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Authors: Debi Marshall
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could have a history of some form of abuse in childhood but is also possibly well educated and mobile in his work and leisure. His hygiene levels would be high and he would not drive an old car. Before discovery of the body and after, he would very possibly return to the crime scene as an onlooker or participant, and may contact police to offer help.
But regardless of how the serial killer – usually a white male, between the ages of 25 and 35 – acts, one thing never changes. It is never his fault. He is adept at abrogating responsibility, blaming society or someone else. And by shifting the blame, he feels no requirement to examine his behaviour.
It's not his fault. So he will do it again.
13
Macro taskforce investigators engage in official, formal debates. Police on one side, police on the other. Airing ideas and possible scenarios. 'How often do these debates occur?' I later ask a Macro insider. He can't tell me, he says. I will have to talk to Dave Caporn, but he may not wish to answer. It becomes a frequent mantra, bordering on the absurd; the squirrelling of information that could not in any way hinder the investigation if it was made public. 'Why?' I persist. 'Why would Caporn not want to discuss this?' He does not answer.
The Macro taskforce has twice daily briefings, at 7 am and 7 pm, which everyone, from the youngest constable to senior detectives, must attend. No one can plead ignorance or shy-ness. It is a dynamic strategy that pays dividends: by checking and cross-checking information gained during the day, it is often the younger team members with vibrant, fresh ideas that bring the best results. The need to look after the health and safety of the Macro team is also paramount. Everyone is encouraged to have counselling, whether they feel they need it or not. For the older officers the concept is often regarded as 'soft', but they are told to set an example. If someone is not coping, their superiors cut them loose early, putting them back into other areas. The needs of the investigation override those of the individual.
The taskforce adapts the American version of VICAP – Victim Identification of Violent Crime – to help organise the over-whelming amount of data. A comprehensive recording of all details of violent crime, including murder and sexual assaults, it creates a searchable database which is interrogated to find a link between old recorded cases with new cases. It is a quantum leap forward; pre-VICAP, officers who worked the modus operandi section physically examined offence reports and wrote up cards on each particular characteristic of the offence. Time-consuming, it also wasted space: Sergeant Tony Potts, who started at Macro in February 1997 in the role of media officer, recalls there was a drawer full of index cards that identified offenders who had a cobweb tattoo on the elbow alone. Computers could easily store and search that information; however, it was still time-consuming.
Macro officers set about the arduous task of identifying and linking known facts about the Claremont victims to any previous offence in WA, the rest of Australia and overseas and any known or recorded modus operandi. To do this, they need a system that can expedite the feeding of that information.
In conjunction with VICAP, they settle on the HOLMES system – Home Office Large Major Enquiry System – developed by the UK Home Office in response to identified failings of several British police jurisdictions when investigating the Yorkshire Ripper murders in the 1980s. Murders that changed the face of policing.
The most notorious serial killer in Britain since Jack the Ripper, the Yorkshire Ripper, as he was dubbed by the press, first attacked a stranger in 1969. It was the start of a maniacal killing spree that would stop only with his arrest. Police failures to identify the Ripper's modus operandi started early, when they did not notice similarities between attacks and murders. As late as 1996, the Chief
But regardless of how the serial killer – usually a white male, between the ages of 25 and 35 – acts, one thing never changes. It is never his fault. He is adept at abrogating responsibility, blaming society or someone else. And by shifting the blame, he feels no requirement to examine his behaviour.
It's not his fault. So he will do it again.
13
Macro taskforce investigators engage in official, formal debates. Police on one side, police on the other. Airing ideas and possible scenarios. 'How often do these debates occur?' I later ask a Macro insider. He can't tell me, he says. I will have to talk to Dave Caporn, but he may not wish to answer. It becomes a frequent mantra, bordering on the absurd; the squirrelling of information that could not in any way hinder the investigation if it was made public. 'Why?' I persist. 'Why would Caporn not want to discuss this?' He does not answer.
The Macro taskforce has twice daily briefings, at 7 am and 7 pm, which everyone, from the youngest constable to senior detectives, must attend. No one can plead ignorance or shy-ness. It is a dynamic strategy that pays dividends: by checking and cross-checking information gained during the day, it is often the younger team members with vibrant, fresh ideas that bring the best results. The need to look after the health and safety of the Macro team is also paramount. Everyone is encouraged to have counselling, whether they feel they need it or not. For the older officers the concept is often regarded as 'soft', but they are told to set an example. If someone is not coping, their superiors cut them loose early, putting them back into other areas. The needs of the investigation override those of the individual.
The taskforce adapts the American version of VICAP – Victim Identification of Violent Crime – to help organise the over-whelming amount of data. A comprehensive recording of all details of violent crime, including murder and sexual assaults, it creates a searchable database which is interrogated to find a link between old recorded cases with new cases. It is a quantum leap forward; pre-VICAP, officers who worked the modus operandi section physically examined offence reports and wrote up cards on each particular characteristic of the offence. Time-consuming, it also wasted space: Sergeant Tony Potts, who started at Macro in February 1997 in the role of media officer, recalls there was a drawer full of index cards that identified offenders who had a cobweb tattoo on the elbow alone. Computers could easily store and search that information; however, it was still time-consuming.
Macro officers set about the arduous task of identifying and linking known facts about the Claremont victims to any previous offence in WA, the rest of Australia and overseas and any known or recorded modus operandi. To do this, they need a system that can expedite the feeding of that information.
In conjunction with VICAP, they settle on the HOLMES system – Home Office Large Major Enquiry System – developed by the UK Home Office in response to identified failings of several British police jurisdictions when investigating the Yorkshire Ripper murders in the 1980s. Murders that changed the face of policing.
The most notorious serial killer in Britain since Jack the Ripper, the Yorkshire Ripper, as he was dubbed by the press, first attacked a stranger in 1969. It was the start of a maniacal killing spree that would stop only with his arrest. Police failures to identify the Ripper's modus operandi started early, when they did not notice similarities between attacks and murders. As late as 1996, the Chief
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