Serial
Killers

Learning
Objectives•Evaluate models of profiling
•Discuss the relationship between profiling and
behavioural analysis
•Evaluate the myths and realities relating to serial
killers
•Critically compare and contrast the use of
behavioural profiling in the USA and UK

Offender Profiling: Definition
(Daeid, 1997)
• The term ‘offender
profiling’ is a name given
to a collection of various
scientific and
psychological theories and
techniques which may be
used in order to explore
possible links between
offender, victim and crime
characteristics.

Serial Killer:
Definition
• Kill at least three people over a period
of time, with “cooling-off” periods
between the murders, indicating
premeditation of each killing.
• incidents should be occurring in
separate events, at different times
• the time period between murders
separates serial murder from mass
murder

Behavioural
Analysis
• Modus operandi
• Signature behaviours
• Offender typologies
• Victim profiles

Modus
Operandi:
Statistical
Approach• Behavioural and
other information
found at the crime
scene to infer an
offender’s
characteristics and
psychological
processes
Taken from (Kocsis et al.,
2002)

Serial Sexual
Killers –
Examples of
Signature
Behaviours• When serial killers are identified, it is often because, in acting out
their fantasies, they leave their characteristic signature on the victims'
bodies or at the crime scene.
• Examples: patterns of attack, forms of bondage and torture, post-
mortem mutilation or dismemberment, and trophy-taking.
• Serial sexual murderers: the selection, stalking, and capturing of their
victims are essentially their version of foreplay, with the torture and
killing culminating in the climax

Sexual Serial
Killers
• A significant amount of serial killers
perform post-mortem manipulation that
can include cannibalism or sexual assault
• Albert Fish made stew from at least one
of his victims.
• Jeffrey Dahmer cannibalized several of his
victims, storing the remains in his freezer
like cuts of meat from the deli.
• Dahmer described the experience of
eating his victims as sexually exhilarating

Typology Example: Keppel and
Walter (1999)

Organized Killers (Ressler et al.,
1986)
• This perpetrator is above average in intelligence and considers himself
superior to other people.
• He takes great care with personal appearance, grooming, and
belongings.
• His crime is well thought out and carefully planned.
• Crimes committed away from home area
• Often carries a carefully prepared “torture kit”
• He may follow and stalk this victim for hours or days, and he may take
great pride in verbally manipulating his target into a position of
vulnerability.

Organized Killers (Ressler et al.,
1986)
• Takes trophies
• Knows police procedures and
often has worked or is
working in law enforcement
• He will appear a normal and
regular guy

Disorganised
Killers
• Average or below average intelligence
• Loner and recluse
• Underachiever
• Low self-image
• Considered weird or creepy by acquaintances
• Voyeurism, exhibitionism
• Does not plan crimes and leave a mess –
impulsive and spontaneous killings – often blitz
attacks and overkill

Miller (2014) Victim
Profiles
• A frequent association appears between serial homicide and two
other crimes: burglary and rape
• The victims of serial murder are predominantly female, white, and
young adults, although same-sex murders are not uncommon, and
some serial killers target children.
• The majority of crimes are intraracial in nature, although a few serial
killers have targeted ethnic groups different from themselves.
• Serial sexual homicides are twice as likely as other homicides to
involve strangers

UK versus USA: Differences in
Profiling
• US based more on experience
• US classification method: organised/disorganised etc. Commonly
referred to as ‘top down’
• US Typologies
• Components of the crime scene determines specific characteristics of
offenders eg intelligent, has car, sexually/ socially competent etc.
• Subjectivity and intuition (Canter & Alison, 2000)
• Typologies criticised for reliability and validity (Gregory, 2005)
• Focus on details of the case at hand

US Profiling
Method
• Assess the type of criminal behaviour with reference to who has
committed similar acts previously
• Analyse crime scene
• Study background of victim
• Establish motives of parties involved
• Generation of characteristics of psychological make up of the offender

UK versus USA: Differences in
Profiling
• UK statistical modelling – using specific characteristics of solved cases
more accurate and scientific.
• Details about offender/victim relationship; ethnic origin of the
offender; age of the offender
• Focus on global patterns and global trends (Alison et al., 2004)
• Academic base therefore findings can be peer-reviewed and debated.
• It depends on police records however, so not necessarily perfect

UK Profiling
Method
• Example: CATCH’EM – Central Analytical Team Collating Homicide
Expertise Management: information about all child murders in the UK
for the last thirty years
• Use these stats to infer
• E.g. if the victim is male and under sixteen years old then in 83% of
cases the offender is single.
• If there has been sexual interference with the child’s body before the
murder, in only 1-2% of the cases is the killer a parent or guardian
• Similar patterns and groupings have been used for serial murder,
rape, sexual assaults, and arson
CLUSTER
ANALYSIS

• The most significant critique of this approach is whether
nomothetic and often inductively gathered research findings
can be applied to specific idiographic cases
• Now an eclectic approach is used that maximizes the
advantages from the three perspectives (Alison et al., 2004)
• Differences exist between countries in the preferred amount of
contribution from each (Alison et al., 2010)
• The following information was obtained from the FBI
Behavioural Analysis Online Resources
(http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder )
Evaluating models
of profiling

Myth: Serial killers
are all dysfunctional
loners.
• Bundy: married
• Paul Bernardo: married
• BTK Killer: married, 2
children
• Green River Killer: married
three times, still married
when he was caught
Myths and
Realities

• Charles Ng, a native of Hong
Kong, China, killed numerous
victims in Northern California,
in concert with Robert Lake.
• Derrick Todd Lee, an African-
American, killed at least six
women in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana.
• Rory Conde, a Colombian
native, was responsible for six
prostitute homicides in the
Miami, Florida area.
Myths and
Realities
Myth: Serial killers are
all white males.

• Anger, thrill, financial gain, and
attention seeking
• Paul Reid killed at least seven
people during fast food
restaurant robberies in
Tennessee. After gaining control
of the victims, he either stabbed
or shot them.
• Dr Harold Shipman: financial
gain – thought to have killed 215
people – convicted of 15
Myths and
Realities
Myth: Serial killers
are only
motivated by sex.

• There are events or circumstances in
offenders’ lives that inhibit them from
pursuing more victims.
• BTK killer, Dennis Rader, murdered ten
victims from 1974 to 1991. He did not
kill any other victims prior to being
captured in 2005.
• Jeffrey Gorton killed his first victim in
1986 and his next victim in 1991. He did
not kill another victim and was captured
in 2002.
Myth: Serial
killers cannot
stop killing.
Myths and
Realities

• As a group, serial killers suffer from a variety of personality disorders,
including psychopathy, anti-social personality, and others. Most,
however, are not classified as insane under the law.
• Like other populations, however, serial killers range in intelligence
from borderline to above average levels.
Myth: All
Serial killers
are insane or
are evil
geniuses.
Myths and
Realities

Myth: Serial killers want to get
caught.
As serial killers continue to offend without
being captured, they can become
empowered, feeling they will never be
identified. As the series continues, the
killers may begin to take shortcuts when
committing their crimes. This often causes
the killers to take more chances, leading to
identification by law enforcement. It is not
that serial killers want to get caught; they
feel that they can’t get caught.
Myths and

Tas
k
Using typology and dichotomy
profiling choose a serial killer (real
or fictional) and compose a profile