This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (September 2007)

Offender profiling is a behavioral and investigative tool that helps investigators to profile an unknown subject ("unsub") or offender(s). Psychological profiling is not the same as Criminal profiling and the two should not be confused. Criminal profiling is also known as offender profiling, criminal personality profiling, criminological profiling, behavioral profiling or criminal investigative analysis. There are so many different names because of the multiple television shows such as Profiler in the 1990s, the 2005 television series Criminal Minds and, the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs that have changed what the FBI refers to as "criminal investigative analysis." In modern criminology, it is generally considered the "third wave" of investigative science: the first wave was the study of clues, pioneered by Scotland Yard in the 19th century; the second wave the study of crime itself (frequency studies and the like); this third and final wave is the study of the abnormal psyche of the criminal. Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Gumshoe redirects here. ... Unsub has several uses including: Unsub is a law-enforcement slang acronym for Unknown Subject Of An Investigation. A less common replacement for perp or suspect. It may also have come from unsubstantiated, referring to charges against an individual that have not been proven. ... The television crime drama Profiler aired on NBC from 1996 to 2000. ... Criminal Minds is a crime drama that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005. ... The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 Academy Award-winning film directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. ... Criminology is the scientific study of crime as an individual and social phenomenon. ... New Scotland Yard, London New Scotland Yard, it blowwsssss often referred to simply as Scotland Yard or The Yard, is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service, responsible for policing Greater London (although not the City of London itself). ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Definitions

Offender profiling is a method of identifying the perpetrator of a crime based on an analysis of the nature of the offence and the manner in which it was committed. Various aspects of the criminal's personality makeup are determined from his or her choices before, during, and after the crime. This information is combined with other relevant details and physical evidence, and then compared with the characteristics of known personality types and mental abnormalities to develop a practical working description of the offender. Physical evidence is any evidence introduced in a trial in the form of a physical object, intended to prove a fact in issue based on its demonstrable physical characteristics. ...

History

The origins of profiling can be traced back to as early as the Middle Ages, with the inquisitors trying to “profile” heretics. Jacob Fries, Cesare Lombroso, Alphonse Bertillon, Hans Gross and several others realized the potential of profiling in the 1800s although their research is generally considered to be prejudiced, reflecting the biases of their time. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... For other uses, see Heresy (disambiguation). ... Jakob Friedrich Fries (August 23, 1773–August 10, 1843) was a German philosopher. ... Cesare Lombroso Cesare Lombroso (Verona, November 6, 1835 - Turin, October 19, 1909) was a historical figure in modern criminology, and the founder of the Italian Positivist School of criminology. ... Alphonse Bertillon (April 23, 1853—February 13, 1914) was a French law enforcement officer and biometrics researcher, who created anthropometry, an identification system based on physical measurements. ... Hans Groß (Gross, Grosz), or Hanns Groß (December 12, 1847, Graz - December 9, 1915, Graz) was an Austrian criminal jurist and an examining magistrate. ...

Noted Experts

Thomas Bond

During the 1880s, George Phillips and Thomas Bond, two medical doctors, tried to profile the personality of Jack the Ripper. Dr. Bond, a police surgeon who assisted in the autopsy on Mary Kelly, the last of Jack the Ripper’s victims, later becoming a pioneer in the field of offender profiling. In his notes, dated November 10, 1888, the sexual nature of the murders coupled with elements of apparent misogyny and rage were mentioned. Dr. Bond also tried to reconstruct the murder and interpret the behavior pattern of the offender: soon he came up with a profile or signature personality traits of the offender to assist police investigation. The profile said that all five crimes had been committed by one person alone who was physically strong, composed, and daring. The unknown offender would be quiet and harmless in appearance, possibly middle-aged, and neatly attired, probably wearing a cloak to hide the bloody effects of his attacks out in the open. He would be a loner, without a real occupation, eccentric, and mentally unstable. He might even suffer from a condition called Satyriasis, a sexual deviancy that is today referred to as hypersexuality or promiscuity. Bond also mentioned that he believed the offender had no anatomical knowledge and could not be a surgeon or butcher. Dr. Bond believed that the offer of a reward would result in those who knew the offender coming forward to speak with the police. Moreover, Dr. Bond was certain the same offender was responsible for the murder of Alice McKenzie. However, despite his offender profile, the Jack the Ripper case remains a mystery. Many consider Dr. Thomas Bond as the first offender profiler and a true pioneer in the field of offender profiling. // Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. ... Jack the Ripper is the pseudonym given to an unidentified serial killer active in the largely impoverished Whitechapel area of London, England in the second half of 1888. ... This article is about the medical specialty. ... This article is about the medical procedure. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the toll-free telephone number see Toll-free telephone number Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This box:      Misogyny (IPA: ) is hatred or strong prejudice against women; an antonym of philogyny. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A freelancer or freelance worker is a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer. ... In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. ... Hypersexuality describes human sexual behavior at levels high enough to be considered clinically significant. ... Satyriasis redirects here. ... “Promiscuous” redirects here. ... Human heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... Butcher shop in Valencia A butcher is someone who prepares various meats and other related goods for sale. ...

Walter C. Langer

In 1943, Office of Strategic Services (OSS) asked Dr. Walter C. Langer, a psychoanalyst based in New York, to develop a “profile” of Adolf Hitler. What the OSS wanted was a behavioral and psychological analysis for the construction of strategic plans, given various options. Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency and was the predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency, the Special Forces, and Navy SEALs. ... Psychoanalysis is the revelation of unconscious relations, in a systematic way through an associative process. ... This article is about the state. ... Hitler redirects here. ...

Dr. Langer used speeches, Hitler's book Mein Kampf, and interviews with people who had known Hitler. This culminated in the presentation of an 135-page profile of possible behavioural traits of Hitler, and his possible reactions to the idea of Germany losing World War II. Dr. Langer’s profile noted that Hitler was meticulous, conventional, and prudish about his appearance and body. He was robust and viewed himself as a standard-bearer and trendsetter. He had manic phases, yet took little exercise. He was in good health, so it was unlikely he would die from natural causes, but he was deteriorating mentally. He would not try to escape to a neutral country. Hitler always walked diagonally from one corner to another when crossing a room, and he whistled a marching tune. He feared syphilis, germs and moonlight, and loved severed heads. Mein Kampf (English translation: My Struggle) is a book by the German-Austrian politician Adolf Hitler, which combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitlers National Socialist political ideology. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... A standard-bearer is a person (soldier or civilian) who bears an emblem called an ensign or standard, i. ... Look up trend, trendy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For the classical mythological figures named Mania, see Mania (mythology). ... The term Exercise can refer to: Physical exercise such as running or strength training Exercise (options), the financial term for enacting and terminating a contract Category: ... Syphilis is a curable sexually transmitted disease caused by the Treponema pallidum spirochete. ... This article is about disease-causing organisms. ...

The profile also pointed out Hitler's oedipal complex, with the effect being the need to prove his manhood to his mother, and his coprolagnia and urolagnia. He detested the learned and the privileged, but enjoyed classical music, vaudeville, and Richard Wagner's opera. He showed strong streaks of sadism and liked circus acts that were risky and dangerous. He tended to speak in long monologues rather than have conversations. He had difficulty establishing close relationships with anyone. Since he appeared to be delusional, it was possible that his psychological structures would collapse in the face of imminent defeat. The most likely scenario was that he would commit suicide, although there was a possibility that he would order a henchman to perform euthanasia. The Oedipus complex is a concept developed by Sigmund Freud, who was inspired by Carl Jung (he described the concept and coined the term Complex), to explain the maturation of the infant through identification with the father and desire for the mother. ... Coprolagnia is sexual arousal that is produced by the thought or sight of feces, akin to coprophilia. ... Look up urolagnia (Golden Shower) in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... This article is about the musical variety theatre. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as they were later called). ... For other uses, see Opera (disambiguation). ... Flogging demonstration at Folsom Street Fair 2004. ... For other uses, see Circus (disambiguation). ... For mercy killings not performed on humans, see Animal euthanasia. ...

James A. Brussel

Between 1940 and 1956, a serial bomber terrorized New York City by planting bombs in public places including movie theaters, phone booths, Radio City Music Hall, Grand Central Terminal, and Pennsylvania Station. In 1956, the frustrated police asked Greenwich Village psychiatrist James A. Brussel, who was New York State's assistant commissioner of mental hygiene. Dr. Brussel studied photographs of the crime scenes and analyzed the so called “mad bomber’s” mails to the press. Soon he came up with a detailed description of the offender. In his profile, Dr. Brussel suggested that the unknown offender would be a heavy middle-aged man who was unmarried, but perhaps living with a sibling. Moreover, the offender would be a skilled mechanic from Connecticut, who was a Roman Catholic immigrant and, whilst having an obsessional love for his mother, would harbour a hatred for his father. Brussel noted that the offender had a personal vendetta against Consolidated Edison, the city’s power company; the first bomb targeted its 67th Street headquarters. Dr. Brussel also mentioned to the police that, upon the offender's discovery, the “chances are he will be wearing a double-breasted suit. Buttoned.” Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about explosive devices. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... A typical multiplex (AMC Promenade 16 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, United States). ... Phone Booth is a 2002 morality thriller about a man who is trapped in a telephone booth by a sniper. ... Radio City Music Hall at Christmas 2005 Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... The main concourse Grand Central Terminal (GCT, often unofficially called Grand Central Station) is a terminal rail station at 15 Vanderbilt Avenue (42nd Street and Park Avenue) in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. ... Pennsylvania Station (commonly known as Penn Station) is the major intercity rail station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. ... The Washington Square Arch Greenwich Village (IPA pronunciation: ), also called simply the Village, is a largely residential area on the west side of downtown (southern) Manhattan in New York City named after Greenwich, London. ... For other uses, see Psychiatrist (disambiguation). ... Mental health, mental hygiene and mental wellness are all terms used to describe the absence of mental illness. ... Look up Mechanic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport[3] Largest metro area Hartford Metro Area[2] Area  Ranked 48th  - Total 5,543[4] sq mi (14,356 km²)  - Width 70 miles (113 km)  - Length 110 miles (177 km)  - % water 12. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ... A feud is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. ... Consolidated Edison, Inc. ...

From his profile, it was obvious to the police that the mysterious bomber would be a disgruntled current or unhappy former employee of Con Ed. The profile helped police to track down George Metesky in Waterbury, Connecticut; he had worked for Con Ed in the 1930s. He was arrested in January 1957 and confessed immediately. The police found Brussel’s profile most accurate when they met the heavy, single, Catholic, and foreign-born Metesky. When the police told him to get dressed, he went to his bedroom and returned wearing a double-breasted suit, fully buttoned, just as Dr. Brussel had predicted. However according to Malcolm Gladwell, Brussel got many details of the suspect incorrect.http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/11/12/071112fa_fact_gladwell George P. Metesky (November 2, 1903 – May 23, 1994), better known as the Mad Bomber, terrorized New York City for 16 years in the 1940s and 1950s with explosives he planted in theaters, terminals, libraries and offices. ... Nickname: Motto: Quid Aere Perennius (What Is More Lasting Than Brass) Location in Connecticut Coordinates: , Country U.S. State NECTA Waterbury Region Central Naugatuck Valley Incorporated (town) 1686 Incorporated (city) 1853 Consolidated 1902 Government  - Type Mayor-board of aldermen  - Mayor Michael J. Jarjura Area  - City  28. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Malcolm Gladwell Malcolm Gladwell (born September 1, 1963) is a United Kingdom-born, Canadian-raised journalist now based in New York City who has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996. ...

Dr. Brussel assisted New York City police from 1957 to 1972 and profiled many crimes, including murder. Dr. Brussel also worked with other investigative agencies. Brussel’s profile led the Boston Police to the apprehension of Albert DeSalvo, the notorious serial sex murderer known as the Boston Strangler. The media dubbed Dr. Brussel as “Sherlock Holmes of the Couch”. Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Albert Henry DeSalvo (September 3, 1931 – November 25, 1973) was a criminal in Boston, Massachusetts, United States who confessed to being the Boston Strangler, the murderer of 13 women in the Boston area. ... The Boston Strangler is a name attributed to the murderer of several women in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, in the early 1960s. ... A portrait of Sherlock Holmes by Sidney Paget from the Strand Magazine, 1891 Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. ...

See: Casebook of a Crime Psychiatrist by James A. Brussel, M.D., Bernard Geis Associates, 1968, Classic

Howard Teten

Dr. Brussel wrote about his criminological approach in a book, which caught the attention of Howard D. Teten, a veteran police officer from California who joined the FBI in 1962. He was appointed as an instructor in applied criminology at the old National Police Academy in Washington, D.C. Howard Teten was interested greatly in the application of offender profiling, and had included some of the ideas in his applied criminology course. He met Dr. Brussel and exchanged investigative ideas and psychological strategies in profiling crimes. Although Teten disagreed with Dr. Brussel's Freudian interpretations, he accepted other tenets of his investigative analysis. This article is about the U.S. state. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Police Academy is attached to the National Police Agency in Japan. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... Sigmund Freud His famous couch Sigmund Freud (May 6, 1856 - September 23, 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of the psychoanalytic school of psychology, a movement that popularized the theory that unconscious motives control much behavior. ...

In 1972 the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit at Quantico was formed with Teten joining FBI Instructor Patrick J. Mullany's team. Teten and Mullany designed a method for analyzing unknown offenders in unsolved cases. The idea was to look at the behavioral manifestations at a crime scene for evidence of mental disorders and other personality traits, thus aiding the detectives' deductive reasoning. Soon, their ideas on offender profiling were tested when a seven-year-old girl was abducted from a Rocky Mountains campsite in Montana in June 1973. The girl, Susan Jaeger, was abducted from the tent in the early hours; the offender overpowered Susan before she could alert her parents, who were sleeping nearby. When an intensive search for the missing child failed, the case was soon referred to the FBI. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Quantico,_Virginia - The town. ... Mental disorder or mental illness are terms used to refer psychological pattern that occurs in an individual and is usually associated with distress or disability that is not expected as part of normal development or culture. ... Deductive reasoning is the kind of reasoning where the conclusion is necessitated or implied by previously known premises. ... For individual mountains named Rocky Mountain, see Rocky Mountain (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ...

Teten, Mullany and Col. Robert K. Ressler employed their criminal investigative analysis technique to track down the unknown offender. Their profile declared that the abductor was most likely a young, white, male, homicidal Peeping Tom; a sex killer who mutilates his victim after death, who sometimes takes body parts as souvenirs. Later, the profile led to the arrest of David Meirhofer, a local 23-year-old single man who was also a suspect in another murder case. The search in his house unearthed “souvenirs”—body parts taken from both victims. Meirhofer was the first serial killer to be caught with the aid of the FBI's new investigative technique called offender profiling or criminal investigative analysis. A decade later, the technique became a more sophisticated and systematic profiling tool renowned as Criminal Investigative Analysis Program (CIAP). Colonel Robert K. Ressler Robert Ressler is a former FBI agent and author. ... “Voyeur” redirects here. ... David Meirhofer (1950 - September 1974) was an American serial killer who committed four murders in rural Montana between 1966 and 1974. ... Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ...

Richard Walter and Bob Keppel

In 1974 Robert D. Keppel used new methods of psychological profiling to catch notorious serial killers Ted Bundy and the Green River Killer. He combined his field expertise with criminal psychologist Richard Walter. As a psychologist in Michigan's notorious prison system, Walter had interviewed over two thousand murderers, sex-offenders and serial killers. Richard began to see common threads among offenders and was able to group all killings and sex crimes into four distinct "subtypes": power-assertive, power- reassurance, anger-retaliatory, and anger-excitation or sadism. He was the first to develop a matrix using suspect pre-crime, crime and post-crime behaviors as a a tool for investigation. Richard later co-founded the Vidocq society, an exclusive organization of forensic professionals who solve cold cases for law enforcement agencies, worldwide. Together, Keppel and Walter created the HITS database, which lists characteristics of violent crimes so that common threads can be investigated. They also published a leading scholarly article for the FBI and violent crime investigators all over the world: "Profiling Killers: A Revised Classification Model for Understanding Sexual Murder". Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Robert D. Keppel (born 1944) is a former Seattle, Washington police detective most known for his work tracking serial killers Ted Bundy and Gary Ridgway, also known as the Green River Killer. ... Theodore Robert Ted Bundy (November 24, 1946 – January 24, 1989) was an American serial killer. ... Gary Ridgway - the most prolific serial killer. ... Richard Walter is one of the creators of modern criminal profiling and a co-founder of the Vidocq society, an exclusive organization of forensic professionals who are dedicated to solving cold-cases. ... A members-only crime-solving club that meets every month in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ...

John Douglas and Robert Ressler

In 1978, after Howard Teten left the Behavioral Science Unit, John Douglas and Robert Ressler became pillars of offender profiling in the FBI. They spent much time studying convicted sex murderers and interviewing them, creating organized and disorganized typology, which is still in use today. Ressler was also responsible for the founding of the National Center for Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) and at least partially responsible for the establishment of VICAP. Their studies provide more information on the behavioral patterns, traits and characteristics of criminals which can then be added to the offender profiling program. Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... John E. Douglas (born June 18, 1945) is a former FBI agent and one of the first profilers. ...

David Canter

In 1986, police forces across the south of England were struggling to find the Railway Rapist who was then renamed the Railway Killer after murdering a victim for the first time. Dr. David Canter, a psychologist and criminologist from Surrey University, was invited to compose British crime's first offender profile. When John Duffy was later arrested, charged and convicted, it turned out 13 of Canter's 17 proclamations about the perpetrator were accurate. Profiling became commonplace in large-scale police searches afterwards. Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... David Canter is a psychologist who pioneered offender profiling in Britain. ... A psychologist is an expert in psychology, the systematic investigation of the human mind, including behavior, cognition, and affect. ... The University of Surrey is a public university in Guildford, England. ... John Duffy and David Mulcahy (both born 1959) are two notorious British rapists and murderers who together attacked numerous women at railway stations in the south of England through the 1980s. ...

Paul Britton

Paul Briton claims to have been involved with offender profiling in England as early as 1984, being first involved in the investiation of the murder of Caroline Osbourne. He has since assisted on a wide variety of cases, from the murder of Jamie Bulger to the abduction of Abbie Humphries from her hospital cot. He has continued to work with the police, on an informal basis since then, and still assists investigations on occasion. He is married with two children, and has written two books, The Jigsaw Man, (1997, Corgi books) and Picking Up the Pieces, also Corgi.

Chris Hatcher

Dr. Chris Hatcher, forensic psychologist, testified as an expert witness in the case, People v. Gregory Scott Smith in which he characterized the defendant as a "sadistic pedophile" during the sentencing phase of a death penalty case.^[1] He described the common characteristics of persons who commit abductions similar to this case, explaining that they are living out a fantasy regarding the rape and molestation of children, and that the components of the fantasy include "forcible sodomy, strangulation, and disfigurement of the victim’s body", all acts committed by Smith.^[2] This testimony was controversial because Dr. Hatcher did not evaluate or interview the defendant but came to his conclusions solely on "profile evidence". Also, Dr. Hatcher's testimony was characterized as an improper attempt by the prosecution to sway the jury toward a death sentence on the grounds of extreme mental illness, contrary to law and precedent.^[3] Chris Hatcher, Ph. ... Forensic psychology is the intersection between Psychology and the Criminal justice system. ... An expert witness is a witness, who by virtue of education, profession, publication or experience, is believed to have special knowledge of his or her subject beyond that of the average person, sufficient that others may officially (and legally) rely upon his opinion. ... Offender profiling, or more scientifically, psychological profiling, is a behavioral and investigative tool that helps investigators to profile an unknown subject (unsub) or offender(s). ...

Phases of profiling

According to Gregg O. McCrary, the basic premise is that behavior reflects personality. In a homicide case, for example, FBI profilers try to collect the personality of the offender through questions about his or her behavior at four phases: Gregg O. McCrary is a former FBI agent, who has been associated with the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) since its inception in 1985. ...

1. Antecedent: What fantasy or plan, or both, did the murderer have in place before the act? What triggered the murderer to act some days and not others?
2. Method and manner: What type of victim or victims did the murderer select? What was the method and manner of murder: shooting, stabbing, strangulation or something else?
3. Body disposal: Did the murder and body disposal take place all at one scene, or multiple scenes?
4. Post-offense behavior: Is the murderer trying to inject himself into the investigation by reacting to media reports or contacting investigators?

A sexual crime is also analyzed in much the same way (Keep in mind that homicide is sometimes a sexual crime), but with the additional information that comes from a living victim. Professor David Canter is the pioneer of scientific offender profiling, developing the discipline of Investigative Psychology as a response to his dissatisfaction with the scientific bases for this activity. The IAIP of which Canter is President now seeks to set professional guidelines for practice and research in this area. Sex crimes are forms of human sexual behavior that are crimes. ...

Controversies

Although offender profiling has earned much public attention, it is still not free from controversies.^{[citation needed]}

Investigators may find an early suspect who appears to fit the profile, and ignore or foreclose investigating other leads. For example, Richard Jewell was extensively investigated (and attacked in the media) following the Centennial Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta. This not only caused great distress to Jewell, but delayed identifying the true culprit, Eric Robert Rudolph. Focusing on Jewell is a false positive. The added cost of the false positive on Jewell was that FBI and local police gave up the search for other suspects for quite a while. The converse of the false positive is the false negative, when investigators are blinded by an erroneous aspect of a profile, and clear a suspect who is actually guilty. For other persons named Richard Jewell, see Richard Jewell (disambiguation). ... The Centennial Olympic Park bombing was a terrorist bombing on July 27, 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia during the 1996 Summer Olympics, the first of four committed by Eric Robert Rudolph. ... This article is about the state capital of Georgia. ... Eric Robert Rudolph (born September 19, 1966), also known as the Olympic Park Bomber, is an American domestic terrorist,[2][3] who committed a series of bombings across the southern United States, which killed three people and injured at least 150 others. ...

Another noted example of the failure of profiling is with the Beltway sniper attacks, where the killer was thought to be a middle-aged white male -- but in fact the crimes were perpetrated by two black males, one of whom was only 17 years old. Locations of the 15 sniper attacks numbered chronologically. ...

Some experts in criminal psychology have questioned its scientific validity.^{[citation needed]} Many profilers and FBI agents are not psychologists, and some researchers who looked at their work found methodological flaws. However, these criticisms are seen as heuristic, rather than destructive.^{[citation needed]} Criminal psychology is the study of the wills, thoughts, intentions and reactions of criminals. ... For other uses, see Heuristic (disambiguation). ...

Active profiling as allowed by the Department of Justice includes covert alteration of the environment to observe the responses of a suspect. This can be used to check whether the suspect's behavior fits the profile, but risks being labeled as police harassment or entrapment. The Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C. “Justice Department” redirects here. ... Police misconduct refers to brutality, corruption or other objectionable actions taken by police officers in connection with their official duties. ... For the film, see Entrapment (film). ...

Popular use of the term, Criminal Profiler, has led to the proliferation of many self-described profilers offering their purported expert opinions on cable news shows in response to incidents capturing national attention in the United States. Such individuals usually have degrees in criminal justice or psychology but lack any law enforcement experience. Such individuals are sometimes referred to by law enforcement as "Profilers For Hire" or talking heads.

Profiling in popular culture

Several movies focus on profilers investigating on criminal cases. For example:

• Criminal Minds
• The Sniper
• Manhunter
• The Silence of the Lambs
• Copycat
• Suspect Zero
• Mindhunters
• Profiler
• Citizen X
• Gothika
• Murder By Numbers
• Taking Lives

Many TV shows have portrayed profiling as "mystic" or supernatural, like Millennium, The X-Files' Fox Mulder, and Profiler. Recently, another series with a team of profilers appeared, called Criminal Minds, but without the mystical element. Criminal Minds is a crime drama that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005. ... The Sniper is a 1952 black-and-white B-movie. ... Manhunter is a 1986 thriller film based on Thomas Harriss novel Red Dragon. ... The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 Academy Award-winning film directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. ... Copycat is an American suspense movie thriller from 1995. ... Promotional poster for Suspect Zero Suspect Zero is a 2004 thriller, directed by E. Elias Merhige. ... Mindhunters is a 2004 crime thriller, directed by Renny Harlin and written by Wayne Kramer and Kevin Brodbin (with an uncredited rewrite by Ehren Kruger). ... The television crime drama Profiler aired on NBC from 1996 to 2000. ... Citizen X is a made-for-TV movie, released in 1995, which gives a fictionalised account of the Ukrainian serial killer, Andrei Chikatilo - who killed 52 people - and the efforts of detectives in the Soviet Union to capture him. ... Gothika, a 2003 horror / supernatural thriller movie directed by Mathieu Kassovitz and written by Sebastian Gutierrez, is the story of a psychiatrist (played by Halle Berry) in a womens prison who wakes up one day to find herself on the other side of the bars, accused of having murdered... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Taking Lives is a 2004 film starring Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke. ... Millennium is a grim, suspenseful American television series, produced by Chris Carter (creator of The X-Files), and set during the years leading up to the dawn of the new millennium. ... The X-Files is an American Peabody and Emmy Award-winning science fiction television series created by Chris Carter, which first aired on September 10, 1993, and ended on May 19, 2002. ... Special Agent Fox William Mulder (born October 13, 1961), nicknamed Spooky Mulder, is a fictional character played by David Duchovny on the 1993-2002 television series, The X-Files. ... The television crime drama Profiler aired on NBC from 1996 to 2000. ... Criminal Minds is a crime drama that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005. ...

The Kay Scarpetta book series (written by Patricia Cornwell) also features Benson Wesley, an FBI Criminal Profiler based in Quantico, Virginia. He is featured in many of the books and displays the disciplines and skills of a criminal profiler. Kay Scarpetta is a fictional character and protagonist in a series of crime novels written by Patricia Cornwell. ... Patricia Cornwell (born Patricia Carroll Daniels on June 9, 1956) is a contemporary American author. ... Quantico,_Virginia - The town. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

In Waking The Dead, Dr Grace Foley (played by Sue Johnstone) is a forensic psychological profiler who constitutes part of the cold case unit. Waking the Dead is a British television crime drama series produced by the BBC featuring a team of CID police officers, a psychological profiler and a forensic scientist or pathologist. ... Sue Johnston (born 7 December 1943 in Warrington, Lancashire (now Cheshire)) is an English actress. ... For other uses, see Cold case (disambiguation). ...

In God's Spy, a thriller written by Juan Gómez-Jurado, the leading character is the Italian profiler Paola Dicanti, a European feature of the profession. Gods Spy is a thriller novel by Juan Gómez-Jurado originally published in Spain. ... Juan Gómez-Jurado (Born 16 December 1977 in Madrid, Spain) is an award winning journalist, writer and researcher who studied journalism at the Universidad San Pablo Ceu. ...

The UK television series Wire in the Blood features a clinical psychologist played by Robson Green who profiles serial killers. Wire In The Blood is an ITV television series which teams a university clinical psychologist, Dr. Tony Hill (Robson Green), with a tough female Detective Inspector, Carol Jordan (Hermione Norris). ... Robson Green with Francesca Annis as pictured on the DVD release of Reckless Robson Golightly Green (born December 18, 1964 in Hexham, Northumberland) is a British actor and singer. ...

See also

• Forensic psychology
• Racial profiling controversy
• Investigative psychology
• FBI Method of Profiling
• Chris Hatcher, Ph.D. - criminal profiler

This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Racial profiling, also known as ethnic profiling, is the inclusion of racial or ethnic characteristics in determining whether a person is considered likely to commit a particular type of crime (see Offender Profiling). ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... In the FBI offender profiling is conceptualised as “a technique for identifying the major personality and behavioural characteristics of an individual based upon an analysis of the crimes he or she has committed” (Douglas, Ressler, Burgess & Hartman, 1986). ... Chris Hatcher, Ph. ... Offender profiling, or more scientifically, psychological profiling, is a behavioral and investigative tool that helps investigators to profile an unknown subject (unsub) or offender(s). ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• All About Forensic Psychology: 5 Pages dedicated to criminal profiling (first documented use, the FBI legacy, methodology, geographic profiling, becoming a profiler)
• Swiss scientific research site on criminal profiling
• University of Liverpool Forensic Psychology - with articles
• History of Criminal Profiling - with links to other sites
• Offender Profiling: An Introduction to the Sociopsychological Analysis of Violent Crime - PDF available