Encore | Witness to History: The Investigation of Robert Hanssen
Encore | 8/6/2025
The Encore series of the Precinct 444 Podcast is an engaging look back at past Museum programs to find insight into historical and contemporary matters facing law enforcement.
On October 27, 2013, the National Law Enforcement Museum and the International Spy Museum, sponsored by Target, hosted Witness to History: The Investigation of Robert Hanssen—an event exploring the infamous FBI agent turned Russian spy. Moderated by Craig W. Floyd, with panelists including retired FBI Section Chief Mike Rochford and author David Wise, the discussion delved into Hanssen’s betrayal of U.S. secrets over two decades. Insights from Hanssen’s psychiatrist, Dr. David Charney, highlighted his psychological compartmentalization and complex double life. The panel reviewed investigative missteps, including Hanssen never being polygraphed before his arrest in 2001. Hanssen was later sentenced to life in solitary confinement and died at ADX Florence on June 5, 2023.
This program covers Robert Hanssen’s early career with the FBI, the investigation into his espionage work with the Russians, how he was caught, and why he alluded capture for so long.
