Serial Killers and Criminal Profiling

Notes to help with Profiling Project

Typology of Serial Killers• Visionary

Feels impelled to commit murder by visions or “voices in my head.”

• Mission orientatedrid society of certain types of people eg. prostitutes, runaway kids, racial group etc

• HedonisticKill for the pure thrill and joy of it; the majority of serial killers are hedonistic serial killers.

• Power/Control orientatedGains more satisfaction from exercising complete power over his victims, and sexual activity is almost always involved

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

• 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

The Organized Serial Killer

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

Signature• SIGNATURE

– The behavior/expression of fantasy the killer must leave at the scene to satisfy emotional/psychological needs. Goes beyond what’s necessary to commit crime and tells about the offender’s psychological needs and motivation.

– Usually consistent and unique to that killer

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 (1998:90) 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.