Upplands Väsby 2015-08-05: Ida Johansson mördad vid motionsspår

Crime scenes can reveal a lot about personality types and preferences in terms of showing an orderly, over-controlled, socially competent, or intelligent personality vs. a disorderly or socially immature personality. The type of crime depends on such factors as how a victim was selected and handled, whether there were post-mortem acts, and how the crime occurred.

Then there’s the signature (also called personation): an offender's method of perpetrating a crime shows his or her degree (or lack) of planning, but some also leave a personal stamp that can reveal specific fantasy-driven rituals based on needs or compulsions. That’s the signature.

Signatures can be the result of a psychological deviance, but some are just for effect. Some offenders have posed a corpse in a provocative sexual position, carved something on a body, inserted items, or taken a souvenir. It’s thought that signatures originate with personality factors rather than arising from what’s needed to complete a murder.

Characteristics

Of killer:

Below average intelligence
Socially inadequate
Unskilled work
Sexually incompetent
Low birth order status
Father’s work unstable
Harsh discipline as child
Anxious mood during crime
Minimal use of alcohol
Minimal situational stress
Living alone
Lives/works near crime scene
Minimal interest in news media

Of crime scene:

Spontaneous offense
Victim/location known
Depersonalizes victim
Minimal conversation
Crime scene random and sloppy
Sudden violence to victim
Minimal use of restraints
Sexual acts after death
Body left in view
Evidence/weapon often present
Body left at death scene

The offender attacks in a blitz style of way; meaning s/he confronts the victim, and the victim is completely surprised and caught off guard. This killer often attacks in a very violent way, his or her killings are spontaneous and in a place where the victim is going about his or her usual activities, in that way adding the element of surprise. It is normal for a disorganized serial killer to feel the need to depersonalize the victim, such as putting something over the victim’s face or even especially focusing on specific areas of the body and applying extreme brutality.

This offender may feel incompetent and inadequate. If they sexually assault their victims, it will be when the victim is dying or already dead. He establishes control through incapacitation, so he will attack from behind, causing blunt force trauma to the head or face of the victim. He will engage in stabbing or biting types of mutilation. Then he may ejaculate on the victim's clothing or in her wounds. These offenders typically murder their victims by strangulation, blunt force, or the use of a pointed or sharp instrument.

Disorganization may come from their youth, his/her lack of criminal finesse, drug or alcohol abuse, or mental deficiency. They might know their victims as he takes his chances near where he is staying or where he might be employed. His victims are from around him because he gets his brashness/courage from familiar surroundings. His homicides appear random because he strikes when he is under stress; hence his victims are in the wrong place at the wrong time.