Principles of Criminal Investigation - Term Paper Example

Principles of Criminal Investigation This term paper aims at looking into the Green River Killer case and particularly the investigative techniques used during the case. The case of the Green River Killer ranks among other serial killing cases persisted for almost two decades without ever bringing anyone to book over the killings. In the 1980s, dozens of women were murdered in unknown circumstances and the bodies disposed within the vicinity of the Green River. The killing continued for several years without any idea of those who did it despite the fact that the murdered women could be linked with prostitution. However, lack of advanced forensic technology in the 1980s can be regarded as one of the reasons it took too long to link someone with the Green River killings. Principles of Criminal Investigation Introduction In 1982, authorities found five murdered women in the Green River. One unique thing about the murders is that all the killings had happened through strangling and the murdered women practiced prostitution. The discovery of the bodies alerted the locals on a possibility of having a serial killer targeting prostitutes. The area where the murdered bodies were discovered had Sheriff Officers and everyone had optimism that the murders would be resolved as soon as possible. Contrary to locals’ expectations, more bodies were discovered in and around the Green River. The bodies mostly include those of teenage women found naked and without any possession (Morehead, 2012). The police department remained to collect skeletons of unknown women without any trace of the murderer. Over a period of two years (1982-84), the police department listed 49 murder victims and described them victims of the Green River Killer. This could be later followed by the formation of the Green River Task Force that had the mandate of looking into the increased serial killings. The task force comprised of detectives from police departments across the United States. The task force conducted investigations on the murders and obtained a lot of evidence from hundreds of suspects. Unfortunately, none of the evidence gave any definitive evidence that could link anyone to the serial killing (Morehead, 2012). The continued delays in getting hold of the serial killer added budget constraints on the task force, which led to reduction of personnel within the task force. By 1992, only one detective had remained to deal with the Green River case (Reichert, 2005). Applied techniques According to Reichert (2005), in the 1980s, forensic technology was less advanced, which posed numerous challenges during the collection of evidence. In such cases, advanced forensic investigations would have assisted the task force enormously in identification of the serial killer since there was evidence of sexual assault in all victims. For instance, in 1988, the task force sought forensic assistance from a private laboratory, but due to lack of appropriate technology, the laboratory could not perform DNA profiling on samples derived from several victims. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Green River case took a new turn when the sole detective decided to take advantage of advancements in forensic science. The detective requested the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory to conduct DNA profiling on some victim’s samples. The laboratory succeeded in developing a profile that matched a suspect who had previously been investigated over the killings, but lack of sufficient evidence failed to put the suspect under police custody. DNA typing The process of DNA typing refers to a set of procedures through which a certain area of a DNA (profile) sample is generated from a human body samples. Examples of samples include saliva, sperm, and hair among other body samples. DNA profiling makes use of minute amounts of DNA in order to create a profile. Genetics dictate that a majority of human DNA is identical to that of other people, but certain regions vary significantly between people. Regions that vary are known as polymorphic, and this variation is known as polymorphism. Human beings inherit specific, polymorphic regions from their parents. Therefore, polymorphism is the underlying principle behind DNA profiling. Modern DNA profiling uses a technique known as short tandem repeats (Spencer, 2004). Morehead (2012) asserts that, in the Green River case, DNA profiling done on the victim’s vaginal swabs revealed the presence of partial male DNA profile. The DNA profile was that of Gary Ridgway. This suspect first came into detective’s attention in 1983 when a truck similar to the one he used was spotted picking a teenage woman who later went missing. From that moment, Ridgway caught the attention of the investigators, and numerous interviews took place conducted in an attempt to link him to the serial killings. Ridgway was highly cooperative with the detectives and admitted engaging with prostitutes but denied any involvement in the killings. Despite him admitting involvement with and assaulting prostitutes, detectives still had no concrete evidence to charge him with the murders. Before DNA profiling was conducted on the victim’s biological samples, the detectives had managed to acquire Ridgway’s DNA profile through his saliva. Therefore, when several DNA profiles similar to that of Ridgway were obtained from victim’s vaginal swabs, detectives were convinced that Ridgway was the much sought after serial killer. In 2001, Ridgway was charged with several counts of first degree murder. Further evidence of sprayed paint on some victim clothing convinced the detectives since Ridgway used to work as a painter in one of America’s painting company (Prothero, 2007). As forensic investigations continued, no further evidence was obtained apart from the DNA profile and the paint traces on the victim’s clothing. In order to charge Ridgway with 49 counts of first degree murder, the legal system opted to drop the death penalty against Ridgway and push him to plead guilty for all the 49 counts of murder. Ridgway agreed to provide the detectives with all evidence that links him to Green River killings. However, he had to be warned that any attempt to lie to the detectives would result to automatic execution. This agreement opened the second series of investigation (Carlton, 2004). The Interviews Interviews aimed at getting to the bottom line of the Green River killings after Ridgway agreed to provide information over the 49 killings plus other crimes he may have committed (Smith & Guillen, 2004). To set the ball rolling, Ridgway admitted having killed over 60 women and dumping them in and around the Green River. To set his claims straight, Ridgway took the detectives to all areas where he dumped his victims and gave an account of what happened at the dumpsite. His move shocked the detectives because they never imagined that his act was of such an enormous magnitude. Apart from obtaining evidence over the killings, detectives also used psychiatrists to understand Ridgway’s mind and habits (Carlton, 2004). Serial killer experts pointed out that Ridgway’s characters and behaviors matched those of other renowned serial killers. Every serial killer kills with a reason, and for Ridgway, he claimed his drive to kill resulted from anger derived from different sources including divorces. To him, killing released the anger. Many serial killers claim that their actions help in relieving psychological pressure built up as a result of experiences that caused them psychological suffering. Therefore, Ridgway’s revelations can be regarded as a classical example of a serial killer. In addition, detectives noted that Ridgway took necessary caution to avoid any encounter with the police department (Prothero, 2007). Ridgway admitted to using a single method to accomplish his mission, which entailed strangling his victims to death. He further pointed out that he spent considerable time in choosing his victims in areas populated with commercial sex workers. His preference for sex workers was because of the ease in getting them to accompany him to his destination. In addition, he knew that the police department would not pay much attention in searching for missing prostitutes. Furthermore, prostitutes are known to be always on the move and incase any goes missing, the police and fellow prostitutes will not notice their absence quickly (Prothero, 2007). Ridgway confessed that a majority of his killings took place in his house, although he committed others on the rear of his pick-up, and occasionally in the area where he dumped his victims. In certain occasions, he spared his prey especially when he realized that someone spotted him pick someone on the street. However, he counted such survivors as key witnesses incase he was accused of any murder because they would testify that he is harmless. Ridgway never used any weapon to execute the murders, and claimed that his move to strangle his victims brought more psychological satisfaction than when using a gun (Prothero, 2007). The detectives noted that the serial killer had basis understanding of forensic investigations. In situations where his victims scratched his skin causing wounds, Ridgway ensured that the victim’s nails were not left uncut. In other circumstances, he left misleading evidence such as chewing gum, travelling tickets, and letters on the site of the murder (Reichert, 2005). Conclusion After several months of interviewing the serial killer, the detectives uncovered a lot beyond what they could imagine. The court concluded that Ridgway had no any psychological disorder that would have influenced him to commit crimes. Ridgway’s murders were done deliberately, and systematically using a similar method. Detectives further noted that Ridgway had no empathy or remorse towards his victims. He used to kill because he could do it whenever he wanted. Finally, his motive was to satisfy his evil desires. Gary Ridgway was jailed for life to end killings in King County. References Carlton, T. G. (2004). The Search for the Green River Killer. London: Signet True Crime. Morehead, P. (2012). The Green River Serial Killer. New York: eBookIt.com. Prothero, M. (2007). Defending Gary: Unraveling the Mind of the Green River Killer. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Reichert, D. (2005). Chasing the Devil: My Twenty-Year Quest to Capture the Green River Killer. New York : St. Martins Press. Spencer, C. (2004). Genetic testimony: a guide to forensic DNA profiling. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Read More