Forensic Profiling: Caseload Alpha

Forensic Profiling: Caseload Alpha provides students with a chance to develop profiles for multiple hypothetical cases.  We will focus on issues of certainty vs. likelihood, when predicting characteristics in our hypothesized offenders.  Students will be able to throw out their ideas and discuss alternative formulations of profiles for each case.  

This is not a mock crime scene class, so there is no "solution" at the end of each case.  Rather, students will work on determining the predictive power of a variety of facts about each case.  This is an excellent exercise in evaluating evidence, which can be applied to many different areas of academic inquiry.

Weeks 1 and 2:  Case 1 involves crimes that occur from Massachusetts to Washington state.  In the first session, students will examine information that is initially provided in our "profile request package."  They will be able to request additional information to make their profiles more accurate.  We will discuss assumptions and hypotheses behind the questions they ask.  In the second session, students will discuss their profiles and main points that they feel most confident about.

Weeks 3 and 4:  Atlanta crime series.  In Session 3, we will examine the initial information in a geographically limited case.  This case will also add a cache of written evidence that can be examined to determine motive and/or mindset.  In Session 4, students will discuss their profiles and the ways in which the written evidence altered their ideas.

Weeks 5 and 6:  Chicago crime series.  In Session 5, we will examine a series of crimes that is regionally limited, but involves several different types of crimes.  This case will add in a unique signature that will lead to discussions about motive.  In Session 6, students will discuss their profiles and the impact of the signature on their thinking.

While this class is a follow up to my basic profiling class, it is not necessary to have taken that class first.