Profiling, Serial Killer

Serial Murder and Profiling

Serial murder is distinguished from other multiple-homicide classifications in that the repetitive slayings are part of discrete events, separated by time. This differentiates serial killing from spree killings (in which several slayings are committed within a short time, stemming from the same event) and mass murder (in which several victims are killed at once). Serial murder is often sexual in nature, and the killer may follow a behavioral pattern that may be detected through interpretation of evidence. There is usually no prior relationship between the victim and the killer. Killers may select victims for their symbolic meaning to the [Page 669]killer or because of their lack of power. Therefore, serial murderers often choose homeless people, prostitutes, and others who may appear unable to defend themselves or who have been so marginalized by society that their disappearance or death may not be aggressively investigated by authorities. Many sexual serial killers select victims as symbols for a general object of antipathy, such as offenders who act in response to their intense hatred for, and need to control and subjugate, women.

The term profiling refers to the interpretation of evidence in order to construct a model of traits and behaviors of the perpetrator. Profiles may cover a wide range of characteristics, including social skills, race, job status, living arrangements, intelligence, the presence of criminal or psychiatric records, even birth order. Aside from assisting in the identification and apprehension of suspects, profiles may provide information about what kind of evidence to search for at a suspect's residence, such as violent pornography or personal effects taken from the victim as trophies. Profiles are most effective when grounded in the evidence and constructed from experience, common sense, data from past cases, and basic psychological principles. Profiles examine crime scene aspects such as weapon use, positioning of the body, and other factors that might provide insights about the nature of the offender. Profiling is not an exact science, however, and should be considered as an investigatory tool that can supplement traditional methods of detection. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime provides profiling and other support to local and state law enforcement agencies for repetitive violent crimes.

Robert Ressler and John Douglas are two pioneers of modern criminal profiling. They devised the distinction between organized and disorganized offenders, one of the most fundamental tenets of profile construction. These categories are based on attempt to evade detection, the apparent planning of the crime, the victim approach (such as luring the victim to a car or a secluded area or launching a blitz attack), and other features that would indicate how thought-out and carefully planned the murder was. Profilers then build their model on the perceived functioning and organizational skills of the murderer.

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