The Use of Criminal Profilers in the Prosecution of Serial Killers

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the concept of criminal profiling in terms of serial killers in the United States. The research provided in this paper was found using the most recent research available on the topic. The FBI’s Behavioral Unit, or National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC), is the current leading law enforcement agency that investigates these types of crimes. They utilize definitions, typographies, and motives to create a criminal profile to investigate serial killings. Ultimately, these profiles are inadequate because they are inconclusive and exclude multiple suspects that are potentially dangerous. Therefore, criminal profiling should be merely utilized as an investigative tool, rather than a prosecutorial tool. Ultimately, the F.B.I.’s NCAVC must create a universal definition, as well as a more detailed list of typographies to help law enforcement more accurately identify and investigate serial killers.