By Jennifer Bucholtz | 09/09/2024
In some murder cases, law enforcement does not have enough direct evidence to arrest a suspect at the beginning of their investigation. In such instances, behavioral analysis in criminal investigation can help investigators understand how the murder was committed and identify the type of person likely responsible.
Identifying the psychological and behavioral factors of a killer can be a complex and challenging task for state and local law enforcement agencies. As a result, many investigators turn to the expertise of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU).
The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, originally named the Behavioral Science Unit, was established in 1972 to provide investigative support to law enforcement agencies for understanding complex criminal human behavior, including violent crime. The BAU provides aid through prior case experience, in-depth psychological research, and training support.
How Behavioral Analysis Can Help Identify Murderers
The criminal investigative analysis used by the BAU’s experts was originally coined “criminal profiling,” but today it is referred to as “behavioral analysis.” One of the tenets of criminal behavior analysis is that a person’s thinking dictates his or her behavior.
In other words, criminal behavior reflects personality. By analyzing the actions a criminal takes during a crime, behavioral analysts (also known as criminal profilers) may be able to determine what type of person committed the crime.
Countless law enforcement agencies have used behavioral analysis to successfully narrow the pool of suspects and identify the most likely psychological characteristics of the offender behind a particular crime or series of crimes. This analysis focuses on behavioral and personality characteristics unknowingly exhibited by an offender during and after the commission of a crime.
Behavioral analysis seeks to understand offender motivation (the “why” of a crime), and modus operandi (the “how”) by examining verbal and non-verbal actions and clues from a crime scene. Though behavioral analysis is useful for various types of crimes, it is particularly applicable to murder.
In the crime scene analysis of murder cases, there are often several behavioral clues inadvertently exhibited by the murderer during the commission of a violent crime. These clues can provide law enforcement officers and investigators valuable insight into the psychology, personality, and motive of the murderer.
Organized or Disorganized Criminal Behavior by Murderers
Once facts and crime scene evidence are collected, a behavioral analyst can begin to determine the broad category in which the murderer falls: disorganized or organized. Most offenders exhibit traits that fall into both categories (known as a “mixed” offender), but the majority of their characteristics usually fall on one side of the spectrum.
Signs of an Organized Criminal
Crime scenes indicative of an organized offender usually display evidence of premeditation and planning, including:
- Bringing a weapon to the scene
- Using physical restraints to control the victim
- Having an absence of biological evidence (such as DNA, fingerprints, or hair) or other forensic evidence (such as fibers) that are directly linked to the offender
- Concealing the body after a violent crime
This type of offender usually:
- Has average to above-average intelligence
- Is gainfully employed
- Is in a committed relationship
- Has no history of mental illness
- Is socially competent
Signs of a Disorganized Criminal
Crime scenes indicative of a disorganized offender often include:
- An overall sense of disorder and spontaneity at the scene
- A presence of biological or other forensic evidence left by the offender
- The use of a weapon of opportunity obtained from the scene
- Difficulty controlling or restraining the victim
- Disposal of the body in open view
These types of offenders often have:
- A history of mental illness
- A low intelligence level
- Difficulty with intimate relationships
- Employment in a job requiring little skill
- A low amount of social functioning
Crime Scene Staging and Masking
There are two types of crime scene staging:
- Staging
- Masking
Staging is present when a killer purposely poses a body in a way that is psychologically comforting or purposely demeaning towards the victim. Staging can also be intended to send a message to law enforcement.
Another type of staging occurs when a criminal alters a crime scene to cover up the true circumstances of what took place. An example would be when a killer attempts to cover up a homicide by setting a fire, hoping investigators will think the victim died as the result of an accidental fire.
Crime scene masking refers to actions taken to cover up the scene of a murder by cleaning and removing evidence and/or the body, according to Polish scholar Karol Kagan. The goals of masking are to add great difficulty and confusion to criminal investigations, avoid scrutiny by law enforcement, and ultimately avoid being convicted of the crime. Statistically, male perpetrators engage in staging and masking much more often than females.
However, masking is not without serious risk. It is a fact that the longer a perpetrator stays at a murder scene and the more items he or she touches, moves, or cleans, the more evidence is left behind by the criminal. Engaging in masking, however, leads to more evidence of the killer, rather than less.
Additionally, masking increases the killer’s chance of being caught at the scene by a family member, neighbor, or bystander because of the additional time it takes for the masking process.
When it’s determined that an offender attempted to clean up or mask the scene, investigators should immediately consider people who have the closest known connection to the victim or to the location where the crime took place.
Only killers who perceive an obvious connection between themselves and the scene and/or victim clean up after committing the murder. It is extremely rare for a murderer who has a negligible connection to the scene or victim to stay around for a clean-up – the risk is not worth the extra effort.
I consulted with a colleague who is a 24-year law enforcement veteran and retired Chief of Police because he has a wealth of experience in homicide investigations. He recalled several murder scenes he attended where a clean-up had been completed or attempted by the killer.
In every single case, the killer was a known associate or, more commonly, an intimate partner of the victim. Also, that killer was usually a resident of the location where the murder occurred.
The Significance of Moving a Body
Moving a murder victim’s body from the primary scene where the murder occurred to a secondary site is even riskier than masking. To do that, the killer must leave the primary scene with a dead body, load it into a vehicle, drive to another location, and unload the body at the chosen disposal site.
If the killer chooses to adequately conceal the body at the secondary site by putting it in a hand-dug grave, for example, the killer increases the risk of being caught. This risk is due to the time required to take this extra step of concealment.
As with masking, the longer the killer remains with the body, the greater the chances of a bystander making the discovery of the murder. Generally, killers take the enormous risk to move a body only if they believe they will be the most logical suspect if law enforcement finds the body at the primary scene.
My retired colleague also discussed with me the issue of perpetrators moving bodies after a homicide and made an important point regarding the psychology behind this process. It is quite difficult for most people to bring themselves to purposefully make contact with a bleeding or dead body. It’s messy, both physically and psychologically.
It takes a killer with a great deal of mental tenacity and self-control (e.g., not vomit) to touch a dead body, let alone to perhaps dismember it, wrap it up, carry it to a vehicle, drive it to a secondary site, and unload it. Most people cannot overcome the mental stress and physical disgust to perform any of these actions.
As with masking, law enforcement responding to a murder scene where the victim has been moved to a second site should first consider the person who has the most direct and obvious link to that primary murder site. Additionally, the act of moving a dead body is nearly always carried out by someone who was living with the decedent. That person is most likely the perpetrator.
The Importance of Studying Victimology during Criminal Investigations
Behavioral analysts study not only the evidence collected from a crime scene, but also all the known facts and information about the victim. This step is key in the behavioral analysis process.
There is always a reason why a particular victim is killed by an unknown offender. Knowing as much as possible about the victim can assist investigators in determining the motive behind a murder and better understand a killer's psychological profile. For instance, investigators may look into the victim’s:
- Social circle
- Intimate relationships
- Lifestyle
- Daily habits
- Occupation
- Attitudes
- Frequently visited locations
This information often reveals how the victim and killer crossed paths and how the killer gained access to the victim to commit the murder. It may also indicate what person in a victim’s life had the most pronounced motive to kill and narrow down the list of potential suspects.
How Law Enforcement Agencies Determine Modus Operandi and Signature
Modus operandi (MO) and signature are two concepts often confused and considered interchangeable by the media. Though these concepts overlap, each is a separate category of individual characteristics that can provide a criminal profiler with insight into a killer’s methodologies and motivations.
MO refers to the actions a killer takes during the commission of the crime. In premeditated murders, killers usually bring a weapon such as a firearm to the scene that will enable them to effectively control their victim.
The offender may also survey a victim’s residence ahead of time to learn about the victim’s and other residents’ daily habits. This way, the perpetrator can pick the ideal time with the least risk to attack the victim. All of these actions are part of a killer’s MO that are helpful in successfully carrying out the crime.
The absence of evidence of planning provides clues about the circumstances that led to the murder. Furthermore, the manner in which a victim was killed and the weapon used during the crime provide information to investigators about the killer’s relationship to the victim.
A killer’s signature is indicative of a fantasy or psychological need. Not all killers leave evidence of a signature, and it is most commonly found among serial murderers.
A signature is absolutely not essential to the successful commission of a crime. It is an action a killer takes above and beyond what is necessary to kill a victim.
Examples of signature behaviors include posing the body in a certain manner, taking an item from the victim, or taunting the police. For instance, the serial killer known as the Zodiac Killer wrote goading letters to law enforcement.
Determining a Killer's Motivation
Though it is not required that a prosecutor have proof of a killer’s motive to charge a suspect, it is certainly useful. In cases where a killer has engaged in masking behaviors and moved the body, there are two aspects for police officers to determine:
- The motive for the murder
- The motive for post-offense cleanup and removal of the body from the primary murder scene
Motives for homicide are almost countless, but most reasons for victim selection and homicide fall into one of these general categories:
- Anger/emotion
- Profit/greed
- A need for attention
- Mental illness/psychological need
Motives for masking a scene and moving a body fall into one of two categories:
- Self-preservation
- Embarrassment/shame
Self-preservation is linked to killers who clean the crime scene in an attempt to re-direct the investigation and avoid scrutiny and suspicion by law enforcement.
The embarrassment or shame motivation is not relevant in homicide cases, but it usually is in cases of suicide or accidental death. The embarrassment/shame motive is most commonly observed where a family member or loved one discovers the victim in a compromising position or circumstance. That person attempts to change the scene to protect the victim from embarrassment.
Behavioral Analysis Is Key to Homicide Investigations
Behavioral analysis in murder investigations is incredibly pertinent to catching a killer. Identifying and scrutinizing each piece of evidence and all behavioral clues are critical in developing a criminal profile of an unknown killer.
Without consideration of the actions and behaviors that the killer engaged in during and after the commission of a murder, an investigation will be incomplete at best. Generally, the more post-offense behaviors that a perpetrator engages in, the more clues are left behind for local law enforcement or other professionals to find. But through careful analysis and a thorough investigation, law enforcement officials are more likely to find the killer of someone’s family member or friend, even in cold cases.
Criminal Justice Degrees at American Military University
American Military University (AMU) offers several criminal justice degrees designed to meet the needs of students at various stages of their careers. These students may be seeking to enter the field of criminal justice or aspiring to seek leadership roles.
These degrees include:
- An online associate of arts in criminal justice
- An online bachelor of arts in criminal justice
- An online bachelor of science in criminal justice
- An online master of arts in criminal justice
Each program is designed to prepare students with the critical knowledge and skills needed to excel in the criminal justice field. AMU’s online learning environment allows students to more easily balance their education with their professional and family responsibilities.
Online Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice
The online associate of arts in criminal justice is designed for students seeking to gain a basic knowledge of the criminal justice system, criminology, and juvenile delinquency. This degree features courses such as “Evidence and Procedures,” “Introduction to Law Enforcement,” and “Criminal Justice Administration.”
Online Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
The online bachelor of arts in criminal justice is tailored for students drawn to the social and behavioral dimensions of crime. This degree is perfect for adult learners aspiring to careers in law enforcement, investigation, or community service.
Courses in this program include “Criminal Law” “Criminology,” “Criminal Investigation,” and “Ethics in Criminal Justice.” These types of courses will enable students to gain a deep understanding of the factors influencing criminal behavior and the U.S. justice system.
Online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
The online bachelor of science in criminal justice is more science-based, making it an ideal choice for students drawn to crime analysis, forensics, or law enforcement. Courses such as “Criminal Profiling,” "Computer Forensics," and “Crime Analytics” will equip students with the essential skills for analyzing crime patterns, conducting a criminal investigative analysis, and understanding offender behavior. These courses also prepare students to apply analytical and investigative techniques for solving complex criminal cases.
Online Master of Arts in Criminal Justice
The online master of arts in criminal justice is intended for criminal justice professionals aspiring to build upon their existing knowledge and seek leadership positions. This master's degree delves into advanced subjects like criminal justice administration and research methods, preparing students to seek career opportunities in management, policy making, or academia.
For more information about AMU’s criminal justice degrees, visit our program page.
