In the discipline of criminal profiling, the term signature is used in the description of the distinctive conducts committed by a lawbreaker that serve his/her mental and emotional desires. On this basis, through examining and interpreting a meticulous lawbreaker’s signature conducts in a crime scene; together with other elements like modus operandi (OP), criminal profilers behaviorally connect cases and develop sympathy towards a lawbreaker’s intentions. In this case, the understanding of desires and inspirations through lawbreaker signature; involves an approval of both psychology and physical evidence and it is found most frequently in the exploratory use of lawbreaker inspirational typologies (Turvey, 1999).
From these explanations, offender signature can be defined as any distinctive conduct committed by a lawbreaker further than that which is essential to effectively complete a crime. In this relation, there are two different but dependant parts that form the notion of signature which include the signature aspect of a crime and the signature behaviors. First, the general signature aspect of a crime denotes the emotional or mental idea that the lawbreaker gratifies by engaging in certain groups of crime-related conducts. On the other hand, signature behaviors are the actions themselves that include crime-related deeds that are essential in carrying out an offense effectively (Bull et al, 2009).
A point worth noting is that, signature as a term was first used by John Douglas who was an American criminal profiler. In connection to this, Douglas developed this term in order o assist those investigators engaging in criminal profiling to distinguish lawbreaker’s behaviors; that suggest mental desires from offender conducts that are part and parcel of MO. As stated by John Money an American psychologist, what brings about this distinctive behavior is the fact that; lawbreakers have in their brain a pattern of particular conducts and successive linked feelings that are referred to as ‘love map’ (Esherick, 2005).
In this relation, the term ‘love map’ describes a romanticized sight, an individual or a program of activities that gratifies the specific mental and psychological desires of a lawbreaker. Additionally, love maps desires or dreams are developed in all human beings as part of innate process of human growth; and can consequently be influenced by both genetic and ecological factors. According to Money, criminal conducts are as a result of derailing of the human developmental process which makes an individual capable of engaging in gratifying activities which are aggressive or unlawful activities (Bull et al, 2009).
Generally, case linkage is the process of linking different crimes committed by the same lawbreaker so that it can help in police investigation and prosecution. On this basis, case linkage is the process of identifying some evidence that satisfy the investigators of a particular case that the offender committed the crime. From this it can be argued that, case linkage is a broad procedure of representing separate linkages between two or more formerly unconnected cases (Turvey, 1999).
In this relation, case linkage can be determined by examining the number of fired ammunitions that were recovered from the body of the casualty or from the crime prospect. In this case, this case linkage can be used where a firearm was not found or linked to the proof collected at the crime prospect. From this example it can be revealed that, case linkage helps the investigators or police investigating a particular case in coming up with adequate evidence that a certain offender committed the crime at hand. It should be noted that, advanced technology in computer tools have been used in laboratories for screening of firearms-related proof items for possible linkages of occurrences. In most cases, case linkage is used in murder or rape cases in order to provide the investigators with adequate evidence (Esherick, 2005).
On the other hand, probative link is a term used to denote a link between one or more solved or unsolved cases that are essentially separate; but support the evidence that the same individual committed them all. In this relation, probative linkage is adequately unique to help the investigators to be more probative than detrimental. On this basis, probative link as a method of operation assists the police investigating a particular case with adequate evidence that a particular offender had committed two different crimes separately (Turvey, 1999).
A good example of a probative linkage is in a case whereby a girl was murdered when she was being raped. In this case, if an offender is suspected as the one who raped this girl; it will be doubtless that he is responsible for her death. In this connection therefore, investigators investigating the case of the death of this girl; will find it more likely that the offender who was accused of raping her, murdered her. On the basis of probative linkage one can give examples like; positive fingerprints, eyewitness IDs and bite mark comparison results (Bull et al, 2009).
Lastly, the term investigative linkage connects one or more answered or unsolved cases; that provide information on the distribution of resources towards the investigation of truth. On this basis, investigative linkage is used where conduct, wide-ranging or opportunistic situations of the crime provide general similarities on the methods of operation. On this basis, examples can be provided to support the investigative linkage like; consistent signature conduct, location selection and witness descriptions like voice and clothing (Turvey, 1999).
To wind up, offender signature as a term denotes distinctive conduct committed by a lawbreaker further than that which is essential to effectively complete a crime. On the other hand, the case, probative and investigative linkages are very essential to the investigators as they help in easing their investigation work.
Reference list
Turvey, B. (1999). Criminal Profiling: An Introduction to Behavior Evidence Analysis, 1st edition. London: Academic Press.
Bull, R., Bilby, C. & Cook, C. (2009). Criminal Psychology: A Beginner’s Guide, 2nd edition. Oxford: One-world Publications.
Esherick, J. (2005). Criminal Psychology and Personality Profiling. Broomall: Mason Crest Publishers.