John Douglasī Profile

[Cuervo]

Hi guys
Yes, you need to have a good knowledge of the cultural setting of the killoings in order to do a good profile. Thatīs something I think all profilers know. If you are from USA and go to do a profile in Japan, you should get lots af advice and training on the place and uses, or even better train japanees profilers for these things.

What you canīt do is to do a profile like tha one that Ressler (I think it was him) did about Juarez City killings in Mexico. No mexican payed any attention to what he said, and Iīm not surprised...that was lack of knowledge of the culture

[Errata]

Hi Errata,
I can understand some of your cynicism in your last post. Many profiles only seem to be of use after the event.

I think what bothers me about profiles is that they seem to be a mix of common sense, and information law enforcement has no way of knowing. How is a detective supposed to know that a guy had a domineering mother which gave him a lifelong inferiority complex? It isn't written on his face. If a police officer pulls over a man for speeding, how is he supposed to know that this guy has a ring belonging to a victim in his pocket? And what is the fundamental difference between a killer like Kemper, who used to buy cops drinks and listen to them talk about the case, and someone like me who just has a dread fascination with the subject? I can see how you can use a profile against someone once they become a suspect, but I don't see how it can be helpful finding a suspect.

[corey123]

Hello Errata,

Why don't you look and read up on some successful profiles, try David Canter. Liverpool.

[Cuervo]

Hi

If you have been abused or dominated, maybe is in the social services records, and you can check whoever fits with the rest of the profile.

[Cuervo]

Hi Ben
Donīt you think gary ridgway profile is a bit general? they should have listened a bit more to Ted Bundy. Sometimes, how we say here "people live from their past beneficts" (which he had succesfully before, of course).

[Ben]

Hi Cuervo,

Possibly, although the link I provided did not include the full profile, just the points that later emerged to be correct following Ridgway's capture. Granted, some of these were vastly encompassing, such as "white male", but the 6th, 7th and 8th bullet points were quite specific.

All the best,
Ben

[jonwilson]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/7902778/Real-life-Crackers-are-worthless-at-catching-serial-killers-and-hamper-investigations.html

Criminal profiling is nothing more than a guess. Even the profilers themselves will tell you this. Guess enough times, you'll eventually get it right. Stewart Evans the ripper expert said criminal profiling is TOTALLY OVERRATED on before. Criminal profilers are one step ahead of psychics. Not based on science what so ever. Just a guess. That is all it is.

[jonwilson]

"The self-styled behavioural experts, who say they get into the mind of offenders, employed techniques that were more "fantasy than science", said a leading psychologist.

He said that the profession, which he claims has yet to solve a crime, was dangerous because it could lead to wasted police time and miscarriages of justice.

The attack came from the consultant psychologist Dr Craig Jackson, co-author of a damning critique of the profession soon to be published in a legal journal.

He argues that criminal profiling may be surrounded by a media-driven mystique but is unscientific and potentially harmful.

"Behavioural profiling has never led to the direct apprehension of a serial killer or murderer, so it seems to have no real-world value," said Dr Jackson. "

[corey123]

Jon Wilson must be god Out on a mission to end profiling

[Wickerman]

Here is another interesting and detailed analysis of the definition of a Lust Murderer, and the fact that a Lust Murderer can fall into two distinct groups. The Disorganized killer, and the Organized killer.

http://www.francesfarmersrevenge.com/stuff/serialkillers/3.htm

And at the end Mr Geberth states:

Both types of murderers are capable of all types of behavior.

Now there's a man with conviction in his own analyses.


Well, haven't we being saying this all along......and without the benefit of a PhD.

[jonwilson]

http://www.deceptology.com/2010/05/criminal-profiling-is-crap-paper.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/sep/14/psychological-profile-behavioural-psychology

Even the experts don't think too highly of criminal profiling. Cory, if you want to believe criminal profiling is helpful at catching killers/murderers, that's your right and that is how you feel.

[Errata]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...tigations.html

Criminal profiling is nothing more than a guess. Even the profilers themselves will tell you this. Guess enough times, you'll eventually get it right. Stewart Evans the ripper expert said criminal profiling is TOTALLY OVERRATED on before. Criminal profilers are one step ahead of psychics. Not based on science what so ever. Just a guess. That is all it is.

To be fair, profilers aren't just making it up as they go. Well, I'm sure some are, but a good deal of the information they use comes from studies of serial killers. Mostly by psychiatrists. If out of 100 prostitute targeting serial killers 76 say that they had domineering and abusive mothers, then there is a better than average change that a current prostitute targeting serial killer has a domineering mother. (i'm making that up for examples sake. I know nothing about their mothers) So it's statistics. But I imagine it's a bit like living in Eastern Oklahoma. There were no tornadoes yesterday or the day before, there were no tornadoes last year on this day, or on this day in the past 20 years. So you can say that there will be no tornadoes today, but you won't know if you're wrong until about 10 minutes before it takes your house to Arkansas.

[Cuervo]

Hi Jonwiliams
There is lots of science behind profiling. I recomend you to check the jobs of Cristina Soeiro in Portugal about arsonists (and she is not the only one).
Best

[corey123]

Cuervo,

Thank you for that I love it when the sensable people always save the day.

This thread reminds me of why I want to post here, because there is still hope among the madness.

[Cuervo]

Thnak you Corey