Rwanda Case of the Gorilla Lady Murder

An American scientist is unexpectedly charged

To the people of the tiny central African state of Rwanda she was known as Nyiramacibili, or "the Woman Who Lives Alone in the Forest." Her real name was Dian Fossey, and she was a onetime occupational therapist from Louisville. For most of the past 18 years Fossey had lived at a remote camp on the slopes of a dormant volcano. There she studied and befriended the rare mountain gorillas, fiercely defending the huge, gentle creatures against the encroachment of poachers. Almost everyone, including her last research assistant, Wayne McGuire, 34, a doctoral candidate from the University of Oklahoma, felt she...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!