AO3

• Strength 1 - Research Support

  • David Canter (2004) - 100 US murders, each by different serial killers, analysed by smallest space analysis [statistical test]
  • The test assessed the co-occurrence of 39 aspects of serial killings
  • There does seem to be a subset of features of many serial killings which matched the FBI's typology for offenders
• Strength 1: Counter

  • Many studies have suggested that organised and disorganised are not mutually exclusive
  • Variety of combinations that occur at any given crime scene
  • Godwin (2002) argues it is difficult to classify killers as one type or the other, a killer may have multiple contrasting characteristics, like high intelligence, and sexual competence whilst committing a spontaneous murder.
  • Suggests that organised/disorganised typology is more of a continuum
• Strength Two - Wider Application

  • Can be adapted to other types of crime e.g. burglary
  • Tina Meketa (2017) - top-down profiling leads to an 85% solved burglary cases in three US states
  • detection method adds two new categories:
  • Interpersonal (knows victims and steals something of significance)
  • Opportunistic (generally inexperience young offenders)
  • Top-down profiling has wider application than originally presumed
• Weakness One - Flawed Evidence

  • developed using interviews with 36 murderers in the US (25 were serial killers, the other 11 = single or double murderers)
  • 24 = organised
  • 12 = disorganised
  • FBI did not select a random or large sample, or different types of offenders
  • There was no set questions - each interview was different
  • Suggests that TDP does not have a scientific basis
• Weakness Two - Personality

  • Walter Mishcel - people's behaviour is driven by the situation they are in rather than their personality.
  • Behavioural patterns at a crime scene may not indicate how the individual behaves in everyday life