Quick Facts
Biography
Jane Turner entered the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a Special Agent in October 1978. She was assigned to the Seattle Division and became the first female SWAT member and the first female Profile Coordinator. She was involved in the capture of Christopher Boyce (Flight of the Falcon), and in the Green River Killer investigation.
Turner was also assigned to the Organized Crime squad in New York City, and was involved as a Psychological Profiler in the Abortion Clinic Bombings and the Central Park Preppie Murder. Turner pursued a degree in Forensic Psychology, and left the New York Division to become the first female Senior Resident Agent (SRA) in the FBI, assigned to Minot, North Dakota. Turner, as an Advanced Police Instructor, taught local, state and federal law enforcement in Criminal Profiling and Crime Scene Assessment, the Profiling of Sexual Offenders, and Interviewing Child Victims.
During the 13 years that Turner worked in North Dakota, she established herself as an expert in child crimes. In 1999, Turner brought to the attention of her management team serious misconduct concerning failures to investigate and prosecute crimes against children in Indian country and in the Minot, North Dakota community. Turner also reported on misconduct related to the potential criminal theft of property from the 9/11 Ground Zero crime scene in New York City by Minneapolis FBI personnel.
Turner's whistleblowing actions, which resulted in retaliation and reprisal for what FBI management termed her "tarnishing" the image of the FBI, eventually forced Turner from FBI service after twenty five years.
In January 2007 a Minneapolis jury awarded Turner $500,000 (capped by law at $360,000) for retaliation and backpay.
In January 2008, the U.S. Government was ordered to pay $1 million in legal fees to Turner's lawyers.
Turner is a featured speaker for the National Whistleblower Center's Speakers Bureau.