Criminal Profiling

Criminal Psychology Refers to the study of the mental and behavioral characteristics of people who break laws Criminal/Forensic psychologists sometimes focus on serial killer profiles

Homicidal Triad of Symptoms 3 behavioral characteristics that are associated with sociopathic behavior Sociopath: a person whose behavior is antisocial and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience. Triad: 1. Animal cruelty 2. Obsession with fire setting 3. Persistent bedwetting past the age of 5 Many serial killers exhibited these behaviors during childhood

Types of Killers and Types of Profiles Organized vs. Disorganized Profiles: prospective or retrospective Inductive or deductive

lives with partner or dates frequently stable father figure Organized High IQ (105-120) socially adequate lives with partner or dates frequently stable father figure family physical abuse, harsh geographically/occupationally mobile follows the news media may be college educated good hygiene/housekeeping skills does not usually keep a hiding place diurnal (daytime) habits

needs to return to crime scene to see what police have done Organized needs to return to crime scene to see what police have done usually contacts police to play games doesn’t experiment with self-help kills at one site, disposes at another may dismember body attacks using seduction into restraints keeps personal, holds a conversation leaves a controlled crime scene leaves little physical evidence responds best to direct interview drives a flashy car

Disorganized IQ below average, 80-95 range socially inadequate lives alone, usually does not date absent or unstable father family emotional abuse, inconsistent lives and/or works near crime scene minimal interest in news media usually a high school dropout poor hygiene/housekeeping skills keeps a secret hiding place in the home nocturnal (nighttime) habits drives a clunky car or pickup truck

Disorganized needs to return to crime scene for reliving memories may contact victim’s family to play games no interest in police work experiments with self-help programs kills at one site, considers mission over usually leaves body intact attacks in a “blitz” pattern depersonalizes victim to a thing or it leaves a chaotic crime scene leaves physical evidence responds best to counseling interview

Prospective Profile Attempts to construct a set of characteristics common to a specific type of offender. These types of profiles are generally templates laid over a specific population in an attempt to predict who within that group might have an elevated potential for committing a certain type of violence.

Retrospective Profile An after the fact case specific attempt to define the personality and behavioral characteristics of the individuals responsible for a specific crime or series of crimes.

Developing a Profile Very difficult Different methodologies: Motivation Characteristics of serial killer Frequency and timing of homicidal behavior Holmes typology: deductive approach that presumes various socio-psychological characteristics of the offender

Developed from crime scene evidence and autopsy data How did killer gain access to victim What was killer’s attraction to victim What did killer do to the victim Did killer try to cover his/her tracks MO: Modus operandi-describes tools and strategies used to carry out the crime Try to find killer’s signature: something unique to that criminal

Female Profile Categories- Kehler Typology Black Widows Angels of Death Sexual Predators Revenge Profit Killers Team Killers Question of Sanity Unexplained Unsolved