Serial Killers

I'm back!

I took a little break from blogging, to work on my new book. But now it's almost finished, and I'm back in the New Yorker this week.  I should be appearing regularly in the magazine again in the New Year, and hopefully posting again fairly regularly.

Here's the link to my latest. It's about the strange business of FBI serial killer profiling.

Comments

[Simon]

Welcome back!

[Catchwa]

Yeah, welcome back.

ps. I thought your recent Genius 2012 talk was brilliant. Your conclusions totally 'clicked' with me.

[Tucker]

I'm looking forward to your next book and reading your blog again!!!
I'd love to see you speak again. I saw and met you at the CT Forum a couple years ago which was amazing.

[Kevin H.]

I wondered where you were. I missed your byline. I can't wait to get NY this week and check it out.
Kevin

[DAVE ID]

Can we know what the new book is about? Doesn't matter, it'll be on the top of my hit list of gotta-get books.

[adrienne]

Whew, what a relief! I thought you'd given up blogging...

Welcome back. You have been missed.

[Douglas Karr]

You were missed, Malcolm.

[MosaicCFO]

I too am glad you are back. I look forward to your posts and also look forward to seeing you live at The Up Experience in Houston early next year.

[Christopher Horn]

Welcome back, Malcolm.

Interesting article: I have occasionally wondered why the Feds don't more often use a "team approach" to this profiling business, as an example perhaps employing the insight of James Surowiecki's book "The Wisdom of Crowds" (i.e. that group consensus tends to converge on the right answer more effectively than an isolated so-called expert). As the rooftop killer example shows (among others), the so-called expert probably acts as though they know more than they really do.

The insight of course is that the expert does know something, sure, but so does his assistant...and really anyone else who has a modicum of intelligence and engages with the data. If they all weigh in, they'll together get to the right answer more effectively than any isolated theory.

[Chen Chen]

I like You so much, welcome back!!
Good Luck! :)

by Chen in China

[Chip Burkitt]

Just as there are psychics who fool themselves into believing they have unusual powers, it appears that profilers may do the same.

[Christopher Horn]

I also recall watching the ABC interview with Jeffrey Dahmer not long before he was killed. I can't recall who conducted the interview, but in my memory s/he was no doubt an amateur profiler (are there any pros?)

At one point, the lights dimmed and the interviewer asked the monster, in a hushed tone, whether he wished he were free for just a little while longer, so that he might continue perpetrating his dastardly deeds.

Dahmer's face grew frightened and he said, quickly, something to the effect of 'oh, no, I am very happy to be here, safely away from any possibility of acting on my evil impulses'.

At another point the interviewer asked about Dahmer's dad, who had published a book claiming some responsibility for Dahmer's terrible deeds. The 'sociopath' Dahmer's face darkened, and he firmly said that no one deserves any blame for the terrible things he had done but he himself.

Profilers. In the developing world they have 'professional' psychics and seers, in America we have profilers.

[Heathcliff S]

Excellent to have you back! Thanks Malcolm.

[Samir]

welcome back Malcolm

[Heathcliff S]

Malcolm, can you tell us what the new book will be called?

[Samuel Driessen]

Yeah, welcome back! And please give us an idea what your new book's about.

[Lee Henshaw]

Welcome back!

Hopefully I can find a newsagent in London with a copy so I can read the article in comfort.

I recently watched your speech on Genius and wondered if you could recommend a book about capitalisation.

Lee.

[warsze]

The Genius talk was great. I look forward to new articles in the New Yorker.

[Scott]

When I read this, I couldn't help but think about old baseball scouts. Just seems like profiles are the same type of people who are making predictions based on a hunch. And at some point, someone's gonna come along and apply some sabremetrics to the process and put a whole bunch of people out of work.

[Mike Henry]

Glad to see you back Malcolm; and great to hear that your new book is almost finished. I -- and I'm sure everyone else -- will be looking forward to your new pieces, so try to keep them interesting.

[Bradley Woods >> Conceive, Believe, Achieve]

I have been checking back here frequently waiting for your return. Glad you came back! Looking forward to your work in the New Yorker. Many blessings Malcolm.

[rone]

Cheers, Malcolm.

[Doctor Jay]

After reading that article, I find myself wondering what the reaction to this research is amongst the FBI, and law enforcement in general.

[Peter]

Welcome back - good to hear form your again. Enjoyed the article - surprising and disappointing that profilers use such techniques. Three things:
1) Did any FBI profilers offer a corrective your conclusions?
2) Did you ponder an connection between the Blink phenomenon and profiling experts?
3) Have you considered the distinction between police profiling and FBI profiling?

Thanks, Peter

[Peter]

Sorry for the typos! Geez, in rush.