Behavioral Analysis Unit 2 (Serial Investigation and Profiling)
Myth: Serial killers are all dysfunctional loners. The majority of serial killers are not reclusive, social misfits who live alone. They are not monsters and may not appear strange. Many serial killers hide in plain sight within their communities. Serial murderers often have families and homes, are gainfully employed, and appear to be normal members [...]
Introduction to Serial Murder
Serial murder is neither a new phenomenon, nor is it uniquely American. Dating back to ancient times, serial murderers have been chronicled around the world. In 19th century Europe, Dr. Richard von Krafft-Ebing conducted some of the first documented research on violent, sexual offenders and the crimes they committed. Best known for his 1886 textbook [...]
National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime
The National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) is a component of the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG), located at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The primary mission of the NCAVC is to provide behaviorally-based, operational support to federal, state, local, and international law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation of [...]
Message from Director Mueller
Every day, law enforcement officers across America are called to respond to murders. Each homicide case is tragic, but there are few cases more heartrending and more difficult to understand than serial murder. For years, law enforcement investigators, academics, mental health experts, and the media have studied serial murder, from Jack the Ripper in the [...]
Evaluating a Psychological Profile of a Serial Killer
Murder has been illustrated as “the unlawful killing of a human being by another” (Oxford dictionary, 1997, p.742). The definition of Serial killings on the other hand, is not so simple to define, for it takes on many different forms, and is brought on by many different states of mind. Holmes and De Burger (1988) [...]
