Psychological Profiling of Serial Killers

Paper Summary:

The paper relates that law enforcement agencies are increasingly utilizing psychologists to track serial killers by creating a psychological profile of the offender. This paper discusses aspects of psychological profiling, including victimology, the classification of the motives of serial killers and how they are used to profile a serial killer. The paper focuses on the Zodiac killer and the inability of psychological profiling to result in a conviction.

From the Paper:

"Victimology is the study of the victim's physical traits, lifestyle and personal demographics (Think Quest, 2004). These can reveal information about the killer. For example the size of the victim and whether they have been carried a distance might indicate the size or number of the perpetrator/s (Petherick, n.d.). If they have been carried a distance, the offender is likely to be large or not working alone. Alternately the lack of signs of a struggle suggests the offender was known to the victim or able to them into going with the offender and is possibly of the organised typology (Petherick, n.d.). If the victims of multiple crimes have similar characteristics e.g. blonde students, they may be the workings of the same offender. This information can then be used to warn people matching those demographics to be more cautious."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Annon, J. (1995). Investigative profiling: A behavioural analysis of the crime scene. American Journal of Forensic Psychology, 13(4), 67-75. Retrieved August 3 from http://library-resources.cqu.edu.au/cro/protected/psyc12014/psyc12014_cro844.pdf
• McCrary, G. (n.d). Profile of the Zodiac Killer. Retrieved August 3, 2007, from http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/notorious/zodiac_profile/1_index.html
• Petherick, W. (n.d). Criminal Profiling: How it Got Started and How it is Used. Accessed August 4, 2007, from http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/profiling/profiling2/5.html
• Thinkquest. (2004). Psychological Profiling. Retrieved August 3, 2007, from http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00206/nts_psychological_profiling.htm
• Wrightsman, L., Greene, E., Nietzel, M., Fortune, W. (2002). Psychology and the Legal System (5th ed.). Belmont, California, United States of America. Wadsworth

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