The Unabomber’s Brother Turned Him In. Then Spent 27 Years Trying to Win Him Back.

In a series of recent interviews with The New York Times, David Kaczynski—the younger brother of Ted Kaczynski—reflects on the letters he sent to his brother in prison over nearly three decades. “The letters range from the prosaic to the profound: recollections of childhood softball games, news about David’s retirement, updates on their aging mother’s declining health,” writes Serge F. Kovaleski. David had long hoped to reopen a line of communication, expressing how sorry he was and how much he loved him in his correspondence. But Ted never replied. Kovaleski presents a compelling story of brotherhood, guilt, and the elusive nature of forgiveness.

Academically and professionally, the two men’s lives took off on different trajectories. Ted, a mathematics prodigy, enrolled at Harvard University at the age of 16 and then earned a master’s degree and a doctorate at the University of Michigan. From there, he became an assistant professor of mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley, but struggled with mental health issues and left after a few years. David, who aspired to be a writer, graduated from Columbia University in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

David looked up to his older brother, impressed by his smarts and sense of independence, and wanted to be like him.

The two shared a desire to escape society and seek refuge in nature. In the summer of 1969, Ted invited David to join him on a trip to the Yukon in northwest Canada to scout for a plot of land. They spent weeks roaming through forests and talking over campfires. Later, David would recall the trip in one of his letters to his brother in prison:

Undated

The young, dense forest and rounded, misted mountain tops hovering above the trees. You led the way, as usual, and I wondered where our journey would end.