Why do Behavioural Profilers Why do Behavioural Profilers fail to catch Serial Killers?fail to catch Serial Killers?

The Thirty Year Hunt for the BTK MurdererThe Thirty Year Hunt for the BTK Murderer

Professor Craig A. JacksonProfessor Craig A. JacksonHead of PsychologyHead of Psychology

Centre for Applied Criminology Centre for Applied Criminology

The Problems with Criminal ProfilingThe Problems with Criminal Profiling

Has never led directly to the capture of any serial murderers

Behavioural Profiling based on spurious science in 1950s-Behavioural Profiling based on spurious science in 1950s-1960s1960s

• Small Data setsSmall Data sets• Limited numbersLimited numbers• Biased sampleBiased sample• Profiles too vague to be helpful to policeProfiles too vague to be helpful to police

Given too much credibility as a scientific disciplineGiven too much credibility as a scientific discipline

Behavioural profiling is not open, replicable or repeatableBehavioural profiling is not open, replicable or repeatable

No scientific test of the usefulness of this methodNo scientific test of the usefulness of this method

The "Cracker-Basher" articleThe "Cracker-Basher" article

Wilson D, Jackson CA, Kaur-Rana B. Against the Medical-Psychological Tradition of Understanding Serial Killing by Studying the Killers. Amicus Journal, 2010; 22: 8-16.

UK Serial Murderers and VictimsUK Serial Murderers and Victims

12 (38.7%) 7 (22%) 5 (15.3%) 8 (25%)

Current serial murder case: UKCurrent serial murder case: UK

Stepping Hill HospitalStepping Hill Hospital

7 inpatients murdered over 7 weeks 7 inpatients murdered over 7 weeks

Insulin overdose via saline tamperingInsulin overdose via saline tampering

Arrest of 27yr Female nurseArrest of 27yr Female nurseRebecca LeightonRebecca Leighton

Remanded for 1 monthRemanded for 1 monthReleased - no grounds for prosecutionReleased - no grounds for prosecution

Offender spaceOffender space

VictimsVictims

Un-subUn-sub

SuspectSuspect

4000 staff4000 staff700 possible “unsubs”700 possible “unsubs”

Joanna Yeates murder caseJoanna Yeates murder case

Myths about Serial Murderers

Are dysfunctional loners

Don't change the way they kill as they develop

Travel far and wide when killing

Insane or evil geniuses

Are white males

Are motivated by sex

Cannot stop killing

Want to get caught

While forensics yielded little...While forensics yielded little...

The suspect fits the profile . . . The suspect fits the profile . . .

We were worried about John…We were worried about John…

Night-terrors

Emotional breakdown

Paranoia

Cardiovascular problems

““Understanding Serial Killers . . . in order to Understanding Serial Killers . . . in order to Capture Serial Killers” Why?Capture Serial Killers” Why?

Prevent serial murder by understanding the killers’ minds?Prevent serial murder by understanding the killers’ minds?

““Climbing inside the heads of monsters"Climbing inside the heads of monsters"

FBI Behavioural Science Unit 1972

Questionnaire Interviews with 36 convicted serial killers – a biased sample

57 page questionnaire: “Thousands of questions”

Killers who Talk too Much Killers who Talk too Much

Killlers’ accounts of their crimes and motives

Suit nature and circumstances of their arrest

Motivated by imprisonment / freedom / needs

ParoleParolePrison / wing transferPrison / wing transferActivityActivityImageImageBook dealsBook deals

111 pages of autobiography145 tape recordings

6,189 transcribed pages

“(Fred) West’s interviews were worthless except to confirm that nothing that he said could be relied upon as anything near the truth.”

John Bennet SIO Cromwell St Murders

. . . and Those who Don’t Talk at all. . . and Those who Don’t Talk at all

False Leads & Faulty ProfilesFalse Leads & Faulty Profiles

Yorkshire Ripper investigationYorkshire Ripper investigation

Three letters & one cassette tapeThree letters & one cassette tape"You've had no luck catchin' me""You've had no luck catchin' me"

"Wearside Jack""Wearside Jack"

Police believed it was the genuine killerPolice believed it was the genuine killer

Focused efforts on men from north bank of river wearFocused efforts on men from north bank of river wear

Distracted investigation - three possible deathsDistracted investigation - three possible deaths

John Humble – sentenced 8 years for perversionJohn Humble – sentenced 8 years for perversion

The Crimes of the BTKThe Crimes of the BTK

Serial killer in Kansas active from 1974 to 2005Serial killer in Kansas active from 1974 to 2005

Murdered 10 people from 1974 – 1991 (caught in 2005)Murdered 10 people from 1974 – 1991 (caught in 2005)

VictimsVictims

1974 Mr Joe Otero, Mrs Julie Otero, and children Jo jr & Josephine

1974 Kathryn Bright and wounded her brother Kevin

1977 Killed Shirley Vian

1977 Killed Nancy Fox

1985 Marine Hedge, was murdered

1986 Vicki Wegerle was killed

1991 The last confirmed victim of BTK was Dolores Davis

BTK's MOBTK's MO

Entered houses while occupier outEntered houses while occupier out

Cut phone wires outside house Cut phone wires outside house

Force way in with false ID and .22 revolverForce way in with false ID and .22 revolver

Talked victims to complianceTalked victims to compliance

"Escaped prisoner on the run""Escaped prisoner on the run"

Victims allowed themselves to be tied upVictims allowed themselves to be tied up

Strangles several times before killingStrangles several times before killing

Sometimes sexually gratified himself at the sceneSometimes sexually gratified himself at the scene

Steals tokens / souvenirsSteals tokens / souvenirs

Shirley Vian murder sceneShirley Vian murder scene

Shirley Vian murder sceneShirley Vian murder scene

Kathryn Bright murder sceneKathryn Bright murder scene

Dolores Davis murder sceneDolores Davis murder scene

BTK's First Letter to the PoliceBTK's First Letter to the Police

3 letters from BTK to media (1 was a poem)3 letters from BTK to media (1 was a poem)

""Oh Death to NancyOh Death to Nancy""

A letter sent to a potential victim who accidentally evaded himA letter sent to a potential victim who accidentally evaded himin 1979, Anna Williamsin 1979, Anna Williams

""Oh Anna why didn't you appearOh Anna why didn't you appear""

A recording of his voice calling for an ambulance after killing A recording of his voice calling for an ambulance after killing Nancy FoxNancy Fox

Witnesses by an off-duty firemanWitnesses by an off-duty fireman

The Taunting Begins . . .The Taunting Begins . . .

"Oh Anna Why Didn't You Appear""Oh Anna Why Didn't You Appear"

T'was a plan of deviant pleasure so bold on that Spring nite

My inner feeling hot with propension of the new awakening season

Warn wet with inner fear and rapture, my pleasure of entanglement

Like new vines so tight

Oh Anna why didn't you appear

A Gift for the Profilers…A Gift for the Profilers…

Two teams of FBI profilers assessed all case detailsTwo teams of FBI profilers assessed all case details

1979 The Hot Dog squad & 1985 The Ghostbusters1979 The Hot Dog squad & 1985 The Ghostbusters

Used best known Profilers from FBIUsed best known Profilers from FBI

Profiles were so varied as to be uselessProfiles were so varied as to be useless

ContradictoryContradictoryVagueVagueNon-SpecificNon-Specific

Unhelpful Criminal ProfilesUnhelpful Criminal Profiles

““Look for an American male with a possible connection Look for an American male with a possible connection to the military. to the military. His IQ will be above 105His IQ will be above 105. . He will like to He will like to masturbatemasturbate, and will be aloof and selfish in bed. , and will be aloof and selfish in bed. He will He will drive a decent cardrive a decent car. He will be a ‘now’ person. He won’t . He will be a ‘now’ person. He won’t be comfortable with women. be comfortable with women. But he may have women But he may have women friendsfriends. He will be a lone wolf. . He will be a lone wolf.

But he will be able to function in social But he will be able to function in social settings…he will settings…he will be either, never married, divorced or marriedbe either, never married, divorced or married, and , and if he if he is married his wife will be younger or olderis married his wife will be younger or older. . He may or He may or may not live in a rental, and might be lower class, upper may not live in a rental, and might be lower class, upper lower class, lower middle class or middle classlower class, lower middle class or middle class. And he . And he will be crazy like a fox, as opposed to being mental.”will be crazy like a fox, as opposed to being mental.”

Gladwell (2007)Gladwell (2007)

BTK Goes Quiet…BTK Goes Quiet…

From 1991 - 2004 BTK was silent - no murders, no lettersFrom 1991 - 2004 BTK was silent - no murders, no letters

Was he deadWas he deadWas he in prisonWas he in prisonWas he bored of killingWas he bored of killingWas he too old or not fitWas he too old or not fit

BTK Returns…BTK Returns…

Resumed taunts in 2004

14 years after last killing in 1991

14 letter drops 2004-2005

Wrote to Chief Detective Kenny Landwehr via local papers

Began leaving packages and notes in parks, libraries and car parks

BTK ReturnsBTK Returns

The Taunting Continues . . . The Taunting Continues . . .

BTK ReturnsBTK Returns

New Victims SelectedNew Victims Selected

Pen Pals again with SuperCopPen Pals again with SuperCop

“COMMUNICATION. Can I communicate with Floppy and not be traced to a computer. Be honest. Under Miscellaneous Section, 494, (Rex, it will be OK) run it for a few days in case I’m out of town-etc. I will try a floppy for a test run some time in the near future – February or March.”

At the End of it All.....At the End of it All.....

BTK sent the floppy disk to detectivesBTK sent the floppy disk to detectives

Contained a word processed letter

Metadata of the disk showed the following words

"Dennis“"Dennis“

"Christ Lutheran Church“"Christ Lutheran Church“

"Park City Community Library""Park City Community Library"

Who was BTK?Who was BTK?

Dennis Lyn RaderDennis Lyn Rader

Married father of twoMarried father of two

HeterosexualHeterosexual

ADT home security installer (1980s)ADT home security installer (1980s)

Scout LeaderScout Leader

Church MinisterChurch Minister

City dog warden (1990s)City dog warden (1990s)

Who was BTK?Who was BTK?

Who was BTK?Who was BTK?

BondageBondage

BDSMBDSM

Violent sexual fantasistViolent sexual fantasist

Combined offending with his jobCombined offending with his job

Questions about BTK?Questions about BTK?

Why undetected by wife and children?Why undetected by wife and children?

Why so long between kills?Why so long between kills?

How evaded Police for so long?How evaded Police for so long?

Why correspond with police and journalists?Why correspond with police and journalists?

Why not stay undercover – 14 years after his last kill?Why not stay undercover – 14 years after his last kill?

Any more kills after 1994?Any more kills after 1994?

Preventing Serial MurdersPreventing Serial Murders

People from marginalized groups are the focus of serial killers

If we want to reduce victims of serial murder . . .

. . . We need to treat those groups better

Gay people

Older people

Homeless

Immigrants

Sex workers

Young people

RefrencesRefrencesCanter, D.V., Alison, L.J., Alison, E. and Wentink, N. (2004), ‘The organized/disorganized typology of serial murder: Myth or model?’, Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 10, pp. 293-320.

Douglas, J. and Dodd, J. (2007), Inside the Mind of the BTK: The True Story behind the Thirty Year Hunt for the Notorious Wichita Serial Killer, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Douglas, J., Ressler, R., Burgess, A. and Hartman, C. (1986), ‘Criminal profiling from crime scene analysis’, BehavioralSciences and the Law, 4, pp. 401-421.

Jackson CA, Wilson D, Kaur-Rana B. The usefulness of criminal profiling. Criminal Justice Matters, 2011; 84: 6-7.

Keppel, R.D. and Walter, R. (1999), ‘Profiling killers: A revised classification model for understanding sexual murder’, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 43, pp. 417-434.

Snook, B., Cullen, R.M., Bennell, C., Taylor, P.J. and Gendreau, P. (2008), ‘The criminal profiling illusion: What’s behind the smoke and mirrors’, Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, pp. 1257-1276.

Snook, B., Eastwood, J., Gendreau, P., Coggin, C. and Cullen, R.M. (2007), ‘Taking stock of criminal profiling: A narrative review and metal-analysis’, Criminal Justice and Behavior, 34, pp. 437-453.

Trager, J. and Brewster, J. (2001), ‘The effectiveness of psychological profiles’, Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 16, pp. 20-28.

Wilson, D., Jackson, C.A. and Rana, B. (2010), ‘Against the medicalpsychological tradition of understanding serial killing by studying the killers: The case of BTK’, Amicus Journal, 22, pp. 8-16.