Disorganized Offender

Although much of our information and misinformation regarding criminal offenders is based on classification systems (Hickey, 2013, p.34), there are certain characteristics that can be compiled to develop a general profile of serial murderers. To begin analyzing a serial murderer, investigators must first determine whether the killer is an organized or disorganized offender by examining various factors of the crime. Determining whether the offender is organized or disorganized allows investigators to begin constructing a profile that could provide some insight on certain characteristics of the perpetrator that can be used to apprehend him or her, such as the likelihood of the offender knowing the victim, the offender’s living arrangements, or

Dennis Rader fits many of these characteristics. Rader grew up in Wichita, Kansas and by all accounts had an average childhood with no signs of abused or neglect; however incidents of head injury during his early years were noted (LaBrode, 2007). He lived a moderate lifestyle with his wife and two children and was very involved in the church and the local Boy Scout organization (Aarons, 2015), which allowed him to maintain a respectable appearance to others. Upon his capture and subsequent confession in 2005, it became apparent that Dennis Rader did exhibit psychopathic behaviors, including a lack of remorse for his brutal murders and a failure to accept responsibility for his actions. Another characteristic that stood out about Rader was his ability to use his education and career to his advantage (Hickey, 2013, p.251). While the majority of serial killers have minimal education, Rader sought a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration where he gained unique insight on the strategies of law enforcement in apprehending offenders. Furthermore, he found a job working for ADT Security where he learned how to operate home security systems. His occupation also gave him access to the security

When analyzing the crime scenes at the murders, investigators would have found aspects of the crimes that would classify Rader as both an organized and disorganized offender. All of the murders in this case weren’t cohesive; many of the murders had characteristics that distinguished them from the others. For example, the killer would make minimal efforts to hide the body in most cases, but in the case of his neighbor, Donna Berry, he relocated the body to a nearby ravine (Aarons, 2015). Surprisingly, this case was not even initially blamed on Rader until he engaged in his usual correspondence with police and took credit for the murder. That same case also stood out as he often chose random strangers to stalk and target. Upon his confession it would also become apparent that despite premeditation of the murders, there were a few cases where he showed up unprepared. In this case of Kathryn Bright, he failed to bring his murder kit and didn’t consider that the victim would arrive home with her brother instead of alone (Aarons, 2015). The disorganization that appeared in this case allowed the brother of the intended target to avoid death. Being that the crime scene profiling in this case was complicated by some extreme differences in the murders, it was difficult to determine a completely accurate profile and typology for