Cluster Analysis Examination of Serial Killer Profiling Categories: A Bottom‐Up Approach

Abstract

AbstractTwo studies explored the validity of dichotomous classification of organised/disorganised serial killers and the four typologies (visionary, mission, hedonistic, and power/control) adopted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Tables documenting crime scene criteria were devised consisting of 50 typifying different crime scenes (Study 1) and 48 crime scenes (taken from the 50 crime scene criteria) with a further 10 motive‐based crime scene criteria (Study 2). Adopting content analysis, crime scenes depicted for 40 (Study 1) and 40 (Study 2) serial killers using secondary sources of data were dichotomously coded for the presence or absence of the crime scene criteria. These data were inputted for agglomerative hierarchical cluster using Ward's method as the clustering algorithm. Differences in the nature of clusters were found for male and female serial killers; however, there was no empirical support for the organised/disorganised classifications or the four typologies. The ‘bottom‐up’ approach resulted in clusters from the different crime scene criteria that helped to understand how these criteria were associated within the serial killer cohort considered. It is concluded that the resulting clusters in both studies support the notion of there being an underlying organised element to most serial murder and that serial murders differ according to the nature of disorganised crime scene criteria present. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.