WK2 Assignment: Profiling a Serial Murderer

Criminal Profiling

Kimberlee Levett

Instructor: Brent Paterline

Walden University

July 21, 2021

This study source was downloaded by 100000800531006 from CourseHero.com on 10-16-2022 13:17:59 GMT -05:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/111212100/Week-2-assign-profiling-Levett-Kdocx/

Typologies

Typology allows for the creation of general summary statements concerning observed

facts about a specific class of criminals who are reasonably similar to be treated as a type, rather

than studying criminals as one particular individual. Within the context of more general existing

theories and attention to individual-environment interactions, situational context, and the unique

nature of specific types and subtypes of crime, the typology approach provides the necessary

details to understand and respond to particular types and subtypes of offense behavior patterns.

Similarities Between the Crimes and Crime Scenes

The three crime scenes in the interactive media shared several similarities. The most

obvious similarity is that all three victims are young women in their early twenties. The bodies of

the victims were discovered near a river, which was not the original crime scene. There is

evidence to support that all three victims' bodies were relocated there. The three victims had been

sexually assaulted and were only partially clothed. The women's personal belongings and tire

tracks, and footprints are strewn about the crime scene. Strangulation is the cause of death for the

victims, which investigators believe was caused by a belt discovered at one of the crime scenes.

The women's identification cards were missing from their wallets and all were identified as

college students. Although the serial murderer may not know his victims, their selection is not

random. Rather, it is based on the murderer's interpretation of specific characteristics of his

victims that hold symbolic importance for him (Douglas et al.).

This study source was downloaded by 100000800531006 from CourseHero.com on 10-16-2022 13:17:59 GMT -05:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/111212100/Week-2-assign-profiling-Levett-Kdocx/

Organized Nonsocial Offender

In the interactive crimes scenes, the murderer in my opinion is likely an organized

nonsocial offender. Organized nonsocial offenders are organized in everything they do. They are

nonsocial because they choose to be so (Holmes and Holmes, 2009). Organized nonsocial

offenders are usually well-educated or intelligent, and they may take the victim's possessions as a

trophy to relive the crime. The killer took the victim's identification cards as a memento of the

victim and the crime at each of the three crime scenes. They have little remorse and are fully

aware of any media coverage of their crimes. The well-planned assassin employs deception,

cunning, and stealth. The crime scene of the organized killer is pristine (Baker, 2001). Except for

tire tracks and footprints, there was little visible physical evidence of the killer in the three crime

scenes depicted in the interactive media. The organized offender feels comfortable venturing

away from his home (Holmes and Holmes, 2009). This observation is evident in the killer's

transport of the victims to the river dumping site.

Hedonistic

The thrill of it, sexual gratification, or personal gain drive hedonistic serial killers. Serial

killers of this type are more likely to use weapons that put them near their victims. In the crime

scenes, the victims were sexually assaulted, and the suspected cause of death and murder weapon

was strangulation with a belt. Because of the pleasure, he gets from killing, this type of

hedonistic killer’s crimes are process-focused, generally taking some time to complete. In the

three crime scenes, the murderer chose his victims based on his desires. A criminal chooses a

This study source was downloaded by 100000800531006 from CourseHero.com on 10-16-2022 13:17:59 GMT -05:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/111212100/Week-2-assign-profiling-Levett-Kdocx/

victim based on availability, vulnerability, and desirability, regardless of the category. The appeal

of the victim to the offender is described as desirability. Desirability is determined by various

factors based on the offender's motivation, including race, gender, ethnic background, victim age,

and other specific preferences the offender chooses (Federal Bureau of Investigation).

The typologies you used to describe the murderer are organized nonsocial offender and

hedonistic. The perpetrator's intelligence, social life, social class, and personal appearance can

all be determined by the organized nonsocial offender. Characteristics are what appear to be

commonalities among certain types of killers causes are elements that may explain why certain

behaviors occur (Holmes and Holmes, 2009). The crimes committed by the offender are usually

planned attacks with unknown victims, making it difficult to solve the crimes because of the lack

of connection between the victims and suspect. Male, mobile, sexually deviant, lacks remorse,

and knowledgeable of the area are some characteristics to include in the suspect's profile.

Because the crimes are two to three months apart, the suspect is very confident in his abilities to

commit crimes. Because all of the victims were sexually assaulted, it was beneficial to include

the offender's sex and the sexual deviant aspect. The manner of death and how the suspect

displayed the victim's body shows that the suspect had little remorse for the victims.

References

This study source was downloaded by 100000800531006 from CourseHero.com on 10-16-2022 13:17:59 GMT -05:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/111212100/Week-2-assign-profiling-Levett-Kdocx/

Baker, T. E. (2001). Hunting Serial Killers: Understanding and Apprehending America's Most

Dangerous Criminals. Hunting Serial Killers: Understanding and Apprehending America's

Most Dangerous Criminals | Office of Justice Programs. https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-

library/abstracts/hunting-serial-killers-understanding-and-apprehending-americas-most.

Douglass, J. E., Ressler, R.K., Burgess, a. W., and Hartman, c. R. 1986. Criminal Profiling from

Crime Scene Analysis. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 4(4), 401-421

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). (2009). Serial Murder: Multi-disciplinary Perspective for

Investigators. FBI. https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder#five.

Holmes, R. M., & Holmes, S. T. (2009). Profiling violent crimes: an investigative tool. Sage

Publications.

This study source was downloaded by 100000800531006 from CourseHero.com on 10-16-2022 13:17:59 GMT -05:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/111212100/Week-2-assign-profiling-Levett-Kdocx/ Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)