Shivangi Sinha
Between 1978 and 1981, the Louisiana police department struggled to handle numerous reports of assaults on women in the area. These reports soon spread along the southern coast, leading the police to believe they were dealing with a single perpetrator due to the consistent nature and patterns of the crimes. The FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit (BSU), which was in its early days, was called in to assist. Using their profiling techniques, they successfully arrested a man named Jon Barry Simonis. Hulu’s ‘Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer’ features Dr. Ann Burgess, a researcher whose work was pivotal in the profiling process, as she recounts the efforts to capture the serial rapist and bring him to justice.
Jon Barry Simonis’ Troubling Behaviour Started While He Was in the Army
Jon Barry Simonis grew up near Lake Charles, Louisiana, though not much information about his early life is publicly available. However, those who have studied his crimes have deduced that he likely witnessed violence closely during his upbringing, as his later actions classified him as a “vindictive rapist.” In an interview with FBI detectives, he revealed that he started window-peeping when he was just 15 years old. Simonis joined the army in 1973 and was stationed in Europe, particularly London, until 1977. This was the time when he started showing signs of disturbing behavior.
At 24, while serving in the army, Simonis began engaging in exhibitionism, flashing himself to women and causing them fear and discomfort. By 1978, he returned to Lake Charles and started making obscene phone calls to strangers. That same year, he was caught and convicted for this crime, but the judge suspended his sentence after he promised to seek psychiatric help. Simonis began working as a cardiology specialist in a hospital, and in November 1978, he committed his first assault.
He described his first attack as occurring during an attempted burglary. Having committed petty theft before, he followed a woman home from a shopping center. Once inside her house and seeing her, he felt completely in control and believed he could easily overpower her. In an interview, while explaining the crime, he said that he had not assaulted the victim the first time because he was nervous and could not perform. He admitted subjecting the woman to different kinds of physical attacks and escaping before he could be caught.
Simonis’ Escalating Violence Deeply Worried the Police
The sophistication with which Jon Simonis committed his crimes steadily improved. He began wearing clothes that disguised his physique and covered his face, earning him the nickname “ski mask rapist.” Simonis targeted wealthy, attractive victims, initially driven by the goal of robbery. However, he soon became addicted to the control and dominance he could exert over his female victims. Simonis obtained many of his targets’ contacts from the hospital where he worked. Over time, his need for greater satisfaction led him to escalate his violence, even attacking the husbands of his victims. He explained that he wanted to raise the stakes and push his boundaries each time.
Simonis operated across multiple states, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and California. In 1981, Dr. Ann Burgess, who was helping to establish the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit (BSU), was approached by the Louisiana Police Department. They provided her with a sample of reports, believing the same man was committing the crimes. The sample included five reports from the early attacks, five from the middle period, and five of the most recent incidents. Dr. Burgess quickly concluded that Simonis was progressing towards murder and needed to be apprehended urgently.
Dr. Burgess drew up a profile describing the perpetrator, noting that he would likely be driving a flashy car. In November 1981, when two women reported an attack by the “ski mask rapist,” the police arrived on the scene and noticed an ’81 red Trans Am parked near the house. The car was replaced just hours later by one stolen from the woman’s home. The police tracked down the number plate of the Trans Am and were able to arrest Simonis, ending his terrifying years of freedom.
Simonis is Serving a 231-Year Sentence Today
30-year-old Jon Barry Simonis was brought to the La Salle Parish jail. He did not claim his innocence for long and, when given the chance, pleaded guilty to two counts of armed robbery at a home in Jena, Louisiana, one count of burglary, and one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle. During interviews conducted by various authorities, he admitted guilt in over 81 cases across 12 states. He was pretty verbose and spoke openly about what drove him and why he committed the crimes.
When it was time, Simonis faced four different trials, all of which he maintained his guilty plea. In the trial on December 4, 1981, for the two counts of robbery, he was sentenced to a total of 231 years in prison. The police suspect that he may have been involved in about 130 attacks across these states. Currently, Simonis is about 73 years old and in his last life stages. He is serving his sentence under the Louisiana Department of Corrections and will not be released as long as he is alive.
Read More: Robert Jason Burdick: Where is the Serial Rapist Now?
