Patrick Joseph Mullany

Former Indian Wells city councilman Patrick Mullany died Wednesday morning. He was 81. "He handled some very difficult times on the Indian Wells council and he handled it very, very well," said Indian Wells City Councilman Ty Peabody. "He was very active in the community and very active in the valley." Mullany was born on March 18, 1935 in New York City, according to a 2005 interview he conducted with the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI. Mullany grew up in New York and joined the Christian Brothers, an organization within the Catholic church, after he graduated from high school in 1953. While he was part of the organization, he earned a degree in psychology and taught at a novitiate home for the Christian Brothers. After 11 years, Mullany decided to change careers. His degree in psychology and his teaching experience drew him to the FBI. Mullany then dedicated more than 20 years of his life to profiling criminals for the FBI before retiring in 1986. He served on the Indian Wells City Council for eight years, until December 2014. Peabody said he met Mullany on the council and they served two years together. "He was a supporter. He was my mentor and he was a wonderful friend," Peabody said. Last year, Mullany was interviewed by The Desert Sun about his self-published book, "Matador of Murder: An FBI Agent's Journey in Understanding the Criminal Mind." The book centered on his time at the FBI as a profiler. In the interview, he said his wife, Patricia, and their children helped him keep his work and home lives separate. "I am blessed with a great family of five and a very strong wife," he said in the article. "I was lucky to have great support on the home front."