WEBVTT 1 00:00:24.519 --> 00:00:26.760 Hi, I'm doctor Shiloh. 2 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:27.719 And I'm doctor Scott. 3 00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:30.640 And this is La Not So Confidential, the forensic psychology 4 00:00:30.679 --> 00:00:31.960 and True crime podcast. 5 00:00:32.359 --> 00:00:35.600 Each episode we explore the intersection of psychology, the criminal 6 00:00:35.679 --> 00:00:37.000 justice system, and entertainment. 7 00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:40.840 Today our episode is on the forensic psychtopic of peakerism. 8 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:50.679 Hey, folks, welcome back, and just a reminder that we 9 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:54.679 made a big announcement about wrapping up the show coming 10 00:00:54.759 --> 00:00:57.759 up soon in October of twenty twenty five. And yeah, 11 00:00:57.799 --> 00:01:00.200 it feels a bit surreal to have it out there 12 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:03.119 after eight years, but we are still excited for the 13 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:05.840 material that's coming out in the next two and a 14 00:01:05.879 --> 00:01:08.200 half months as well as our legacy. 15 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:12.319 Right, Yeah, definitely, And we just wanted to say with 16 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:16.879 the announcement, your sweet messages and emails are still coming 17 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:20.359 in obviously as people catch up too, and they are 18 00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:24.760 just absolutely warming our hearts. And we're so grateful for 19 00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:28.040 the new listeners who are coming in and that continue 20 00:01:28.040 --> 00:01:31.239 to subscribe each month. We just wanted to just say 21 00:01:31.239 --> 00:01:33.680 thank you. Even if we haven't responded to every email 22 00:01:34.040 --> 00:01:36.480 or DM or what have you. I've had some in person. 23 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:38.680 I ran into some people at a training this week 24 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:41.760 that were like what I haven't gotten to that yet. 25 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:45.280 I'm a few weeks behind and delivered the news in 26 00:01:45.319 --> 00:01:48.920 person and just some lovely feedback that we would have 27 00:01:48.959 --> 00:01:51.760 never gotten. So we also want to thank everyone for 28 00:01:51.959 --> 00:01:56.359 another great walking tour in July. It was a blast. 29 00:01:56.359 --> 00:01:57.879 Even though you and I have done that to our 30 00:01:57.959 --> 00:02:01.560 multiple times now, it just one is amazing. Just you 31 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:04.439 can't get any better than that, But obviously being with 32 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:07.000 a new group of people and old friends makes it 33 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:11.039 that much more special. So with our last episode the 34 00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:14.120 Forensic psych one was episode two ten and that was 35 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:17.719 titled Echoes of Salem, Modern witch Hunts and the Courts. 36 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:20.520 This one hit a lot of topics, a lot of 37 00:02:20.599 --> 00:02:26.199 cases that involve moral panic and politically charged moves in 38 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:30.120 the criminal justice system that has fortunately moved somewhat in 39 00:02:30.159 --> 00:02:32.960 the right direction, but as we found out in that episode, 40 00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:36.240 is still very susceptible to a backslide from time to time. 41 00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:40.759 Episode two eleven was a conversation with our wonderful best friends, 42 00:02:40.759 --> 00:02:44.960 criminologist doctor Amy Schlossberg and doctor Megan Sachs about how 43 00:02:45.159 --> 00:02:49.400 media intersects with motivates and fuels crime in this day 44 00:02:49.400 --> 00:02:52.039 and age, and then we dropped you a bonus episode 45 00:02:52.039 --> 00:02:55.199 of our chat with retired FBI special agent Catherine Schweit 46 00:02:55.560 --> 00:02:58.280 about her new book, Women Who Talked to the Dead. 47 00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:03.360 This book tells a remarkable story of two female investigators 48 00:03:03.400 --> 00:03:06.599 who set out to give names to the nameless victims 49 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:08.159 buried in Potter's Field. 50 00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:11.439 Well, this feels full circle in a way, back to 51 00:03:11.479 --> 00:03:14.639 our roots of topics here. Yeah, you know, I can't 52 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:16.800 go too long with I'll talk about paraphilia, you know that. 53 00:03:17.240 --> 00:03:19.479 But yeah, we're we're circling back to this topic of 54 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:25.080 sexual paraphilias and offending behaviors, which is representative of that 55 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:29.120 heavenly cesspool of an internship where we met. Those those 56 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:30.599 were the days oh. 57 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:33.439 So long ago and so long ago that I can 58 00:03:33.639 --> 00:03:35.560 now be a lot more frank with some of the 59 00:03:35.560 --> 00:03:38.400 things that we experience which are hilarious and gross. You 60 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:40.039 know what, we have to talk about these more in 61 00:03:40.759 --> 00:03:43.280 our shrink craps. We really like, we're going to keep 62 00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:45.879 generating shrink craps off and on. But I have two 63 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:48.840 words for you, shared bathroom hand lotion. 64 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:50.000 Oh my, there you go. 65 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:52.639 That's not two words, those two descriptors, but bathroom and 66 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:56.039 hand lotion will tell a story, folks, it's like so 67 00:03:56.199 --> 00:03:57.919 hilarious and so gross. 68 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:01.199 And tell me again this is like insight. Sorry everyone, 69 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:03.319 but tell me you didn't think exactly of that when 70 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:05.080 we were on our tour and he was talking about 71 00:04:05.080 --> 00:04:07.080 the Jurgen's handlotion factory. 72 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:10.080 Yes, yes, okay, Chris of c LA in a Day 73 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:14.120 has a connection to like a Jurgens factory. Okay, So 74 00:04:14.360 --> 00:04:16.199 we're going to leave it at that, But promo for 75 00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:19.720 CLA today when you can, folks, for sure. Anyway, back 76 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:24.600 to our topic for today, This specific paraphilia called peakerism 77 00:04:25.199 --> 00:04:27.720 has been on our list of topics to cover for 78 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:30.120 a while now, and it's sort of making the rounds 79 00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:32.839 again recently with the resolution of the Idaho four case 80 00:04:32.920 --> 00:04:34.639 in the past month or so. And we're going to 81 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:37.720 have a separate conversation in a shrink wrap and probably 82 00:04:37.800 --> 00:04:39.600 behind the couch in the next couple of months. But 83 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:43.879 let's get into the research before we explore that particular 84 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:47.519 area to see if it even fits into this incident 85 00:04:47.800 --> 00:04:50.639 or not. So trigger warnings as usual, we're going to 86 00:04:50.680 --> 00:04:54.360 be talking about sexual offending themes, murder, especially with edged 87 00:04:54.399 --> 00:04:57.240 weapons and stabbing. This is a dark one, folks. So 88 00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:00.639 again we all know the stats on trigger warnings apparently 89 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:03.560 don't do anything, but we care about you and we 90 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:06.079 want you to care about yourself, So be careful and 91 00:05:06.279 --> 00:05:08.920 have that pause button ready if it gets too descriptive 92 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:09.199 for you. 93 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:12.680 Yeah, definitely, And we will have another trigger warning towards 94 00:05:12.680 --> 00:05:14.839 the end today just because we're going to be a 95 00:05:14.839 --> 00:05:18.040 little bit more descriptive in a case that we want 96 00:05:18.040 --> 00:05:20.120 to do a little bit of banter and analysis on. 97 00:05:20.360 --> 00:05:23.279 But with that, when people are asked to imagine the 98 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:27.120 most terrifying way to die, one method that comes up 99 00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:30.199 again and again is being stabbed. And it's not hard 100 00:05:30.199 --> 00:05:33.800 to understand why. I mean, stabbing is very up close 101 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:39.600 and personal. It's brutally intimate and deeply violent. Unlike a gunshot, 102 00:05:39.639 --> 00:05:41.839 which can happen at a distance and be over in 103 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:45.519 an instant, a stabbing really forces the victim into intimate 104 00:05:45.560 --> 00:05:50.240 contact with their attacker. It's face to face. There's no space, 105 00:05:50.759 --> 00:05:53.839 no time, no chance to mentally prepare. In a lot 106 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:59.639 of cases, and victims often see the weapon feel repeated thrusts, 107 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:05.199 are overwhelmed by really the sheer physicality of it all. 108 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:10.120 This type of violence feels very chaotic, it's raw, it's emotional, 109 00:06:10.759 --> 00:06:13.319 and that really taps into a lot of our most 110 00:06:13.519 --> 00:06:17.160 primal fears, and research backs this up and surveys people 111 00:06:17.480 --> 00:06:22.000 rank stabbing along with burning and drowning among the most 112 00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:25.519 feared forms of death. A UK study even found it 113 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:29.079 was second to only being shot at by close range. 114 00:06:29.360 --> 00:06:32.199 So why is it so high on the fear scale. 115 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:35.759 It's the suffering, whether real or imagined, and most people 116 00:06:35.800 --> 00:06:39.800 believe rightly so that being stabbed is painful. It's slow, 117 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:45.439 it's messy, even a fatal wound may not cause immediate unconsciousness, 118 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:48.879 and so of course their psychological trauma right there, and 119 00:06:48.920 --> 00:06:52.079 you're sitting with the reality of this action that can 120 00:06:52.120 --> 00:06:55.079 take you out quickly or slowly, So that's really big, 121 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:59.680 it's massive. Survivors of knife attacks frequently describe the sensation 122 00:06:59.800 --> 00:07:04.399 of helplessness, panic, disbelief that such a violent thing is 123 00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:08.680 actually happening to them. And then there's also what stabbing 124 00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:15.199 often represents, rage, control and intimate betrayal. It's not uncommon 125 00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:18.439 in domestic violence cases where the emotions are really high 126 00:07:18.519 --> 00:07:21.519 and the weapon is like whatever's closest, which is often 127 00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:24.560 a kitchen knife. You know, just picture any horror movie 128 00:07:24.600 --> 00:07:25.680 in the last thirty years. 129 00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:25.920 Right. 130 00:07:26.519 --> 00:07:31.600 Unlike shooting, stabbing requires repeated action and then that is 131 00:07:31.959 --> 00:07:36.720 often driven by complete dumps of adrenaline into the system 132 00:07:36.839 --> 00:07:40.279 or just raw emotion. It's not just about killing. It's 133 00:07:40.279 --> 00:07:43.959 about this unrelenting domination or punishment. 134 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:46.800 And in terms of friends at considerations, this is where 135 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:50.240 behaviors like overkill come into play. You know, when we're 136 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:53.279 looking at dozens of stab wounds, that tells us something 137 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:56.639 about the killer, perhaps about the motive, and sometimes about 138 00:07:56.639 --> 00:08:00.560 the relationship to the victim. So yes, people fear being stabbed, 139 00:08:00.600 --> 00:08:03.800 and for really good reason. It's why later in our 140 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:08.000 entertainment section, why movies play on this over and over 141 00:08:08.040 --> 00:08:09.839 and over again. It's a form of violence that's not 142 00:08:09.879 --> 00:08:12.720 only deadly and painful, but it really shows the most 143 00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:15.519 horrifying side of what humans are capable of. 144 00:08:16.040 --> 00:08:19.519 Pigorism, however, is a form of sexual sadism and a 145 00:08:19.560 --> 00:08:25.560 paraphilic disorder that's characterized by a sexual fixation on penetrating 146 00:08:25.959 --> 00:08:30.519 another person's skin with sharp objects such as needles, knives, 147 00:08:30.600 --> 00:08:33.840 or other instruments, and the goal there is achieving intense 148 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:39.120 sexual arousal or sexual gratification. So this compulsion often involves 149 00:08:39.159 --> 00:08:43.120 targeting specific areas like the breasts, the buttocks, the groin, 150 00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:47.879 and it's generally accompanied by arousal from the victim's pain, fear, 151 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:51.759 or their physical reaction. In extreme cases, the acts may 152 00:08:51.799 --> 00:08:55.279 cause serious injury or death. So the theory here is 153 00:08:55.320 --> 00:09:00.720 that the behavior symbolically mirrors sexual penetration, making it a 154 00:09:00.840 --> 00:09:06.440 violent and pathological expression of both dominance and sexual desire. 155 00:09:06.759 --> 00:09:09.279 And the term peakerism was coined in the nineteen twenties 156 00:09:09.320 --> 00:09:13.159 by Wilhelm Stikle. However, it was explored prior to that, 157 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:16.399 back in eighteen eighty six, when he had written about 158 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:20.720 the concept with this particular statement quote when the injury 159 00:09:20.759 --> 00:09:23.279 of the victim of lust and sight of the victim's 160 00:09:23.320 --> 00:09:27.480 blood are a delight and pleasure. So Kraft Ebbing expanded 161 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:31.360 in his nineteen sixty five seminal work Psychopathia Sexualitis by 162 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:35.080 stating that sexual gratification is not achieved through rape or 163 00:09:35.080 --> 00:09:39.200 sexual assault, but rather by aspects of the murder itself, 164 00:09:39.240 --> 00:09:42.559 and he states where sexual violation is omitted and the 165 00:09:42.600 --> 00:09:46.399 sadistic crime alone becomes the equivalent of coitus. 166 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:49.159 Just in case this is anyone's first time listening to 167 00:09:49.279 --> 00:09:53.399 us cover a paraphilia or a paraphilic disorder. Let's just 168 00:09:53.480 --> 00:09:57.840 quickly review that criteria. So generally, a paraphilia involves sexual 169 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:03.480 arousal to deviant or bizarre images or activities. Deviant in 170 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:07.480 this case meaning it tends to be harmful or involving 171 00:10:07.559 --> 00:10:11.879 a non consenting partner, and often it's criminal if it 172 00:10:11.960 --> 00:10:15.840 is acted upon, or in the case of the bizarreness, 173 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:18.440 meaning there is sort of a rare theme to it. 174 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:23.240 Statistically that it's generally something we don't find when we're 175 00:10:23.240 --> 00:10:27.200 looking at the wide variety of people's sexual interests. These 176 00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:30.759 intense urges have to last for at least six months, 177 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:33.600 so we're not just talking about one fleeting thought of 178 00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:37.200 something bizarre or weird or rare. And it needs to 179 00:10:37.240 --> 00:10:40.600 cause significant distress to the person's life. So this can 180 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:45.840 be psychologically, this could be interpersonally, maybe occupationally, or just 181 00:10:45.879 --> 00:10:48.360 in a myriad of other ways that it is now 182 00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:52.879 interrupting and being distressful to them. Multiple paraphilia can be 183 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:56.360 present with one person and as a lot of you 184 00:10:56.399 --> 00:10:59.799 have heard us say before, they actually often travel in threes. 185 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:03.360 But there is going to be a dominant one and 186 00:11:03.480 --> 00:11:06.720 sometimes dominant doesn't mean that like it's the strongest, but 187 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:09.399 it might just be the one that they have thus 188 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:12.759 far acted out on and may continue to act out 189 00:11:12.759 --> 00:11:15.000 on the others. But usually it's the one that brings 190 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:17.000 attention to them or they get arrested for it or 191 00:11:17.320 --> 00:11:21.440 something like that. So fantasy is also a key component 192 00:11:21.519 --> 00:11:25.759 to paraphilias. Before any acting out, there are intense urges 193 00:11:25.799 --> 00:11:31.200 and fantasies that are utilized as arousal material for masturbation, 194 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:34.279 and then there might be some planning or rehearsal stages 195 00:11:34.360 --> 00:11:37.960 that are attempts to sort of satiate the urge before 196 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:40.960 any acting out happens, especially if it's something that's illegal 197 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:44.919 or going to cause harm. And if that person is 198 00:11:44.919 --> 00:11:48.399 afraid of those things aka actually has a conscience and 199 00:11:48.440 --> 00:11:51.720 maybe is not fully psychopathic, they might do some of 200 00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:53.919 those things, you know, sort of in lieu of to 201 00:11:53.960 --> 00:11:56.720 see if it helps satiate the urges. And while we 202 00:11:56.799 --> 00:11:59.639 really can't talk about a violent paraphilia such as peakirism 203 00:11:59.720 --> 00:12:03.759 with out mentioning the obvious overlap with sexual sadism, we 204 00:12:03.879 --> 00:12:07.159 just wanted to mention that here sexual sadism disorder is 205 00:12:07.240 --> 00:12:10.720 one of the main paraphilic disorders listed in the DSM, 206 00:12:11.240 --> 00:12:15.799 and it is characterized by taking sexual pleasure from humiliation, fear, 207 00:12:16.519 --> 00:12:20.279 or another form of mental harm to a person. So 208 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:26.120 sadistic acts include restraint such as ropes, chains, handcuffs, as 209 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:30.159 well as imprisonment as well as behaviors against that person 210 00:12:30.200 --> 00:12:33.799 in terms of causing harm that could be biting, whipping, beating. 211 00:12:34.320 --> 00:12:38.200 Of course, can these acts be consensual, yes, and in 212 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:42.120 those cases there is not likely any distress being caused 213 00:12:42.120 --> 00:12:45.480 that can't be resolved, as people kind of find their 214 00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:49.559 way into that lifestyle safely. So in fact, many who 215 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:53.799 engage in BDSM or kink within the context of romantic 216 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:57.240 relationships report that it actually brings them closer to their partners, 217 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:01.120 and this is mainly due to these increased feelings of 218 00:13:01.159 --> 00:13:05.440 trust that result from setting and respecting boundaries, as well 219 00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:09.320 as the emotional safety that comes from being able to 220 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:13.919 explore some of these less conventional sexual interests without judgment. 221 00:13:14.039 --> 00:13:16.120 So we just wanted to make sure we we got 222 00:13:16.120 --> 00:13:20.159 that in here to not pathologize these behaviors that are 223 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:21.600 being utilized safely. 224 00:13:21.759 --> 00:13:26.240 Clearly, because consent and good judgment are just key to 225 00:13:26.600 --> 00:13:31.879 healthy sexuality. But when someone repeatedly practices these type of 226 00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:36.399 statistic sexual acts without consent from their partners, or when 227 00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:41.399 sadistic fantasies or behaviors cause social, professional, or other functional 228 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:46.759 problems within an individual's life, sexual sadism disorder may be diagnosed, 229 00:13:46.840 --> 00:13:49.600 and when we look at the broader population of sexual offenders, 230 00:13:49.639 --> 00:13:52.080 only about two to five percent of them would actually 231 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:55.000 meet criteria for sexual sadism, and the majority, which is 232 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:59.600 eighty seven percent of sexual sadists who do offend, do 233 00:13:59.799 --> 00:14:04.399 so against other adults. Very important to remember. So when 234 00:14:04.440 --> 00:14:09.799 combined with traits of antisocial personality disorder like poor impulse control, dishonesty, 235 00:14:10.120 --> 00:14:15.320 lack of empathy, and remorse, sexual sadism can especially be dangerous. 236 00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:20.759 Some researchers like to distinguish between sex murders and lust murders, 237 00:14:21.320 --> 00:14:24.679 so let's break down those two terms. Where in sex 238 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:28.600 murderers kill their victims to silence them out of fear 239 00:14:28.600 --> 00:14:32.480 of being caught or retribution right, and then lust murderers 240 00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:36.399 kill as part of the completion of the sexual fantasy. 241 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:40.960 A lust murder may perform various sexual acts before, during, 242 00:14:41.080 --> 00:14:44.639 and after the victim is killed, and the rape being 243 00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:47.200 just one of the part of the sexual ritual or 244 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:48.600 acting out right. 245 00:14:48.759 --> 00:14:54.039 So typologies of serial sexual murders include visionary, so this 246 00:14:54.120 --> 00:14:58.240 is where there is psychosis and perhaps command hallucinations on board. 247 00:14:58.679 --> 00:15:01.960 We also have mission orient so they believe it is 248 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:05.080 their mission to rid society of certain groups of people. 249 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:08.559 We also have hedonistic. These are your thrill seekers who 250 00:15:08.840 --> 00:15:13.559 derive satisfaction from the kill itself. And then the power 251 00:15:13.600 --> 00:15:17.480 and control typology, where the primary source of pleasure is 252 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:20.840 the killer's ability to control and exert power over a 253 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:24.600 helpless victim. Some of the cognitive distortions of sexual status 254 00:15:24.600 --> 00:15:29.399 include justifications that they tell themselves, like this person is bad, 255 00:15:29.480 --> 00:15:32.919 this person is evil, sick, or perverted. They are deserving this. 256 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:36.879 That's definitely some mental gymnastics. Okay, now that we laid 257 00:15:36.919 --> 00:15:41.240 that foundation, let's get back on track to explore pikerism specifically. 258 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:43.919 There's not the data on peakerism that there is with 259 00:15:44.080 --> 00:15:48.399 other more well researched type of paraphilic disorders, but you 260 00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:50.679 might come to expect that with something that it is 261 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:53.559 more rare. So yeah, I guess there's not that much. 262 00:15:53.639 --> 00:15:55.240 There was actually more than I thought there was going 263 00:15:55.279 --> 00:15:59.039 to be. Hence the reason there's an entire episode. It 264 00:15:59.080 --> 00:16:01.519 was good enough to formulate a full episode, and I 265 00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:04.200 think you guys will find that this is really interesting 266 00:16:04.360 --> 00:16:06.559 and you know where this can go even further is 267 00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:09.799 still definitely to be explored. In that I was able 268 00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:13.240 to find an entire book chapter on the subject by 269 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:17.559 doctor Devere D. Woods, a former police officer who became 270 00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:19.879 a criminologist. Was like, who is this guy? I need 271 00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:22.600 to look him up. He ended up advancing to the 272 00:16:22.639 --> 00:16:26.840 position of criminology department chair at Indiana State University by 273 00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:29.080 the time he had authored this chapter, which is pretty 274 00:16:29.080 --> 00:16:30.320 cool and it's. 275 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:34.240 Very important to note here this book is twenty years old. However, 276 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:38.759 doctor Woods's background is really important in this particular chapter 277 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:42.039 that we're utilizing because as someone who was once a 278 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:46.559 crime scene investigator, as a sworn officer, and then a criminologist, 279 00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:50.080 you can really feel how much importance he puts on 280 00:16:50.120 --> 00:16:53.679 interpreting crime scene artifacts and the wounds to the victim. 281 00:16:54.120 --> 00:16:57.200 So he advocates that it's not enough for an investigator 282 00:16:57.799 --> 00:17:00.159 to just shake their head at the excess of amount 283 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:03.480 of wounds and talk about how senseless it seems, but 284 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:07.359 to actually take the time to try and understand the 285 00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:12.119 motivation for those mutilating wounds, which in turn could eventually 286 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:14.279 assist in identifying the perpetrator. 287 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:16.960 So what he's really focused on in this book chapter 288 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:20.839 is peakerism as a signature behavior. Gosh, this really feels 289 00:17:20.839 --> 00:17:23.039 like we're hitting all the greatest hits of you know, 290 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:27.440 forensic psychotopics that people love. It's really going back to 291 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:32.200 that notion of mo versus signature behaviors during the time 292 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:35.119 that the crime is being committed. So investigators have been 293 00:17:35.160 --> 00:17:38.640 trained over the years to consider modus operandi or MO, 294 00:17:39.319 --> 00:17:42.839 the MO being the perpetrator's method of operation, Right, what 295 00:17:43.079 --> 00:17:46.160 crimes do they engage in and how do they go 296 00:17:46.279 --> 00:17:49.759 about accomplishing them. So, while each MO is unique in 297 00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:53.000 its details, it usually falls within a typical range of 298 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:57.160 behaviors for a specific type of crime. That means, while 299 00:17:57.720 --> 00:17:59.920 you know, sort of the small stuff the small action 300 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:03.720 might vary, the overall approach to the crime tends to 301 00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:07.200 be pretty consistent, especially across similar type crimes. Right, so, 302 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:10.799 property crimes, crimes against people, thefts, that sort of thing. 303 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:14.799 Investigators use these patterns not only to link crimes together, 304 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:20.319 but to also connect them to potential suspects now think 305 00:18:20.359 --> 00:18:23.799 of an MO like a criminal's craftsmanship. Right. It can 306 00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:27.400 reflect the offender's personal habits and preferences, or even the 307 00:18:27.480 --> 00:18:30.400 level of experience that they are bringing to the table. 308 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:33.720 In fact, the MO is often based on what has 309 00:18:33.799 --> 00:18:36.559 worked for them in the past. If a certain method 310 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:39.200 gets the result that they want and lets them get 311 00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:41.599 away with it, they're likely going to use it again. 312 00:18:42.039 --> 00:18:45.799 So most experts agree that a criminal's mom stays fairly 313 00:18:46.039 --> 00:18:50.359 stable over time, and that might be due to superstition 314 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:55.920 or a lack of creativity. But others who examined emos 315 00:18:56.200 --> 00:18:59.519 believe that consistency has more to do with human nature 316 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:03.519 because we tend to repeat behavior that has been successful. 317 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:05.720 I mean, that's just sort of Okham's razor. It's the 318 00:19:05.799 --> 00:19:09.920 most sensible understanding for a conundrum like that, right. But 319 00:19:09.960 --> 00:19:14.960 here's the important part. Emos can and do evolve, and 320 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:19.880 as offenders gain experience, they adapt, they learn what works better, 321 00:19:20.200 --> 00:19:23.960 what's more efficient, or even how to throw off law enforcement. 322 00:19:24.279 --> 00:19:27.680 And that is really a phenomenon in today's world with 323 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:31.319 the advent of forensics files. Forensics files has now been 324 00:19:31.319 --> 00:19:34.640 on for decades and newer versions and it really does 325 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:39.519 become sort of like a primer learning environment for criminals, like, oh, 326 00:19:39.599 --> 00:19:41.880 I got to watch for that particular thing, got to 327 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:44.559 make sure I wear a mask in gloves, right, So 328 00:19:44.759 --> 00:19:48.640 these techniques in these perpetrators might shift based on trial 329 00:19:48.680 --> 00:19:53.160 and error, or because they're trying to be more emotionally satisfied, 330 00:19:53.319 --> 00:19:56.440 or just to avoid getting caught, and so that evolution 331 00:19:56.680 --> 00:20:01.240 can continue across their entire criminal career, especially as circumstances change. 332 00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:05.960 For example, if their motive or opportunity shifts, then their 333 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:09.480 approach might shift as well. No, two crimes are committed 334 00:20:09.559 --> 00:20:12.640 under exactly the same conditions, and that affects the way 335 00:20:12.680 --> 00:20:15.799 the crime is carried out. Now, It's also worth noting 336 00:20:15.799 --> 00:20:20.400 that most investigators won't ever encounter a true serial homicide case, 337 00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:23.039 despite all the shows that are on that like just 338 00:20:23.079 --> 00:20:25.319 sort of there's a serial killer on every corner, right, 339 00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:30.039 So those investigators may naturally treat each incident as a 340 00:20:30.039 --> 00:20:33.400 one off. Without clear signs that the crimes are connected, 341 00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:36.519 it can be easy to miss the larger pattern. 342 00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:40.480 Definitely, So doctor Woods notes that quote. While the mo 343 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:47.319 reflects the perpetrator's creativity and experience, a signature reflects his personality. Quote, So, 344 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:50.160 in other words, a signature is the thing the perpetrator 345 00:20:50.200 --> 00:20:53.799 does to make the crime meaningful to him. FBI profiler 346 00:20:53.880 --> 00:20:56.960 John Douglas added that it's what gives the perpetrator quote, 347 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:00.920 emotional satisfaction. Doctor Eric Hickey, who was the dean of 348 00:21:00.920 --> 00:21:04.160 my graduate program, noted in his book on serial killers, 349 00:21:04.480 --> 00:21:08.839 that signatures are the offender's calling card and that he 350 00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:13.119 is psychologically compelled to leave this behind. It's not the 351 00:21:13.160 --> 00:21:15.640 means he uses to complete the offense, but it's this 352 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:20.599 calling card aspect. Doctor Hickey added, quote. Signatures include verbal, sexual, 353 00:21:20.759 --> 00:21:24.359 and physical acts. Therefore, the signature is essential to the 354 00:21:24.359 --> 00:21:28.880 perpetrator's satisfaction of the crime. Additional researchers have also come 355 00:21:28.920 --> 00:21:32.960 to the determination that, unlike MO, a killer signature is 356 00:21:33.079 --> 00:21:37.519 fairly consistent or static because it's based in the perpetrator's fantasies, 357 00:21:37.960 --> 00:21:40.440 so it is much more difficult for him to change 358 00:21:40.440 --> 00:21:45.440 his signature than his MO. Douglas, Brandell, and Keppel have 359 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:49.200 all determined that the psychological core of the signature really 360 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:54.000 does not change, but it could evolve over time. Signatures 361 00:21:54.079 --> 00:21:57.519 are especially important to consider, and murders perpetrated by serial 362 00:21:57.519 --> 00:22:02.319 offenders would states that he considered signature killers as a 363 00:22:02.359 --> 00:22:07.079 subcategory of serial killers who leave these unusual pieces of 364 00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:10.920 evidence of their psychological makeup at the crime scene, and 365 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:16.200 therefore giving emphasis to signatures is especially helpful in behavioral 366 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:19.240 profiling and serial linkage of crimes. 367 00:22:26.359 --> 00:22:31.440 Signature killers can perform bizarre or symbolic behaviors like posing 368 00:22:31.480 --> 00:22:36.240 the body, inserting foreign objects, or taking souvenirs from the victim, 369 00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:39.640 and in some rare cases fewer than one percent of 370 00:22:39.680 --> 00:22:43.400 these types of murders, these acts involve specific forms of 371 00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:48.400 sexual activity with the deceased, which can offer really profound 372 00:22:48.440 --> 00:22:54.279 insights into that particular offender's fantasy life, and detectives who 373 00:22:54.319 --> 00:22:59.200 recognize and understand these signatures often have a better chance 374 00:22:59.240 --> 00:23:03.119 at connecting cases and then catching the serial offenders as 375 00:23:03.160 --> 00:23:08.359 compared to those who rely solely on traditional investigative techniques. 376 00:23:08.680 --> 00:23:11.200 It seems like a lot of the more dramatic criminal 377 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:16.119 procedural shows love the idea of these signature killers despite 378 00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:20.759 their low statistical occurrence. So note what we're saying here. Yes, 379 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:24.160 there's a low occurrence of this happening, but we also 380 00:23:24.359 --> 00:23:26.799 need to emphasize that there needs to be somebody that's 381 00:23:26.839 --> 00:23:29.359 willing to look at the big picture to pick up 382 00:23:29.400 --> 00:23:33.759 on these factors. Not all homicides are created equal, especially 383 00:23:33.799 --> 00:23:37.240 those where knives are involved. In many serial murders, the 384 00:23:37.319 --> 00:23:42.200 act itself is surprisingly quick, often fueled by adrenaline, impulsivity, 385 00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:46.559 and many times in today's world, substance use. Novice offenders 386 00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:50.559 can often be really shocked at how easily a blade 387 00:23:50.599 --> 00:23:53.400 can end a life, or they can also be frustrated 388 00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:58.039 about how resilient and fighting back a victim can offer, 389 00:23:58.119 --> 00:24:04.960 right requiring multiple utilitarian strikes. These wounds are functional, intended 390 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:08.640 solely to kill and nothing more. Once death is achieved, 391 00:24:08.759 --> 00:24:11.640 the act is then complete. And this is so important 392 00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:16.240 for investigators because, as Brickin and his compatriots research for 393 00:24:16.359 --> 00:24:19.920 two thousand and six indicate, as paraphilic offenders those who 394 00:24:19.960 --> 00:24:23.279 are sexually aroused by the infliction of this behavior upon others, 395 00:24:23.720 --> 00:24:27.559 a single pickarist homicide is most likely to be followed 396 00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:28.400 by others. 397 00:24:28.920 --> 00:24:31.000 I know we're laying a lot of foundation, I promise 398 00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:34.319 you guys, we are going to narrow in on peekerism 399 00:24:34.519 --> 00:24:37.519 in a moment. But this is all really necessary, especially 400 00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:41.559 when it comes to some case analysis. And we also 401 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:45.039