This part two of a series dealing with criminal profiling and serial murder. This is a vast and ever changing field of forensic science. In this issue I hope to introduce you to the beginning of the FBI's profiling system and how it is used to catch killers. Next month issue will be an examination of some famous cases which will illustrate how these methods apply to real life situations.
In 1972 the BSU (Behavioral Science Unit) of the FBI was formed. Special agents Teten and Mullany continued to lecture on profiling techniques. Due to the extremely heavy caseload under which they were working several new instructors where added to the unit. New members included Robert Ressler, Roy Hazelwood and Dick Ault. Several years later John Douglas would also be added to the team (Innes, 2002)
In 1973 a young girl was abducted and killed while on a camping trip with her family in Montana. The FBI was able to provide a profile of the killer. They also predicted that the killer would try and contact the girl's parents. One year after the girl's death her mother received a call from a man claiming to have taken the girl to Europe. The Mother of the girl acted toward the caller with compassion and forgiveness. This caused the caller to break down and cry. Unfortunately the recording of the conversation the mother had made was not enough for a search warrant of the main suspect's home.
The FBI profiler, special agent Mullany, arranged for a meeting between the suspect and the parents of the girl hoping to unnerve the suspect. Although the suspect remained calm at the meeting a second phone call to the girl's parents was received shortly after the meeting. This time the mother recognized the suspect's voice and called him by name. Her identification of his voice led to a search warrant and subsequent recover of her daughter's remains and the remains of another missing woman (Innes, 2002) (Ressler, 1985). Gradually the profilers at the FBI where gaining success with their profiling methods.
In 1978 the city of Sacramento experienced the most bizarre and gruesome set of murders since Jack the Ripper himself. A young man known for his bizarre behavior who had been recently released from a psychiatric care facility strolled through a residential neighborhood looking for a victim. He entered a home where he found a young pregnant woman. When the woman's husband arrived home he found his wife dead. She had been horribly mutilated by being disemboweled and some of her body parts were missing. There was evidence at the scene that the killer had used an empty yogurt cup to drink some of the woman's blood (Innes, 2002)(Ressler, 1985).
Robert Ressler provided a preliminary profile of the killer. The following is his preliminary profile:
"White male aged 25-27, thin, undernourished appearance. Residence will be extremely slovenly and unkempt and evidence of the crime will be found at the residence. History of mental illness and will have been involved in the use of drugs. Will be a loner who does not associate with either females or males and will probably spend a great deal of time in his own home where he lives alone. Unemployed. Possibly receives some sort of disability money. If residing with anyone it will be with his parents however, this is unlikely. No prior military record, High school or College drop out. Probably suffering from one or more forms of paranoid psychosis" Ressler also thought that if the killer owned a car it would be a wreck. He also thought the killer walked to and from the crime scene and had been recently released from psychiatric care.
Shortly after the first profile was completed a 38 year old woman, her 6 year old son and a 51 year old male family friend where found dead all shot with a 22 caliber gun. The woman had been mutilated. Her intestines had been removed and the evidence that the killer tried to remove one of her eyes. A large amount of semen was found in her rectum. There was evidence that the killer had used a cup to collect blood from the abdomen. There was evidence that the killer had defecated in the house. The 20 month old nephew of the deceased woman, who she had been babysitting, was missing. The killer had escaped in the woman's car which was subsequently found nearby.
Ressler then added to the original profile saying that the killer lived alone with in a half mile of the crime scene. He also said that the killer had probably started out committing burglaries where fetish items where taken. These burglaries would have occurred in the same neighborhood as the murders. The items taken would have been things like women's undergarments and shoes.
In a desperate search for the missing baby police began to interview people in the areas around the crime scene and the recovered vehicle. They where fortunate to find a woman who had seen a man she had gone to school with. He had been disheveled with blood on his shirt and was extremely thin.
The police staked out the man's house and when he emerged carrying a box of bloody rags he was arrested.
Two months after the killer's arrest the baby was found in a cardboard box in a nearby church parking lot. The baby had been decapitated and the head lay under the torso. The car keys of the 51 year old male victim were found in the box with the baby.
The killer's vehicle was a dozen years old and filthy inside. The floor was covered in food wrappers and cans. A pair of bloody boots and a butcher's knife was also in the vehicle. His residence was covered in blood including the dishes and cups. Inside the refrigerator there were body parts. Three food processors, all with blood in them, were found in the kitchen. A container with brain matter in it was also in the refrigerator.
Robert Ressler's profile of the killer had turned out to be extremely accurate. The accuracy of the profile helped the police narrow down their search and eventually to capture the right person.
The killer was in his early twenties. He had a long history of mental illness and had recently been released from institutional psychiatric care. He was a heavy drug user. His parents had failed to recognize the seriousness of his behavior and had continually bailed him out. He had killed and disemboweled animals starting in early childhood.
It was this case which made Robert Ressler decide that he wanted to interview the killers themselves in an attempt to delve into how there minds work.
Joined by John Douglas they interviewed seven of the countries most notorious serial killers. These interviews were originally unauthorized by the F.B.I. and both men faced a disciplinary hearing. Eventually they were granted permission to continue the interviews and a research project was developed which utilized interviews with family members, doctors, caseworkers and the killers themselves.
By 1980 the rate of unsolved homicide had more than doubled in the U.S. compared to the 1950's. The F.B.I. estimated that at any given time there were 35 or more serial killers operating in the U.S. (Innes,2003).
In Canada statistics were not available until the mid nineties when a new tracking system called ViCLAS was developed based on the American VICAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program). By 1997 ViCLAS had been in place for several years and it was apparent that a large number of serial offenders were committing offenses in Canada.
Statistics regarding sexual homicide are somewhat unreliable for several reasons. First, the crime may be reported as a homicide but not as a sexual assault. Second, the investigators not recognize the sexual nature of what seems to be an ordinary murder. Third, those who are responsible for assessing an offender may not report that the crime was sexual in nature. Finally, investigators may not recognize evidence as sexual if it is unconventional (Burgess, Hartman et. al. 1986).
In 1980 a task force on violent crime was formed in the U.S. to try to develop solution to the rise in violent crime. The 35 or so serial killers operating in the U.S. were leaving 5000 victims a year in their wake. The task force needed to develop a system of tracking patterns of offences across the various states. By tracking the details of the crimes and creating a system of classification patterns could be more easily identified. Eventually the VICAP system was proposed and research began. The ViCAP reporting form is a series of 182 questions which are filled out by the investigating officer in cases of violent crime. Its purpose is to allow classification of the type and nature of a crime.
The project was approved and became incorporated with the Behavioral Science Unit at Quantico. Robert Ressler and the other profilers would oversee the program. It became known as the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime.
Classification of the Crime
One of the things the American(VICAP) and Canadian (ViCLAS) reporting systems are designed to do is to provide enough detailed information so that the crime can be classified. The first basic division is to categorize the homicide as either sexual or non-sexual or unknown. Classifying a homicide as sexual is not as easily done as one might assume. There are often elements to a sexual homicide which to the average person would not seem to be sexual in nature. Dismemberment and decapitation are not behaviors which one thinks of as sexual. To the serial killer who exhibits these behaviors that is exactly what they are. One killer of young female college students, who's intelligence impressed both Robert Ressler and John Douglas during interviews, commented on how he really "got off' on the popping sound that occurred when he removed(forcefully) his victims heads from their bodies(Ressler,1986).
Other sign of a sexual homicide having occurred are more obvious. The presence of saliva or semen, positioning of the body, mutilation of the sexual organs and the removal of clothing or jewelry are some but not all of the indicators that a sexual homicide has occurred. Another sign is the consistent occurrence of similar details of the crime scene at different crime scenes. A woolen sock found on a bedpost at three or four murder sites is an indication of ritual behavior and may be sexual in nature.
Classification of the Crime Scene
There are several basic classifications of a crime scene. The crime scene can be classified as either, organized, disorganized or mixed. As with any classification system there are acceptations to every rule.
Organized crime scenes tend to be just that. The killer will often bring the tools he needs such as a weapon or rope with him and carry them away after the murder. There is little evidence left at the scene. There will be evidence that the killer kept the victim alive for a period of time usually with the use of restraints. Aggressive behavior and sexual assault occur before the victim is killed. The body will be removed and hidden to avoid detection.
Disorganized crime scenes are messy and random in appearance. The crimes are unplanned. The weapons used are often from the crime scene. The victim and/or the location are familiar to the killer. Little attempt will have been made to restrain the victim. The victim will have been assaulted suddenly in a blitz style attack. The body and weapons will be left at the scene.
Classification of the Killer
Killers are classified as organized, disorganized or mixed.
The organized killer is of above average intelligence and is socially and sexually competent. His father work history was stable but discipline from either parent was inconsistent. He tends to be of high birth order. He usually is married or lives with partner. He will work at jobs below his skill level and his work history will be sporadic. His crimes will have been triggered by stress. He has a vehicle in good condition. He uses alcohol. During his crimes his mood is controlled. He follows the news media coverage of his crimes.
Disorganized killers tend to be of below average intelligence and work at unskilled labor if they work at all. They are socially and sexually incompetent and tend to live alone. The father's work history was unstable and the killer was harshly disciplined as a child. Does not use alcohol during crime. Is of lower birth order. The killer lives or works near the crime scene. After the crime there will be a significant change in his behavior. He does not follow news coverage of his crimes.
Serial Sexual Homicide
These types of crimes are ones in which the motive is difficult to predict. These crimes also appear outwardly to be random. Although the victim and the killer may not know each other the choice of victim is rarely random for the killer. Motive in these types of offenses is really only known to the killer and is usually based upon personal fantasies and desires. The victim is chosen because he or she represents an opportunity to fulfill the needs and desires of the killer. Victims are targeted because they possess a characteristic which satisfies part of the killer's inner sexual fantasies (Ressler, 1985).
The availability and ease with which a killer can get access to a victim is a common factor in the choice of victim. Prostitutes often become victims because of the ease with which a killer can lure them into a vehicle. Victims for the most part are those who can be easily mentally or physically overpowered such as children, young adults and women. Adult males are rarely victims of sexual homicide.
A basic premise of profiling is that the way a person thinks affects the way they act. Therefore when a crime scene is analyzed evidence of certain behaviors can indicate what type of person committed that crime. The point of VICAP and ViCLAS is to record a crime scene and details about the victim in enough detail that analysts can start to recognize patterns. If three victims can be linked to one killer there is three times the amount of evidence both physical and behavioral to work with.
Generating a Profile
A model for generating a profile consists of five main stages plus two additional stages where new evidence incorporated and the profile is modified or confirmed.
The first stage is where all of the crime scene evidence is taken into consideration. The profile of the victim is incorporated as evidence. All of the forensic evidence such as autopsy reports and lab results are considered. As well the preliminary police reports and crime scene photographs are studied.
The second stage is one in which the type of crime, levels of risk victim and killer, the primary intent and the location are studied.
In the third stage the crime is reconstructed. The type of crime is assessed. For example, is the crime classified as organized or disorganized. Whether the scene was staged is also taken into consideration. The level of control of the victim is assessed and possible motive is considered.
Once the first three stages are complete a profile of the killer can be generated. A profile will include Age, sex, physical characteristics, pre and post offence behavior, habits and possible location. Finally recommendations regarding the investigation will be made. These recommendations can be things such publishing or otherwise broadcasting information about a particular case or how best to interview a suspect when he is caught (Douglas, Ressler, Burgess and Hartman, 1986).
Stage five is the culmination of the investigation which when all goes well leads to stage six which is the arrest of a suspect (Douglas, Ressler, Burgess and Hartman, 1986).
Motive for Sexual Homicide
MacCulloch (1983) suggests that sadistic acts are driven by fantasy. This seems to make sense. Certainly if a person did not fantasize about some act they would not do it. I have never fantasized about jumping out of a perfectly good airplane and therefore will never skydive. For the serial killer the fantasy is their life and the two realities become blurred. In fact, Burgess (1986) suggests that for a serial killer their fantasy life is more real and more satisfying than reality.
In a study by Burgess, Douglas, Ressler et. al. which began in 1978 and ran until 1985 thirty six murderers where studied. Extensive research into their backgrounds and lengthy interviews with the killers where conducted. A large majority of the men interviewed reported having sexualized aggressive fantasies for an early age. They also reported a high degree of compulsive autoerotic behavior (82%), chronic isolation (71%) and chronic lying (71%). Many of the subjects in the study reported early development of sexual fetishes such as the attraction to women's underwear or high heeled shoes. Later they incorporated these items into a sadistic fantasy which culminated in murder.
MacCulloch(1983) says that early fantasies of a sadistic/sexual nature can be observed in certain behaviors in children Cruelty to animals and other children is thought to be a good indicator of aggressive fantasies in children. Self mutilation and self inflicted pain are other indicators of early fantasies involving pain.
Burgess (1986) suggests a motivational model for sexual homicide which consists of five parts. The first is a social environment which is ineffective in preparing a child for social interaction. Bonding is essential for healthy development of a child's of self worth and social confidence. If a child is unable to develop bonds with caregivers he grows into an adult with no social attachment. The approval of society no longer matters in the regulation of his behavior. Early criminal behavior in these children may be ignored or excused by the ineffective caregiver.
Second, formative events such a physical/sexual abuse or the witnessing of extreme acts of violence can cause the child to retreat into his own fantasy world. Developmental failure where bonding is absent results in a child with inappropriate responses to praise and punishment.
Third is the situation where the child fails to develop essential social skills which allow social interaction. This child relies increasingly on fantasy life than on reality. In the murderers studied by Burgess et. al. (1986) all reported extremely high senses of isolation, preference for fantasy and autoerotic activities, fetishes, rebellion, aggression and a sense of entitlement(Burgess, Ressler, Douglas et.al., 1986).
In the murderers studied by Burgess et.al. (1986) repetitive patterns of thinking in areas related to social skills. The murderers lacked the ability to develop socially leading to antisocial behaviors. The patterns of thinking which are know as cognitive mapping were impaired in the study group. In the category of cognitive mapping is a condition called neurohormonal responses. This is a physiological response to violent fantasies which produce an opiate like chemical in the brain. These chemicals produce a sense of stress relief, pleasure and well being (Burgess et.al., 1986).
Fourth, is how the actions of the child lead to further isolation. Common behaviors among the murderers studied by Burgess et. al. (1986) were abuse of other children and animals, negative play patterns, disregard for others, fire setting, stealing and destruction of property. These behaviors compound the sense of isolation for the child. Without the necessary social and behavioral skills to correct the causes of the isolation the child ceases to be influenced by social disapproval.
Finally, the last stage in the motivational model is a feedback loop in which the killer's fantasies are reinforced. The more refined the fantasies become the more of a sense of power and control over the external environment the killer has. Eventually all or some of the factors mesh to create a super hunter whose single source of pleasure is to inflict pain and death. They are drive by their fantasies and desires to bring these fantasies to reality. By the time they are entering the teenaged years their fantasies are ingrained in their psyche. Any adult would agree that it would be impossible to change their sexual orientation. So it is with serial killers. They will never change. Many have been incarcerated at least once before they learn how not to get caught. Once they are caught they can never be let out. They are out there evolving learning to be better hunters.
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