Victims Fear Unabomber Could Upload His Screeds To Internet

Fearful that Ted Kaczynski will upload to the Internet 40,000 pages of his writings and documents, victims of the imprisoned-for-life Unabomber do not want government officials to provide the killer with an electronic copy of those records, according to a new court filing.

After years of arduous litigation, Kaczynski’s original writings--half of which are handwritten--are scheduled to be auctioned, with the proceeds going to his victims (a group that includes the widows of two men killed during the 17-year bombing spree). A federal judge directed prosecutors to provide Kaczynski with a copy of his documents in advance of their sale, and FBI officials have been scanning the killer’s papers in response to that judicial order.

However, victims are now arguing that the provision of an electronic copy of the documents “will allow Kaczynski, in a manner of minutes, to upload to the Internet a complete and unredacted set of his writings, rife with the details of his victims’ identities and injuries and his systematic efforts to harm them,” according to a response filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, California.

Instead, the victims contend, the killer should be given physical copies of his documents. “Of course, if Kaczynski receives physical copies of the unredacted writings, he can have them scanned at his own expense. But there is no reason to place taxpayer resources at his disposal to accomplish (and accelerate) that task,” the victims argue.

The group also opposes a Kaczynski request to have the auction postponed so that federal officials can spend additional time preparing his copy of the records. If Kaczynski’s motion for a delay was granted, “the victims will suffer--at a minimum--another three months’ delay in receiving money that their families vitally need.”