The Scientific Procedure Behind Criminal Profiling

Criminal profiling describes the method use to make inferences about the physical, habitual, emotional and psychological characteristics of suspected criminals. This is used to identify likely suspects and even predict future offences and victims.

The Roots of Criminal Profiling

Criminal profiling dates back to the late nineteenth century when two physicians employed crime scene clues to predict the personality of the British serial killer Jack the Ripper. However, it was not until the case of the "mad bomber" that drew widespread attention to profiling. Over the course of sixteen years, beginning in 1940, there were over 30 random bombings in New York City. The first bomb was left at Consolidated Edison and was wrapped in a note that read "Con Edison Crooks, this is for you." When the United States entered WWII, the police received a letter saying that there would be no bombs for the duration of the war. Sure enough, the next bomb was 1950, five years after the war ended. Explosions at the New York Public Library and Grand Central Station followed soon after. The police were clueless as to who the "mad bomber" was. However, psychiatrist James A. Brussel used psychiatric and psychoanalytic methods to develop a profile of the bomber.

First off, the bomber was most likely a middle-aged male with an oedipal complex. He was presumably unmarried and living with female realatives, but not with his mother who probably died when he was young. Second, he was a former employee of Consolidated Edison who got injured on the job and was seeking revenge. Third, the bomber was probably of a foreign background because of the overly formal style of writing without slang. Brussel went further into detail and profiled the bomber as living in Connecticut, self-educated and meticulous. Brussel also speculated that the bomber would be wearing a buttoned-up, double-breasted jacket at the time of capture. Despite resulting in numerous false leads, the publicity prompted the bomber to contact Brussel directly. A Consolidated Edison employee discovered records of a former worker named George Metesky, who had suffered a work-related injury and had his disability claims rejected. Metesky's handwriting and phrases in his letters to the company matched those of the bomber's communications. Upon his apprehension, Metesky was indeed wearing the jacket as described by Brussel.

This successful profiling of the mad bomber convinced the FBI to pursue the same technique in their own investigations. Thus, in the 1970s, FBI agents began interviewing serial killers which helped them develop an "organised/disorganised dichotomy" theory: organised crimes are premeditated with little evidence left at the crime scene, and are committed by antisocial personalities who are not insane; disorganised crimes are unplanned, leave evidence such as blood and fingerprints and are often committed by young people who are mentally ill or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. While effective, this type of profiling relied primarily on commonsense guesses and informal studies of known criminals. However, in recent decades, psychologists and criminologists have begun using research studies and more scientific methods to profile criminals.

Criminal Investigative Analysis (CIA): Scientific Procedure

To solve criminal cases, investigators and experts combine their knowledge from psychiatry, psychology, and criminology and apply their expertise to criminal profiling.

Criminal investigative analysis (CIA) was developed in the first place to create a pragmatic method of criminal profiling that would help solve violent crimes by identifying the perpetrator's personality and behavioral characteristics. It is composed of several steps: Evaluation of the criminal act itself, evaluation of the specifics of the crime scene, analysis of the victim, evaluation of preliminary police reports, evaluation of medical examiner's autopsy protocol, development of a profile with the offender's characteristics and investigative suggestions based on the construction of the profile. Although these steps do not identify the real perpetrator, they indicate the type of person who most likely committed the crime, which narrows the potential list of suspects.

Police reports, crime scene photographs, witness statements, forensic laboratory reports, and autopsy photographs are provided by the investigating law enforcement agency and are carefully examined. Interviews/interrogations, reconstruction of a crime scene, typology, forensic pathology, blood analysis and equivocal death analysis are also tools used as part of CIA. It is important to note that the CIA contains many different processes, meaning that one person cannot possess the necessary knowledge to conduct a whole CIA process alone. It is a multidisciplinary analytical process and thus requires a team of experts specialised in different fields.

Not only does it implement a variety of disciplines and tools, but CIA is also very adaptable in nature. One example of the adaptable nature of CIA services is a case from the 1980s where a male perpetrator was convicted of two murders and suspected in three others. The victims in the two murders he was convicted of were hitchhikers, found dead in similar circumstances along the roadside approximately two months apart. Investigative analysts identified these patterns, providing general crime analysis, victimology assessment, and crime signature analysis.

Using this information, a profile of the perpetrator was developed, indicating the likelihood of further crimes. Law enforcement alerted the public, but two more murders occurred. Recognizing the evolving tactics of the perpetrator, investigators adjusted their strategies, employing a female FBI decoy to gather crucial information. With this data, the perpetrator was identified and convicted. At the same time, another victim was found in a body of water. This suggested that the perpetrator was watching the media and tried to change his modus operandi, which is a particular way of doing something, in this case, killing. His attempt to change his modus operandi was noted, prompting further adjustments in the investigation. Despite these challenges, the perpetrator was ultimately apprehended through continued CIA methods. This case underscores the effectiveness of CIA processes in identifying and stopping criminals.

All in all, CIA has become an integral part of the success of the justice system. It is still a topic of debate, however, as some do not view it as a respectable method of criminal profiling. Still, a majority argue that is a very helpful tool during the investigation process. As experts continue to improve the scientific basis of CIA investigative techniques, catching criminals will prove to be more effective than ever.