Criminal Profiling: A Powerful Technique to Capture and Convict Serial Killers

Ms. Aratrika Roy

Assistant Professor

Department of Forensic Science

aratrika.roy@kalingauniversity.ac.in

Keywords: Criminal Profiling, Serial Killing, Forensic Science.

Abstract:  This article highlights the importance of forensic science and its applications in determining the types of serial offences. Criminal profiling is discussed as the prominent technique for understanding the psychology of serial killers and utilising their behaviour and approaches in order to enhance their capturing and conviction procedures. This article indicates the concept of criminal profiling, serial killing and its impact on society, law and enforcement. Along with this, it indicates the process of crime scene evidence investigations and preparation of criminal profiles and its importance in capturing serial offenders. The usefulness of criminal profiling is elaborated with detailed study of different serial killing cases and a few limitations are also noted for improving the accuracy of the forensic procedure.

1. Introduction

Criminal profiling is one of the highly significant investigative techniques applied by law and enforcement for analysing specific traits in the emotional behaviours, mental conditions and personality approaches of offenders. Criminal profiling helps investigators identify the psychological characteristics of offenders and link them to different scenarios and cases in order to find out if there are common offenders of multiple crimes or develop comparisons of similar offences. In criminal profiling, suspects are identified in two types of procedures which are analysis of behavioural consistency and evaluation of homology. In behavioural consistency analysis, the psychological actions often performed consciously or subconsciously by the criminals are identified. In homological assessment, comparison of offenders is made who have similar traits or have done similar criminal offences. With this profiling technique, the investigator can formulate a general idea about their personalities and future actions. Various criminologists and psychologists have continued studies on different psychological traits in criminals and their criminal behaviours. Cesare Lombroso, an Italian psychologist, was one of those who analysed 383 inmates in prison and proposed the way of criminal profiling by considering factors such as age, gender, level of education, specific physical characteristics, geographical locations and more. With time, criminal profiling has been adopted in global law enforcement organisations (such as the FBI), and it is widely used for diagnostic evaluation, detailed analysis of crime scenes and psychological investigation in order to capture and convict serial killers across the globe.

Serial Killers are those criminals who have committed homicides in a series of three or more with highly possible psychological and behavioural assumptions. These offenders might have motivations of anger and hostility, psychosis, social suppression, economic gain, psychological gratification, thrill or power and specific hatred or superiority in personal ideologies or nothing specific at all. Criminal profiling helps investigators to identify the specific typologies of the serial offenders, such as their ritualistic behaviours at the crime scene, their choice of victims, specific modus operandi, degree of violence that occurred with the victims, choice of the time, location, etc.  

2. Key Terms in Criminal Profiling Used to Determine Serial Killing

There are a number of terminologies which are attributed in the criminal profiling or serial killings. These terminologies in performing criminal profiling are necessary to understand the purpose of the crimes committed by the offenders and potentially preventing them to commit more crimes by analyse the crime scene data indicating the traits and behvioural patterns of the serial offenders.

Modus Operandi: This is known as the mode of operation for the offenders to commit a crime, and it includes the specific pathway they follow in a repetitive manner in every crime they commit. This behaviour is consistent and often grows over time. The age, physical appearance, gender, race of victims, mode of travel, locations of the offences, stories made for attracting victims, disposal of bodies, type of violence and any more are considered in the modus operandi.

Signature: Signature can be the intentional actions or marks left by the criminals which are not associated with the mode of crime. The signature is left as a sign or unique identification mark of the serial killer to announce that the crime was committed by them. It is often acknowledged as the psychological calling card for a serial offender. Signature includes the need and fulfilment of the psychological needs of the criminals in their criminal profiling.

Ritualistic and Non-Ritualistic Behaviour: Ritualistic behaviours are the constant behaviours of serail offenders which may or may not be associated with the mode of crime. Non-ritualistic behaviours are those which are present but not consistent in every crime they occur. Both of these behaviours are done before or later of the actual crime (homicide). These behaviours can be posing the body of the victim, cutting pieces of clothing, mutilation or constant stabbing on specific body parts, shaving pubic hairs, postmortem marking, overkilling, tearing of clothing, covering the eyes of victims before leaving the scene and more.

Organised and Disorganised Patterns: Serial killers mostly operate in two types of criminal patterns while committing offences which are organised and disorganised. Organised serial killers have defined plans while selecting the target victims, places of action, and tactics for attracting victims. Organised serial killers reflect their intelligence by leaving little to no evidence in the scenes. Disorganised killers do not follow any distinct plans, and their actions are impulsive. These kinds of offenders leave maximum evidence. Criminal profiling for both types of serial killers is useful to distinguish their patterns of crime.

Geographic Profiling: This is a terminology focussed upon the locations where the serial offenders live or frequently visit to proceed any act related to the crime such as targeting the victims, disposing of bodies and others. It is about understanding their spatial patterns of movement and the specific locations where the serial killer is comfortable to operate.

Victimology and Psychological Autopsy of Victims: In victimology studies, the investigator studies the victims and their connection with the offenders. A psychological autopsy is a systematic process to analyse the psychological profile of the victims. Though it is mainly evaluated to understand the mental state, suicidal tendency and ant uncanny behaviour of victims, it is evident to establish the influential relationship between serial killers and their victims in serial killing offences. 

3. Importance of Criminal Profiling in Capturing Serial Killers

Criminal profiling has wider importance in identifying serial killers and also helping law enforcement to capture and convict them. The profiles help the investigators to determine the unique patterns of the suspects for their modus operandi, choice of victims, psychological traits, motivations, social positions and intelligence. Criminal profiling allows investigators to focus on the crime scene evidence, a chain of custody and its preservations for quality analysis, and the assessed information from the crime scenes; witness testimonies help to judge the behaviour and approach of the offenders. The profiling of criminals brings new opportunities to connect different offences and determines their offenders to be one individual through linkage analysis. Criminal profiling integrates geographical profiling to understand the locations where the serial killers are most active, their specific choice of time in the day, day in the week, etc. Profiling helps to identify serial killers and distinguish them from other suspects through their unique signature, mental health and psychological assessment, and clinical evaluation. Criminal proofing is useful for establishing the probable reason for serial crime, such as psychological needs, insanity and improvement of jurisdictions and laws regarding sensitive scenarios such as sexual crimes, child molestations, juvenile conviction and more. All these techniques utilised in criminal profiling assure rapid, accurate and impactful analysis, determination and capturing methods for serious killers.  

4. Limitations

Criminal profiling is considered a suitable technique for analysing the behavioural patterns of offenders in serial offences, but most of its interpretation is based on subjective evidence and generalised concepts. The pre-assumed profiles are not always applicable for every derail offender, which indicates challenges in understanding new typologies or behaviours. Moreover, the behaviours and motives of serial killers change over time due to different reasons, such as hiding their identity from law and enforcement, change of motives, change of methods, etc., which can limit the investigation procedure and possibly narrow down the number of suspects to match the certain crime and psychological patterns. Criminal profiling is established upon evidence collected at the crime scenes, and the ability of the profilers, and poor quality and skill in evidence preservation and analysis can indicate inaccurate criminal profiles. This inaccuracy can make the process of capturing and conviction process difficult and complicated, which reflects delayed justice.  

5. Conclusion

Criminal profiling is an efficient multidisciplinary practice of forensic science and criminology techniques which is effective in narrowing potential suspects from a vast number of offenders. It highlights the comprehensive analysis of the psychological behaviours of the criminals to effectively identify their patterns and motives of crime. With this technique, the modus operandi and behavioural traits of a serial killer can be evaluated faster, and it is helpful for the law and enforcement to make accurate decisions for their capturing and conviction of offenders. Despite some limitations, criminal profiling is essential for forensic evaluation, medico-legal investigations, and psychological analysis of serial offenders and criminals, along with their capturing and conviction.