John Douglas, former head of the FBI’s Investigative Support Unit, gave insight to an audience at the Union theater Tuesday night about the thinking of killers he has investigated, but he did not discuss specifics about the Baton Rouge serial killer.
Douglas, who came as a part of the Idea and Issues Committee Perspective Speaker Series, said he is not favorable to releasing detailed profiles to the public because people can develop closed minds on who they are looking for.
“People shouldn’t focus on a profile but on the behavior — the pre-offense and post-offense behavior,” Douglas said.
Douglas, who has worked on several cases, such as the Trailside Killer in San Francisco, the Atlanta child murderer, the Tylenol poisoner and Seattle’s Green River killer, provided the audience with a different perspective on profiles of serial killers.
Douglas said instead of concentrating on a killer’s facial qualities or shoe size, it is important to consider his thoughts and motives.
“You have to think like them and walk in their shoes,” Douglas said. “And you have to walk in the shoes of the victim as well.”
Douglas said in most cases there is a “stressor” that sets a killer off, driving him to commit a crime.
According to Douglas, a common misconception of serial killers is assuming they are insane and impulsive.
“These people are sane, but they commit insane acts,” Douglas said. “They know right from wrong. If they were impulsive, they’d be caught by now.”
He said a criminal usually has a preconceived fantasy of who the victim will be, but sometimes it is someone in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“In the mind of these people, there’s a preferential victim,” Douglas said. “If they can’t find someone who fits that description, they kill anyone. They can be seven or 70, black or white.”
Douglas said when criminals are caught, a facility may focus on rehabilitating them in an attempt to cure them of their tendencies.
However, he said it is not possible to rehabilitate someone who was never habilitated to begin with.
“You can lock up their body, but you can’t stop what’s in their minds,” Douglas said. “There’s no rehabilitating because something could happen to set them off, and they fall back and start doing it again.”
When Douglas works on a case, he said he usually starts by looking at the crime committed to figure out how the killer thinks.
Douglas said there are distinct habits of killers that can hint to who they are or even their guilt.
“When you accuse an innocent person of a crime, they’ll say they didn’t do it and they get in your face,” Douglas said. “But someone who’s guilty will sit back and listen to what you have to say. They want to know what you’ve got.”
Douglas said when they don’t have that anger, a red flag should go up.
Another indication contributing to a killer’s profile is the location of the crimes or a victim’s body.
Douglas said in most cases the perpetrators like to commit crimes on their home turf, or they bring a victim to a comfortable and familiar place.
He said investigators can even predict the race of the killer because in most cases the victim is the opposite race.
Students who attended the presentation said it helped to hear a different perspective on investigating criminals because it made them realize there are more factors than they originally thought.
Katie Adger, an anthropology and sociology junior, said it increases awareness to know more about the investigation process.
April Manuel, a criminology junior, said the profile released to the public about the Baton Rouge serial killer is helpful, but people should focus on other characteristics as well.
“In my opinion, this could fit anyone,” Manuel said. “Descriptions help, but that isn’t the only thing.”
Laura Marciante, a biochemistry senior, said the presentation made her realize there is no definite profile of a killer.
“It makes you wonder that there’s no specific profile,” Marciante said. “It could be your neighbor driving a minivan.”
Douglas said he has not been asked to help the Task Force in Baton Rouge, but he would never decline the offer.