Editing Serial killer (section)

==Investigation==

===FBI: Issues and practices===
In 2008, the FBI published a handbook titled ''Serial Murder'' which was the product of a symposium held in 2005 to bring together the many issues surrounding serial murder, including its investigation.<ref name="FBI-2010">{{cite web|url=https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder|title=Serial Murder|publisher=[[Federal Bureau of Investigation]]|access-date=June 3, 2011|archive-date=October 28, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028051224/http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Identification====
[[File:Ángel Reséndiz.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Ángel Maturino Reséndiz]], who was an [[FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives|FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive]]]]

According to the FBI, identifying one, or multiple, murders as being the work of a serial killer is the first challenge an investigation faces, especially if the victim(s) come from a marginalized or high-risk population and is normally linked through forensic or behavioral evidence.<ref name="FBI-2010"/> Should the cases cross multiple jurisdictions, the law enforcement system in the United States is fragmented and thus not configured to detect multiple similar murders across a large geographic area.<ref name="egger1998">{{harvnb|Egger|2002}}</ref> Ted Bundy was particularly famous for such geographic exploitations. He used his knowledge about the lack of communication between multiple jurisdictions to avoid arrest and detection.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sanchez |first1=Shanell |title=1.1 Crime and the Criminal Justice System |url=https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/ccj230/chapter/goals/ |website=Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System |publisher=Open Oregon Educational Resources |access-date=9 September 2022 |archive-date=September 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220909212054/https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/ccj230/chapter/goals/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The FBI suggests utilizing databases and increasing interdepartmental communication. Keppel suggests holding multi-jurisdictional conferences regularly to compare cases giving departments a greater chance to detect linked cases and overcome linkage blindness.<ref name="keppel1990">{{harvnb|Keppel|2000}}</ref>

One collaboration, the Serial Homicide Expertise and Information Sharing Collaborative, was formed in 2010 and made serial murder data widely accessible after multiple experts combined their databases to aid in research and investigation.<ref>Boyne, E. Serial Homicide Collaborative Brings Research Data Together. CJ Update: A Newsletter for Criminal Justice Educators. Retrieved from <nowiki>https://tandfbis.s3.amazonaws.com/rt-files/docs/SBU3/Criminology/CJ%20UPDATE%20FallWinter%202014.pdf</nowiki></ref> Another collaboration, the ''Radford/FGCU Serial Killer Database Project''<ref>{{cite web|title=Radford/FGCU Serial Killer Database Project – Justice Studies FGCU|url=http://skdb.fgcu.edu/info.asp|last=Elink-Schuurman-Laura|first=Kristin|publisher=[[Florida Gulf Coast University|FGCU Department of Justice Studies]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508064156/http://skdb.fgcu.edu/info.asp|archive-date=8 May 2013|access-date=February 2, 2013}}</ref> was proposed at the 2012 [[International Association for Identification|FDIAI]] Annual Conference.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fdiai.org/2012%20Conference%20Daily%20Schedule.htm |title=FDIAI 52nd Annual Conference |access-date=February 2, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031044256/http://fdiai.org/2012%20Conference%20Daily%20Schedule.htm |archive-date=October 31, 2012 }}</ref> Utilizing [[Radford University|Radford]]'s Serial Killer Database as a starting point, the new collaboration,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/Serial%20Killer%20Information%20Center/Serial%20Killer%20Statistics.pdf|title=Serial Killer Statistics|last=Aamodt|first=Mike|publisher=Radford University|access-date=February 6, 2013|archive-date=March 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309034112/http://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/Serial%20Killer%20Information%20Center/Serial%20Killer%20Statistics.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> hosted by [[Florida Gulf Coast University|FGCU]] Justice Studies, has invited and is working in conjunction with other universities to maintain and expand the scope of the database to also include [[Spree killer|spree]] and [[mass murder]]s. Utilizing over 170 data points, multiple-murderer [[methodology]] and [[victimology]]; researchers and Law Enforcement Agencies can build [[Case study|case studies]] and statistical profiles to further research the ''Who, What, Why and How'' of these types of crimes.

====Leadership====
Leadership, or administration, should play a small or virtually non-existent role in the actual investigation past assigning knowledgeable or experienced homicide investigators to lead positions. The administration's role is not to run the investigation but to establish and reaffirm the primary goal of catching the serial killer, as well as provide support for the investigators. The FBI (2008) suggests completing Memorandums of Understanding to facilitate support and commitment of resources from different jurisdictions to an investigation.<ref name="FBI-2010"/> Egger takes this one step further and suggests completing mutual aid pacts, which are written agreements to provide support to each other in a time of need, with surrounding jurisdictions. Doing this in advance would save time and resources that could be used on the investigation.<ref name="egger1998"/>

====Organization====
[[File:Albert deSalvo.jpg|thumb|[[Albert De Salvo]], who claimed to be the "[[Boston Strangler]]", after being caught in Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1967]]

The structural organization of an investigation is key to its success, as demonstrated by the investigation of [[Gary Ridgway]], the Green River Killer. Once a serial murder case was established, a task force was created to track down and arrest the offender. Over the course of the investigation, for various reasons, the task force's organization was radically changed and reorganized multiple times – at one point including more than 50 full-time personnel, and at another, only a single investigator. Eventually, what led to the end of the investigation was a conference of 25 detectives organized to share ideas to solve the case.<ref name="guillen2007">{{harvnb|Guillen|2007}}</ref>

The FBI handbook provides a description of how a task force should be organized but offers no additional options on how to structure the investigation. While it appears advantageous to have a full-time staff assigned to a serial murder investigation, it can become prohibitively expensive. For example, the Green River Task Force cost upwards of $2&nbsp;million per year,<ref name="guillen2007"/> and as was witnessed with the Green River Killer investigation, other strategies can prevail where a task force fails. A common strategy, already employed by many departments for other reasons, is the conference, in which departments get together and focus on a specific set of topics.<ref name="egger1990">{{harvnb|Egger|1990}}</ref> With serial murders, the focus is typically on unsolved cases, with evidence thought to be related to the case at hand.

Similar to a conference is an information clearing-house in which a jurisdiction with a suspected serial murder case collects all of its evidence and actively seeks data that may be related from other jurisdictions.<ref name="egger1990"/> By collecting all of the related information into one place, they provide a central point in which it can be organized and easily accessed by other jurisdictions working toward the goal of arresting an offender and ending the murders. A task force provides for a flexible, organized, framework for jurisdictions depending on the needs of the investigation. Unfortunately due to the need to commit resources (manpower, money, equipment, etc.) for long periods of time it can be an unsustainable option.<ref name="egger1990"/><ref name="FBI-2010"/><ref name="keppel1990"/>

In the case of the investigation of Aileen Wournos, the Marion County Sheriff coordinated multiple agencies without any written or formal agreement.<ref name="egger1998"/> While not a specific strategy for a serial murder investigation, this is certainly a best practice in so far as the agencies were able to work easily together toward a common goal. Finally, once a serial murder investigation has been identified, the use of an FBI Rapid Response Team can assist both experienced and inexperienced jurisdictions in setting up a task force. This is completed by organizing and delegating jobs, by compiling and analyzing clues, and by establishing communication between the parties involved.<ref name="egger1998"/>

====Resource augmentation====
During the course of a serial murder investigation, it may become necessary to call in additional resources; the FBI defines this as Resource Augmentation. Within the structure of a task force, the addition of a resource should be thought of as either long-term or short-term. If the task force's framework is expanded to include the new resource, then it should be permanent and not removed. For short-term needs, such as setting up roadblocks or canvassing a neighborhood, additional resources should be called in on a short-term basis. The decision of whether resources are needed short or long term should be left to the lead investigator and facilitated by the administration.<ref name="FBI-2010"/>

The confusion and counter productiveness created by changing the structure of a task force mid investigation is illustrated by the way the Green River Task Force's staffing and structure was changed multiple times throughout the investigation. This made an already complicated situation more difficult, resulting in the delay or loss of information, which allowed Ridgway to continue killing.<ref name="guillen2007"/> The FBI model does not take into account that permanently expanding a task force, or investigative structure, may not be possible due to cost or personnel availability. Egger (1998) offers several alternative strategies including; using investigative consultants, or experienced staff to augment an investigative team. Not all departments have investigators experienced in serial murder and by temporarily bringing in consultants, they can educate a department to a level of competence then step out. This would reduce the initially established framework of the investigation team and save the department the cost of retaining the consultants until the conclusion of the investigation.<ref name="egger1998"/>

====Communication====
The FBI handbook (2008) and Keppel (1989) both stress communication as paramount. The difference is that the FBI handbook concentrates primarily on communication within a task force, while Keppel makes getting information out to and allowing information to be passed back from patrol officers a priority.<ref name="FBI-2010"/><ref name="keppel1990"/> The FBI handbook suggests having daily e-mail or in-person briefings for all staff involved in the investigation and providing periodic summary briefings to patrol officers and managers. Looking back on a majority of serial murderer arrests, most are exercised by patrol officers in the course of their everyday duties and unrelated to the ongoing serial murder investigation.<ref name="egger1998"/><ref name="keppel1990"/>

Keppel provides examples of Larry Eyler, who was arrested during a traffic stop for a parking violation, and Ted Bundy, who was arrested during a traffic stop for operating a stolen vehicle.<ref name="keppel1990"/> In each case, it was uniformed officers, not directly involved in the investigation, who knew what to look for and took the direct action that stopped the killer. By providing up-to-date (as opposed to periodic) briefings and information to officers on the street the chances of catching a serial killer, or finding solid leads, are increased.

====Data management====
A serial murder investigation generates staggering amounts of data, all of which needs to be reviewed and analyzed. A standardized method of documenting and distributing information must be established and investigators must be allowed time to complete reports while investigating leads and at the end of a shift (FBI 2008).<ref name="FBI-2010"/> When the mechanism for data management is insufficient, leads are not only lost or buried but the investigation can be hindered and new information can become difficult to obtain or become corrupted.<ref name="guillen2007"/>

During the Green River Killer investigation, reporters would often find and interview possible victims or witnesses ahead of investigators. The understaffed investigation was unable to keep up the information flow, which prevented them from promptly responding to leads. To make matters worse, investigators believed that the journalists, untrained in interviewing victims or witnesses of crimes, would corrupt the information and result in unreliable leads.<ref name="guillen2007"/>