FBI Method of Profiling Violent Serial Offenders

1
FBI Method of Profiling Violent Serial Offenders
2
FBI Method of Profiling

• A system to detect and classify the major
  personality and behavior characteristics of an
  individual based upon analysis of the crime(s)
  the person committed.
• Simple Definition A method of identifying the
  perpetrator based in an analysis of the nature of
  the offense and the manner committed.

3
FBI Method of Profiling

• Thought of as the third wave of investigative
  science. Psyche of the Criminal
• First Study of Clues (Scotland Yard 19th
  Century)
• Second Study of Crime itself

4
Profiling Phases

• Assimilation Phase Where all information
  available in regard to the crime scene, victim
  and witnesses is examined.
• This includes crime scene photographs, autopsy
  reports, victim profiles, police reports and
  witness statements.

5
Profiling Phases

• Classification Stage Involves integrating the
  information collected into a framework which
  essentially classifies the crime (i.e. murder) as
  organized or disorganized

6
Profiling Phases

• Reconstruction An attempt to reconstruct the
  behavioral sequence of the crime attempting to
  reconstruct the offenders Modus Operandi (method
  of committing the crime).

7
Profiling Phases

• Offenders Signature More idio-syncractic than
  modus operandi.
• The signature is what the offender does to
  satisfy his psychological needs in committing the
  crime.

8
Profiling Phases

• Generate a Profile
• Detailed information regarding the offenders
  demographic characteristics, families
  characteristics, military background, education,
  personality characteristics.
• Make suggestions for interrogation.

9
Offender Profiling

• Criminal Profiling is a behavioral and
  investigative tool that is intended to help
  investigators to accurately predict and profile
  the characteristics of unknown offenders.
• Also known as Criminal Personality Profiling
  Criminological Profiling Behavioral Profiling
  Criminal Investigative Analysis.

10
Offender Profiling

• Three Main Goals
• (Holmes Homes)
• 1) Provide Law Enforcement with a social and
  psychological assessment of the offender
• 2) Provide L.E. with a psychological evaluation
  of belongings found in the possession of the
  offender.
• 3) Give suggestions and strategies for the
  interviewing process.

11
Offender Profiling

• Four Main Approaches
• (Ainsworth)
• 1) Geographical Approach - patterns are analyzed
  in regard to time and location of the crime
  where does the offender live or work?
• 2) Investigative Psychology Using psychological
  theories to determine characteristics of the
  offender by looking at the presented offending
  behavior and offense tyle.

12
Offender Profiling

• 3) Typological Approach looks at the specific
  characteristics of the crime scene to categorize
  the offender according to the various typical
  characteristics.
• 4) Clinical Approach understanding of
  psychiatry and clinical psychology used to
  determine whether the offender is suffering from
  mental illness of various psychological
  abnormalities.

13
Offender Profiling

• Procedural Steps
• Thorough Analysis of the type / nature of the
  criminal act and compared to the type of people
  who have committed similar crimes in the past.
• An in depth analysis of the actual crime scene.
• Victims background and activities are analyzed
  to look for motives and connections.

14
Offender Profiling

• 4) Possible motivation of the crime are analyzed.
  
• 5) Description of the possible offender.

15
Profiling Behavior

• Behavior reflects personality.
• (FBI Profiler Gregg O. McCray)
• Antecedent What fantasy or plan (or both) did
  the offender have before the act? (What triggered
  the crime to occur some days and not others?)
• Method and Manner What type of victim(s) did the
  offender select? (i.e. Murder shooting,
  stabbing, strangulation?)

16
Profiling Behavior

• 3) Body Disposal All at one scene or multiple
  scenes? (Kill and dump vs. kill and leave or hide
  at the scene of the crime.)
• 4) Post-Offense Behavior Is the offender trying
  to inject himself / herself into the
  investigation by reacting to media reports or
  contacting investigators?

17
Offender Profiling

• A sexual crime is analyzed in much the same way.
  (Bear in mind that homicide is sometimes a sexual
  crime.)
• If not a killing, we have additional information
  that comes from the victim.

18
Offender Profiling

• Crime Scene Investigation is case linking the
  process of determining whether there are discrete
  connections between two or more previously
  unrelated cases through crime scene analysis.
• (Comparing the physical evidence, victimology,
  crime scene characteristics, M.O., organized or
  disorganized typologies, signature behavior.)

19
Offender Profiling

• Crime Scene Investigation
• Assist Law Enforcement
• Assist Courts to suggest common scheme or plan
  to determine whether similar crimes may be tried
  together, or evidence of other crimes may be
  brought to prove guilt.

20
Offender Profiling

• Case Linkage efforts hinge on three concepts
• M.O.
• Signature
• Victimology

21
Conclusion

• Profiling is not evidence for court. It is a
  tool to narrow to a suspect to investigate and
  gather evidence.