Main Arguments
Casey Hendrick is suspected of committing a series of murders in Urban City during the previous year. He has been observed in the areas where the victims’ bodies were found at roughly the times when they were discovered. Though every time Kendrick had an alibi of doing his routine activities in those domains, taking into account a set of the psychological characteristics of the suspected along with his criminal record, this fact cannot be regarded as a mere juncture of circumstances.
Crime locations
As opposed to the previous assumptions that there was no logic in the choice of the crime locations because some of them were distant from others, a particular pattern can be observed in considering the areas in which Kendrick lives and works. Lundrigan and Canter (2001) noted that “The majority of the murderers operated within an area that bore a strong relationship to their home” (p. 609). This tendency can be explained by the attempt to minimize the risks while planning the murders. Leaving the victims’ bodies in the familiar locations, Kendrick had plenty of opportunities for escaping unnoticed, preventing unforeseen circumstances, and inventing an alibi in case he was observed at the crime locations disregarding all the precautionary measures.
Criminal’s Spatial Behavior
After mapping the crime locations along with the areas in which Hendrick’s home and office are situated, it is possible to conclude that Hendrick’s home was not only included in the crime domain but was also situated at its edge. It should be noted that the criminal’s spatial behavior was changed after Hendrick was interrogated for the first time. Still, the new domain of the crime locations contains Hendrick’s route from the office which is familiar to him and allows planning the murder properly.
Hendrick’s Past Criminal Record
Hendrick’s past criminal record and, more importantly, the ground on which he was convicted need to be taken into consideration for creating a comprehensive psychological profile of the suspected. Hendrick was accused of repeating incidents of domestic violence by his former wife. Though not all family batterers can become serial killers, this aspect is a significant component of the psychological profile.
Along with the criminal record, several of Hendrick’s intimate partners noted that Casey demonstrated deviant behavior in their relationships.
Testimonial Evidence of Hendrick’s Former Wife
The testimonial evidence of Hendrick’ former wife is shocking. Even putting aside all the factors of psychological pressure and lack of understanding, the case of the Hendricks couple was striking because of the repeating incidents of physical assault. She admitted that Casey did not demonstrate any signs of pity and seemed to be excited and satisfied after battering her. Hendrick’s wife pointed at his inadequate behavior before, during and after their divorce which was associated with threats and persecutions of her and their son.
Roots of Asociopathic Behavior
The roots of Hendrick’s deviant behavior with the opposite sex can be found in his family history and childhood. Casey’s father was a domestic batterer himself and his continuing physical assault of his mother could even become the precondition of her early death. The incomplete family, father’s alcoholism and his isolation in the company of peers had a significant impact on the development of Casey’s deviant behavior and the distorted ideas of the family life and the relationships with the opposite sex.
Causes of Committing Serial Murders
Though it is almost impossible to define the criminal’s motifs for committing the series of murders, the main factors which are significant for understanding the mental processes of the criminal can be divided into the internal and external subgroups. The majority of the crimes are predetermined by a combination of these factors. The internal factors include the psychological instability of an individual, psychiatric disorders, and sociopathic behavior. The external factors include additional stresses in daily routine such as conflicts, economical problems, and other stressful circumstances.
Internal Factors Present in Hendrick
According to the testimonial evidence of his former wife and relatives, Casey can be defined as a psychologically unstable personality whose behavior was deviant in a number of situations. Ferguson et al (2003) noted that “Along with manipulation, domination, and control, a significant motivator for almost all serial killing is sexual” (p. 288). All these characteristics can be found in Casey.
External Factors in Hendrick’s Life
It is significant that along with the continuing stressful situations in Hendrick’s life, the periods in which the crimes were committed concurred with the additional pressing circumstances such as conflicts with the boss and the court depriving Casey of his parental rights. Those events complicated the situation and became the preconditions for the committed murders.
Hendrick’s Relationships with Colleagues
Because of his criminal record of the incidents of domestic violence, Casey had problems with employment and it resulted in his debts before he find a vacancy of a programmer in a small firm. Though Hendrick used his work as an alibi in particular cases, the majority of his colleagues spoke negatively about him. The constant conflicts with the managerial staff were predetermined by the lack of working discipline.
Relationships with Son
Because of his family history and bad relationships with his father, Casey had distorted ideas of the family relationships and did not manage to cope with his problems establishing contact with his only child. Though his former wife insisted that Casey loved their child, his desire to manipulate and control prevailed. The repeating incidents of physical punishment were harmful to the boy and the court deprived him of his parental rights hurting Hendrick to the innermost of his heart and intensifying his psychological distress.
Qualities for Planning the Crimes
Along with the psychological instability, an individual needs to obtain a particular turn of mind for planning, committing and hiding a series of murders. Canter et al (2004) noted that “The crime scene will reflect a methodical and ordered approach. This is seen as being a consequence of the organized offender being socially skilled and adept with handling interpersonal situations“ (p. 294). Educated and knowledgeable, Casey should be given a credit for his intelligence and skills of analytical thinking. These qualities helped him not only to find a job but also to remain unpunished for a series of murders.
The Features of an Organized Offender in Hendrick
Despite all the signs of Hendrick’s asociopathic behavior, it is important to mention his social skills and intelligence. He managed to find a job, disregarding his criminal record and could build bridges to people when he wanted to. His isolation can be explained with his unwillingness to communicate with others.
Hendrick’s Behavior during the Interrogations
Though Casey’s alibi and answers during the interrogations were regarded as persuasive, his behavior was deviant. Trying to protect himself, the suspected told more than he was asked to and seemed to tell a story which had been prepared beforehand. When the interrogator asked any unexpected questions or touched upon the issues which were not related to the main topic, he was confused and sounded less persuasive.
Summary of Hendrick’s Features
Summing up all the above-mentioned characteristics of the suspected, his psychological profile contains the main traits of an organized serial murder. Along with the facts that he has been observed at the crime locations and the choice of the areas depends upon the domains of his home and office, the mixture of the internal and external factors resulted in a series of murders.
Continue Investigation
Considering the fact that the psychological profile is insufficient for convicting Casey, wiretapping and searches of his home are needed for getting the necessary evidence for making a full proof arrest. Though the criminal managed to plan the murders and choose the appropriate crime locations, it is impossible to hide all the evidence and samples of clothes in which the crimes were committed, for example, or some information on the crime locations or victims can surely be found at Casey’s home of office or can be retrieved from his telephone talks.
References
Canter, D., Alison, L., Alison, E., & Wentink, N. (2004). The organized/disorganized typology of serial murder; Myth or model. Psychology, Public Policy and Law, 10(3): p. 293-320.
Ferrguson, C., White, D., Cherry, S., Lorenz, M., & Bhimani, Z. (2003). Defining and classifying serial murder in the context of perpetrator motivation. Journal of Criminal Justice, 31: P. 287 – 292.
Lundrigan, S. & Canter, D. (2001). Spatial patterns of serial murder: An analysis of disposal site location choice. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 19: p. 295-610.