The Psychology of Death Investigations Behavioral Analysis for Psychological Autopsy and Criminal Profiling

The Psychology of Death Investigations Behavioral Analysis for Psychological Autopsy and Criminal Profiling The Psychology of Death Investigations Behavioral Analysis for Psychological Autopsy and Criminal Profiling Katherine Ramsland, PhD CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2018 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business No claim to original U.S. Government works Printed on acid-free paper International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-138-73529-3 (Hardback) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint. Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www. copyright.com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organiza- tion that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Ramsland, Katherine M., 1953- author. Title: The psychology of death investigations : behavioral analysis for psychological autopsy and criminal profiling / by Katherine Ramsland, Ph.D. Description: Boca Raton : CRC Press, [2018] | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2017027689| ISBN 9781138735293 (hardback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781315186597 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Psychological autopsy. | Criminal investigation. | Criminal behavior, Prediction of. | Forensic psychology. Classification: LCC RA1137 .R36 2018 | DDC 614/.15--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017027689 Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the CRC Press Web site at http://www.crcpress.com Contents List of Tables ix Acknowledgments xi Author xiii Introduction: Victimology and Behavioral Evidence xv SECTION I PSYCHOLOGICAL AUTOPSIES Chapter 1 History and Concepts 3 Suicidal Intent 3 In the Beginning 5 Test Case 12 Qualitative Analysis 14 Cognitive Issues for Investigators 15 References 17 Chapter 2 The Consulting Suicidologist 19 The Science of Suicide Studies 20 Methods and Measures for Psychological Autopsy 25 Updated Analyses 26 Risks and Red Flags 31 Mistaken Suicides: Autoerotic Accidents 34 Additional Contexts for Psychological Autopsy 36 Summary 37 References 38 v vi Contents Chapter 3 Suicide Categories, Oddities, and Notes 41 Suicidal Behaviors and Investigations 42 Strange Suicides 42 Suicide Contagions, Inspirations, and Clusters 44 Mass Suicides 47 Coercive Suicides 49 Suicide Notes 50 The Suicide Note Authenticity Checklist 58 Summary 64 References 64 Chapter 4 Staging 69 Homicide Staged as a Natural Death 70 Homicide Staged as an Accident 71 Homicide Staged as Suicide 73 Suicide Staged as a Homicide 77 Pseudocide 78 More Cases with Strange Angles 79 Misread Death Scenes 81 Forensic Value 83 Summary 87 References 87 SECTION II BEHAVIORAL PROFILING Chapter 5 History and Purpose 93 A Brief Overview of Serial Murder before Criminal Profiling 94 Defining the Term 95 Earliest Profiles 97 Observant Pathologist 99 Psychiatrist Assistance 101 The FBI’s Profiling Program 102 Summary 105 References 105 Contents vii Chapter 6 Methodology 107 Inferential Analysis 109 Victimology 113 The Method 115 Linkage Analysis: First Steps 119 Profiling by Location 120 Deflecting a Profile 122 Missing Person Profiling 122 Linking a Cold Case 124 Summary 126 References 126 Chapter 7 Criminal Analyses 129 Early Narratives 130 The National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime 131 Profiling Practicum 136 Data versus Clinical Judgment 147 Summary 149 References 150 Chapter 8 Motives and Threat 151 Motivations 152 On a Mission 153 Health-Care Serial Killers 156 Anticipating Trouble 161 Summary 162 References 162 Chapter 9 Psychological Evidence in Court 165 The Key Issue 168 Behavioral Science and the Profiler 169 Useful versus Successful 172 Linkage Analysis 172 Ultimate Issues 175 Other Roles 177 viii Contents Summary: Behavioral Evidence in Perspective 178 References 179 Chapter 10 Behavioral Analyses in Perspective 181 Cold Case 184 Summary 187 References 187 Glossary 189 Index 193 List of Tables Table 1.1 Myths about Suicide 9 Table 1.2 The 15 SPC Categories for Psychological Autopsy 10 Table 1.3 Six Types of Suicide Evaluations 12 Table 2.1 Shneidman’s Four Elements of Suicide Risk 22 Table 2.2 Predictive Suicide Markers in Gifted Children 24 Table 2.3 A NASH Chart for Sandra Dyst 27 Table 2.4 Basic Method of a Psychological Autopsy 29 Table 2.5 Sources for Psychological Autopsy 30 Table 2.6 Factors in Potential for Suicide 32 Table 3.1 Leenaars’ Organizing Categories 54 Table 3.2 Frequency Distribution Chart for the SNAC 60 Table 3.3 The SNAC 62 Table 4.1 Staging Possibilities 70 Table 4.2 Pettler’s Staging Typology (2016) 75 Table 4.3 Tips for Investigators to Evaluate for Staging 83 Table 6.1 Myths about Serial Killers 113 Table 6.2 Sources for Victimology 114 Table 6.3 Crime Scene Factors for Profiling 116 Table 6.4 Offender Information on a Basic Profile 118 Table 6.5 Rossmo’s Four Behavioral Killing Patterns 121 Table 7.1 Brooks’ ViCAP Process for Law Enforcement 133 ix x List of Tables Table 7.2 ViCAP Section Headings 133 Table 8.1 Motives for Serial Murder 152 Table 8.2 Risk Factors for Predicting Violence 156 Table 8.3 Behaviors That Signal a Potential Health-Care Serial Killer 160 Acknowledgments I’ve written a lot about death and death investigation, and for many years, I’ve taught a course on the psychology of death investigation. I’ve consulted on death investigations, been on exhumation teams, and provided expert commentary for TV series and documentaries. I have a number of people to thank for giving me opportunities, teaching me, and supporting me. Among them are Marilyn Bardsley, Traci Brasse, Dana DeVito, John Douglas, Vernon Geberth, Roy Hazelwood, Donna Johnston, Sally Keglovits, Henry Lee, Kim Lionetti, Lee Lofland, Susan Lysek, Zachary Lysek, Carol Nesbitt, Mark Nesbitt, Gregg McCrary, Laura Pettler, Robert Ressler, M. Fredric Rieders, Mark Safarik, Louis Schlesinger, James Starrs, Cyril Wecht, and the suicide researchers who have provided so much material about this difficult subject. This book grew out of a chance encounter with Mark Listewnik at the CRC book display. I’m grateful for his interest in this subject and his encouragement to write a book. I’ve wanted to write this one for years. I wish also (and especially) to thank my agent John Silbersack of Trident Media Group for guiding me through my writing career for decades, with plenty of insight for my forensics work. xi Author Dr. Katherine Ramsland manages and teaches the forensic psychology track at DeSales University, USA. Among her courses at the graduate and undergraduate level is a course on the psychology of death investigation. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the American Association of Suicidology. She has published over 1,000 articles, stories, and reviews, and 60 books, including The Mind of a Murderer, The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds, The Forensic Science of CSI, Inside the Minds of Serial Killers, The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation, The Criminal Mind, The Ivy League Killer, and The Murder Game. Her book, Psychopath, was a #1 bestseller on the Wall Street Journal’s list. With former FBI profiler Gregg McCrary, she has co-authored a book on his cases, The Unknown Darkness: Profiling the Predators among Us, with Dr. Henry C. Lee, The Real Life of a Forensic Scientist, and with Professor James E. Starrs, A Voice for the Dead. She assisted former FBI profiler John Douglas with research on The Cases That Haunt Us. Ramsland presents workshops to law enforcement, psychologists, coroners, judges, and attorneys, and has consulted for several television series, including CSI and Bones. She also writes a regular blog for Psychology Today and has appeared on numerous crime documentaries. Her most recent books are Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer and Forensic Investigation: Methods from Experts. xiii Introduction: Victimology and Behavioral Evidence On a mid-September morning in 2014, a dog walker discovered the corpse of 21-year-old Daniel Whitworth propped up against a wall just inside a cemetery. Clutched in his hand was a scrap of paper—a suicide note. He seemed to have been despondent over the death of Gabriel Kovari, 22, whose body had turned up in the same cemetery 3 weeks ear- lier. Both had died from an overdose of the date-rape sedative, gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB). In the note, Whitworth admitted that he had injected Kovari during sex to enhance their experience.

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