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CHAPTER ONE
18
CHAPTER TWO
38
CHAPTER THREE
70
GLOSSARY 84
BIBLIOGRAPHY 89
INDEX 92
The Trailside Killer
attacked hikers in
the rugged, majestic
terrain of California's
Point Reyes National
Seashore Park.
INTRODUCTION
LAW E N F O R C E M E N T A gE N C I E S around
San Francisco Bay were desperate for help as winter
began in 1980. For more than a year a murderer had
been striking down hikers in the areas parks.
Newspapers called him the Trailside Killer. The list of
victims kept growing, but the killers identity
remained a mystery.
Four murders had come to light on a single
November day. Friends of Shauna May had reported
the young woman missing when she failed to meet
them as planned for a hike in Point Reyes National
Seashore Park, north of San Francisco. Two days later
searchers found Mays body. Next to it lay the body of
5
6 CRIMINAL pROFILINg
science have been linked for a long time. The first science
used in criminal investigation was medicine, and one
of the earliest reports of forensic medicine comes from
ancient Rome. In 44 BCE, the Roman leader Julius
Caesar was stabbed to death not far from the Forum.
A physician named Antistius examined the body and
found that Caesar had received twenty-three stab
wounds, but only one wound was fatal.
10 CRIMINAL pROFILINg
19
20 CRIMINAL pROFILINg
PROFILING OFFENDERS
The third arm of NCAVC is the Behavioral Analysis
Unit (BAU). The members of this unit provide a variety
of services to investigators at the local, state, and federal
levels. One of these services is developing profiles of
unknown offenders. The BAU is home to the FBIs
working profilers, although the FBI does not use the
term profiler. Within the FBI, the process of review-
ing the facts of a crime and interpreting the criminals
characteristics is called criminal investigative analysis.
The men and women who develop offender profiles are
called supervisory special agents.
The Behavioral Science Unit (BSU) now belongs to
an FBI training department. The staff of this depart-
ment teaches elements of the behavioral sciences to
FBI agents, military and intelligence officers, and law
enforcement officers. The BSU describes its subject
this way: Behavioral science is all about better under-
THE ORIgINS OF pROFILINg 37
39
40 CRIMINAL pROFILINg
u APPROACHES TO PROFILING
There are various approaches to criminal profiling.
One approach is to compare the crime to what is
already known about similar crimes and the people
who committed them. A profiler who chooses this
approach might use statistics about criminal behavior
to interpret the unsubs characteristics.
Statistics are simply pieces of information that have
been gathered, sorted, and organized. In a case of arson,
or deliberate fire setting, for example, a profiler could
refer to a report from the federal Department of Justice
that says that 52 percentmore than halfof the peo-
ple arrested for setting fires in a given year were under
the age of eighteen. Based on this information, the pro-
filer might look at a new, unsolved arson case and say,
Theres a good chance our unsub is a kid or teenager.
pROFILERS AT WORK 41
ORGANIZED OR DISORGANIZED ?
One of the first tools to come out of the Criminal
Profiling Program was the organized/disorganized
checklist. A crime was categorized as organized or dis-
organized based on the evidence. Signs of careful
planning, for example, indicated an organized crime.
So did the hiding of a victims body. A disorganized
crime, in contrast, appeared to be spontaneous or
unplanned, and the body was not hidden.
Just as crimes were either organized or disorgan-
ized, so were criminals. Based on information gath-
ered about convicted criminals, the FBI developed a
list of the traits of each type of offender. An organized
criminal was likely to be of average or above-average
intelligence, tended to have a sense of superiority to
other people, and often lived with a spouse or partner.
This type of killer rarely left behind a weapon or a
revealing clue. A disorganized criminal, in contrast,
would probably have below-average intelligence,
would feel inferior, and would live alone or with par-
ents. Such a criminal might make mistakes such as
leaving behind a murder weapon or other clue.
Criminologists and psychologists soon pointed out
limitations in the organized/disorganized system of clas-
sifying crimes and offenders. Not all crime scenes, or all
offenders, fit neatly into one category. The classifications
were based on a very small sample of criminals, and
pROFILERS AT WORK 45
FORENSIC EVIDENCE
What has been revealed by the scientific analysis of
the evidence? Footprints, blood spatter patterns, and
trace evidence such as hair and carpet fiber left on a
victims body or at a crime scene may tell investigators
a lot about the offender. Footprints, for example,
contain details about the shoes a person wore and
suggest the persons probable size. In addition, the
depth, angle, and spacing of the prints can indicate
whether the offender was standing, pacing, carry-
ing something, or running. These clues to behavior
may give a profiler insights into the criminals state
of mind.
Most profilers are not specialists in collecting and
analyzing forensic evidence. Ideally, those tasks are
performed by criminalists who are trained in the sci-
entific handling and examination of materials. Once
the forensic specialists have analyzed the evidence, the
profiler receives the results. Depending upon the case,
a profiler may receive many forensic reports covering
pROFILERS AT WORK 47
AUTOPSY
The state of a bodyor a victim who survived an
attackis a source of important information about
the offender. When someone dies as the result of a
criminal attack, a medical examiner performs an
autopsy on the remains. In many cases, an autopsy
establishes the time and cause of death. It may help the
profiler answer these questions: What type of weapon
did the attacker use? Were the victims injuries caused
by someone wielding a weapon with skill and experi-
ence, or did the murderer shoot or stab at random?
Was the victim tortured before death? Mutilated after
death? Gruesome as they are, such questions may shed
light on the offenders motives and fantasies.
VICTIMOLOGY
Details about the victim, whether alive or dead, can
lead to information about the offender. The study of
these details, a form of profiling in its own right, is
called victimology. Profilers consider such questions
as these: Had the victim received threats or spoken of
having trouble with anyone? Did the victim follow a
pROFILERS AT WORK 49
MODUS OPERANDI
The Latin phrase modus operandi means method of
operating. In crime investigation it is often short-
ened to MO, and it refers to the way in which a crime
was committed. An offenders MO is a set of behaviors
that help the offender complete the crime, get away
from the scene, and avoid detection. The MO might
include such elements as working with an accomplice
or partner, restraining a victim with handcuffs or
rope, stealing a getaway car, or wearing a mask and
gloves. A picture of the MO emerges from the forensic
evidence, the autopsy report, the victimology review,
and crime scene reconstruction.
The MO may be a link among different crimes
committed by the same offender. However, an MO
may change over time as the offender gains confi-
dence and experience, picks up tips from the media
or other criminals (this often happens during prison
terms), experiences mental illness, or is affected by
substance abuse.
THE PROFILE
Reports prepared by profilers differ in the level of
detail provided. The most thorough profiles are deliv-
ered in written form and contain not just the profilers
predictions or conclusions but also the evidence on
which those conclusions are based.
52 CRIMINAL pROFILINg
BEYOND INVESTIGATION
Describing an unknown offender in an unsolved case
is only part of what a profiler may be asked to do. After
the investigation is over and authorities have identified
a suspect, the profiler can analyze the suspect, then
share with the police any insights about the suspects
behavior and psychology. These insights may help
police strike the right tone in an interview, or ask
questions that are likely to get the suspect talking. A
profiler may suggest, for example, that a suspect might
be inclined to open up to an interrogator who acts
friendly, or that questions about the suspects child-
hood might break down the suspects defenses.
Once a person has been charged with the crime,
the profiler may provide similar help to the prosecu-
tors office. Profilers or forensic psychologists may also
be asked to testify at parole hearings about a convicted
offenders behavior, mental state, and likelihood of
committing further crimes if released.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE to become an FBI profiler?
Although profiler is not an official FBI job title, criminal
profiling is one duty of the supervisory special agents who
are assigned to the Bureaus Behavioral Analysis Unit
(BAU). The BAU, in turn, is part of the National Center for
the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC)and getting a job in
NCAVC is not easy.
To be hired by the NCAVC, a man or woman must first
serve as an FBI special agent in another division of the
bureau. To become FBI special agents, candidates must
meet a set of requirements. They must be at least twenty-
three years old, with a four-year college or university
degree, a valid drivers license, and a minimum of three
years general work experience. They must pass a back-
ground investigation that includes a polygraph test
(sometimes wrongly called a lie-detector test), as well
as interviews with family members, teachers, neighbors,
and employers. Candidates must also meet certain stan-
dards of physical fitness.
Becoming a special agent is not easy. Getting a job in
the NCAVC is harder still. To work in the NCAVC, a special
agent must have at least three years of experience in some
other part of the FBI. But because there is a great deal of
competition for NCAVC jobs, most people who are accepted
into that unit have eight years or more of experience as
special agents. During those years they gained experience
investigating violent crimes, especially murder, rape, child
kidnapping, and threats. Once accepted into the NCAVC,
they take a 16-week training course that covers general
TRAINING AT THE FBI ACADEMY AT QUANTICO, VIRGINIA.
ACCURACY
The accuracy of profiles is hard to measure. One
forensic psychologist who has examined the question
is Laurence Alison of the University of Liverpool in
Britain. Alison has found that many profiles contain
statements so vague or general that they could apply to
almost anyone, such as The offender has had difficult
relationships with the opposite sex. Other statements,
such as The offender fantasized about the crime for
weeks before committing it, cannot be tested or
proved and are basically meaningless.
What about more specific points of description,
such as age? Alison and other researchers conducted
experiments to test how people rate profiles. In one
test they gave two groups of police officers the details
60 CRIMINAL pROFILINg
USEFULNESS
Even if a profile is accurate, is it useful? Does it help
the police catch the criminal? That question has
been studied in connection with a well-known early
triumph of the FBI profilers. In 1979 a young
woman named Francine Elveson was beaten and
strangled to death in the stairway of the New York
u
F R O M C A p T U R I N g A VA M p I R E T O
tracking down cybervillains, criminal profiles have
helped solve a wide variety of crimes. Dramatic cases
of multiple murder tend to receive the most attention,
but profiling has been used against other kinds of
offenders, too.
u BLOOD IN FRESNO
Back in 1978, in the early years of FBI profiling, two
profilers helped police catch a killer known as the
Vampire of Sacramento. A woman was murdered in
her home in the California city. The autopsy of her
body showed that the killer had removed her organs
71
72 CRIMINAL pROFILINg
gLOSSARY
autopsy a medical examination of a body for the
purpose of determining the cause of death; a
forensic autopsy also tries to establish the time
and manner of death
criminalistics the study of physical evidence from a
crime scene
criminology the study of crime, criminals, and
criminal behavior
forensic science the use of scientific knowledge or
methods to investigate crimes, identify suspects,
and try criminal cases in court
forensics in general, debate or review of any
question of fact relating to the law; often used to
refer to forensic science
homicide murder
jurisdiction an area or district covered by a particular
law enforcement or justice agency; also, can refer
to the authorities who investigate different types
of crimes (for example, kidnapping is a federal
crime, while murder is under state jurisdiction)
medical examiner a public official responsible for
determining cause of death; the position requires
medical training
modus operandi a Latin phrase meaning method of
operating, used to refer to a criminals particular
procedure or way of committing a crime; often
shortened to MO
85
WEBSITES
www.aafs.org/yfsf/index.htm
The website of the American Academy of Forensic
Sciences features the Young Forensic Scientists
Forum, with information on careers in forensics.
The site also links to other Internet resources.
87
www.fbi.gov/hq/td/academy/bsu/bsu.htm
www.fbi.gov/hq/isd/cirg/ncavc.htm
These FBI websites explain the purpose and func-
tions of the Behavioral Science Unit and the
National Center for the Analysis of Violent
Crime, divisions in which profilers are trained
and employed.
www.johndouglasmindhunter.com
Retired FBI profiler and author John Douglas
maintains this site, with links to many articles by
Douglas and others on subjects such as profiling,
solving cases, and serial killers.
www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20041215/
Feature1.asp
Science News for Kids features this article on
crime labs and what they do, with links to addi-
tional sites and a brief history of forensic science.
www.crimezzz.net/forensic_history/index.htm
The Crimeline page offers a brief timeline of
developments in forensic science from prehistory
to the present.
88 CRIMINAL pROFILINg
www.forensicmag.com/
Forensic Magazines web page features case studies
and news about developments in criminalistics
and other branches of forensic science.
www.patbrownprofiling.com/
Criminal profiler Pat Brown has worked with law
enforcement agencies, attorneys, and businesses.
Her website offers articles on such topics as The
10 Biggest Myths about Serial Killers and How
to Profile a Terrorist.
89
BIBLIOgRApHY
The author found these books and articles especially
helpful when researching this volume.
INDEX
Alison, Laurence, 5962, 66 Douglas, John, 6, 7, 8, 1315,
Antistius, 9, 10 17, 34, 42, 57, 59, 66
arson, 12, 40, 41 Doyle, Arthur C., 2627
autopsy, 48, 51, 71
Elveson, Francine, 6365
ballistics, 11
behavior evidence analysis Federal Bureau of Investiga-
(BEA), 45, 63 tion, 6, 13, 17, 60, 69, 77
Behavioral Analysis Unit BAU, 36, 54
(BAU), 36, 54 BSU, 3334, 3637
Behavioral Science Unit CASMIRC, 36
(BSU), 3334, 3637 Criminal Profiling Project,
Beltway Sniper, 68, 7375 4245
born criminals, 22, 23 NCAVC, 3436, 5455
Brussel, James, 3033, 5657 profilers, 3233, 36, 42,
5455, 63, 66, 71, 82
Caesar, Julius, 9, 10 ViCAP, 3436, 43
Carpenter, David, 15, 16 forensic evidence, 4648
Chair Burglar, 75 forensic science, 8, 33, 55
Chase, Richard Trenton, 72 forensics, 8, 10, 51
Child Abduction and Serial forgery, 12
Murder Investigative
Resources Center (CAS- geographic profiling, 7375
MIRC), 36 Green River case, 57, 58, 59
criminal investigative analysis, Gross, Hans, 13
3637
Criminal Profiling Project, Holmes, Sherlock, 2627, 29
4244 homicide, 15, 42
criminalistics, 13, 46, 47
criminaloid, 22 insight to behavior, 53
criminology, 13, 20, 26, 37, 67
cybercrime, 69, 70, 7678 Jack the Ripper, 28, 29
93
Mad Bomber, 3033, 5657 serial crime, 33, 42, 49, 69, 83
Manson, Charles, 42, 43 sociology, 33
medical examiner, 30 spree killers, 42
Metesky, George, 31, 32, 56 statistics, 40, 45
modus operandi (MO), 51, 75 supervisory special agents, 36,
5455
National Center for the
Analysis of Violent Crime toxicology, 10, 48
(NCAVC), 3436, 5455 trace evidence, 13, 46
Trailside Killer, 4, 56, 8,
Orfila, Mathieu, 10, 11 1417
organized/disorganized check-
list, 44, 45 unsub, 40, 7273, 75