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Title: Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives- Paperback by Robert K. Ressler, John E. Douglas, Ann W. Burgess ISBN: 0-02-874063-7 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 01 June, 1995 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.64 (14 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: an informative book
Comment: This is a great book written by one of the acknowledged experts and pioneers in the field of criminal profiling.This book may read like a textbook to some people,but its still interesting.Robert Ressler,John Douglas,and Roy Hazelwood have been a tremendous asset to the FBI.
Rating: 5
Summary: great overview of sexual homicide
Comment: I've read a lot of John Douglas and Robert Kessler, and while I appreciate the expertise of both men, I believe Douglas is right when he says (in a different book) that the vast majority of criminals are made, not born. Kessler disagrees with him and thinks such criminals are born evil. (These differing attitudes are not represented in this book, but are from other books by Douglas). But in the black-or-white outlook on life that children often have in their most formative years, it is better to be the person with the power and control, than the helpless person with no power or control. Which is, of course, what sex crimes (including sexual homicide) are about: power and control.
This book offers insight into the twisted rationalizations and motivations of sexual predators. It also offers insight into what may have made them into the sociopaths that they are -- their often horribly abusive and neglectful upbringing. The descriptions of some of the crimes, used to illustrate the profiles, are pretty gruesome. But, if you are looking for a good, if somewhat dry, overview of the differing "profiles" of sexual killers, this is the book to read. Might come in handy for authors who want to write about crime or criminals; and true-crime enthusiasts will also find it interesting and absorbing.
Rating: 5
Summary: Informative
Comment: This book was kind of boring in places but then again it's not supposed to necessarily be entertaining.
I ordered it after seeing the authors on tv several times where they were interviewing serial killers and talking about profiling. I believe one of them actually invented the entire idea of profiling and he used his profiling techniques to catch that 'Gacy the clown' guy who buried 30 kids in his basement.
This book is very informative and gives insights into the minds of the homicidal psychopaths.
It's interesting to see how looking at a crime scene tells so much about the offender. It's like the killers are expressing their horrible natures in symbolic, ritualistic ways.
If I understand the authors' conclusions correctly sexual psychopaths gets completely consumed by their horrible fantasies to the point where they become more or less disfunctional. (That's assuming they ever were functional.) In their fantasy world the killer has complete control and domination over everyone else which is what they crave. At some point they start to project these dark fantasies into the real world.
There's also an interesting section about the affects of a murder on the families. Not surprisingly these affects are all negative and can be severe:
"I can't have sex with my husband anymore because every time he touches me, I think about what the rapist did to her."
"I hate Halloween. My sons body was found in a desert area badly decomposed, a week after he was murdered. Each year when I see the skeletons at Halloween, they remind me of my son and what he must have looked like."
In another case the father lost his job (without pension) because he couldn't concentrate anymore and the mother was also out on sick leave from her job.
There's also a section on how a female should possibly react if confonted by a potentially violent psychopath.
Sexual assault is horrible in its own unique way I guess.
I may read some more books about this subject. I would like to find more case studies of what the psychopath did and how the profilers figured out who the killer was based on the evidence.
I think subjects related to forensic science are getting very popular nowadays. There's a lot of tv shows coming out which are based on some of the non fiction shows like 'Cold Case Files' and 'Forensic Files'.
Jeff Marzano
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