Forensic Psychology (19) • "'What happens if you choke someone, do they die?" -- Mary Bell's notebook (Age 10) • "Brian Howe had no mother, so he won't be missed.“—Mary Bell • Brian was found covered with grass and purple weeds. He had been strangled. Nearby, a pair of broken scissors lay in the grass. There were puncture marks on his thighs, and his genitals had been partially skinned. Clumps of his hair were cut away. The wounds were bizarre: "There was a terrible playfulness about it, a terrible gentleness if you like, and somehow the playfulness of it made it more, rather than less, terrifying," said Inspector James Dobson. Brian's belly had been signed "M" with a razor blade. Brian Howe – Age 3 Forensic Psychology • Courtroom Uses: – Jury Selection (Voir Dire) Voir Dire – Competency for Hearings – Custody Cases • Investigational tools: – Polygraph and BrainFingerprinting – Hypnosis – Profiling (a lot more later) Forensic Psychology • Voir Dire - French for "to speak the truth." – Process through which potential jurors are questioned by either the judge or a lawyer to determine their suitability for jury service. – The preliminary questioning of witnesses to determine their competence to testify. • Ask Open Questions (questions begin with ‘what,’ ‘how,’ ‘could you,’ ‘would you.’) • Repeat the words the juror uses • Give verbal and nonverbal cues to keep jurors talking Psychology • Tasks: – Testing for mental illness – Assessing suspects sanity – Estab. Mental state at time of crime – Competency to stand trial – Detect signs of deception and malingering (fake illness) – Profiling Perpetrators Psychology • How forensic psychology used: – Assess role of alcohol/drugs – Determine sanity – Assess defendants understanding of reality and responsibility – State of mind at the time of the crime – Offer investigators info for use in witness/suspect interrogations – Psychological profile Recognizing Lying Suspects • Look for signs of nervousness • Read body language • Use Neuro-Linguistic Programming (eye movements) • Getting at the truth: – Lie-detectors (not allowed in court) – Hypnosis – Use of Drugs Competency • • • • • Mental retardation Severe drug/alcohol addiction Organic brain syndromes Severe Neuroses Psychoses and schiophrenias w/ altered perception of reality Profiling • • • • • • How did the killer get at the victim? What was done? Cover track or in the open? What was the attraction? What was the motive? Info: – Physical and psychological makeup – Areas of residence and work – Behaviors exhibited “Disputed” Techniques • Brain Fingerprinting • Lie Detector – Control Question – Directed Lie – Guilty Knowledge Test • Hypnosis Polygraph (Lie detector) • Inadmissable in most states - however, a number of family and juvenile courts have admitted polygraph results as evidence. • Selected physiological activities are simultaneously recorded - A polygraph instrument will collect physiological data from at least three systems in the human body. Rubber tubes are placed over the examinee's chest and abdominal area record respiratory activity. Two small metal plates, attached to the fingers, will record sweat gland activity, and a blood pressure cuff, or similar device will record cardiovascular activity. Brain Fingerprinting • Uses ecg Forensic Hypnosis • Forensic hypnotism, investigators access a subject's deep, repressed memories of a past crime to help identify a suspect or fill in details of the case. Since hypnotists may lead subjects to form false memories, this technique is still very controversial in the forensics world. Goals in Forensic Profiling 1. Provide police with a social and psychological assessment of an offender based on crime scene • • • • • • Age Range Race Employment Religion Marital status Education Goals in Profiling 2. Provide police with a psychological evaluation of belongings found in possession of offender • Souvenirs of crime • Fetish items • Pornography Goals in Profiling 3. Provide interrogation suggestions and strategies • Come on strong or soft • Give sense of control to some perps What crimes need profiling? • • • • • • Serial Rape Serial murder Child molestation Workplace violence Serial arson Threatening communication Forensic Profilers • Used at times – Serial Crimes • Look at crime scene and develop a profile of the offender (Based on FBI data) • • • • • • Age Range Race Employment Religion Marital status Education Profiling • Questions: 1. Organized or Disorganized Offender? Personality in Crimes Organized or Disorganized Killer? Organized or Disorganized Killer? Initial Profile Further Profiling • • • • • Type of crime Type of victim Manner of death Evidence of Rituals Evidence of Trophy and Souvenir collection Arson Profiling Arson Profiling • Vandalism – – – – – – Why Arson? Juvenile lower class Afternoon Weekdays Up to Grades 6-8 education Lives close Stays at crime scene • Excitement – – – – – – Juvenile middle class Afternoon Lives alone Lives close Stays at crime scene Up to Grade 10 education Psychology of Arson • Revenge – Adult lower class – Afternoons – Weekends – Lives alone – Alcohol/drug use – Lives close – Doesn’t stay at crime scene – Employed – Up to grade 10 education – Single Psychology of Arson • Crime Concealment – Adult lower class – Evening – Alcohol/drug use – Lives more than a mile away – Single – Doesn’t stay at crime scene – High school education Psychology of Arson • Profit – Adult working class – Evening – Weekdays – Lives alone single – Alcohol/drug use – Doesn’t stay at crime scene – Unemployed – High school education Two Classes of Arsonists • Jealously-motivated adult male • Would-be hero Serial Killer Profile Serial Murderers How many murders make a serial murder? At least 3 Classes of serial killers 1. Geographically Stable • • • Lives in same area for some time Kills in same or nearby area Disposes bodies in same or nearby area 2. Geographically Transient – Travels often – Travels to confuse police – Disposes bodies in far-flung areas Stable: John Wayne Gacy (Chicago) Wayne Williams (Atlanta) Transient: Ted Bundy Serial Killers 1. Visionary Killer: • • Hear voices to kill (Devil or Demon or God) No staging of a crime scene Harvey Carignan 2. Hedonistic Killer: • • • • Kill for lust or thrill Sexual gratification May have torture, necrophilia, dismemberment… Will take a long time to kill victim Jerome Brudos Serial Killers 3. Mission Killers: – Conscious need to kill certain groups of people – Not psychotic – Duty to rid world of prostitutes, Jews, Blacks etc. – Often said to be “a fine young man” – Pride in service to community Serial Killers 4. Power Control Killers – Pleasure in controlling people – Sexual pleasure in domination – Not psychotic – sociopath having own rules and norms – Prolongs killing event for satisfaction – Will usually be hands-on in killing (ie. Strangulation) Serial Killers 5. Comfort Killer – Kills for profit (insurance, assassination fee etc.) – Kills a person of close relationship – Controlled Crime Scene – Many are women Judy Buenoano-”Black Widow” Who are the killers? • • • • • • • Male White 25-34 Intelligent Charming Charismatic Police groupies Ken Bianchi • • • • • “Alphabet Murders” of Rochester “Hillside Strangler” Rapist Attracted many women Covered heads with plastic bag until they passed out and then revived them to begin again • Police Dept. Reject Victim Selection • Their “ideal” victim is rarely who they kill – Why? – Caution when actively searching for a victim – Acts on compulsion for violence • Will not care to know the victim as a person-victim is an object Evolution of Serial Killer 1. Imagination of Violence 2. Books, magazines ,movies depicting violence 3. Imagines acting out (or practicing ) on people he knows 4. Serious thought of using real people 5. Looks at people as props in his mind play 6. Needs psychological relief by real act and crosses the line 7. He is now “somebody” in his mind View of Victim • Victim like a disposable cup – – – – He takes a long satisfying drink Once water is gone, thirst is quenched No longer needs cup Crush cup and throw away without thought as if it never existed (Satisfaction in brutalization rather than actual act of killing) Additional Details • Blindfold – – – – Hide identity Further depersonalizes victim Terrorizes victim “I blindfold my victims because faces scream at you” • Attacks at the face – Depersonalizes the attack itself – Eliminates the shame factor when there is no “real person” to face Additional Details • Disposal of Body – Lust, Thrill and Power-Control Killers dispose victim – Serial murder not concerned about families of victims and that a body is never found – Dumping is signal that killing process is over – Killer’s “advertisement” of crime Additional Details • Weapons – Hands-on weapons (straps, hose, hands, knives, handguns, hammers) • • • • Allows for touching victim Touch degrades victim Touch terrorizes victim Lust, Thrill or Power-Control Killer • Dismemberment – Validates power and control – Proving that victim is nothing Additional Details • Souvenirs – A reminder of what happened – Prevention of victim identification – Strips victim of identity – Ex. Personal belonging • Trophies – Has value – Visual reward serving as an aphrodisiac – Ex. Leg, breast Additional Details • Duct Tape – Clue of past prison time – May have been in the special forces of military Devil/Cult Crimes Profiling Satanic or Cult Killing Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist enhanced curiosity in the occult Satanism in the U.S. • 1966 Church of Satan founded by Anton Lavey (Former actor in Rosemary’s Baby) • The Satanic Bible – Lists important dates in Satanism – Lists important colors – Lists important numbers (1,3,5,7,13,4*4, 7+9, 666) – Lists symbols (ex. Swastika, pentagram) – Doctrines and rituals Elements in Satanic and Devil Worship Killings Ritual Elements Satanic Sects Devil Worship cults Animal Sacrifice yes yes Human Sacrifice yes yes Victims members strangers Blood Sacrifice yes yes Burn Sacrifice yes no Executioner priest leader Self-styled deviler yes yes strangers yes no self Body of Satanic Ritual • Sacrifice is revered and body is cared for and not dumped or dirtied • Burned bodies are placed in an easily discoverable location as a message that this person violated confidentiality (Prevents Reincarnation) • Sacrifices usually done by experience person that is intelligent (Self-styled devilers are usually young and uneducated) Human Sacrifice • Martyr is cut from upper part of the chest to above the pubic bone • Heart removed and mixed with blood, urine and feces Crime Scene Elements of Satanic Cults • • • • • • Circle of salt Candles Mockery of Christian Symbols Satanic Symbols Blood Animals (Goat or other hoofed animal) Busy times for the Sadist • Satanic Masses (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays) – – – – – Initiation Mass Gnostic Mass Mass of Angels (Male Chicken Sacrifice) Mass for the Dead (Lamb Sacrifice) Black Mass (Orgy) • Night of the Beast (3rd full moon of year, 3 wks) • The Passover (Feb. and Aug.) • May Day Rite (May 1) Sex-Crimes Profiling Profiling Pedophiles • Pedophiles= a perverse lover of children Types of Molesters • Situational Child Molester – Few victims – No true sexual interest but will “experiment” when stressed – Will also molest elderly, impaired or sick Situational Child Molester Subtypes • Regressed Child Molester – Uses children for sex occasionally – Coerces kids – May have child porn – Will have normal adult relationships – Uses children when stressed – Geographically stable, married and employed – Some alcohol abuse and low self esteem Jesse and Arnold Friedman Long Island Piano Teacher 1987-88 Situational Child Molester Subtypes • Morally Indiscriminate Child Molester – Abuses all persons – A User – Lures, forces and manipulates – Experiments sexually – “into” everything and everyone Situational Child Molester Subtypes • Sexually Indiscriminate Child Molester – Likes to experiment sexually – Otherwise “normal” person – Motivated by kids out of boredom – Views kids as new and different – Highly likely to have kiddy porn – Works with kids in some fashion Situational Child Molester Subtypes • The Naïve or Inadequate Molester – Mental disorder (Don’t know right from wrong) – “strange or bizarre” reputation – Loners – Fondles but does not have sex with kids – Nonthreatening – Porn but not kiddy The Preferential Child Molester • Prefers children over everyone! (Full time) • Types: – The Mysoped Molester/Killer • Harms/kills victims for pleasure • Stalks victims and abducts by force • No Love for victim but rather likes to kill most vulnerable • Mutilates • Terrorizes and has ritual Albert Fish • “Moon Maniac” • Preyed on at least a 100 kids and killed at least 23, mostly African American boys • Sadist • Cooked and ate last victim, Grace Budd The Preferential Child Molester • 2nd type: – The Fixated Child Molester • Single • No activities with people own age • Childlike in appearance and behavior • “Loves” kids • Buys gifts-seduction • Nonintercourse sex Children victimized by adults often will repeat this abuse when they are adults!
