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The case of Mr Maynard, the professor of criminology, appears to show both the stress of the pandemic, the links to mental illness, and the hard work of stopping arsonists before they cause irreparable damage. Investigators tracked Mr. Maynard’s movements using his food stamp transactions, phone records and a device they attached to his car in the Lumberjacks parking lot.
A traveling teacher who received his doctorate in sociology from Stony Brook University in New York and taught at Santa Clara, Chapman and Sonoma State universities among others, Mr. Maynard was particularly fascinated by the Jonestown massacre in 1978 in Guyana. He has written at least six articles related to Jonestown and Jim Jones, the cult leader.
In his writings, Mr. Maynard said he was drawn to the topic in part because it helped him explore the realm of social deviance. His studies on Jonestown focused on people with severe forms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, “when the world they’ve known in the past begins to get out of hand.”
During interviews, former students described Mr. Maynard as anxious, confused and, at times, inappropriate. One said he often taught his classes during the pandemic via Zoom from a dark bedroom, revealing details of a sick father, a lawsuit against his former owner and his battles with his sanity.
Last year, with his life appearing to fall further apart, Mr Maynard was living in his car, court documents show. As he drove through northern California, he messaged students that included rants, as well as links to YouTube videos – winding images of trees and mountains – in which he ruminated on the state. of the world. He also seemed fascinated by arson.
Heather Williams, a federal public defender who represents Mr Maynard, said her team was investigating Mr Maynard’s work history, but provided no further details about his personal life or any possible interest in the fire. “We cannot answer your questions ethically at this time,” she wrote via email.
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