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Introduction to Forensic Science

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Introduction to Forensic Science Introduction to Forensic Science Serial Killers I. Definition A. Serial murders - repetitive homicides, nearly always one-on-one murders, where the perpetrator is usually a stranger or has a slight acquaintance to the victim. (Historically, the majority of homicide victims knew their killer, but during the 1990's, this figure changed. Statistics from 1995's Uniform Crime Reports state that 55% of homicide victims have no known association with the perpetrators.1) The serial murderer’s motivation to kill is not based on crimes of passion, victim precipitation, personal gain or profit. Serial murderers are nearly always males prompted by sexual or aggressive drives to exert power through killing.2 B. Modus operandi - a characteristic pattern of behavior repeated in a series of offenses. The following are categories of modus operandi devised by Major L.W. Atcherley, an English constable in the 1800's. 1. Classword - the kind of property attacked, such as a house, a college dormitory, people parked in cars at lover's lanes 2. Entry - the point of entry, such as open bedroom windows, sliding glass doors 3. Means - implements or tools that were used, such as a pry bar, ladder, screw driver 4. Object - kind of property taken, such as bras and panties 5. Time - time of day or night, weekdays, non-work days, holidays (when people would not miss the perpetrator at work) 6. Style - the description the criminal gives the victim to gain entrance (plumber, cable TV repairman) 7. Tale - any disclosure the criminal makes as to his business/purpose 8. Pals - any co-conspirators 9. Transport - what type of vehicle was used in connection with the crime 10. Trademark - any unusual act committed by the suspect while in the commission of the crime (i.e. poisoning the cat, eating at the scene after murdering the grandmother) C. Signature - the murderer's psychological calling card, unusual characteristics of a murder that are repeated at several crime scenes, i.e. intentionally displaying victims in a spread-eagle position. This behavior reinforces the perpetrators underlying psychological needs. 1. Examples of signature behaviors 1 Berg & Horgan, Criminal Investigation, 3rd edition, pg. 332 2 Osterburg & Ward, Criminal Investigation, 3rd edition, pg. 455 © 2008, Golden Lady Unlimited, LLC 1 Mod23A.doc a. Ted Bundy's choice of victims - young women with blond or light brown hair, parted in the middle b. John Wayne Gacy's victim type - adolescent boys c. Green River Killer's victims - young women, mainly prostitutes D. The difference between modus operandi and signature may be explained by the following example. Two murderers both burn their victims by dousing them with gasoline. The first murderer does so as an anger-retaliatory act. This is a signature behavior. The second murderer douses the victim with gasoline to cover up the crime. This murderer does so to evade detection. This therefore is a precautionary act, and as such is a modus operandi behavior. E. Serial murderer characteristics 1. Usually intelligent 2. Good appearance 3. Superficial charm 4. Able to differentiate right from wrong 5. Have no conscience 6. Enjoy victim's terror F. Difficulties investigators face when attempting to solve serial murders 1. Serial murderers are often very mobile, traveling from one locale to another to find victims, extensive interstate travel 2. Lack of any prior association with the victims 3. Use of remote burial sites G. Difference between mass murder and serial murder - Charles Whitman, the man who shot multiple people from the tower at the University of Texas, is a mass murderer, not a serial killer 1. Most mass murderers are taken into custody after taking part in negotiations at the scene of the crime, commit suicide shortly after the completion of their mission (Columbine High School), or are killed by police while in commission of the crimes a. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris committed suicide after killing 12 classmates and a teacher in the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history 2. “The FBI defines a serial killer as one who murders three or more victims, with cooling-off periods between each murder. Serial killers usually work alone, kill strangers, and kill for the sake of killing (as opposed to crimes of passion).”3 3 http://people.howstuffworks.com/serial-killer.htm/printable retrieved 4/21/08 © 2008, Golden Lady Unlimited, LLC 2 Mod23A.doc II. Types of serial killers (FBI's crime classification manual) A. Organized serial killers 1. In organized serial murders, the perpetrator plans the murder for months or years beforehand. 2. The offender is normally married, has steady employment, and is thought to be a good member of society (ex., BTK-Dennis Rader) 3. They bring the instruments of the crime (knives, guns, tape) to the scene with them. When Ted Bundy was pulled over for driving suspiciously (in 1975), police found an ice pick, ski mask, a mask made of pantyhose, rope and handcuffs in the trunk of Bundy's car. 4. These murderers are often highly intelligent and are knowledgeable about forensic evidence and law enforcement's investigative capabilities. B. Disorganized serial killers 1. They do not plan their crimes in advance. 2. The disorganized murderer commits the crimes spontaneously. 3. They are often unemployed and without transportation. 4. They are more often of low intelligence or psychotic. C. Psychological Types 1. Power oriented - these killers enjoy watching the terror of their victims as they kill them, i.e. Ted Bundy. Most common type of serial killer 2. Mission oriented - these killers feel they are improving the world by getting rid of undesirable people such as prostitutes, i.e. The Hillside Stranglers 3. Visionary - those who kill because they are directed by hallucinations, i.e. David Berkowitz - "Son of Sam" 4. Hedonistic - those killers who gain sexual satisfaction from raping, killing, having sex or sleeping with the corpse, mutilating, and sometimes eating the victim, i.e. Jeffrey Dahmer The following two categories pertain to female serial killers. 5. Comfort -those who kill for monetary or other material gain, such as insurance benefits, real estate, etc. a. This type of killer is often acquainted with his/her victims. b. The comfort killer is the most common type of female serial killer. c. Golay & Rutterschmidt, two elderly women were recently convicted of killing two homeless men by running them over with a car in order to collect millions of dollars of insurance 6. Disciple - those killers who kill under the influence of a charismatic killer, i.e. Lynette Fromme and Leslie Van Houten (Charles Manson's "family") a. These murderers want to be accepted by their leader. b. The leader decides who will be murdered. © 2008, Golden Lady Unlimited, LLC 3 Mod23A.doc III. Background and Behavior of Serial Killers A. What is a Psychological Profile – a submitted report utilizing information and approaches from various social and behavioral sciences, focusing on a specific type of violent crime B. Typical profile of a serial killer (FBI ) 1. Ethnicity - Caucasian a. Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, David Berkowitz, and Jeffrey Dahmer all fall into this category b. Exceptions include Wayne Williams, the perpetrator of the Atlanta Child Murders and Cleophus Prince, Jr., known the “Clairemont Killer were both African American. 2. Sex - Male a. Bundy, Dahmer, Berkowitz, Richard Ramirez, Juan Corona b. Exceptions include female serial killers Genene Jones, a licensed nurse who killed babies admitted into the intensive care unit, the "Manson" girls who killed the LaBiancas and Sharon Tate, and Aileen Wuornos, the Florida prostitute who killed truck drivers 3. Age - 18-32 a. Age at which they began killing 1. Ted Bundy - 28 (may have killed earlier, unconfirmed) 2. John Wayne Gacy - 33 3. Richard Ramirez (The Night Stalker) - 24 b. Exceptions include Ray (75) and Faye (69) Copeland, two elderly murderers from Missouri. These two murdered farm workers on their farm. Faye later made a quilt out of the victims' clothing. 4. Victim of child abuse a. Aileen Wuornos, female serial killer, was physically and emotionally abused by her grandfather who raised her when she was abandoned by her mother b. Exceptions 1. No sign of child abuse could be found in the cases of Jeffrey Dahmer or David Berkowitz 5. Exhibits signs of McDonald triad - most serial killers exhibit at least one of these behaviors a. Bedwetting beyond the age of twelve 1. According to Robert Ressler (FBI), more than 60% of serial killers were still wetting the bed past the age of twelve b. History of arson 1. “The Son of Sam, David Berkowitz, had set many fires, kept a diary and even nicknamed himself the "Phantom Fireman". Berkowitz set 1,412 fires and switched over to killing because it gave him more excitement and power and got him newspaper and TV coverage.”4 4 http://www.essaysample.com/essay/000260.html (Retrieved 4/20/08) © 2008, Golden Lady Unlimited, LLC 4 Mod23A.doc c. Animal abuse - Keith Jesperson, a serial killer known as the "Happy Face Killer" from British Columbia who murdered more than 160 victims, started with dozens of cats and other small animals, before he moved on to human beings5. 6. Usually killed alone a. The Hillside Stranglers, cousins Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono, were exceptions to this rule. IV. Serial murderers A. Ted Bundy 1. Bundy was an intelligent, handsome man. While in high school, Bundy began his "peeping Ted" activities. He also began shoplifting expensive clothes and ski equipment. Bundy felt that to own things such as these was to have power. He later went to college at the University of Washington while working for a suicide hotline. One of his co-workers at the hotline was Anne Rule, who would later write a best seller "A Stranger Beside Me" about Bundy.
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