1. Running head: CASE ASSESSMENT GUIDEBOOK 1
Case Assessment Guidebook
Matthew Porcelli
AJS/592
February 24, 2014
Professor Hoenig

2. CASE ASSESSMENT GUIDEBOOK 2
Case Assessment Guidebook
Crime and criminality are never a concise concept. As long as the mind has the ability to
act on free will and the drive of impulsive desires, offenders will continue to perplex and
challenge not only public perception but also the integrity of the criminal justice system.
Criminal profiling is steeped in the quandary of the motives and offender signatures that
investigators face on an abundant basis. As the types of criminals increase and evolve so does
the methods used to profile, track, and comprehend why offenders engage in such immorality.
Investigators act as builders attempting to assemble the overall structure of a criminal profile to
be used in court.
There are many approaches and deductive principles applied when preparing a criminal
profile for use at the time of and leading up to a conviction. Once the basis is understood,
categories can be assigned to classify a group(s) of offenders. Organized/disorganized, mixed,
and geographic profiling methods are very useful guides used to either eliminate or categorize
criminal behavior. Crimes such as premeditated murder and crimes of sexual aggression under
the latter types of categories and profiling produce extremely effective guides for both the
apprehension and conviction of such hostile and dangerous offenders.
Important Basics in Criminal Profiling
Since the human mind and acts associated with it lead to moments that seek clarity, it is
imperative that investigators are not only thorough but also scrutinize practically every aspect of
a crime scene. Investigators must treat all elements associated with a criminal act as an
important addendum to the offender’s behavioral profile. Forensic evidence, crime scene, and
victim characteristics, precede not only classification but also deployment techniques in

3. CASE ASSESSMENT GUIDEBOOK 3
apprehending those responsible for the criminal act(s) (Lawyers.com, 2014). Basically the crime
scene is the focal point in beginning the profiling process. From the collection of evidence to
interviewing witnesses, the gathering of elements associated with the crime scene location,
offender(s), and victim(s), leads to a jump-start in understanding and plotting behavior patterns.
Wrighstman and Fulero (2005) stated, “Criminal profiling has been described as an educated
attempt to provide specific information about a certain type of suspect and a biographical sketch
of behavioral patterns, trends, and tendencies (p. 77). Having a thorough amount and
understanding of evidence from the beginning makes the art of comprehending behavioral
predictability more accurate for use in apprehension and conviction.
Organized and Disorganized Offenders
Categorizing offenders based on the crime and evidence offers investigators a useful
perspective in preparing a criminal profile. Organized and disorganized dichotomy acts almost
like a mapping system, maybe even as far as a cheat sheet, to allow investigators to examine
crime scene evidence and victimology aspects, and place an offender(s) in the appropriate
behavioral category. Figure 1 illustrates how an organized or disorganized offender might differ.
Figure 1
Organized and Disorganized Offender Profiling Classification
Organized Offender (Psychopathic) Disorganized Offender (Psychotic)
- Offense Planned.
- Restraints Used.
- Victim Is Targeted Stranger.
- Offense Spontaneous.
- Victim/Location Known.
- Victim’s Body In Plain View.
Source: Turvey, B.E. (2008)/Organized and Disorganized Offenders.

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Organized or disorganized offenders may also be classified as psychopathic or psychotic
respectively. Psychosis and psychopathy are usually seen as interchangeable terms; however,
this is untrue. Both terms stand alone. Traits of a psychotic may include hearing voices
demanding that the host harm oneself or another; a psychopath encompasses a grandiose
exaggeration of the host with delinquent or criminal versatility (Hub Pages, 2009). Serial
murderers and rapists exemplify someone suffering from psychosis or psychopathy. Psychotic
serial killer David Berkowitz, also known as the Son of Sam, heard voices from a dog;
psychopathic serial killer Ted Bundy used charm and wit to rape and murder numerous women.
The crimes of Berkowitz and Bundy exhibit how past criminal instances may act as a guide to
others who fit similar behavior patterns. Serial rapists and murderers usually try to stay a step
ahead of investigators, but the initial crime scene and profile are powerful tools that eventually
lead to a practical understanding of aggressor motive and signature especially when the crimes
are recurrent.
Geographic Profiling
Public consensus is under the impression that criminal profiling is fixated on serial
murderers and rapists. Geographic profiling is a method which may be used when categorizing
other types of violent offenders. Geographic profiling is described as an investigative
methodology, which uses locations of a connected series of crimes to determine not only an
offender’s living space but also is used for crimes that involve multiple crime scenes (Harries,
1999). Less headline grabbing crimes are usually subjected to geographic profiling but may also
become involved in ascertaining the motives or signatures of habitual offenders. Serial murder,
rape, arson, robbery, and bombing cases are commonplace in geographic profiling (Harries,
1999). Unlike organized or disorganized offender profiling, which concentrates on a type of

5. CASE ASSESSMENT GUIDEBOOK 5
offense, geographic profiling works under a plotting system. If a series of arson cases were
limited to a certain radius of a geographic area, investigators could concentrate manpower via
special crime details to apprehend the offender(s). On the federal level, the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tabaco, and Firearms (ATF), liaison with the FBI to track criminal trends and compromise
offender profiles associated with arsonists and bombers (FEMA: U.S. Fire Administration,
2011). Understanding the criminal mind always begins at the scene of the crime; geographic
profiling acts as a noose to narrow the offender search based on crime scene location(s).
Mixed Offender Categories
Confusion is not irregular in criminal profiling. Mixed signals may be present regarding
an offender’s actions preceding from apparent carelessness. Habitual offenders are as complex
as the crime scene(s) and are not as easily assigned to respective categories. Mixed offenders
may encompass the attributes of both organized and disorganized offenders (Martin, 2007). For
example, serial killers may use restraints on his or her victims then perform sexual acts post
mortem. According to Martin (2007), Serial killer Richard Ramirez fit the profile of a mixed
offender based on his actions involving leaving some of his victims alive and exhibiting a
planned offense via possession of a police scanner. The notion of mixed offenders has
unfortunately led to many criticisms with regard to the integrity of classifying offenders and
generating accurate behavioral profiles. Even though the mixed offender category meets with
criticism it still narrows down certain individual characteristics. According to Martin (2007),
mixed offenders are usually young or involved with drugs or alcohol. With age and substance
abuse acting as behavioral markers, the list of suspects is narrowed.
Prioritized Categories

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A prioritized guide to behavioral or criminal profiling is only as effective as its assembly.
The members of the court must comprehend and distribute pertinent offender qualities, and
project its use as evidence. Physical evidence involves fingerprints, weapons, or biological
fluids; however, a solid criminal profile is invaluable. Linkage analysis is feasible in cases
reading two or more offenses; but, if evidence is neither relevant nor reliable it should not be
admissible (Turvey, 2008). Geographic profiling certainly is a significant technique that can be
introduced in court to strengthen the prosecution; however, organized, disorganized, and mixed
offender categories should follow in sequence respectively.
First, organized offenders merit prioritization because unlike its disorganized counterpart,
sophistication and premeditated thought regarding murder, rape, or additional violent crimes are
present. An offender with heightened intelligence is grounds for more concern. Even though
cunning wit or intelligence may conceal the initial, immoral, objective, the organized offender
has one of the most frightening attributes to investigators, patience. Disorganized offenders
would follow in the prioritization process because even though perfectionism via fantasy
minimally mimics actions of an organized offender the disorganized offender’s classification of
evidence are associated with victims with injuries ranging from asphyxiation to blunt force
trauma (Samples, 2014). In essence, crime scene sloppiness substantiates signatures of a
disorganized offender. Finally, mixed offenders are unique based on a blend of both organized
and disorganized characteristics. Prioritization might appear askew, but profiling an offender
with organized characteristics first merits a significant challenge for investigators and
prosecutors. Sloppiness and frenzies seen in disorganized or mixed offender characteristics are
prone to a high probability of detection; but, a knowledgeable, sophisticated, organized offender
is prone to a higher chance of eluding captivity.

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Conclusion
Conformity in criminal or behavioral profiling is limited to guidelines. A plethora of
behavior patterns, motives, and offender signatures aid in shaping and substantiating physical
and testimonial evidence. It is imperative not to become dismissive when analyzing certain
categories of evidence as well as stereotyping offenders. Organized, disorganized, and mixed
offender traits add to the complexity of a solid criminal profile. Geographic profiling assists in
deployment but categorizing offenders via one of the three offender categories not only offers
insight through deductive reasoning to apprehend suspects but also properly strengthen the
integrity of the prosecution. Murder, rape, and other violent crimes are a growing epidemic,
even on a chronic level; an accurate criminal profile is the difference between a stalled
investigation and a swift arrest and conviction.

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References
FEMA: U.S. Fire Administration. (2011). ATF Geographic Profiling Program. Retrieved from
http://www.usfa.fema.gov
Harries, K. (1999). Geographic Profiling. National Criminal Justice Reference Service.
Retrieved from http://www.ncjrs.gov
Hub Pages. (2009). The Difference Between Psychopathy and Psychosis. Retrieved from
http://www.veracity83.hubpages.com
Lawyers.com. (2014). The Criminal Profiling Process. Retrieved from
http://www.criminallawyers.com
Martin, S. (2007). Organized Versus Disorganized Serial Killers. Sciences 360. Retrieved from
http://www.sciences360.com
Samples, D. (2014). Compulsion To Kill: A History of Serial Murder. Psychautopsy Weekly.
Retrieved from http://psychautopsy.weekly.com
Turvey, B.E. (2008). Criminal Profiling: An Introduction to Behavioral Evidence Analysis,
Third Edition. Retrieved from the University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.
Wrightsman, L., & Fulero, S. (2005). Forensic Psychology (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson
Wadsworth.