Serial Killers and Criminal Profiling Notes to help with Interview Project

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Serial Killers and Criminal Profiling Notes to
help with Interview Project
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Typology of Serial Killers

• Visionary
• Feels impelled to commit murder by visions or
  voices in my head.
• Mission orientated
• rid society of certain types of people eg.
  prostitutes, runaway kids, racial group etc
• Hedonistic
• Kill for the pure thrill and joy of it the
  majority of serial killers are hedonistic serial
  killers.
• Power/Control orientated
• Gains more satisfaction from exercising complete
  power over his victims, and sexual activity is
  almost always involved

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Motivation

• Power Re-Assurance Compensatory - behavior that
  restores the offenders self worth and confidence.
• Power Assertive Entitlement as above but
  expressed through control, mastery and
  humiliation while showing authority.
• Anger Excitation Sadistic - the violence is
  eroticized or pleasure given from suffering -
  primarily sexual.
• Anger Retaliatory Anger/Displaced - rage
  general , symbolic or specific often domestic
  violence, stranger sex assault, work related
  homicide etc.
• Profit - material or personal gain -
  non-signature type not related to any specific
  emotional need

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The Organized Serial Killer

• Offense planned
• Victim a targeted stranger
• Victim personalized
• Controlled conversation
• Crime scene reflects overall control
• Demands submissive victim

• Restraints used
• Aggressive acts prior to death
• Body hidden
• Weapon/evidence absent
• victim or body transported from scene
• Associated with psychopathy

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The Disorganized Serial Killer

• Spontaneous offense
• Victim or location known
• Depersonalizes victim
• Minimal conversation
• Crime scene random and sloppy
• Sudden violence to victim

• Minimal use of restraints
• Sexual acts after death
• Body left in view
• Evidence/weapon often present
• Body left at death scene
• Associated with Psychosis

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• M.O. "success of crime"
• I. Victim/location selection, means of attack,
  use of weapon, planning, means of transport
• II. Valuables taken
• III. Evidence left behind
• Signature "needs and patterns of offender"
• I. Wound patterns, sex acts, means of control,
  rituals, talk
• II. Souvenirs taken
• III. Evidence destroyed

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Modus Operandi METHOD OF OPERATION (M.O.)

• How the offender committed the crime.
• Planning
• Selection
• pre-surveillance,
• weapons constraints,
• precautions,
• transportation etc.

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• In general, modus operandi is the behavior
  necessary for the successful commission of a
  crime.  Douglas Olshaker define M.O. as "what
  an offender has to do to accomplish a crime."  At
  a minimum, every M.O. will contain elements that
  involve the following
• ensure success of the crime
• protect identity
• effect escape. 
• For example, when a criminal uses duct tape to
  cover a victim's mouth, this is M.O. because the
  criminal has realized the victim's screams for
  help might get him caught.  You cannot always
  link cases by M.O. because M.O. is dynamic and
  always changing with experience.  It's learned
  behavior like any other behavior, and involves
  things like experience, education, and maturity. 

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Signature

• SIGNATURE
• The behavior/expression of fantasy the killer
  must leave at the scene to satisfy
  emotional/psychological needs. Goes beyond whats
  necessary to commit crime and tells about the
  offenders psychological needs and motivation.
• Usually consistent and unique
• to that killer

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Signature

• In sum, signature is a combination of behaviors,
  emotions, and thoughts.  The signature is
  sometimes called a "trademark" or "calling card"
  and reflects a compulsion on the part of
  criminals to go beyond just committing the crime
  to "express themselves" in some way that reflects
  their personality. Douglas Olshaker (199890)
  define it as "something the offender has to do to
  fulfill himself emotionally ... it is not needed
  to successfully accomplish a crime, but it is the
  reason he undertakes the particular crime in the
  first place."  Signatures usually put the
  offender at great risk because they must stay at
  the crime scene longer, so ordinary signature is
  often hard to detect.  At other times, it's
  obvious, such as when an offender goes to the
  trouble of leaving a Bible at the scene of the
  crime.