murder cinviction stuns college(paroled triple murderer becomes professor)

associated press ^ | 7.26.03 | Dan lewerenz

[freepatriot32]

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (July 26) - Last month, Penn State University officials learned something about professor Paul Krueger that wasn't on his resume - he is on parole for a triple murder committed in Texas nearly 40 years ago.

The university knew nothing about Krueger's conviction until late last month, when the Pennsylvania Bureau of Probation and Parole contacted the university, spokesman Bill Mahon said Friday.

"We're in shock to find out some of the details, and we're still looking into it," Mahon said. "We've never had a situation like this before."

Mahon said the university doesn't require prospective faculty members to report their criminal backgrounds.

But it may soon be a moot point. A spokesman for National University in California confirmed that Krueger had accepted a teaching job there, and Texas parole officials said they already were working on that move.

"We are, as a matter of fact, to meet with him at our headquarters here today to do some of that paperwork," said Kathy Shallcross, deputy director of Texas' parole division said Friday.

Hoyt Smith, spokesman for National University, the La Jolla-based college where Krueger will be associate professor of business, said officials were shocked to learn of the conviction from a reporter Friday, but that it wouldn't necessarily affect his employment.

"He had excellent credentials. He came highly recommended from Penn State," Smith said.

Krueger, who has been at Penn State for four years, has no telephone listing in the State College area. He did not immediately respond to an e-mail from The Associated Press.

In 1965, when he was 18, Krueger and a 16-year-old friend, left San Clemente, Calif. The two passed through Texas and rented a motor boat hoping to travel to Venezuela, where they intended to become "soldiers of fortune," according to a 1979 story in the Austin American-Statesman.

Along the Intracoastal Waterway near Corpus Christi, they encountered a fishing boat with a crew of three, John Fox, 38; Noel Little, 50; and Van Carson, 40. As night fell on April 12, 1965, all five went to shore and put in for the night.

For reasons Krueger never made public, he shot the three fishermen that night, unloading 40 bullets into their bodies. Sam Jones, then the district attorney for Nueces County, later referred to the shooting as "the most heinous crime in the history of the Gulf Coast."

Krueger pleaded guilty in 1966 to three counts of murder and was sentenced to three life terms, to be served concurrently.

Corrections officials described Krueger as a model inmate. He earned his diploma and an associate's degree, volunteered with alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs and reported for the prison newspaper.

Two parole commissioners, in 1977, called Krueger, "probably the most exceptional inmate" in the entire state. "There is nothing further he can do to rehabilitate himself," they said. Two years later, he was paroled to West Covina, Calif., where he enrolled in graduate school.

Krueger's academic credentials are unquestioned - he graduated summa cum laude from Sam Houston State University, going on to earn a master's degree from California State University-Los Angeles, a Ph.D. in sociology from South Dakota State University and an Ed.D. from the University of Southern California.

He was a visiting professor at Idaho State University and held a tenure-track position at Augustana College in South Dakota before coming to Penn State, where Krueger was director of the Institute for Research in Training and Development, teaching mostly graduate courses and studying employee training programs.

Some of his previous employers expressed surprise when learning of Krueger's conviction.

"I'm sitting here thunderstruck. I'm virtually speechless," said Anne Oppegard, chairwoman of the business department at Augustana. "I'm practically stuttering I'm so dumbfounded."

07/26/03 03:53 EDT

[freepatriot32]

So he killed 3 people and served 13 years in prison and became a college professor. Hmmm for selling one pound of marijuana you get madatory minimum sentence of 15 years with no chance of parole and lose all chance of getting any goverment grants or scholrships to college much less a chance of ever being a professor. Yep I feel much safer now

[AD from SpringBay]

Mahon said the university doesn't require prospective faculty members to report their criminal backgrounds.

And thus, reality strikes (however briefly) another college campus. Even as I type there may be college liberals (students, professors, and even administrators) who have finally come to the realization that, yes, Virginia, people judge other people.

[Rodney King]

Hmmm for selling one pound of marijuana you get madatory minimum sentence of 15 years with no chance of parole and lose all chance of getting any goverment grants or scholrships to college much less a chance of ever being a professor.

Yeah, but marijuana is a gateway drug.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Mahon said the university doesn't require prospective faculty members to report their criminal backgrounds.

And it doesn't appear that the university requires a background check of its prospective faculty members, either. Guess what? People aren't always what they seem and the university is stupid to not see this.

My university had egg on its face because they gave a guy a job who faked his credentials. The guy got a professor job in the engineering department. Just one problem: the guy didn't have a doctorate in mechanical engineering, he only had a bachelors in engineering technology (not the same thing at all). The guy was there for about a month before the university found out and it wound up being an ugly embarrassing affair. Lessons learned: they now wait for the background check to come back before they hire professors.

[freepatriot32]

PING *

[chachacha]

Mahon said the university doesn't require prospective faculty members to report their criminal backgrounds.

No news here! Our colleges are filled with nut cases and terror supporting proffessors.

In this country higher learning institutions care about "Money" especially the foriegn Arab money. Why you can even learn to fly a plane and at the same time skip the "how to land classes".

rrrrrrrrrrrreally great isn't it.

While were at it lets include the United Nation as a terrorist organization. I'll bet if you would have the FBI and CIA investigate every single office and tap some phones you'd soon board shut the doors and windows.

[Consort]

Does a triple murder count as three strikes or just one big strike?

[isthisnickcool]

Paul Eric Krueger - DOB - 01/19/1948 / Male / White

Cause: C-66-1138-L / Disposition: 05/11/1966 / Age -18

Final Plead: Guilty / Homicide / Murder with Malice Aforethought

Confinement - Life / Crimnal Dis. Court #5

Texas State ID - 01298817 * Serving Sentence Concurrent

[lewislynn]

Hmmm for selling one pound of marijuana you get madatory minimum sentence of 15 years with no chance of parole and lose all chance of getting any goverment grants or scholrships to college

Maybe they could at least get a grade school education while serving their 15 yrs.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Colleague of yours?

[not_apathetic_anymore]

I guess there must not have been any gaps to explain away in his resume, nor any questions about why did it take so many years to achieve a certain degree.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Mahon said the university doesn't require prospective faculty members to report their criminal backgrounds.

Huge loophole!

[SlickWillard]

From http://www.ed.psu.edu/wfed/faculty/Kru.asp

Faculty Paul Krueger, Ph.D., Ed.D.

---

Dr. Paul Krueger is the Director of the Institute for Research in Training and Development, and is a member of the Workforce Education and Development Program faculty. He has over 18 years of diversified experience in the practice, teaching and research of human resources management, training and organizational development. He has managerial experience in manufacturing, insurance and business services industries, including two multi-national corporations: Johnson & Johnson and Bio-Rad Laboratories. His current research interests include human resource training, development and ISO 9000 international quality assurance standards.Education:

• Ed.D., Policy, Planning & Administration, University of Southern California, 1999. Dissertation: Human Resource Training and ISO 9000 International Quality Standards.
  
• Ph.D., Sociology (Organizational), South Dakota State University, 1988. Dissertation: Structural Differentiation, Technology and Employee Fringe Benefits: A Model of Formal Organization.
  
• M.A., Psychology (Industrial/Organizational), California State University, Los Angeles, 1983.
  
• B.S., Psychology, Sam Houston State University, Texas, 1979.

Experience:

• Director, Institute for Research in Training and Development, and Assistant Professor, Workforce Education and Development, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, August 1999 to present.
  
• Director, Small Business Institute and Assistant Professor of Business, Augustana College, SD, September 1994 to July 1999.
  
• Division Human Resources Manager, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Anaheim, CA, July 1992 to July 1994.
  
• Senior Human Resources Administrator, Johnson & Johnson, Claremont, CA, July 1990 to July 1992.
  
• Assistant Professor (Visiting), Idaho State University, January 1989 to July 1990.
  
• Teaching Assistant (and doctoral student), South Dakota State University, 1985-1988.
  
• Director of Human Resources, Cal-Surance Associates, Inc., Torrance, CA, 1984-1985.
  
• Human Resources Administrator, Tower Industrial, Norwalk, CA, 1982-1984.

Honors:

• Summa Cum Laude, Sam Houston State University, 1979.
  
• McNamara Graduate Studies Award, South Dakota State University, 1987.
  
• Richardson Memorial Scholar, University of Southern California, 1993-1994.

Affiliations:

• American Society for Training and Development
  
• District Export Council, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Phi Delta Kappa

---

| Contact Information Listed in the Penn State Directory |

[RGSpincich]

Read between the lines on the crime. A night of drinking with some older guys who probably ridiculed the 17 year old about the "soldier of fortune" thing. Booze, children and guns don't mix. Krueger was definitely a child then, his romantic notion of sailing to Venezula to be a mercenary is an indication of his level of maturity. In today's world if it was found out the three fishermen supplied the booze, Krueger would have walked.

[Dave278]

If "life in prison" really meant "life" in prison then we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

[Mason]

Does a triple murder count as three strikes or just one big strike?

You're a bad man.

[DoughtyOne]

Wait just a minute here, I thought diversity was king. Why this is just another diverse individual. This guy should fit in fine. And my guess is he'll vote Democrat when the time comes. What's the problem Profs?

LOL, how I love it when the left gets confronted with their own life themes.

[ikka]

His speciatly is HR, it figures. He certainly "downsized" the fishermen.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Elect him to the office of Governor Of California. A little thing like group murder should never hold a man back!

[88keys]

If "life in prison" really meant "life" in prison then we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

Agreed, which is one of the principle arguments for the death penalty.

Not that I think it's likely this professor is going to commit another crime, and I guess in theory the "rehabilitation system" did perfectly what it was supposed to, but there's something a bit chilling about this whole story...