The History and Application of Criminal Profiling

To police forces, criminal profiling is relatively knew. However, the idea of criminal profiling has been around for centuries. Criminal profiling was used in the 1700s, to find heretics and witches. In the early 19th century, Scotland Yard began the study of clues to help catch criminals. This technique was also used in the Jack the Ripper case; although he was never caught, authorities believed that he had medical knowledge based on how he killed his victims (Research- Criminal Profiling). It has been long debated on whether criminal profiling is or is not a science.

Considering all of the psychology used and how the process has developed since the first profiling case, criminal profiling is a science.

The first idea of criminal profiling came to be, between 1940 and 1956. There was a case that involved an unknown criminal who placed more than thirty bombs around New York City; he was called the “Mad Bomber”. He targetted popular socialization areas like movie theaters, photo booths, and malls.

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In 1956, James Brussel, a psychiatrist, was asked by investigators to study crime scene photos and notes on the case. From these photos and notes, he was able to give a detailed description of the suspect. Brussel predicted that the offender was unmarried, foreign, self educated, living in Connecticut, and paranoid. These predictions were based on psychological ideas and common sense. Since paranoia tends to peak at the age of 35, The Mad Bomber would most likely be in his 50s, considering that it was 16 years after his first bombing.

The profile proved correct and led investigators to George Metesky, who confessed right away when arrested in January of 1957 (Winerman). The actual profiling process was later developed by a retired Marine Corps sergeant named Howard Teten.

Howard Teten was born in Nebraska City, Nebraska and moved around to various town. His dad was a road construction foreman and the moved to wherever the job was. Once he graduated high school, he joined the Marine Corps, as a way to get out of Nebraska, in 1950. When the Korean war began, Teten had just finished boot camp and was sent overseas as an aerial photographer. In 1954, he left the Marines and took a position as a police officer in San Leandro, in 1958. Then, began studying criminology at the University of California and earned his degree in 1960. “Here I am at school, taking courses in abnormal psychology, criminal psychology- and [also] working crime scenes on a daily basis,” Teten recalls, “and I'm beginning to see parallels." After catching the FBI's attention, Tetan began agent training, in April 1963, and was assigned to the Oklahoma City Field Office. In 1969, Teten took a job as an instructor in Washington, D.C. with a New York FBI special agent, named Patrick Mullany, who had a master's degree in educational psychology.They began teaching together; Teten would talk about the facts of a case, while Mullany would talk about how parts of the criminal's personality were revealed in the crime scene. “Patrick really made a difference, because he was a fully qualified psychologist, where I was a criminologist (Serial Killers. Part 2: The Birth of the Behavioral Analysis in the FBI).”

Patrick Mullany was born in 1935 in New york. After he graduated high school, he got a bachelor's degree in American History and a minor in British History. While he was teaching in New York, he got his master's degree in counselling and psychology. In an interview with Michael O'Brien, he talks about his FBI service. Mullany says he had family contact with the FBI; his sister was a clerk and married an agent. He was 29 years old when he was assigned training to be a special agent. Then, he talks about his relationship with Howard Teten. "I wound up teaching with a fellow very, very closely and became very close friends, Howard Teten, and out of that relationship many, many things happened (O'Brien).”

Teten and Mullany were given credit for the earliest behavior analysis for hard cases. They reviewed unusual homicides from several different police departments and the California Identification Officers Association, to collect information for analysis and comparison. To test themselves, they set up an experiment. “When I received the information, I would examine all the data and prepare a tentative description of the perpetrator. Then, I would look at the individual found to have committed the crime and compare the perpetrator to my description,” Teten said. In 1970, Teten and Mullany gave their first profile for the murder of a woman in her home; The profile proved to be correct. However, their first profiling challenge was the kidnapping of a seven year old girl, named Susan Jaeger (Ramsland).

In June 1973, Susan Jaeger disappeared in Montana during a family camping trip. When her family was sleeping, someone had cut through her tent and grabbed her before she could cry for help. Mullany believed the suspect would be a white male who was a local. He also believed that the suspect stays to himself, had a military background, and has killed before. He most likely took Susan to kill her and collect body parts as trophies. David Meirhofer, a 23 year old veteran, was questioned but was polite, persuasive, well dressed, and helpful; to local investigators, he didn't seem guilty. He still, however, had many of the traits and behaviors described in the profile. Mullany and Teten believed Meirhofer was just a psychopath that could lie easily. Meirhofer was once again named a suspect a year later. On the first anniversary of Susan's abduction, Her mother received a call from a man who was claiming that Susan was with him. Mrs. Jaeger surprised the caller by forgiving him, causing him to cry.

The call was attempted to be traced but failed, however, voice analysis showed that the caller could have been Meirhofer. In 1974, a 19 year old woman, named Sandra Dyckman, disappeared soon after she turned down a date with Meirhofer. A more thorough investigation was launched when human bone fragments were found on an abandoned ranch that he had worked at. Mullany convinced Mrs. Jaeger to go back to Montana and confront Meirhofer; when she did, he denied everything, but later called pretending to be someone else. Mrs. Jaeger recognized his voice and the FBI was able to trace the call and arrest him. Having enough evidence for a warrant, investigators searched his house where they found human remains, including a hand, labeled as "deer burger". The hand was later identified as Sandra's. The day before Meirhofer committed suicide, he admitted to four murders, including Susan's. Investigators believed that he had schizopathy, which is a mix of psychopathy and schizophrenia (Ramsland).

Criminal profiling is the process of identifying behavioral traits that lead investigators to personality trait, location, and gives them a description of the offender based on their characteristics and evidence left at the crime scene. It refers to identifying and describing important information about the possible suspect of a serial case. Criminal profilers use information from similar cases and offenses to narrow down the pool of suspects. The goal of it is to reach a profile of the criminal, that has specific features and interests, that could lead investigators to the offender. Criminal profiling mostly used in serial rape or homicide cases. Psychological profiling is based on the behavior of the suspect (Zapf). It is mostly used when the crime could have been done by someone with a mental illness. For example, if the victim's eyes are taped shut or removed, then the suspect is most likely autistic. This is because those who are autistic, don't normally like to make eye contact. It plays into criminal profiling, because of the psychology used to understand the offender and some of their mistakes or ideas. However, not everyone is affected by an illness the same way as others. Victimology is the type of profiling that profiles the victims to find similarities, give investigators an idea on how the criminal chooses his victims, and what he does to them. Serial criminals have victim types, which means that all of their victims are similar in some way (Research- Criminal Profiling). Serial criminals will pursue specific fantasies and rituals. Police have recognized how serial criminals follow specific patterns, like the weapon they use, how they use it, and the similarities in their victims. This helps investigators determine the type of offender, help them understand them better, and sometimes even identify them. If a victim escapes, they can help investigators find the offender or help them understand why the offender is killing. However, some victims are too shaken up to talk to investigators (Types of Profiling).

Profilers examine criminal behavior to find out the causes of their crimes and the characteristics of the offender. There are three areas that the profilers look in criminal behavior: verbal, physical, and sexual interactions with the victims. To create a profile, profilers look at and consider statistics, basic psychological ideas, crime scene behavior, victimology, location, timing, and their own expense. Since the first profiling case, the process of profiling had developed immensely (Research- Criminal Profiling). “The basic premise is that behavior reflects personality.” Explained retired FBI agent, Gregg McCrary. For example, in homicidal cases, FBI agents look at personality through questions about the murderer's behavior. When the first profiling case took place, profilers made educational guesses, psychological ideas, and common sense to create a profile. There was no actual process for criminal profiling, for year. However, throughout the years of experience of brainstorming, educational guesses, and intuition, investigators have developed the skill through involvement of large amount cases and on the job experience.

Today, the profiling process has had profilers considering more questions and ideas than it once did. The antecedent, method and manner, body disposal, and post offense behavior are taken into consideration during the profiling process. The antecedent is the fantasy or plan the murderer had in place before the act and what triggered him to act some days but not others. Method and manner is how the murderer killed (shooting, stabbing, etc.) and what type of victims he chose; how they are similar. Body disposal is if the place the body was dumped and the place the murder occurred are the same place. Post offense behavior is if the murderer is injecting himself into the investigation. Does he contact the investigators or is reacting to the media? Information sought is the report of the investigation, relevant reports, witness statements, demographic information about the area, media releases, exhibit lists, victimology, medical and autopsy reports, forensic analysis, and photos and videos from the crime scene. After weeks of collecting information, investigators will create a profile and if possible, include the age, sex, occupation or habits, criminal history, demeanour, signs of mental illness, race, intelligence, area of residence, sexual orientation, hobbies, skills, and appearance of the offender. Over the years, investigators have been able to develop the idea of organized and unorganized crimes. Organized crimes are carefully planned and little evidence is found at the crime scene. Organized offenders know right from wrong, are anti social, are not insane, and do not show remorse. Disorganized crimes, however, are not planned, the offenders leave evidence, they may be young, under the influence, or may be mentally ill (Winerman).

Criminal Profiling has been around for centuries. Since the first profiling case, the process has developed so much. Investigators now take into consideration more questions and fact than they used to. No only are they taking in more considerations, but psychology itself has developed over the years. We now know so much more than we used to about mental illnesses. With all the psychological idea now, it makes the criminal profiling process so much easier. Criminal Profiling is a science, because of all the psychological ideas involved and how much the process has developed over the years.