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Amanda Howard (born 1973) is an Australian fiction writer, true crime author, and expert on serial killers.
Amanda Howard was born on 19 November 1973 in Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia. She lists her early crime influences as the 1989-1990 The Granny Killer case and the 1991 movie, The Silence of the Lambs.[1][2] In 2003, she received a bachelor's degree in social science (criminology) from Charles Sturt University.[3][4] In 2012, she received a diploma of management (health care) from TAFE NSW.[3] In 2015-2017, she studied for a master's degree of arts (writing) from Swinburne University of Technology[3][5] and in 2019, a graduate certificate (criminology) at Griffith University.[3] She is currently studying a master's degree (criminology) at Macquarie University.[3]
Her interest in criminology began when she noticed factual errors in an undergraduate textbook, and set out to confirm the information by writing directly to the criminal (in this case Ivan Milat).[6] Following this, she wrote to others and when many began writing back, she decided to pursue it further.[7] After 25 years of corresponding with hundreds of serial killers (including Milat, Charles Manson, David Birnie, Richard Ramirez, Ian Brady, and Roy Norris) she has been nicknamed "The Serial Killer Whisperer" by sections of the media.[1][2][5][8][9]
Howard released her first books in 2004, and has since made numerous media appearances on radio, television, at conferences, online, and also appears on the morning show Studio 10 as a regular guest.[10][11][12] In 2017, she was included in the Who's Who of Australian Women.[5] In 2018, she began work as an associate producer on an American film about serial killer Jesse Pommeroy.[5]
In 2019, Howard opened a pop up museum exhibition called Memento Mori Death Museum. It features pieces from her true crime collection and correspondence from killers from across the globe as well as pieces related to death and culture.[13][14]
Howard was married to Steve, a high-school peer, and they went on to have two children. In mid-2017, however, her husband committed suicide at the family home at the age of 42.[4][15] As a result of his death, Howard is now a spokesperson for male suicide prevention.[5]
