ug use, routines and people last in contact with the victim can give potential answers to questions from investigators. Questions such as: why this victim was chosen? Each question that is answered about the victim, can answer a question about the suspect. Victimology is essential because it can lead law enforcement agencies to identify a signature of the offender. Signature is basically repeated identifying markers that are used in a crime: same type of weapon, same type of restraints, same types of locations, same types of victims and so forth. Victimology is an approach used to obtain insight into the criminal mind. Determining the interaction that transpired between victim and offender is another important element of profiling. This can provide insight to past and future crimes. Studying the victims can assist police as to what techniques will be most advantageous during an interrogation. Identifying potential victims of a serial offender is another benefit. Ted Bundy a famous serial killer, chose his victims according to physical characteristics. Most of Bundy’s victims had long red hair and were of college age, which resembled his ex-girlfriend. As mentioned before, profiling is most effective when it is used for serial murders, rapes, ritualistic crimes and child molestations and abductions. These kinds of crimes are more difficult to solve and conventional police work alone will not suffice. Serial offender’s motives are somewhat abstract. Serial killers, which will be the focus, are different from the one-time killers; in the fact they usually kill 3 or more people. The one-time killers are those who may kill out of rage due to an insult or jealousy, they are reactive killers. Serial killers are motivated out of the act of killing itself, which is driven by a need to control and overpower. Serial murders will not be stopped unless they are stopped. The behaviors that are common to serial crimi...
