Criminal Profiling Case Study

In this week assignment we are to Consider how criminal profiling might have been effective in earlier detection and apprehension of the offenders and consider specific factors that might be important to include in a criminal profile. Criminal profiling has yet to reach a trust level to detect and apprehend offenders before they commit their criminal act but when it is accurate it proves to be very useful. Criminal profiling when used properly can almost detect the next move of the criminal. The Two criminal that I have chosen from my past assignments are James Holmes a mass murder and Thomas sweat a serial arsonist, each of these individual criminals had multiple victims and created fear with in their respective communities.
Mass shooters are seen as aggravated power and revenge seeking loners.
His crimes were over the course of 30-year span. The case of Thomas sweatt shows how criminal profiling can fail and allow more harm to be done. During sweatt criminal fire setting activities several people were killed. According to Jamison author of article in the Washington City Paper, At the scene of one deadly fire it was determined by the fire investigator that the cause was due to careless dropping of a cigarette. Investigator could have used the time of day, the location of where the fires were started along with the way the fires were started to append Sweatt earlier. Ultimately criminal profiling camera evidence and DNA evidence lead to the apprehension of Thomas Sweat.
Criminal profiling is an important art that can save lives when, people who could be future victims, are aware of typical situations that would make them a victim. Specific factors that might be helpful in criminal profiling is considering a person’s life style, gender, geographical location, mental health and a host of other factors can greatly contribute to criminal profiling and the ultimate goal of crime