist’, no less!) murder their family and then go on to teach and head the department of behavioral sciences.

Nancy
Nancy
1 year ago

That said it is definitely scary to think about him being around all those students. The problem is this is exactly what people claim to be able to do when they say they are healed. It’s exactly what you have to decide at that time if someone is capable of or not when you decide, if it’s time for them to be free. I’m the first to say that yes turns out it’s a success to this point, but I wouldn’t want it with my kids or my family to be at that school. The problem is if you’re gonna… Read more »

Jessica
Jessica
7 months ago

The “horror of what happened”? You make him sound like a victim. This is an incredibly offensive article as at no point do you ask him, or offer any of his thoughts, about regret. Or is he glad he murdered them?? YOU CANNOT HAVE REDEMPTION WITHOUT REMORSE.

intrepid
intrepid
7 months ago
Reply to  Jessica

he faced discipline in high school for growing long hair! his father went to bat for him and got him re-instated. W\Latwe, when he started sniffing glue, he became convinced that his father wanted him dead. He told that to the minister, but was dismissed. A day or so later is when he perpetrated the terrible deed.

intrepid
intrepid
7 months ago
Reply to  Jessica

he faced discipline in high school for growing long hair! his father went to bat for him and got him re-instated. W\Latwe, when he started sniffing glue, he became convinced that his father wanted him dead. He told that to the minister, but was dismissed. A day or so later is when he perpetrated the terrible deed.

Karen
Karen
29 days ago

He got away with wiping out his whole family.

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