She was born in San Francisco, California, and was interested in animals her entire life which led her to San Jose State University as a pre-veterinary student. She soon switched her major to Occupational Therapy and got her degree as an Occupational Therapist. In 1963, after a trip to Africa where she met Dr. Louis Leakey, she became interested in studying mountain gorillas.

In 1967, Fossey began observing gorillas in Zaire. Soon she moved to Rwanda, where she started the Karisoke Research Center. She lived there for almost 18 years among the gorillas, and eventually earned their complete trust. She was the first person to have voluntary contact with a gorilla when one of them touched her hand. She was able to sit amongst them and play with them and their young. She became very attached to a particular young gorilla that she named Digit. She was able to watch him grow and he was very fond of her. Fossey was able to learn a great deal about mountain gorillas during her stay there. We now know much more about gorilla's behavior and their relationship to humans as a result of her work. http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/information/biography/fghij/fossey_dian.html.

Fossey was found brutally murdered in the bedroom of her cabin on December 26, 1985. Her skull had been split, presumably by a native panga, a tool widely used by poachers. Blood in the hut was concentrated on the floor around her body, and such a tool would have caused considerable blood splatter. It is more likely that Fossey had been strangled to death before being hacked with the panga. Current evidence suggests that her murder was masterminded by Protais Zigiranyirazo, former Governor of Ruhengeri, who is also known for his creation of the death squads that resulted in the deaths of over 800,000 Rwandans in 1994. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dian_Fossey.

I tried unsuccessfully for the best part of a year to find Protais Zigiranyirazo (aka Monsieur Zed) but I soon discovered that just the mention of this gentleman’s name to the authorities earned me a one-way trip to the airport. I know that the powers-to-be in the US, Canada, and Kenya had their reasons for this attitude, but I couldn't believe the apathy of those I talked with in this lady’s home state and at the learning institutions she attended. I know nothing about gorillas, but I believed that someone needed to discuss the murder of Dian Fossey and the slaughter of these creatures with Mr. Zed in such a way he'd repent and be truly sorry that this had happened. Add 800,000 other souls to the list and my mind finds that incomprehensible. I'm not at all sure what punishment fits the crime. I do know that the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), which now supposedly has Mr. Zed in their custody, shouldn't kill him. He should simply be placed in a situation where he would beg them to kill him day and night for the rest of his natural life. After that God could do with him as He saw fit.

Confession: Not being a Christian like Mr. Zed and three of his accomplices; Mr. Nsengimana, Rector of Christ-Roi College in Nyanza--Mr. Rukundo, a military chaplain--and Mr. Seromba, Catholic priest, Nyange Parish, Kivumu Commume, I might not be fit to judge them.

Read More True Grit Articles By Bob Miller