What is going on in this picture? Be as descriptive as possible. We will look at your responses shortly.

What do forensic psychiatrists do? 1. Profile: use crime scene details to describe characteristics of the criminal to help find him/her –Ex. Body was carried long way. Criminal must have been strong or had help. 2. Evaluate competency: give tests and interviews to determine defendant’s personality, etc. –Ex. Are they insane?

If you were going to be a forensic psychiatrist, would you rather be involved in evaluating mentality or profiling? WHY?

How is forensic psychiatry different than clinical psychiatry? CLINICAL: Treat person to improve mental health –Ex. If you’re sad/anxious/etc. you see therapist to help you. FORENSIC: Dissect intellect/personality to reveal his/her true mental health –Ex. Only evaluates defendants who committed crimes.

What does “evaluating competency” mean? If the defendant is pleading “not guilty by reason of insanity,” then a for. psych. needs to determine which category the person falls under They already admitted to the crime, now the question is whether or not it was technically their fault. –1. Legally Insane: The person was unaware that he/she was doing something wrong during the commission of the crime. Ex. Schizophrenic –2. Incompetent to stand trial: The person presently doesn’t understand legal proceedings. Eventually has to plead insane, diminished capacity or sane. (Temporary classification) Ex. In shock…mother who killed her children couldn’t communicate with her lawyers –3. Diminished Capacity: The person doesn’t or did not (during the crime) meet all criteria of a normal person during the crime. Ex. low intelligence, under great distress during crime –4. Sane: The person was aware that he/she was doing something wrong during the commission of the crime.

At which of the four levels would you classify the following defendants? 1.A soldier returns from Iraq and kills someone who threatens him. 1.Diminished capacity 2.Defendant is unable to discuss case with attorney representing him/her 1.Incompetent to stand trial 3.Defendant is under the influence of drugs/alcohol 1.Diminished capacity

How many cases in the U.S. use the insanity defense? 1% Most lawyers know insanity is VERY difficult to prove beyond all reasonable doubt. Montana, Idaho, Utah do not allow the insanity defense…instead, “guilty, but mentally ill.”

What’s the history of the insanity defense? Insanity is a legal term, not a medical/psychiatric McNaghten Rule: –Established in England in 1843 when McNaghten assassinated a Scottish civil servant –States that if someone is unaware of what he/she is doing is wrong, it is inhumane to hold them accountable for their actions during that time. Daniel McNaghten

How does a for. psych. determine the competency of a defendant? 1 st : Medical history and physical exam –Family history of disorders or illness that may cause certain behaviors 2 nd : Test mental health two ways: –1. Personality tests MMPI: 400 personality questions –Depression, obsession, anxiety, paranoia, lying, manipulation Ink blots: analyzes interpretation of images TATs: Show picture and ask person to interpret it –Listen for interpretation, tone of the stories –Behaviors during story (tapping of fingers, anxiousness, etc.) –2. Intellectual test (IQ)

What did you write? What does that mean?

QUICK WRITE A defendant may be classified into one of four categories by a forensic psychiatrist. Describe two of these four categories. Describe the different tests that forensic psychiatrists use to assess the mental health of a defendant.

Do you want to be a profiler? o “In early December of 1983, at 38 years of age, I collapsed in a hotel room in Seattle while working on the Green River murders. For five days I hovered in a coma between life and death suffering from viral encephalitis brought on by the acute stress of handling more than 150 cases at a time. I wasn’t expected to live. I returned home a month later in a wheelchair. This permanently ended my career and to this day I still have impairment on my left side.” o John Douglas, FBI Profiler

Gary Ridgeway: Green River Killer victims Started in 1982 Apprehended in 2001

Thinker: Develop a profile of the murderer. No forced entry. Victim is face down and covered with a blanket. Victim was raped and died by asphyxiation.

Tell me what you could conclude about this criminal. –A man dies from 37 stab wounds. The crime is sloppy, and no attempt was made to hide the evidence. MEANS: Because the killer used more force than necessary, he probably knew the victim and was fueled by rage. Crime was probably not planned and maybe first murder because of the sloppiness.

What could you conclude about this criminal? –A woman’s body is found on the 10 feet from the side of a road along a remote, isolated stretch of highway. It is the only remote section on this road for miles. MEANS: the killer had access to a vehicle, knew how to drive, strong enough to lift body, familiar with area the body was dumped

What is criminal profiling? Uses details of the crime scene and victim to determine who might have committed that crime (narrow down your field of suspects). Victimology: study of the victim’s life to determine if the lifestyle contributed to crime Ex. A high profile drug dealer’s death may have been related to his work. Ex. A prostitute’s death may have been related to her work. Learning about the crime scene allows you to determine: –Intent: motive/purpose for the crime. Ex. Was the person robbed? (financial gain). Ex. Was the person tortured? (psychological gain) –Characteristics of criminal: Personality, location, etc. Ex. Was the person dropped off far from his/her home? (Criminal probably had a car).

How can profiling help catch a criminal? Profilers develop Modus Operandi (MOs = Method of Operation) and signatures based on the crime scene (used for serial killers: killers of more than 2 people over long time periods) –MO: describes the tools and strategies a criminal uses (ex. Breaking in using glass cutters) –Signature: unique act that occurred at crime (ex. Wet Bandits from Home Alone left water running)

What are some of the MO (Method of Operation) categories? 1. Classword: kind of property attacked Ex. Convenience stores 2. Entry: point of entry Ex. Front door, window 3. Means: tool to commit crime Ex. Knife, gun, rope 4. Object/trophy: kind of property taken to remember the crime Ex. Wallet, pictures of victim 5. Time: time of day or date of significant events Ex. Night, anniversary of death of mother 6. Style: fraud to lure victim –Ex. Act as a clown to lure children 7. Tale: alibi criminal lies about –Ex. Tell roommate going to the bar 8. Pals: whether criminal had help –Ex. Driver of getaway car of bank robbers 9. Transport: vehicle to get to crime –Ex. Walk, drive, bike, skateboard, public transportation, scooter… Note: MOs may change over time as the criminal learns. Signatures do NOT. Not every category occurs at every scene. More info. can always be added to MO.

QUICK WRITE Describe criminal profiling. Draw a picture representing each of the nine MO categories near each category.