Top 25 Fictional DC Resident: #5 Alex Cross
Name: Alex Cross, Ph.D
A.K.A: Dragon Slayer, Peanut Butter Man and Black Samaritan; Although as a profiler he is usually giving other people nicknames Residence: 5th Street SE, Washington, D.C.
Occupation: Senior Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Memorable Quote: "Multiply your anger by about a hundred, Kate, that’s how much he thinks he loves you."
Alex Cross was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. His mother died of lung cancer when he was nine; his father, a heavy drinker, the year after. He was sent to D.C. to live with his grandmother, Regina Cross Hope (Nana Mama), an English teacher and assistant principal. He earned a PH.D. in psychology from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, where he specialized in the field of abnormal psychology and forensic psychology. Upon graduation Cross worked as a migrant farm worker for a year before starting a private practice in D.C. He struggled financially for three years before giving it up.
He joined the Washington , D.C., Police Department as a psychologist, working in Homicide and Major Crimes as a criminal profiler. He works with VICAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program) as a liaison between the FBI and D.C. police. Now an FBI Senior Agent, Cross works in the J. Edgar Hoover Building.
A Washington Post Magazine in-depth article called Cross "The Last Southern Gentleman" and praised him for his work in Homicide. It brought his name to the public’s attention. Articles by Alex Cross on the criminal mind have appeared in Psychiatric Archives and American Journal of Psychiatry. He also wrote a diagnostic profile of psychopathic killer Gary Soneji/Murphy.
His wife, Maria, a social worker, was killed in a drive-by shooting that was never solved. He was left with two toddlers; Damon is now twelve and Janelle (Jannie) is now ten. Alex Cross has another son, Alex Jr, age three. His mother, Christine Johnson, who was a principal at the Sojourner Truth School, now lives in Seattle with Alex Jr. Cross lost custody because of the dangers involved in his work. They never married.
Cross, now 42 years old, still lives on Fifth Street in D.C., with Nana Mama, Damon and Jannie, and Rosie their cat. He still drives his ’74 Porsche and enjoys vacationing in the Caribbean. He plays the piano, favoring Gershwin and classical music, is an avid reader, and participates in biweekly boxing lessons with his children. You might catch him spending time with his friend and mentor, Sergeant Ellis Cooper, while enjoying a fine wine or beer and eating his favorite food, white bean soup. Cross also volunteers at St. Anthony’s Soup Kitchen, where he is called Peanut Butter Man and Black Samaritan, by providing free therapy sessions to the indigent.
Alex Crosss is the creation of author James Patterson, whose books inspired the films Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. Cross was was played by Morgan Freeman in both.
As cheezy as it may be, the Alex Cross book series is one of my favorites. I wish he really lived in DC! He could investigate who stole my bike last year.