Police and Profiling in the United States: Applying Theory to Criminal Investigations PDF

Preface

On Friday, December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot his mother, Nancy, five times in the face and then drove five miles to Sandy Hook Elementary School, where he proceeded to massacre 20 children (ages six to nine) and 6 adults who were working at the school that day. This is one of the worst mass shootings in United States history due to the young innocence of most of the victims.

Following any mass shooting, the news media engages in a frenzied attempt to identify a legitimate motive—if only to provide some level of comfort to the public. Polices officers, detectives, profilers, and mental health professionals explore the facts of the case and search the killer's past history and behavior to formulate a possible motive, assigning their own human interpretation to each item found. The speculation of a motive and the promotion of violence often include elements of a troubled childhood for the killer. This case was no different. Law enforcement gathered detailed facts about Lanza's lifestyle, which unfortunately mirrored that of many other mass shooters. Adam Lanza was a loner, considered awkward in social settings, and had formed grievances against others—possibly the result of having suffered illtreatment at the hand of others (bullying).

The truth is that regardless of what the professionals, whether in criminal justice or mental health, assume, we can never know for sure what triggered Lanza's actions that day, or what he believed he was accomplishing in taking those actions. The manner in which he gained access to the building (shooting out the front window) suggests that he knew his actions were wrong, but beyond that, little more can be definitively known.

Almost immediately after the massacre, stories hypothesizing a motive began to hit the airwaves. The reasons as to why these reports occur are many, understandable, and unimportant because as long as professionals in the field ethically carry out their professional duties, the answers that so many seek in times of trouble will eventually emerge. On December 14th, the very day of the event, a former FBI profiler often interviewed by law enforcement said that "anyone who kills their own mother is capable of doing anything." He added, "What did his mother do? She was a kindergarten teacher. She had children that loved her and she loved them. . . . When he shot his mother and turned on those children, those children were part of his mother and she was part of them. He killed what his mother loved." This story accomplished what it was intended to do. It gave the masses an answer and an explanation to the burning question of why? The problem is that he was wrong. To date, no relationship between Nancy Lanza and Sandy Hook Elementary School has been identified.

The bigger problem is that the profiler made his statements as a representative of the profession. The use of his FBI status was intended to lend credibility to his statements, when in reality, it simply undermined the profession, its contributions, and its value . . . but only to those paying close attention. He provided insight and answers—though incorrect—to those who needed it at the moment they wanted it. To his professional colleagues, he simply added to the long list of incorrect, inaccurate, unscientific, and unconfirmed profiles. Fortunately, he was not the only former profiler consulted in the days that followed. Mary Ellen O'Toole, author of Dangerous Instincts, was also interviewed, although her responses provided less concrete answers. Almost as a mantra, she counseled patience to allow the professionals the time for due diligence; she resisted providing absolute answers, citing the vast amount of unknown information (i.e., the computer and cell phone content, the relationship to the school); and she educated people when she spoke of the definition of psychopathy, the legal considerations of right and wrong, and the intricate nature of classifying certain behaviors from the crime scene. To be sure, her interviews did not leave the viewers with a better sense of understanding and did not have the selling power (read: comfort value) of the previous interviews, but the long-term gain of quantifiable and reliable information far outweighs the quick, and often inaccurate, reporting that plagues the field to date.

This text seeks to undo decades of inaccurate and unreliable evidence by presenting the reader with information that is useful in conducting investigations and preparing cases for court. After all, in situations such as the one above, in which the offender kills him or herself as part of the crime, the true motive will never be known. Even if a note is left, it can only explain part of the mental process (the planning), but not the trigger that initiated the action. Even in situations where the offender is still alive, it is virtually impossible to completely identify a motive, given the vast amount of inputs, interventions, and potential outputs. The best one can do is construct a story that meets the standard of "beyond a reasonable doubt," and the purpose for that is in court.

This book was written for use as both a university textbook and a police training text. It was written by an academician and a practitioner with eyes for offering dual perspectives with respect to criminal profiling, identifying serial offender traits and characteristics, and identifying reasoning behind criminal profiling theories. This book also focuses on the importance of crime scene investigation, inductive and deductive reasoning, and future developments in the field. It promises to be a valuable part of the occupational library for law enforcement and criminal justice professionals alike. It is suitable for awareness training for police academies and detectives. Although the text is written as a college textbook, anyone with an interest in the fascinating world of criminal profiling will find it interesting, as it offers a twist different from other criminal profiling books.

Students taking the previously mentioned courses may be working toward a bachelor's degree or a master's degree, majoring in criminal justice, criminology, or crime scene investigation. Changes in this field are constant due to the advancement of technology. It is both authors' goal to address these changes and enhance awareness. The primary purpose of this book is to serve as a comprehensive and readable textbook for a one-semester course that deals with criminal profiling techniques and theories. This book can become a permanent part of any law enforcement or criminal justice professional's vocational library.