CRIMINAL PROFILING
Name
Subject
Date
Danielle Sloan
Psychopathology
11/29/11
HOMICIDE STATISTICS
In 2008, the FBI recorded over 16,000 homicides in the
US that year.
There are an estimated 100 serial murderers who are
believed to be active at any time.
Each year, approximately 40% of reported homicides are
not solved.
There is a need for fast, effective methods for
profiling possible offenders.
Yonge & Jacquin (2010)
HISTORY OF PROFILING
Psychological profiling began informally in the late
1940s.
Most serial crimes are sexually motivated.
Authorities consulted mental health professions (MHPs).
MHP's typical profile was usually written in psychological
terms which was unhelpful to investigators.
Ex: “Sex offender probably has low self-esteem, social
introversion, and conflicts with members of the opposite
sex.”
Schlesinger (2009)
THE MAD BOMBER
MID 1950s, NEW YORK CITY
Set bombs at various landmarks
such as Grand Central Station,
Radio City Music Hall, as well as
theatres and libraries
Planted at least 33 bombs, 22
exploded, injuring 15 people
Planned offenses with a high degree of detail, went
undetected for 16 years
Schlesinger (2009)
THE MAD BOMBER
(cont'd)
A profile written by Brussel was published in the New
York Times on Christmas day, 1956.
Excerpt: Look for a heavy man. Middle age. Foreign
born. Roman Catholic. Single. Lives with a brother or
sister. When you find him, changes are he'll be wearing
a double-breasted
suit.
The police narrowed
their investigation
to George Metesky, a
disgruntled former Con
Edison employee.
Schlesinger (2009)
PROFILING BASICS
(1) input: collecting crime scene information
(2) decision process: arranging the input into
meaningful patterns and analyzing victim and
offender risk
(3) crime assessment: reconstructing the crime and the
offender motivation
(4) criminal profile: developing these specific
descriptions of the offender
(5) investigation: using the profile as an aid or
adjunct in investigation
(6) apprehension: checking the accuracy and the
description against new info that emerges in the
investigation and changing the profile accordingly.
Schlesinger (2009)
PROFILING BASICS
(cont'd)
The profiler...
...assesses all of the crime scene and forensic
evidence influencing autopsy reports, crime scene
photos, and other forensic information.
...does not review the suspect list, which could
unwittingly influence his opinion.
...focuses on several specific areas which are
important in constructing a psychological profile of the
unidentified offender...
Schlesinger (2009)
“Profiling equation”
A ➔ C equation
●
Inferences (indicated by the arrow) are derived from
●
Actions in an offense (crime location, time, nature
of the victim, etc.) about the
●
Characteristics of the offender that will be useful
to an investigation
(Canter, 2011))
VICTIM RISK
: the amount to risk (high, moderate, or low) a victim
placed him/herself in to become a victim.
●
High risk victims: they placed themselves in
vulnerable situation, such as prostitution
●
Low risk victims: their occupation and lifestyle
Schlesinger (2009)
VICTIM RISK
(cont'd)
Murdered five prostitutes
Whitechapel, London circa 1888
Victims' throat were cut
Abdominal mutilations
Removal of organs
TruTV
VICTIM RISK
(cont'd)
“Jack the Ripper”
Jack the Ripper was motivated, at
least in part, by a tortured sexual
pathology. Therefore, prostitutes
were logical targets. They were
easily accessible victims of
opportunity who had the misfortune of crossing paths
with Jack the Ripper.
TruTV
VICTIM RISK
(cont'd)
Dr. Bond's 1889 profile of “Jack the Ripper”
Offenses were sexual in nature
Rage against women
Physically strong, cool, and daring
Quiet and inoffensive in appearance,
Middle-aged
Body of Mary Kelly
Neatly attired, probably wearing a cloak
Loner, without a real occupation, eccentric, and
Mentally unstable
Suffered from satyriasis
TruTV
VICTIM RISK
(cont'd)
“Jack the Ripper” Profile by Gregg McCrary, former FBI
agent and professor of forensic psychology
White male living alone in the Whitechapel area
30 to 37 years of age
Same socio-economic class as victims
Withdrawn loner with menial job
Likely went to same pubs as victims
May have encountered victims beforehand
Q: In the case of JonBenet Ramsey, did her
in involvement in child beauty pageants
elevate her victim risk? Other examples of
high risk victims?
TruTV
OFFENDER RISK
: the level of risk (high, moderate, or low) an offender
placed himself in that might lead to his apprehension.
●
High risk offender: For example, abducting a victim a
broad daylight with many people around with a high
likelihood of getting caught.
●
Low risk victims: For example, an abduction where the
chanced of apprehension are minimal, such as at night
with no obvious witnesses.
Schlesinger (2009)
OFFENDER RISK
(cont'd)
Murdered 10 people
Wichita, 1974-1991
Known for his three-part method of murder
Community leader
Taunted police with letters
Low-risk offender: He would cut the phone lines, and
then he would get into the house somehow, waiting for
his victim to come home.
TruTV
OFFENDER RISK
(cont'd)
“BTK Killer” profile
By Dr. Deborah Schurman-Kauflin
Single, white male 28-30
Resided near Oteros or spent time there
to form fantasy about Josephine
Lived in a house, not apartment
Over 6'1, tall and trim. Neat in appearance with short
hair. Clothes darker by choice
Quiet, modest, and conservative
Psychopath
Had a car, dark in color
Comfortable with people much younger than him.
TruTV
ESCALATION
Most individuals who commit crimes begin with less
serious offenses and, over the years, their level of
criminality increases.
Ex: An offender may begin with voyeurism, progress to
burglary, then assault, rape, and murder.
Schlesinger (2009)
TIME & LOCATION FACTORS
Various time elements in criminal conduct are revealing
of the unidentified offender's lifestyle or occupation.
How long the offender spent with the victim provides
additional insight into the crime and the criminal. The
longer an offender spends with the victim, his risk of
apprehension increases.
Factors: Where the offender apprehended the victim
How the offender got the victim to go with him
Where the victim was killed
Body disposition
Was a vehicle used
Schlesinger (2009)
MODUS OPERANDI (M.O)
: the method or technique of carrying out of the crime.
The offender's M.O. can change over time.
As an individual gains more experience, he often adapts his
criminal technique to increase his efficiency.
Since the offender's M.O. can change it is often not a
useful method for linking (or connecting) a series of crimes
to the same offender.
Instead, examination of the offender's engagement in
repetitive-ritualistic behavior at the crime sense is often
more important in linking crimes to the same offender.
Schlesinger (2009)
SIGNATURE
: a unique set of acts an offender engages in with each
victim.
Many serial offenders engage in repetitive-ritualistic
behavior at the crime scene since the offense itself is
insufficient in providing enough psychosexual gratification.
Thus, an offender have a signature or calling card.
Ex: Postmortem body positioning
Mutilation
Symbolic gestures
Written statements left behind
Schlesinger (2009)
SIGNATURE
(cont'd)
Northern California – late 60s, early 70s
Claimed 37 victims, but investigators
agreed on 7, two of whom survive
Went after couples at least three times
Wrote letters to local newspapers and had a specific sign
He would taunt the authorities from a superior perspective
and to watch the police make fools of themselves
TruTV
SIGNATURE
(cont'd)
“Zodiac killer” profile
Unsolved
Low-risk offender: Attacks occurred at dusk or after dark,
on weekends, often around holidays
Changed M.O. – Different weapons and no apparent motive
Four men and three women between the ages of 16 and 29 were
targeted
His letters included four cryptograms (or ciphers)
Only one has been confirmed to have been decoded
His signature was both clinical and literal.
TruTV
CRIME SCENE PATTERNS
The crime scenes of violent sex offenders and sexual
murderers can be divided into two general groups:
●
Organized: Reflects a great deal if planning in which
little evidence is left behind
●
Disorganized: Reflects an impulsive, unplanned crime
with a lot of evidence left.
Individuals who leave high organized crime scenes seem
to have distinctly different personality
characteristics and behavioral patterns than those who
leave notably disorganized crime scenes.
Schlesinger (2009)
PERSONALITY INFERENCES
ORGANIZED CRIME:
Organized crime scenes reflect a high level of control.
Restraints are used and the body is disposed of in a
thought-out manner, often transported to another location
from where the murder took place.
TRAITS OF AN ORGANIZED OFFENDER:
●
socially competent and intelligence
●
lives with a partner
●
follows the crime in the media
●
changes location after the offense
●
psychopathic, narcissistic, or manipulative personalities
●
charming, neat in appearance, physically attractive
●
can talk with members of opposite sex
Schlesinger (2009)
PERSONALITY INFERENCES
(cont'd)
DISORGANIZED CRIME:
Disorganized crime scenes reflect impulsivity and lack
of planning. The victim is often known to the offender and
bodies are left in plain sight. A weapon of opportunity is
used.
TRAITS OF AN DISORGANIZED OFFENDER:
●
poor work history
●
lives alone and near the crime scene
●
has little interest in media coverage of case
●
does not change lifestyle following case
●
schizoid, schizotypal, borderline, schizophrenic
●
physically unattractive
●
little experience with members of opposite sex
Schlesinger (2009)
PERSONALITY INFERENCES
(cont'd)
Schlesinger (2009)
PERSONALITY AS AN INTERVENING
VARIABLE
ORGANIZED CRIME:
Offenders who commit planned offenses typically have
personality disorders that do not disorganize their thinking.
They are manipulative and deceptive by psychopathological
symptoms like hallucinations and delusions.
DISORGANIZED CRIME:
Offenders who commit unplanned, impulsive offenses have more
obvious psychopathological disturbances. Their disorganized
personalities can prohibit thoughtful planning. They may lack
the control and defenses needed to contain their behavior. If
their fantasies grow to the point of compulsion, they can act
out in a thoughtless manner likely to get them caught.
Schlesinger (2009)
PERSONALITY AS AN INTERVENING
VARIABLE (cont'd)
EXCEPTIONS TO THE GENERAL NOTION THAT SEVERE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
LEADS TO UNPLANNED CRIMES:
Paranoid personality disorder and paranoid form of
schizophrenia do not disorganize one's thoughts. Behavior of
individuals with these types of disorders is organized,
systematized, and thoughtful.
Also, individuals with intact personalities can act
impulsive when intoxicated.
Note: Most crime scenes are neither highly organized or
disorganized, but rather fall on a normal distribution with
highly organized/disorganized as the extremes.
Schlesinger (2009)
IS PROFILING USEFUL?
Schlesinger (2009): Some researchers argue that
profiling is not scientific and relies too much on
clinical experience instead of on empirical validation.
Despite a lack of strong empirical validation, some
studies have demonstrated its usefulness when done by
those experienced in the process.
INDUCTIVE VS.
DEDUCTIVE PROFILING
Both assume that the crime and crime scene reveal info
about the offender.
Profilers using the inductive approach examine
research based on identified offenders of a particular
type of crime. The profiler uses research on similar
types of committed crime to determine possible
characteristics of the offender.
Profilers using the deductive approach incorporate
each piece of evidence in a case to create the offender
profile. They use education, experience, and logic to
analyze the crime scene and create a unique offender
profile for each crime.
Yonge & Jacquin (2010)
INDUCTIVE VS. DEDUCTIVE
PROFILING (cont'd)
The FBI's crime scene analysis and Canter's
investigative psychology are inductive approaches, yet
both incorporate deductive reasoning to a smaller
degree.
Yonge and Jacquin (2010) studied the effectiveness of
the two primary approaches. It was hypothesized that
trained participants would produce more accurate
profiles than those not trained. It was also
hypothesized that the FBI approach would produce the
most accurate profiles.
Yonge & Jacquin (2010)
YONGE & JACQUIN (2010)
METHOD:
213 undergrad psychology students
Mean age: 19 years
64.3% female
No prior profiling history
Three groups: control, inductive & deductive
Hour-long training session with multiple-choice quiz
Participants were given a two-page summary of double
sexual homicide and were asked to study the case and
complete the Profiling Offender Characteristics
Questionnaire.
Yonge & Jaquin (2010)
YONGE & JACQUIN (2010)
RESULTS:
Participants trained in the inductive approach produced
profiles that were more accurate than the profiles of
controls (p=.02). These participants were also more
accurate that those in the other two groups in profiling
the offender's physical characteristics (inductive vs.
deductive p=0.001, inductive versus control p=0.001,
deductive versus control p=0.48)
Neither type of profiling training had greater profile
accuracy for the offender's cognitive characteristics,
offense behaviors, social history and habits, or adult
convictions.
Yonge & Jaquin (2010)
YONGE & JACQUIN (2010)
CONCLUSION:
The results suggest that the inductive approach to
profiling may be useful for teaching naïve profilers to
profile the offender of a sexual homicide.
Deductive profiling relies on the application of logic.
And when forming logical deductions about the offender,
profilers may have relied on stereotypes and faulty
beliefs. This may be overcome by experience and real
training. It is possible that the deductive approach
cannot be taught in an hour-long session.
Yonge & Jaquin (2010)
CHALLENGES TO PROFILING
RESEARCH
Profiling equations – information from controlled
conditions
are not what people actually do in their
daily lives.
Difficulty in obtaining information about what actually
happens in crimes.
Police databases are notoriously inaccurate, patchy, and
unreliable.
(Canter, 2011)
REFERENCES
Canter, D. V. (2011). Resolving the offender "profiling equations" and the
emergence of an investigative psychology. Current Directions in
Psychological Science, 20(1), 5-10.
Schlesinger, L. B. (2009). Psychological profiling: Investigative
implications from crime scene analysis. Journal of Psychiatry and Law,
37(1), 73-84.
Yonge, K. C., & Jacquin, K. M. (2010). Criminal profile accuracy following
training in inductive and deductive approaches. American Journal of Forensic
Psychology, 28(3), 5-24.
Criminal profile information by Gregg McCrary, former FBI agent and
professor forensic pathology, for trutv.com
http://www.malevole.com/mv/misc/killerquiz/