In a post on Writers in the Storm, Eldred Bird offers advice on creating serial killers using the same tools the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit uses to create profiles of serial killers.
Based on their interviews with murderers and serial killers, BAU agents identified five elements to building a profile:
- Victimology – Why this particular victim? Were they targeted for a reason or chosen at random? Do victims have anything in common or do they represent someone to the killer? You can use this information to craft your killer’s backstory.
- Location – Physical or geographic location of the body. Many serial killers stalk a specific area and have a favorite place to dump bodies. Does the location of the body have any special meaning to the killer? Hiding the body indicates shame or remorse, while leaving it out suggests confidence.
- Crime scene – The crime scene provides a wealth of information about the crime and the killer’s mindset. Did he linger at the scene? Did they try to clean up or pose the body? What weapon was used? Did the killer know how to use it?
- Organization level – Did the killing appear to be planned or unplanned? An organized killer leaves little or nothing behind, but unorganized killers can be messy or forgetful, or might use whatever is at hand to help them complete the killing and hide the body. Killers may become more or less organized as they go, suggesting their mental state.
- Pre and post-murder behaviors – How does the killer’s behavior change before and after the murder? An organized killer might have spent time stalking a victim, leaving a trail investigators can follow. After a crime, a killer might be more or less agitated or paranoid, or leave town.
