WEBVTT
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Welcome back, everybody. Today we're going to be looking at
2
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why serial killers choose certain places. A serial offender commits
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00:00:07.960 --> 00:00:10.720
three murders. The first victim is found near a highway.
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00:00:10.740 --> 00:00:14.199
The second is discovered eight miles away, beside an industrial area.
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00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:17.920
The third is found near a wooded access road. At first,
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the locations appear unrelated. Put them on a map and
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00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:24.940
something interesting may emerge. The geography itself can become evidence.
8
00:00:25.649 --> 00:00:29.429
This is the basic idea behind geographic profiling, analyzing the
9
00:00:29.489 --> 00:00:34.539
spatial relationships among related crimes to help investigators understand where
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00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:37.759
an offender may live, work, or travel. The important point
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00:00:37.799 --> 00:00:40.219
is that offenders usually operate within a world they know.
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00:00:40.420 --> 00:00:43.469
Think about your own life. You probably have areas you
13
00:00:43.479 --> 00:00:47.810
understand very well, routes to work, shopping centers, side streets. Well,
14
00:00:47.829 --> 00:00:51.409
criminal offenders operate the same way. Researchers describe this as
15
00:00:51.450 --> 00:00:56.090
the offender's awareness space. The predator looking for victims, therefore,
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00:00:56.130 --> 00:00:58.829
may not simply select a location because it is isolated.
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00:00:58.890 --> 00:01:02.189
The location may combine several advantages. The offender knows how
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00:01:02.229 --> 00:01:06.030
to reach it. Potential victims are available nearby. The offender
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00:01:06.049 --> 00:01:10.950
understands traffic patterns. They're familiar with escape routes. There's less
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00:01:10.989 --> 00:01:15.530
police presence. However, operating too close to home can be
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00:01:15.549 --> 00:01:18.810
dangerous as well. Imagine an offender living in a particular
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00:01:18.849 --> 00:01:22.650
neighborhood committing a highly visible crime directly outside their residence area.
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00:01:23.159 --> 00:01:27.079
increases the possibility of being recognized. This contributes to the
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00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:31.140
concept sometimes called the buffer zone. An offender may avoid
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00:01:31.180 --> 00:01:34.500
committing certain crimes immediately around a home base while still
26
00:01:34.579 --> 00:01:38.280
operating within a broader familiar territory. That can produce a
27
00:01:38.299 --> 00:01:41.599
geographic pattern in which crimes surround an important location without
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00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:46.120
occurring directly beside it. Investigators may also distinguish between different
29
00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:49.769
locations associated with the same crime. Where was the victim
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00:01:49.810 --> 00:01:52.750
first encountered? Where did the assault or murder occur? Where
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00:01:52.790 --> 00:01:57.609
was the body discovered? These locations are not necessarily identical.
32
00:01:57.870 --> 00:02:00.859
An offender might encounter victims in one area and transport
33
00:02:00.890 --> 00:02:05.019
them somewhere else. That distinction can reveal something about offender behavior.
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00:02:05.819 --> 00:02:09.740
Consider highways. A cluster of crimes along major transportation corridors
35
00:02:09.780 --> 00:02:14.069
may indicate mobility rather than a traditional centered pattern. Someone
36
00:02:14.090 --> 00:02:16.960
whose occupation or lifestyle involves extensive driving may have an
37
00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:21.860
awareness base covering a much larger geographic area. A dot
38
00:02:21.879 --> 00:02:23.800
on a map does not tell you why the offender
39
00:02:23.819 --> 00:02:27.900
selected the location or who the offender is. Different offenders
40
00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:34.580
produce similar patterns for different reasons. It helps investigators prioritize possibilities, though.
41
00:02:34.979 --> 00:02:38.479
The technique becomes interesting when geographies combine with behavioral evidence.
42
00:02:39.270 --> 00:02:42.669
Investigators will ask what connects these places, who routinely travels
43
00:02:42.710 --> 00:02:47.110
between them, which locations require specialized familiarity, and where might
44
00:02:47.150 --> 00:02:50.930
the offender feel most comfortable. Serial offenders leave more than
45
00:02:51.050 --> 00:02:56.360
footprints or fingerprints or DNA. They also leave patterns of movement.
46
00:02:56.479 --> 00:03:00.300
Every crime requires an offender to be somewhere. Every victim
47
00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:02.300
encounter requires paths to cross.
1
00:00:01.659 --> 00:00:03.540
Welcome back, everybody. Today we're going to be looking at
2
00:00:03.660 --> 00:00:07.919
why serial killers choose certain places. A serial offender commits
3
00:00:07.960 --> 00:00:10.720
three murders. The first victim is found near a highway.
4
00:00:10.740 --> 00:00:14.199
The second is discovered eight miles away, beside an industrial area.
5
00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:17.920
The third is found near a wooded access road. At first,
6
00:00:17.960 --> 00:00:21.160
the locations appear unrelated. Put them on a map and
7
00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:24.940
something interesting may emerge. The geography itself can become evidence.
8
00:00:25.649 --> 00:00:29.429
This is the basic idea behind geographic profiling, analyzing the
9
00:00:29.489 --> 00:00:34.539
spatial relationships among related crimes to help investigators understand where
10
00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:37.759
an offender may live, work, or travel. The important point
11
00:00:37.799 --> 00:00:40.219
is that offenders usually operate within a world they know.
12
00:00:40.420 --> 00:00:43.469
Think about your own life. You probably have areas you
13
00:00:43.479 --> 00:00:47.810
understand very well, routes to work, shopping centers, side streets. Well,
14
00:00:47.829 --> 00:00:51.409
criminal offenders operate the same way. Researchers describe this as
15
00:00:51.450 --> 00:00:56.090
the offender's awareness space. The predator looking for victims, therefore,
16
00:00:56.130 --> 00:00:58.829
may not simply select a location because it is isolated.
17
00:00:58.890 --> 00:01:02.189
The location may combine several advantages. The offender knows how
18
00:01:02.229 --> 00:01:06.030
to reach it. Potential victims are available nearby. The offender
19
00:01:06.049 --> 00:01:10.950
understands traffic patterns. They're familiar with escape routes. There's less
20
00:01:10.989 --> 00:01:15.530
police presence. However, operating too close to home can be
21
00:01:15.549 --> 00:01:18.810
dangerous as well. Imagine an offender living in a particular
22
00:01:18.849 --> 00:01:22.650
neighborhood committing a highly visible crime directly outside their residence area.
23
00:01:23.159 --> 00:01:27.079
increases the possibility of being recognized. This contributes to the
24
00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:31.140
concept sometimes called the buffer zone. An offender may avoid
25
00:01:31.180 --> 00:01:34.500
committing certain crimes immediately around a home base while still
26
00:01:34.579 --> 00:01:38.280
operating within a broader familiar territory. That can produce a
27
00:01:38.299 --> 00:01:41.599
geographic pattern in which crimes surround an important location without
28
00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:46.120
occurring directly beside it. Investigators may also distinguish between different
29
00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:49.769
locations associated with the same crime. Where was the victim
30
00:01:49.810 --> 00:01:52.750
first encountered? Where did the assault or murder occur? Where
31
00:01:52.790 --> 00:01:57.609
was the body discovered? These locations are not necessarily identical.
32
00:01:57.870 --> 00:02:00.859
An offender might encounter victims in one area and transport
33
00:02:00.890 --> 00:02:05.019
them somewhere else. That distinction can reveal something about offender behavior.
34
00:02:05.819 --> 00:02:09.740
Consider highways. A cluster of crimes along major transportation corridors
35
00:02:09.780 --> 00:02:14.069
may indicate mobility rather than a traditional centered pattern. Someone
36
00:02:14.090 --> 00:02:16.960
whose occupation or lifestyle involves extensive driving may have an
37
00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:21.860
awareness base covering a much larger geographic area. A dot
38
00:02:21.879 --> 00:02:23.800
on a map does not tell you why the offender
39
00:02:23.819 --> 00:02:27.900
selected the location or who the offender is. Different offenders
40
00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:34.580
produce similar patterns for different reasons. It helps investigators prioritize possibilities, though.
41
00:02:34.979 --> 00:02:38.479
The technique becomes interesting when geographies combine with behavioral evidence.
42
00:02:39.270 --> 00:02:42.669
Investigators will ask what connects these places, who routinely travels
43
00:02:42.710 --> 00:02:47.110
between them, which locations require specialized familiarity, and where might
44
00:02:47.150 --> 00:02:50.930
the offender feel most comfortable. Serial offenders leave more than
45
00:02:51.050 --> 00:02:56.360
footprints or fingerprints or DNA. They also leave patterns of movement.
46
00:02:56.479 --> 00:03:00.300
Every crime requires an offender to be somewhere. Every victim
47
00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:02.300
encounter requires paths to cross.
