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Essay / History of Serial Killer Profiling
Throughout history, the profiling of criminal defendants has been a controversial topic for as long as profiling has existed. Experts from both sides of the spectrum have commented on the question at hand: the effectiveness of profiling. But learning about the history of profiling gives a clearer idea of how reliable and unique this method is compared to other periods. Throughout this article you will see profiling used throughout history, starting with Jack the Ripper and ending when the FBI took profiling to a whole new level and how profiling compares to subjects which we cover in this course. The first example of profiling came from the Jack the Ripper case in 1888. Jack the Ripper was an infamous serial killer who raped, killed and mutilated five women in England. He is still known because he was the first documented serial killer. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay His identity is still unknown, but a profile was established when he was killing to help authorities arrest him. (Stevens, Evens 20). According to a surgeon named Thomas Bond, who worked with the London police, he created a profile claiming that Jack the Ripper was "a middle-aged man, leading a solitary life and having knowledge of medicine because he knew the anatomy of people.” . (Evens, Stevens 34). Additionally, Bond mentioned "a sexual nature of the killings coupled with elements of rage." » (Evens, Stevens 35). He examined crime scene photos of the last mutilated murder victim and the coroner's postmortem notes to establish this profile. (Evens, Stevens 45). How the victim was murdered is definitely important to your profile because it shows the emotions and knowledge of the killer and sets a pattern that you should look for. Using this method at a time when the police were not very effective in their investigative methods is impressive. In this particular example, the profile did not work. Jack the Ripper was never captured, and to this day, no one has scientific proof of Jack the Ripper's identity. Another example is that of George Metesky, the New York bomber. The elusive bomber that swept through New York in the 1950s dropped 32 homemade explosives throughout the city, injuring fifteen people. (“Unmasking the Mad Bomber,” 2017). After a long time, he began to write disturbing notes in local newspapers. So the police hired a psychologist to try to get inside the criminal's mind. The psychologist they hired was named James Brussel. He speculated that the bomber might be suffering from mental illness when he studied his behavior. More precisely, he thought, “[Bomber] was a classic paranoid schizophrenic…he may believe that other people are controlling him or plotting against him,” he later explained, (“Unmasking the Mad Bomber” 2017). . This is only the first part of the bomber puzzle. Using this illness, he pieced together different characteristics of this bomber, starting with paranoia, being a lone wolf, feeling superior to everyone, which would make him unable to hold down a job ( 2017). Eventually, he compiled a profile of this bomber that helped authorities identify and capture him. The profile included: single, self-educated, foreign, older and paranoid (“Criminal Profiling: The Reality Behind the Myth, 2004). His name was George Maetesky and the seventeen-year manhunt was coming to an end. Dr. Brussels was a pioneer in finding a connection between psychology and surveys..