A recurring theme throughout each post has been the probability factor in profiling. As stated many times before, no profile will ever be a perfect match to the unsub; and, every unsub is going to be different than all of the perpetrators who preceded him. Once in a while a case arises that completely baffles investigators, and once resolved, the persons responsible and their motives prove an even greater enigma. 
y wounded, and millions terrorized on the eastern coast of the United States in October 2002. Once the snipers were apprehended, many were left scratching their heads, muttering to themselves and anyone who would listen, “They just don’t fit the profile.”When the “sniper” first appeared, many considered him a very public serial killer. Knowing that over 90% of serial killers are white males, profilers hypothesized that the unsub would be a member of this category. Serial killers tend to be loners, relishing every moment of the kill, wanting that pleasure and power only for themselves. Furthermore, serial killers have particular tastes. There is often a clear commonality between victims, such as gay males, college aged females, pubescent girls; and, serial killers rarely kill outside of their own race. The victim plays a huge role in the fulfillment of the fantasy. Investigators were also perplexed by the timeline of the killings. Serial killers tend to start off slow, their first kill often highly disorganized with a lack of premeditation. As the killer gains confidence and his taste for blood grows, so does the victim pool, and the period between killings becomes shorter with each death. The kill tends to be up close and personal; the killer desiring the power and control that comes from looking into another’s eyes and watching the life that is there slip away, yielding to his merciless hands.
The “sniper” in this case turned out to be two perpetrators, not one. Both were male, but neither was white. John Allen Muhammad was a 41 year old Army veteran with expert marksmanship skills, and seemingly the dominant player of the two. John Lee Malvo, a 17 year old Jamaican citizen played his subservient counterpart. Experts estimate that only 10 to 28 percent of serial killers operate in teams; and, 13 to 22 percent of American serial killers are black. The fact that these two were squarely situated in both categories is an anomaly in itself. These two seem to have chosen their victims completely at random, considering everyone fair game, crossing all lines of gender, race, and age. As far as the timeline goes, rather than starting off slow, testing the waters, the two worked in an opposite manner. Within the first 24 hours, 6 victims were gunned down. After this initial burst, the two began committing single shootings which slowed in frequency as time passed. Also considered strange, was the distance with which each kill occurred. The suspects fled the scene immediately after the shooting demonstrating no desire to watch the torturous death; and, they never had any close contact with their victims. The snipers also seemed eager to discuss their crimes with authorities, and they made a demand for $10 million dollars.
Clearly when comparing the “typical” serial killer profile, to that of the D.C. Snipers, one can see that it would have been highly unlikely for anyone to accurately theorize the characteristics of these perpetrators. Knowing, however, that these anomalies do occur, profilers always encourage law enforcement to use the profile simply as another investigative tool, and not to eliminate anyone solely on the basis of the profile. While many have gone on to claim that these two killers are a hybrid of the serial killer mind and a spree killer’s actions, the fact remains that these two are in a category of their own, and will be added to the ample information we already possess on those who defy the natural human order.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1162266/serial_killers_an_american_anomaly.html
http://www.criminalprofiling.ch/sniper.html
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