19961007
UNABOMBER SUSPECT INDICTED FOR BURSON EXEC'S DEATH
October 7, 1996
A federal grand jury in New Jersey issued an indictment on Oct. 1 against Unabomber suspect Theodore Kaczynski for the Dec. 10, 1994, mail-bomb murder of long-time Burson-Marsteller executive Thomas Mosser.
Mosser died instantly when he opened a package mailed to him at his home in North Caldwell, N.J.
At the time of his death, Mosser was executive vice president/general manager of Young & Rubicam, the ad agency parent of Burson-Marsteller. He took the position earlier in 1994, moving over from Burson, where he was vice chairman/chief operating officer. Mosser spent most of his 25 years with Burson in its New York office--eventually holding the top job in the flagship office from 1983 to 1987. From 1987-91, he was head of Burson-Marsteller/Americas.
A Young & Rubicam executive told PR NEWS last week that the company had no comment on the indictment, and would not be making any statements during the course of the legal proceedings concerning Mosser's murder.
Kaczynski was arrested at his cabin in Montana last April 3 after a 17-year investigation by federal authorities into a string of about 15 mail bombings tied to a serial bomber they labeled by the acronym "UNABOM," because the earliest bombings involved university and airline targets.
According to a Federal Bureau of Investigation news release, Kaczynski's trial in New Jersey for Mosser's death will await the conclusion of a pending trial in Sacramento, Calif. for bombing-related charges filed in California. Kaczynski is being held in custody in California following a 10-count June 18 indictment charging him with four bombings.
Burson To Receive Mosser Award
Later this week, Harold Burson, founder chairman of Burson-Marsteller, New York, will receive the first annual "Thomas Mosser Public Relations Award" from Mosser's alma mater, St. Bonaventure University, Olean, N.Y. Burson will receive the award at a luncheon reception at the Plaza Hotel in New York on Oct. 11.
(Burson-Marsteller, 212/614-4000; Young & Rubicam, 212/210-3000; Federal Bureau of Investigation, 202/616-2771;
Saint Bonaventure University, 716/375-2334)