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Media Watch
HeadlineForensic Psychologists Tackle UK Serial Killer
Published13th December
Psychology aspectContributions from forensic psychologist Keith Ashcroft, Joseph Diaz, a criminologist at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, David Canter, director of the Centre for Investigative Psychology at the University of Liverpool, and Glenn Wilson, an expert in deviant personalities at the Institute of Psychiatry in London.
Key pointsPolice say that the spate of serial murders in such a short time period is extremely unusual and may be unprecedented.
Keith Ashcroft, a forensic psychologist and expert in sex crimes, based in Edinburgh, UK, speculates that the murderer is deliberately “taunting” police and that the person probably has some massive grudge against the police force, probably even in Suffolk and wants to make the police look inadequate.
Joseph Diaz, a criminologist at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, US, says that the fact the bodies were dumped in water suggests that the killer is of above average intelligence, because he knows physical evidence will be washed away.
David Canter, director of the Centre for Investigative Psychology at the University of Liverpool, says: "His first murder was likely to be a carefully considered attempt to hide some other crime: killing the victim because she was a crucial witness."
Glenn Wilson an expert in deviant personalities at the Institute of Psychiatry in London states that Psychologists can paint a picture of a typical serial killer based on profiles of the limited number of serial killers available, but this will not necessarily be accurate, or help police, It may even lead detectives down a blind alley. In supporting his contention Wilson argues that the police may not even consider a female suspect or be alert for a female accomplice. Wilson cites the infamous murder of model Rachel Nickell in Wimbledon, London, in 1992, where he says police adhered so closely to the psychological profile provided that they became blind to other possibilities and wasted valuable time prosecuting Colin Stagg. He was later acquitted of the murder, which has never been solved.
Wilson claims that geographical profiling would be much more useful than psychological profiling, particularly as in this case the bodies were all found close to the A14, a major road that runs from Felixstowe to the Midlands, skirting Ipswich. The killer probably knows the route well and may live somewhere along its path.
Links
Click Here For The Latest Police Briefing
For a free and comprehensive guide to the world of forensic psychology, including several pages dedicated to criminal profiling don't forget to visit the main forensic psychology website.
http://www.all-about-forensic-psychology.com/
