Signature Behavior vs. Modus Operandi

Sometimes it’s confusing for people to differentiate between a criminal’s signature versus the criminal’s modus operandi when a criminal commits a specific type of crime.

Are they the same?

No, they are distinctly different because one feeds on emotional needs, while the other is a procedure. Modus operandi is the method that is used to commit the crime and signature behavior is what helps to serve the criminal’s emotional and psychological needs.

A modus operandi or MO comes from the Latin phra...