After reading the required chapter and articles this week, you should have an understanding of the theories of criminal behavior and how biases and assumptions influence our assessment of individuals. These assumptions may have an impact in psychology profiling utilized in police investigations as well as stress induced and cultural–based behavior patterns that may be specific to certain segments of the population. As a foundation for your assignments in Weeks One through Five and your Final Research Paper review the Infamous Serial Killers (Links to an external site.) website and select from one of the following case:
Richard Ramirez (1960–2013) murdered 25 victims over a 13–year period in California
Jeffrey Dahmer (1960–1994) kidnapped, killed, and dismembered his victims in Milwaukee
Ted Bundy (1946–1989) committed murders from Washington state to Florida
David Berkowitz (1953– ) the Son of Sam killer who murdered six people in New York City
Peter Kurten (1883–1931) the Dusseldorf Vampire who murdered nine people in Germany
Joel Rifkin (1959– ) murdered 17 women in the 1990s
Charles Manson (1934– ) orchestrated the Manson Family spree killings in Los Angeles