John Durham is a low-profile professional thrust into a decidedly high-profile assignment. The press-shy Connecticut prosecutor was tapped by Attorney General Eric Holder on Aug. 24 to investigate alleged mistreatment of terror suspects by CIA interrogators and contractors. His appointment came on the heels of a newly released Justice Department report indicating interrogators abused prisoners by, among other things, threatening to kill one man's family and choking another man to the point of unconsciousness. Durham, 59, is no stranger to top-level governmental investigations. In 1999 he was selected by Attorney General Janet Reno to probe law-enforcement corruption in Boston. Last year he was named by Attorney General Michael Mukasey to head the ongoing investigation into the destruction of CIA interrogation videotapes. Colleagues say Durham is thorough and cautious in deciding whether a case deserves to be prosecuted. But once he fixes on a target, the veteran lawyer usually catches his prey.
