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Celbridge, Kildare, Ireland
I am a bit mad but I can calm down if I want. I am a bit of fun and love to laugh!!! Reading is a big part of my life.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

The Zodiac Killer

The Crime
There are alot of things that we don't know about the Zodiac Killer, such as his birth name, when he was born or when he died. The Zodiac Killer operated in Northern California. He coined his own name, 'Zodiac' in a series of taunting letter to the Bay Area Press. These letters included four cryptograms, three of which have still to be solved.

Four men and three women between the ages of 16 and 29 were targeted. Many suspects were questioned but the real Zodiac Killer was never caught. The case has remained open since 1969.

Geography of Area.
North California mainly consists of sandy regions. The central portion of the region is dominated mainly by the Central Valley, which is one of the most vital agricultural areas in the U.S. The Giant Redwood's, the tallest Living thing, are dotted along the coastline, mainly by San Francisco.

David Berkowitz (Son of Sam)

The Crime
David Berkowitz, A.K.A Son of Sam, was a Serial Killer and Arsonist whose crimes terrorised New York City. Berkowitz confessed to killing six people and wounding a several others in eight shootings in New York City. He claimed that he was commanded to kill by the demon who possessed a neighbours dog.

Berkowitz later amended his claim, saying he was only the shooter in two of the eight incidents he confessed to. He said that the other victims were killed by members of a violent satanic cult, of which he was a member of.

His weapon of choice was a .44 caliber gun.

Geography of Area.
It is the most populated city in the U.S. The city consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. There are as many as 800 languages spoken in the city.

It is the home of some well known landmarks, such as Statue of Liberty, Times Square and The Empire State Bulding.

Ted Bundy

The Crime
Ted Bundy was a Serial Killer, Rapist, Kidnapper and Necrophiliac who assaulted and Murdered at least 30 women and possibly many more. He was superficially handsome, charming and charismatic and these qualities helped him to kidnap women. His type was women who wore hooped earrings and had long hair that was parted in the centre.

He would approach these women in public places and gained their trust by feigning an injury or disabilities, or by impersonating a person of authority, he then overpowered them and restrained them. Most of the women he admitted to killing were sexually assaulted and murdered at a secondary site.

On a few occasions he broke into houses in the dead of night and bludgeoned the occupants while they were sleeping. Some other times he would spend hours at his secondary locations grooming his dead victims and performing sexual acts with them until the rate of decomposition was so bad he was repulsed by the sight of them.

He decapitated a number of his victims and kept their heads as a trophy for himself.

Geography of Area.
Ted Bundy killed his victims in a number of different states so it is hard to do a geographical study on the area he killed in. I decided that I would do the geographical study on the area where he killed the first of his victims, Washington State.

Washington State is in the Northwest of America. It borders Canada, Oregon and Idaho. It is typically a cold and wet State. It is the home to many National Parks, such as Mount Rainier National Park, and National Forests, such as Olympic National Forest.


*Necrophilliac: To have a sexual attraction to a corpse or to have sexual encounters with a corpse.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Basic Information on Criminology & Criminal Profiling

Criminology means the scientific study of the nature, causes, extent and control of criminal behaviour. It is mainly used in the Behavioural Sciences. One department of the FBI that uses Criminal Profiling alot is the Behavioural Analysis Unit. There is also a show based on the work of that unit called Criminal Minds. It delves into how profling helps to catch a serial killer.


There is a term known as the Homicidal Triad and contains three different behaviours: Animal Cruelty, Obsession with setting fires and Persistant Bedwetting.


The Homicidal Triad is also called the MacDonald Triad as it was discovered by a man called J.M MacDonald in 'The Threat to Kill', which was a paper in the Americal Journal of Psychiatry.


Criminal Profiling, also known as Offender Profiling, is a tool used by Investigators to profile the behaviour of an unknown suspect. To build the profile of an offencer, investigators try to collect the personality through a series of questions.


What fantasy or plan did the murderer have in place before the act? What triggered the murderer to act some days and not others? What type of victims did the murderer select? What manner was the victim killed: shooting, stabbing, strangulation, or something else? Was the body disposed of at another site? Is there one person in particular that is injecting themselves into the investigation?


Investigator aslo search for a signature, which is a unique mark left by every different killer to show Police that the victim belongs to them.


Serial killers often keep trophies or memories of each of their victims. These can range from a lock of hair, to an organ, or a bone in some cases.


Criminal Profiling takes alot of skill and mental capacity. You have to understand the workings of the mind and psyche to get a profile as accurate as possible.





Fred West

The Crime

Fred West was an english Serial killer. He, along with his wife Rosemary, totured, raped and murdered at least 12 women. He found sexual release raping and killing the girls but it wasn't enough for him. He decided to film himself raping the girls, to use later for personal use.

Rosemary murdered Fred's daughter while he was being questioned. He had raped her and filmed her. He was caught when Charmaine went to school the next day and told her friends what her Father had done to her. A concerned parent called the police and he was arrested.

Geography of Area

Gloucester is in the region of Gloucestershire which is in the South West region of England. It lies close to the Welsh border and is North-East of Bristol.

During the Winter, it can get surprisingly cold and during the summer, it has reached over 20 degrees.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Jack The Ripper

The Crime


Jack the Ripper was a serial killer, who's real name is unknown. He was very active in the area around Whitechapel, London. He picked up female prostitutes, from the slum areas of Whitechapel. His signature was his callous mutilations, performed post-mortem. Prior to these mutilations, he would cut their throats to prevent struggling, therefore making his later job easier.

Because of the fact that he removed organs from at least three of his victims, it was suggested that he had some form of surgical or medical knowledge. He sent a letter, known as the 'From Hell' letter, to a man called George Lusk, a member of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee. This letter contained half of a preserved human kidney, he claimed it was from one of his victims.

Many different murderers and psychopaths have copied the workings of Jack the Ripper, adding their own mark, making their mark on their victim.


Geography of Area.
Jack the Ripper committed most of his murders and mutilations in Whitechapel, London.
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city area of London. The resident population are varied ethnic origin, mainly bengali.

It is the birth place of many famous people, such as Ashley Cole, Chelsea and England footballer, Roger Delgado, known for playing 'The Master' in Doctor Who and many more.


Geography Project introduction.

For my hobby map, I chose to do Criminal Profiling and the study of Criminology. I chose this because I love studying serial killers and watching programmes based on these killings. It facinates me. It is something I could see as a future career.

I chose 5 serial killers that are quite famous throughout the world. They are:
-Jack the Ripper: Whitechapel, London
-Fred West: Gloucester, England
-Ted Bundy: Burlington, Vermont
-The Zodiac Killer: California, USA
-David Berkowitz.: Brooklyn, New York City

I chose these killers because I find their style different and interesting.
They are all from either America or England.

In my blog posts I shall be explaining their crimes and the geography of where they committed their crimes .