1. Criminal Profiling

2. 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

3. 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

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

5. lives with partner or dates frequently stable father figure
Organized
High IQ ( )
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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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

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