Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives

by John E. Douglas, Ann W. Burgess, Robert K. Ressler

Who are the men committing the rising number of serial homicides in the U.S. -- and why do they kill? The increase in these violent crimes over the past decade has created an urgent need for more and better information about these their crime scene patterns, violent acts, and above all, their motivations for committing these shocking and repetitive murders.

This authoritative book represents the data, findings, and implications of a long-term F.B.I.-sponsored study of serial sex killers. Specially trained F.B.I. agents examined thirty-six convicted, incarcerated sexual murderers to build a valuable new bank of information which reveals the world of the serial sexual killer in both quantitative and qualitative detail. Data was obtained from official psychiatric and criminal records, court transcripts, and prison reports, as well as from extensive interviews with the offenders themselves.

Featured in this book is detailed information on the F.B.I.'s recently developed Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP) and a sample of an actual VICAP Crime Analysis Report Form.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Psychology, Crime, Research, Education, Science

234 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

John Edward Douglas is a former United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent, one of the first criminal profilers, and criminal psychology author. He also wrote four horror novels in the mid 1990s. -Wikipedia

During his twenty-five year career with the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, a name he later changed to The Investigative Science Unit (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995), John Douglas became the leading expert on criminal personality profiling and the pioneer of modern criminal investigative analysis. Through his research with serial criminal’s, Douglas learned how criminals think and what makes them do the things that they do, and why. Douglas can determine many personal traits and habits of an offender just by examining the crime scene; it’s evidence and victimology (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Interviews John Douglas has conducted hundreds of interviews with some of the world’s most notorious serial offenders, which include: - Charles Manson, and three members of the Manson clan. - Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of Robert F. Kennedy. - John Wayne Gacy, the serial killer that killed 33 people. - David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam”. - James Earl Ray, assassin of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Ted Bundy - Unsuccessful assassins of Gerald Ford and George Wallace (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Captured In addition, Douglas’s profiles aided in numerous arrests of serial offenders, some of which include: - Wayne Williams, the .22 caliber killer. - Carlton Gary, the stalking strangler. - Robert Hanson, the Anchorage Alaska baker who would kidnap, hunt, then kill local prostitutes. These are just a few of the cases that John Douglas aided in throughout his twenty-five year career as a profiler with the Behavioral Science Unit, which he later renamed the Investigative Science Unit (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Contributions to Psychology Douglas and his colleagues outlined in an article that explained the goals of a serial offender in the September 1980 issue of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. They are as follows: - What leads a person to become a sexual offender and what are the early warning signals? - What serves to encourage or to inhibit the commission of his offense? - What types of responses or coping strategies, by an intended victim are successful with what type of sexual offender in avoiding victimization, and - What are the implications for his dangerousness, prognosis, disposition and mode of treatment (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995)?

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rape: defences. If you find this useful, please pass along the author's summary for trying to successfully defend yourself against rape. (The long version is in spoilers).

"The following discussion is an attempt to provide an overview of possible strategies for resisting rape. The observations and conclusions derive from our joint clinical experience, including extensive contact with victims and offenders as well as the detailed evaluation of more than three hundred offender files. This experience allows us to observe a large number of effective and ineffective responses to rape, sometimes with the same offender. While there is a conceptual and clinical foundation for the recommendations that follow, there is, at present, little supportive empirical evidence."

"Step 1. Firm verbal confrontation. Firmly tell the attacker to get away and leave you alone.
If step 1 is unsuccessful:
Step 2. Physical confrontation. Immediately take the offensive and attack the assaulter with moderate physical aggression (hit, kick, punch, etc.).
If step 2 is unsuccessful:
Step 3: Nonconfrontative Verbal Responses. Attempt to calm the assaulter and talk him down from his rage. Engage him in conversation, and make yourself a real person to him. Challenge his fantasy that you are the person

Lessons Learned for Response to Sexual Violence
he wants to harm. Set the stage for an escape attempt (e.g., try to talk him into taking you to a more populated area: “Let’s go have a drink” etc.).
If step 3 is unsuccessful in neutralizing the violence:

Step 4: Violent confrontation. Use extreme aggression, and take any action within your means (kick, punch, bite, strike with rock, etc.) to incapacitate the assaulter and avoid rape or mortal physical injury.
In sum, knowledge may be the only weapon a victim has in a highly dangerous situation. As such, knowledge can provide a sense of power, as well as the confidence necessary to act rather than resign out of helplessness."

Long version of strategies of defence against rape.
Analysis of the various strategies defined in the literature, combined with our clinical experience with both convicted offenders and rape victims, allows us to define a typology of response strategies as follows: escape, verbally confrontative resistance, physically confrontative resistance, nonconfrontative verbal response, nonconfrontative physical resistance, and acquiescence.

Escape
We emphasize that escaping the assailant is always the optimum response when it can be employed successfully. However, deciding whether an escape attempt will be successful is very difficult. If the victim is alone in the woods with nowhere to run or is assaulted by multiple offenders, escape attempts may not only be unsuccessful, but may also be hazardous. If weapons have been brandished, the possible consequences of attempting to escape—and being caught—may make it not worth the risk. If the offender appears to be young and athletic, the probability of a successful escape diminishes.
In general, in a city or urban location, if there are no weapons, if there are other people somewhere in the vicinity, and if there are no encumbrances (i.e., no clothes tied or tangled around the ankles), the probability of successful flight will be increased. Caution must be exercised, however. There is a small percent of individuals (i.e., sadists) for whom unsuccessful flight may only serve to increase arousal and, in so doing, increase the brutality of the attack.

Verbally Confrontative Resistance
This strategy includes screaming or yelling (“Leave me alone! Get away!”) as a means of attracting attention or asserting oneself against victimization. These verbal responses are strictly confrontative and are intended to convey the message at the outset of the assault that the victim will not acquiesce.

Physically Confrontative Resistance
Confrontative physical resistance ranges from moderate responses (fighting, struggling, punching, or kicking) to violent responses (attacking highly vulnerable areas—face, throat, groin—with lethal intention). These responses are dictated by many critical situational factors, such as the location of the assault, the presence of a weapon, the likelihood of help, the …

Once it has been demonstrated that the rapist will likely use whatever force necessary to gain victim compliance, confrontative physical resistance would be unwise unless the victim is confident that it will work. The best strategy, then, is to encourage the rapist to start talking about himself (playing on his narcissism) so that the victim becomes real rather than a sexualized object.

Nonconfrontative physical strategies may also work, but they tend to be unreliable and are highly idiosyncratic to the individual rapist. As noted earlier, some of these responses (crying, nausea, gagging) may be involuntary, in which case the victim may have to overcome the response if it is aggravating the situation.

Many exploitative rapists will certainly be given a moment’s pause if the victim appears undaunted and immediately says, “You what? Here? Now? Come on, let’s sit down here and talk.” While admittedly this requires extraordinary presence of mind on the part of the victim, it has the advantage of momentarily catching the rapist off guard. It may not avoid the rape, but it might decrease the amount of physical injury that could result from the assault as well as give the victim time to assess options and set the stage for possible escape.

If the victim is unable to engage the offender in conversation, and the physical attack continues, escalates, or appears to be lethal, the victim should fight with every means available (attack eyes or groin, hit the offender with a rock or stick, etc.) to escape and/or avoid serious injury.

If the assailant remains after verbal confrontation, has no weapon, and responds with threats or retorts, the victim should immediately resist physically by punching, hitting, kicking. Such physically confrontative resistance is often successful with compensatory rapists and is sometimes successful with exploitative rapists.

If the attacker responds to victim physical confrontation with increased anger and/or violence, the victim should cease physical resistance. If he responds by immediately ceasing his aggressive/violent behavior and is willing to engage the victim in conversation, he is also likely to be an exploitative rapist and the victim should use verbal strategies.

If the attacker continues to escalate aggression/violence, the victim should attempt to begin verbal dissuasive techniques. Again, the object is to break the confrontation, reduce tension, and defuse the violence. If verbal dissuasion is unsuccessful and the violence continues in spite of the victim’s attempts, the victim again must do anything to get out of the situation. If verbal dissuasion is successful and the violence seems to diminish, those same responses should be continued, with specific statements tailored to what the rapist is saying.

For the displaced-anger rapist , the victim is a substitute for and a symbol of the hated person(s) in his life. The primary motive is to hurt and injure the victim. Aggression may span a wide range from verbal abuse to brutal assault. Try to talk the assailant down from his rage, and convey the message that she is a stranger, and that there are other ways to find a sex partner or express anger. The intent is to disrupt the fantasy and, in so doing, challenge the rapist’s symbolic conceptualization of the victim.

If the response is positive (the offender stops, listens, or talks), the same course of action should be continued. If he pays no attention and persists in his attempts to force the victim to submit to sexual activity and if the amount of aggression does not extend beyond that force, the attacker is probably exploitative. The victim should persist in verbal attempts to make herself real by diverting the offender with questions about himself.

If there is a clear escalation in aggression, the victim should try to distinguish between a displaced and a sadistic motive. If the primary intent seems to be to humiliate and demean by word or deed, the offender is more likely to be a displaced-anger rapist. If none of this is present, and the rapist is making demands that are both eroticized and bizarre, then he is probably sadistic. With a displaced-anger rapist, the victim should keep conversation in the here and now and underscore the message that she has not abused him. Because these men have a history of perceived abuse by women, the victim should try to demonstrate some sense of interest, concern, or caring. If the victim determines that the individual is a sadist, she should use extreme violent confrontation and do whatever possible to escape. There is no single response that is likely to deter a sadistic assault, and because these assaults are potentially lethal, the victim must do whatever is in her power to survive the attack and attract help.

This is a text book with many references listed annoyingly at the end of every chapter. BUT it is also a 10+ star book. It doesn't matter how dry it is, it gives real information that is helpful and may save your life. Especially if you are a woman. I'm going to type up the information verbatim. Soon.

[Mizuki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This whole thing reads like textbook...

Huhh.......if you were doing a paper on serial killers or if you were a cop in training, I think this book is really helpful. But as for entertainment value, this book almost has none.

[Zach Fortier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have used this as a reference for many cases I worked and to educate others. Ressler wrote the book on serial killers and understanding patterns. This book is a must in your library if you are a cop or want to be a cop, or perhaps just want to understand what is really going on at crime scenes and not watch police procedural cop shows that are no where near reality. I Highly recommend all of Resslers works

[Monzy S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Ressler is my idol, he is a pioneer in behavioral analysis and criminal profiling and a very intelligent, fascinating man, great writer as well. The book is so interesting and educational!

[Lightreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compilation of multi-authored journal articles from the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin and other sources, discussing various facets of sexual homicide and tracking the statistical results of a thirty-six person offender interview study. The book is intended for law enforcement officers and legal professionals, and the topics range from offender characteristics to crime classifications to post-offense behavior to recommended interview techniques, the role of the sketch artist in an investigation, and possible outcomes for secondary victims (family and friends).

And can I just say that of course it would be yesterday that I’d run into an old friend I spent a lot of time flirting with but haven’t seen in a while, who knows me well enough to recognize my Bookport and ask, all engaged personal interest, “what are you reading?”

Anyway. A very general sort of book, with a lot of good information but not a terrible amount of depth. Douglas is the headliner, but the ego is notably absent. Two articles stood out; the first, written in 1985, adorably trumpets the wonder of modern technology; there’s a computer at Quantico and a computer in DC, and they can send information back and forth between them. Aww!

The other is an article from The Journal of Interpersonal Violence, which draws on the offender interviews and other data to try and outline the optimal response to sexual assault. It’s a deeply confused piece which seems as if it wants to be directed to victims but isn’t, and offers up such useful advice for moments of extreme terror for your life as, “If he responds by immediately ceasing his aggressive/violent behavior and is willing to engage the victim in conversation, he is also likely to be an exploitative rapist and the victim should use verbal strategies. If the attacker continues to escalate aggression/violence, the victim should attempt to begin verbal dissuasive techniques.”

It’s not like it’s a bad idea, delineating the occasions when resisting is a good strategy, and when it will only increase risk. In reality, these are determinations women do make on their own, sometimes with startling accuracy. But the presentation is hilariously inept.

A good book, but not terribly revealing. Starting point, not the meat of research.

[Katherine Addison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in the mid 80s, Robert Ressler and John Douglas started going around to prisons and interviewing convicted serial killers about what they'd done and why they'd done it. This is the fruit of that labor. It is at this point a historical artifact--behavioral profiling has, of course, gotten more nuanced and sophisticated than it was when it was being invented essentially from scratch. It is also a textbook, rather than a popular book (both Ressler and Douglas have written about the experience in their autobiographical works), so it does not make for compelling reading. I read it because I was curious about the actual results of the study which I'd seen referred to in a number of places.

At this point, their findings look like old hat, but they only look like old hat because of the effects of this study.

[Betsy Ashton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this for research, because I write about serial killers. I don't write about sexual killers, so I didn't know much about what makes them tick. This book lays out motives, psychological behavior, etc. of a series of rapists who murdered their victims. All of the killers were in prison and agreed to participate in the study.

The book is well written and well researched. It is dated, however, because it was printed in 1992. Thus, the crime scene investigation techniques, reliance on DNA analysis and other scientific advances aren't current. That said, the psychological studies are valid and most revealing.

If you aren't a writer or a researcher hooked on serial killers, this book isn't for you. If you do love these deviants, this books belongs on your shelf -- after you've read it.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sexual Homicide: Paterns and Motives is an excellent source for any investigator or person in need of information on processes of the killers mind. The book looks at the psychology of the offenders as well as the physical aspects identifying different types of offenders.
If you use or like this book Crime Classification Manual: A Standard System for Investigating and Classifying Violent Crimes is a must have as well.

[Daphne Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative

Even though this book is over 20 years old it is very accurate and informative. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in true crime or who works in the field.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for a criminal investigative analysis class. Very interesting.

[Andriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

В світі дуже багато збоченців і хворих людей. Як би сумно це не було визнавати, але це правда.

В США ще на початку 80-х почали проводити дослідження психотипу злочинців різного формату, особливу увагу приділяючи серійним вбивцям, маньякам, педофілам. Вони вивчають детальний вплив різних факторів протягом життя людини, починаючи від дитинства, закінчуючи тригерами які спонукали їх на вбивство чи іншого типу злочини в дорослому віці.

Найбільший чинник, звісно, - сім‘я в якій зростає дитина: як спілкуються в сім‘ї, хто з батьків відіграє основну роль, повна сім‘я чи ні, є в дитини окрема кімната чи немає, чи є друзі, скільки, які, як часто змінюються і тд. Чи були садистичні схильності в дитинстві/ підлітковому віці? Чи працювали батьки, яка в них була освіта, чи були домашні тварини?

Ці дослідження мега детальні і проводили їх для того, щоб розробити типізацію і портретування маньяків і вбивць, щоб швидше можра було шукати підозрюваних і потенційних злочинців.

Вражаюче, що в США це почали проводити ще 40 років назад і тоді ж почали використовувати їх, розробляючи портрет.

Мені запамятався один приклад: вбивство не надто привабливої самотньої жінки, з посмертним вирізанням внутрішніх органів і десексуалізації тіла в коридорі багатоповерхового будинку, без слідів боротьби свідчить про те, що з вбивцею вона була знайома, бо вона не користувалась популярністю і він не викликав жодних підозр, вбивця був знайомий з місцевістю і він точно знав, що в нього буде достатньо часу, щоб знущатись над трупом, без страху бути побаченим.

За кожним вбивцею і кожним маньяком стоять люди, які це толерують, які не можуть або не хочуть помічати, що з людиною щось не так. Бо спершу хтось відрізає лапи котам, а потім груди жінкам. Бо перш ніж здійснити вбивство людина проходить до цього дуже великий шлях, де зажди поруч є інші люди, які допомагають або не заважають стати монстром. І від усвідомлення цього стає дуже страшно і моторошно.

Завчасно відповідаючи на запитання «навіщо ти це читаєш?» бо мені цікаво і я вважаю це важливими темами, про які варто знати. Такі жахи - це не десь далеко, це в Черкасах баба відрізає в живого хлопчика частинки тіла, поки він в агонії не помирає і всім на це начхати. І це відбувається не за один день, але ніхто не бачить, або не хоче бачити.

Ну і раз я вже скотилась у філософію: дуже багато злочинів (якщо не всі) можна було б уникнути, багато життів і можна було б зберегти, якби люди вміли любити хоча б своїх найближчих людей.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

ENGLISH REVIEW:

This book is the culmination of many years of research by Robert K. Ressler, John E. Douglas, Ann Burguess and other professionals. They all did pioneering work in criminal behavior analysis and profiling. Their goal was to understand the thinking of the sexual murderers whose crimes were rampant between the 1960s and 1990s in the United States. This book is the result of such research, so it is academic, scholarly, and dry in writing style. It not only talks about the thought patterns and motives of these murderers when committing their crimes, but also about their possible conditioning factors in their environment, their childhood, their family context, etc. It also delves into the concept of rape and how to defend oneself against it. It is very interesting if you are interested in criminology, psychology and mental health.

REVIEW EN ESPAÑOL:

Este libro constituye el fruto de un trabajo de investigación de muchos años en el que trabajaron Robert K. Ressler, John E. Douglas y Ann Burguess junto con otros profesionales. Todos ellos ejercieron una labor pionera en análisis del comportamiento criminal y en la elaboración de perfiles criminales. Su meta era entender la forma en que pensaban los asesinos sexuales cuyos crímenes abundaron entre los años 60s y los 90s del siglo XX en los Estados Unidos. Este libro es el resultado de tal investigación, por tanto es un libro académico, de estudio y seco en estilo de escritura. No solo habla de los patrones de pensamiento y motivos a la hora de cometer sus crímenes dichos asesinos, sino de sus posibles condicionantes en su entorno, su infancia, su contexto familiar, etc. Además de profundizar en el concepto de violación y de cómo defenderse ante una. Es muy interesante si te interesa la criminología, la psicología y la salud mental.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important book in the development of understanding about the inner motivations of men using murder as an expression of power, sexuality and brutality. Not as cutting edge as it may have been when published in the early 90s (my edition at least), but it is still a valuable insight into the self-constructed mind-think of sexual predators. The chapters on composite drawings and family responses to trauma seem a little out of place in a study of patterns and motives, but the book – written by academics and FBI experts – offers useful context about a grim and perplexing crime.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and interesting, but it is dry as a bone. This is more or less a report-cum-essay; it’s not meant to be enjoyable.

A must-read for those interested in where the BSU/ISU/BAU developed their knowledge, and the commonalities and development of violent sexual offenders. But don’t expect to be entertained.

[Dan Denney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent information, reads like a textbook

This was filled with great information from a series of well-researched papers and the studies directly of criminals. If you're after a factual breakdown of sexual homicide, this is it. Rightfully so, it reads like a textbook so I would rate it 4 or 5 as reference material, but 3 as a general read.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was easy to read, enjoyable and informative. It contains a good mix of case studies, research data and outcomes as well as the applicability of the research for those working in the criminal justice system. If you are interested in gaining insight into the criminal mind, this is a great place to start.

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good but more of a textbook than a sit down and read it type of book, I also found I knew a lot of the information already from reading a lot of other true crime

[C.E. Case · Rating 5 out of 5]

A seminal work for sure. Dry, but fascinating. Includes chapters on victimology and how to protect yourself against rape.

[Chişereu Claudiu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful analysis of the innards of convicted serial killers.

[Arsenio Peraza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read about nature of people crimes

[Morgan Lancaster · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little textbooky but still very interesting and had a lot of good information.

[Birdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some on the cusp p-values but over all very entertaining read

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super intriguing, lots of stats but overall a very good and informative read

[Miri (: · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive, already knew

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

譯筆中規中矩，譯名方面反映譯者顯然是啞巴英語，會讀寫沒跟人講。
內容由於太久前寫，所以有少許過時。

[Roberto Yoed · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say, the OG guide of serial killers.

A must read for those interested (not a 5 stars because fuck the FBI).

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

very educational and interesting

[Franny Hess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly fascinating

[Nat · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the authors have done much for the field, they aren't without their professional faults, which includes their research. I'm left wondering what happened to the journal article that was submitted based on this book, after it was rejected by the reviewers?

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the same one addressed in the Mind hunter Series on Netflix. It provides some great information on how the FBI is cataloging and using artificial intelligence systems to find these types of killers. Great book!!