When a criminal uses pantyhose

to bind his victims, this is his

MO. His criminal signature may
be writing religious scriptures on
each victim's body with lipstick.
While both behaviors give law
enforcement a glimpse into the
criminal's mind, one typically
changes over time while the
other stays constant. Knowledge
of both is necessary to create an
accurate criminal profile and
catch the offender

The Differences Between Modus

Operandi and Criminal Signature

Signature is about
Expression or Ritual
An offender's criminal signature is his
"calling card," going further than simply
the actions needed to carry out a crime. It
is the personal and unique expression or
ritual of a crime scene -- what the offender
does to satisfy his emotional and
psychological needs. Unlike an offender's
MO, his criminal signature remains the
same. For example, during a sexual
assault, a rapist's criminal signature may
be use of abusive or vulgar language,
preparing a script for his victim to read,
or taking photos of the victim in specific
positions.

Modus Operandi is
about Habits
Modus operandi, or MO, is an offender's
actions during the commission of a
crime. It represents the way he commits
a crime in order to be successful and
escape capture, revealing habits,
peculiarities and techniques. An MO
typically changes with education,
experience and maturity. For example, an
offender may use torn rags to gag his
victims, because screams increase his
chances of getting caught. Although he
may use different gags over time, going
from torn rags to duct tape, his continual
use of them represents his MO.