Investigating Serial Killers

The Investigation of Serial Killers : Pro to Apprehension

Serial killings occur when the murder is involved with three or more murders with a significant cooling off period ' in between events Serial murders tend to be high-pro cases and the names of these murderers are forever imprinted on the society involved . Such names include : Jack the Ripper , Ted Bundy , Aileen Wuornos and David Berkowitz .The process of apprehending these murderers has evolved over time Through the use of criminal profiling and an extensive investigations process , The FBI and local law enforcement agencies have been

able to capture many infamous serial killers

Criminal Profiling

The investigation of serial killers often begins with a profiling process . Different law enforcement jurisdictions have their own profiling process , but each has been adapted from the original FBI model . According to the Department of Justice , Criminal profiling uses the behavioral characteristics of the offender as its basis . The FBI 's profiling program began in 1970 as an informal analysis , and evolved into one profiling manager , seven active prors and several crime analysts . In a single year , they may receive up to 600 requests for profiling . Murder investigations , including that of serial killers are handled in the following way : mental health professionals try to understand the perpetrator by using psychiatric concepts . Second is the use of a criminal pror , who determines behavior patterns through investigative work . The process of creating a criminal pro is as follows

Data is collected and studied . This will include all crimes of which the killer is suspected evidence and relevant interviews

Each crime scene , or situation ' is reconstructed

Hypotheses of the crime , motive and possible future victims are generated

The above are used to create a pro

The pro is tested

Results are reported back to the investigation team

The objective of profiling is to determine what the perpetrator is thinking in to predict what they might do next . There are six stages to the profiling process

Profiling Inputs Stage

This stage begins with a summary of each murder . Investigators take note of any evidence that is indigenous or specific to the area in which the murder was committed

The investigators will need background information on each victim including domestic situation (single , married , living alone or with roommates , employment , habits (was the victim predictable from day to day , and criminal history . The investigators will also gather and study forensic evidence , including autopsy and toxicology reports . The most crucial part of this process is that suspect information must not be included . This sort of speculation would serve to bias the investigators and cause them to create a pro that matches the suspect

Decision Process Models Stage

This process begins by using the available data to form potential patterns . These patterns are determined by the following

1 . Homicide Type and Style

Homicides are categorized according to their type and style . Some forms of

classification are

Single homicide : One victim /one crime scene

Double homicide : Two victims /one crime scene

Triple homicide : Three victims /one...