Professional Documents
Culture Documents
• Throughout the last three decades the US serial killer rate has
risen 940%.
• There are at least 35 serial killers active in the USA today who
claim one third of the annual murder rate.
Gerbeth 1996
Gerbeth 1981
Criminal Profiling – Basic Aims
• Later modified to 2
types
profile • Organised and
Disorganised
FBI Profile: Organized
• Show signs of planning and evidence of
control at the crime scene
• Offenders are -
• Intelligent
• Socially skilled
• Sexually competent
• Live with a partner
• Usually target strangers
• Antisocial and psychopathic personality
FBI’s Approach to Offender Profiling:
Disorganized
• Unplanned and disorganized behaviour & lack
of control at the crime scene
• Offenders are -
• Low intelligence
• Socially and sexually inept
• Live alone
• Severe mental illness
• Likely have been suffered from physical or
sexual abuse as a child
• Frightened or confused state of mind
Typologies of Murder and Motive
Willie (1974) Types Lee (1988) Motives
• Depressive • Profit
• Psychotic • Passion
• organic brain • Hatred
• Disorder • Power / domination
• Psychopathic • Revenge
• Passive aggressive
• Opportunism
• Alcoholic
• Fear
• Hysterical
• Juvenile • Contract killing
• Mentally retarded • Desperation
• sex killers • Compassion
FBI Psychological Profile of Lust Killers
Organised Killer Dis-organised Killer
• intelligent • below average IQ
• high birth order • low birth order
• socially immature
• masculine image
• seldom dates
• charismatic
• high school failure
• socially capable • unemployed father
• sexually capable • lives alone
• occupationally mobile • has secret hiding places
• lives with partner • nocturnal
• geographically mobile • lives/works near crime
• experienced harsh • unskilled worker
• childhood discipline • behaviour change
• low interest in media
• controlled emotions
• little alcohol consumption
• interested in media
• high anxiety during crime
• model inmate
16
Basic Typology
Strategies: Manipulative
Violence
Assumptions of British Profiling
1. Pre-crime Stage
3. Disposal of body
4. Post-crime behavior
Assessment :Organized or Disorganized
David Canter’s Approach
Assumes - offfender’s actions at the crime scene can reveal
information about his background
• Bottom up approach
• Interpersonal Coherence
• Significance of time and
place
• Criminal Characteristics
• Criminal Career
• Forensic Awareness
Canter: Five Factors
1. Residential location
2. Criminal biography
3. Domestic / Social characteristics
4. Personal characteristics
5. Occupational / Educational history
Three methods: Facet Theory, Smallest Space
Analysis (SSA) & Circle Hypothesis of
Environmental Range
MO, Signature & Motivation
Signature - a pattern of distinctive behaviors that are
characteristic of and satisfy general emotional and
psychological needs. Generally the fall into themes:
• profit
• anger/retaliation
• reassurance/experimentation
• assertiveness
• sadism [anger excitation].
Signature behaviours - those acts done by the offender
which are not essential to the crime - they suggest
some special need of the offender.
MO, Signature & Motivation