Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category

Okay, you’ve written your first, or maybe your thirty-first, shoot-’em-up, cut-’em-up serial killer novel. You’re proud of the book and of all your hard work. After all, your sister’s husband’s best friend’s mother’s uncle who used to be a security guard at the mall says the bad guy in your latest book is so realistic that he makes Gacy and Bundy look like Cub Scouts. Now that’s an expert opinion!

But, did you do your homework? Are you sure you’ve written the character properly? Or, did you get your information from Dexter reruns?

Maybe we should take a moment to see how well you did by having a quick look at our mini serial killer checklist.

Number One – All serial killers absolutely LOVE Jodie Foster…

No, that’s the wrong list.

Hang on a second…it’s…here, somewhere. I saw it just a moment ago…

Ah, yes. Here we go…

Serial Killer Fact Checker

1. For the most part, serial killers are NOT loners. They don’t hang out in dark alleys hoping a potential victim will soon pass by. In fact, serial killers normally live everyday lives, working steady jobs and hanging out with everyday people.

2. Sex is NOT the only motivator behind serial killings. Greed, anger, money, the thrill of the kill, and wanting attention could all be considered as motivation for serial killings.

3. Serial killers are generally NOT wanderers who travel the highways and byways searching for their victims. Instead, they normally choose to stay within a comfortable region that’s relatively close to the center of their world (home, work, etc.).

4. Serial killers are generally NOT the super-smart geniuses we sometimes see on TV and in film. They’re also NOT normally insane as defined by law. Sure, they’re usually psychopathic, but not fruitcake crazy.

5. Serial killers can and often do stop killing. There’s no serial killer handbook rule stating they must find and kill a new victim every day for the rest of their lives.

6. Not all serial killers are white males.

7. Serial killers, as a rule, do NOT want to get caught. Instead, they become complacent and careless, making it easier to be caught by police.

8. Not all serial killers are alike. There is no standard. Each serial killer has his/her own motivation.

9. Serial killers are NOT limited to any specific race, age group, or gender.

10. Serial killers may have multiple motivations.

And to help with your research…

“A serial killer murders at least two people in distinctly separate incidents, with a psychological rest period between, which could be considered a time of predatory preparation. He, she, or they also choose the murder activity, such as stabbing, strangulation, shooting, or bombing, and may move around to different places or lure successive victims to a single locale. They view victims as objects needed for their ultimate goals, and manifest as addictive quality to their behavior, so that choosing murder is a satisfying act rather than merely a reaction or instrumental goal.”  Dr. Katherine Ramsland

Property crimes take up a huge portion of a patrol officer’s day. First, there’s the initial response, making sure the suspect isn’t still on the scene (or arresting the dummy if he is).

Then comes the report, questioning the witnesses, and listening to, “I pay your salary. Where were you while my house was being robbed (houses aren’t robbed, by the way)? Probably at some doughnut shop (the doughnut thing is really, really old and tired, folks…move on to something new, please). Why don’t you do your job instead of sitting in your car waiting for speeders? I’ll have your badge for this. I play golf with the chief, you know. Aren’t you going to take fingerprints? (Where would have me “take” the fingerprints? To the doughnut shop)? Find some DNA, or something. You’d never see no Mickey Mouse crap like this on CSI. No, sir. COPS, neither”

And that, my friends, is what police officers all across country do every day, day-in and day-out. But wait, it gets better. Next comes the actual evidence collection. Now, keep in mind that this is a residence where people come and go all the time. And they touch things. In fact, they touch EVERYTHING. And what does that mean? Yep, there are fingerprints on nearly every single item in the house. And, contrary to the top-notch experts on fictional TV shows, officers cannot tell which of those prints belong to a bad guy merely by looking at them. No one can. And, chances are, the burglar’s (not robber) prints are not on file anyway. The officers know in their hearts that in spite of taking the time to process the loops and whorls they’ll soon learn that the fingerprints they’ve spent hours to collect are probably of no value whatsoever. But they do it anyway…time and time again. Over and over and over. Why? Because residents demand it. And, sometimes you do get lucky and get a match.

So, if fingerprints aren’t the number one way to catch a burglar, what is? Well, there’s no one answer to the question. Actually, solving a property crime, such as B&E, involves a lot of steps. And the sum of those steps equals “good police work.”

So what are some of the things officers should do to solve property crimes?

- Responding officers should always document the scene as they found it, not after everyone has walked through, disturbing things.

- Question all witnesses.

- Check for points of entry and exit. Are there toolmarks? Are those tools still on the scene?

- Is there broken glass? Blood on the glass (DNA?).

- Footprints outside? (or, in the carpet or on the tile flooring)

- Lights on or off? (suspect may have touched the switches)

- Glasses on the kitchen counter? (suspects sometimes help themselves to food and drink)

- Look for the “evidence trail.” Offenders sometimes drop things during their exit. It’s not unusual to follow a trail of dropped evidence and then find the suspect sitting at the other end (not like a trail of breadcrumbs, but close).

- Were there serial numbers?

- Who would benefit from this crime? A real thief (drug addict, perhaps), or someone who desperately needs to collect some insurance money?

- Have similar crimes occurred? If so, where and how close to this scene? Talk to other officers. Compare notes.

- Talk to informants and street people.

- Check all pawn shops and drug dealers who’re known to take property in exchange for “goods.” Sometimes they’ll hand over stolen property to get the cops off their backs. It’s bad for business to have police officers hanging around their turf.

In some areas, pawn shops are required to submit a daily list (to the police) of each item purchased.

- When officers finally do make an arrest, and they will, they should always ask the offender about other crimes in the area. Sometimes, officers solve several cases by merely asking a simple question.

And then there’s the number one tactic…common sense. Using it goes a long way toward solving a case. It’s also a great tool to use when writing cops.

So, if you’re writing a scene where your cop protagonist does something that doesn’t exactly seem right, or, if your common sense tells you it’s wrong, then I’d suggest doing this…

I also suggest hitting that same key if you ever feel inclined to write any scene involving cops and doughnuts. That horse rode through a long time ago, and writing it now shows your work and your sense of humor are dated.