e ineffective, he may resort to greater violence or he may kill them. Incarceration can also impact on the future modus operandi of offenders, especially in career criminals. Offenders refine their modus operandi as they learn from the mistakes that lead to their arrests. Thus, offenders are constantly reshaping their modus operandis to meet the demands of their crime (2). The violent and repetitive offender can often exhibit another behavior known as the signature aspect or calling card. This criminal behavior is usually an imperative part of the offenders behavior and tends to go beyond the actions necessary to commit the crime. Violent crimes are often brought to surface by the fantasies of offenders. When these crimes are eventually acted out, some aspect of each crime can demonstrate a unique, personal expression or ritual based on these fantasies (2). Purely committing the crimes does not satisfy the need of the offender, and this insufficiency compels them to go beyond just the offense of murder or what it may be, and perform a ritual. The calling card is when the offender leaves the ritual display at the crime scene. For example, the signature of many rapists is done by engaging in acts of manipulation or domination during the physical, verbal, or sexual phase of the assault. Vulgar and abusive language or preparation of a script for the victim to repeat represents a verbal signature. An example of sexual signature behavior would involve an offender who repeatedly engages in a specific order of sexual activity with different victims. Unlike the modus operandi, the signature aspect remains a constant and enduring part of each offender. The signature aspect may evolve, but will always retain the elements of the original scene. The modus operandi will always play an important role in linking cases. However, the modus operandi should not be the only criteria used to connect crimes, especially with repeat offenders who alter their mo...
