James Kallstrom

{{Infobox person

| birth_name = James Keith Kallstrom

| image = James Kallstrom.jpeg

| birth_date = {{birth date|1943|5|6}}

| birth_place = Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|7|3|1943|5|6}}

| death_place = Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S.

| alma_mater = University of Massachusetts Amherst

| occupation = Head of the FBI New York field office

| known_for =

| spouse = {{marriage|Susan Kallstrom|1971}}

| children = 2

}}

James Keith Kallstrom (May 6, 1943 – July 3, 2021),"[http://www.mc-lef.org/mission-and-history/our-people/ Our People]" Marine Corps – Law Enforcement Foundation. Accessed November 11, 2016. [https://web.archive.org/web/20161120145825/http://www.mc-lef.org/mission-and-history/our-people/ Archive URL] a.k.a. Jim Kallstrom, was an American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent who served as assistant director in charge of its field office in New York. He was noted for heading the criminal investigation into the TWA Flight 800 crash in 1996.

Early life

Kallstrom was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on May 6, 1943. His father was a trumpeter during the swing era and subsequently worked as a car salesman; his mother was employed as a nurse. He studied at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, obtaining a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1966.{{cite news|title=James Kallstrom, FBI agent who led investigation of TWA Flight 800, dies at 78|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/james-kallstrom-dead/2021/07/07/56039a06-df20-11eb-9f54-7eee10b5fcd2_story.html|first=Emily|last=Langer|date=July 7, 2021|access-date=July 7, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post}} He joined the US Marine Corps that same year, eventually rising to the rank of captain.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/17/nyregion/wiretap-expert-named-to-head-new-york-city-office-of-fbi.html|title=Wiretap Expert Named to Head New York City Office of F.B.I.|first=James C. Jr.|last=Mckinley|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 17, 1995|publisher=}} He served two tours in the Vietnam War.

Career

Kallstrom worked for 27 years at the FBI from February 1970 to December 31, 1997 and was described as an expert in wiretapping. During his career, he was a leading advocate of expanding wiretapping power through the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). He headed the special operations division at the Bureau's field office in New York. He later became assistant director in charge of the office in 1995, a position he held until his retirement two years later. He led the investigation into the 1996 explosion of TWA Flight 800.{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/303458-former-fbi-official-clintons-are-a-crime-family/|title=Ex-FBI official: Clintons are a 'crime family'|first=Harper|last=Neidig|date=October 30, 2016|publisher=}} He was also a supervising agent in the New York investigation of the Cosa Nostra criminal network that resulted in the Mafia Commission Trial of 1985–1986.{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/history/insiders-of-the-american-mob-jim-kallstrom-supervisory-special-agent-fbi.aspx|title=Insiders of the American Mob: Jim Kallstrom, Supervisory Special Agent, FBI|publisher=}}

Kallstrom left government work for private sector employment in the financial industry beginning in 1998.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/10/nyregion/fbi-s-kallstrom-head-of-flight-800-inquest-to-retire.html|title=F.B.I.'s Kallstrom, Head of Flight 800 Inquest, to Retire|first=Benjamin|last=Weiser|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 10, 1997|publisher=}} After the September 11 attacks in 2001, he returned to the public sector to lead New York state's public safety office at the request of George Pataki.{{cite web|url=http://archive.boston.com/news/education/2013/04/20/three-who-shined-after/cKOTXnHnCMTNPZN2W5ZObI/story.html|title=Three who shined after 9/11|publisher=}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dv8TBwAAQBAJ&q=james+kallstrom+9%2F11&pg=PA585|title=World Terrorism: An Encyclopedia of Political Violence from Ancient Times to the Post-9/11 Era|last=Ciment|first=James|date=March 10, 2015|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317451525|language=en|page=585}}

Later life

Kallstrom was the host of the Discovery Channel show The FBI Files until it was cancelled in 2006.{{cite web|title=FBI Files|url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/fbi-files/1060001278/|website=TV Guide|access-date=July 8, 2021}} He supported Donald Trump during the 2016 United States presidential election and referred to Hillary Clinton and the Clinton family as being criminal-like.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/11/01/500183744/comey-faces-sharp-criticism-ex-fbi-official-calls-clinton-a-criminal|title=Comey Faces Sharp Criticism; Ex-FBI Official Calls Clinton A 'Criminal'|website=NPR.org}} He was also critical of the Special Counsel investigation by Robert Mueller, saying in 2018 that it was orchestrated by a cabal beyond the scope of the FBI and the intelligence community. He added that he "did not recognize the agency I gave 28 years of my life to".

Personal life

Kallstrom was married to Susan for 50 years until his death. Together, they had two children, Erika and Kristél.

Kallstrom died on July 3, 2021, at his home in Fairfield, Connecticut. He was 78, and suffered from a rare form of blood cancer prior to his death.{{cite web

| url = https://abc7ny.com/james-kallstrom-twa-flight-800-air-disaster-plane-crash/10862375/

| title = James Kallstrom, FBI agent who investigated TWA Flight 800 explosion, dies at 78

| last =

| first =

| date = July 5, 2021

| website = abc7ny.com

| publisher = ABC 7

| access-date = July 5, 2021

| quote = }}