John Joubert "Death Row Drawings" Unearthed In New Book On Nebraska's Most Notorious Serial Child Killer

OMAHA, Neb., Dec. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Just weeks after Nebraska voters decided to reinstate the death penalty, there is new information in the case of John Joubert—one of the last criminals to be executed in the state. Former KMTV-3 anchorman and investigative reporter, Mark Pettit, has obtained and released disturbing drawings made by Joubert as he waited to die in Nebraska's electric chair.  Pettit has tried for years to obtain the drawings--a move fought, won and lost in Nebraska's court system.

In his new book: A Need to Kill: The Death Row Drawings (now available at Amazon.com) Pettit makes the drawings public and releases a full assessment from one of the nation's leading experts on criminal behavior. Pettit says a confidential source, upset that the state was fighting his efforts to obtain the drawings, provided him copies of the Joubert drawings more than a year ago—before the case made it to the Nebraska Supreme Court.  Out of respect for the court system and not wanting to get involved in the debate over the death penalty in Nebraska, Pettit says he waited till after the recent election to release his findings (to view the trailer for the new book, take a look here).

"John Joubert told me on several occasions that he believed his death sentence would somehow be vacated and he would ultimately get out of prison," said Pettit, who interviewed Joubert multiple times at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln prior to the convicted killer's execution. "These drawings prove that would have been a very bad thing.  The expert analysis of the Death Row Drawings is very troubling—but also enlightening.  I understand John Joubert much better now," Pettit continued. "These drawings confirm my worst fears about him."

Pettit, who has won three EMMY® awards for his work, has provided copies of the Joubert drawings to law enforcement officials in Nebraska, who in turn plan to share the information with the FBI. 

"From the beginning, I've said that if I ever got my hands on the drawings, I would have them analyzed by experts in criminal behavior and would turn over the findings to law enforcement officials in hopes it would help them in future investigations," Pettit said. "I've kept my promise."

In his professional assessment of the drawings and evidence in the case, criminal behavior expert Keith E. Howard called Joubert a "sexual sadist, an organized offender and a pedophile" who derived pleasure from eliciting fear from his young victims. A 15-year veteran of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and trained by the FBI in behavioral science, Howard says Joubert was arrested "in full bloom as a serial killer"—and says the drawings "leave no lingering doubt" that Joubert "would have continued to kill" if ever released from prison. 

As part of his investigation and prior to releasing the information, Pettit shared the drawings and Howard's analysis with Art Harris, a former reporter at the Washington Post and CNN Investigative Correspondent.  Harris is a two time EMMY® award-winner who has covered dozens of high-profile crimes and trials including those of O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson and Wayne Williams, who was convicted in the "Atlanta Missing and Murdered Children" case. 

"Mark has done a rare thing--he's uncovered blockbuster evidence about a serial killer's evil that officials tried to hide from the public," said Harris. "Long after the case was closed, Mark suspected there was more and kept digging—for 30 years—until he unearthed a gold mine of  'Psychological DNA' the killer left behind," continued Harris.  "Mark's dedication to the story—and the truth—is not only an inspiration, but ground-breaking journalism that takes us into the darkest corners of a depraved and dangerous mind. This work advances the forensics of fighting violent crime," said Harris.  

Harris was blunt in his criticism of those who fought to keep the Joubert drawings from being released.  

"It is truly shocking that government officials in Nebraska fought to keep this evidence from the public," said Harris. "It's information that should resolve any lingering doubt--and absolve the people of Nebraska of any guilt in carrying out the death penalty in the John Joubert case. Mark's book puts the final nail in the killer's coffin and offers what we all seek in the aftermath of mass murder—which is peace of mind that justice was done." 

Watch the story unfold by visiting A Need to Kill's Facebook page.

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SOURCE Mark Pettit