Charles Alexander Moose served as the 15th
chief of police of the Montgomery County Police Department (Maryland). On June
18, 2003, he resigned to write a book about the Beltway sniper attacks that occurred during his time as Montgomery County
Police Chief. Charles Moose earned a PhD in urban studies and criminology from Portland State University. He completed his
undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Until 2005, Moose served as the Squadron
Commander of the 113th Security Forces Squadron, DC Air National Guard, United States Air Force. While Moose served with that
unit, he deployed to Operation Katrina and served as military liaison and advisor to the New Orleans Police Department in
the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Moose was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and served as a Security Forces Officer in Hawaii.
In September 2003, Moose released his book
about the investigation, Three Weeks in October: The Manhunt for the Serial Sniper. According to one reader/reviewer, “Initially this novel will take you into the fear and complexity
that surrounded the case of the killing spree caused by the Beltway sniper attacks in 2002. I was intrigued to read about
how tough it was for the police to tackle a "serial killer" that ultimately did not leave any kind of pattern in regards to
victims' backgrounds or relations for which the police could build a case on. Although some vilified Moose after the case
was wrapped up, The book does not portray Charles A. Moose in a poor light in regards to the wild goose chase over leads such
as the white box van, because at the time that was really all they had to go on.”
