Week 2 – Kennedy
Bobby Kennedy
Good Monday Morning, Professor and Classmates,
This week, we were asked the following questions:
If profilers are able to identify specific traits and/or characteristics of mass murders, how could criminal justice utilize these predictors to prevent future incidents?
Mass murderers and the heinous acts they commit can not be compartmentalized or narrowed down into a strict characterization of traits (Holmes & Holmes, 1992). There are, however, some identifying traits and characteristics of the individuals who commit mass murders. Statistically, Mass murderers often die at the scene of the crime, during or shortly after committing the mass murder (Holmes & Holmes, 1992). Mass murderers often want to be famous and want it to be known who committed the murders (Holmes & Holmes, 1992). At the same time, routinely, serial killers try to avoid being identified but want to prove a point or kill out of some deep-rooted disdain for their victim demographically (Holmes & Holmes, 1992).
It is difficult to determine the specific traits of a mass murderer as each one has different driving factors that cause them to commit the mass murder. Generally, the mass murderer is not significantly different from the average citizen on the surface, and most times, the individual is closer characteristically to suicidal individuals than they are to serial killers (Lankford et al., 2021). Statistically, most mass murderers are male, live alone or with family, are unmarried, have little to no interaction with other members of society except through the internet or social media apps, and have been reported as quiet (Lankford et al., 2021). A large number of mass murderers, in some form or fashion, will tell others about their plans to commit the act or will have some sort of manifesto ready to explain their actions since they do not plan to survive the act.
Having identified these traits, could Investigators use these to help solve, prevent, or identify mass murderers and prevent future acts?
Theoretically, they could. However, the description of most mass murderers is, as stated, not that much different than regular citizens. Many people are single, unmarried, or live with family. Even so, plenty more would be described as quiet, strange, and may be socially awkward. Add in the fact that most individuals will say things in person or online that they have no intention of acting upon. The amount of white noise and excess of individuals that act in line with the specific traits of mass murderers makes it next to impossible to sift through all the individuals and identify the ones who will act prior to a mass murder.
These indicators, coupled with a narrowed search area based on other factors in an investigation, such as locality, age, family concerns, tips from the public, and more, make the chances of a criminal profiler narrowing the field of possible suspects relatively good. This further solidifies the point that criminal profilers are a resource to help direct an investigation and not the definitive driving factor.
How might cultural bias threaten the objectivity required to investigate a crime scene?
Cultural biases are a concern in any investigation. Investigators must work to understand the cultures in the area with which they are working. For instance, in some cultures, individuals are more comfortable living with family members in the same home. Likewise, some cultures are less openly social outside of their families and communities; this in and of itself should not scream mass murderer to an investigator if they are well versed in other cultural norms.
In general, no investigator should let any lack of understanding or personal beliefs drive an investigation. Investigations should be driven solely by evidence. The best means to help do this are an individual’s understanding of not only cultural norms but also their own potential biases, as well as the utilization of peers or multiple resources, which help to promote thinking outside the box and drive evidential-based direction in investigations.
Thanks,
B. Kennedy
References:
Holmes, R. M., & Holmes, S. T. (1992). Understanding mass murder: A starting point. Federal Probation, 56(1), 53. https://web-p-ebscohost-com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=23f33c4f-8f1d-408f-8c4c-8d688f77d62d%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwJnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=9205184279&db=i3h
Lankford, A., Silver, J., & Cox, J. (2021). An epidemiological analysis of public mass shooters and active shooters: Quantifying key differences between perpetrators and the general population, homicide offenders, and people who die by suicide. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, 8(4), 125-144. https://doi.org/10.1037/tam0000166
