Thesis

The creation of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit (BSU) in 1972 revolutionized criminal investigations by looking beyond just physical evidence to also explore criminals’ psychological motivations. Despite initially skeptical reactions from FBI investigators and local law enforcement, the 1974 David Meirhofer case in Montana demonstrated criminal profiling’s effectiveness. The resulting reform was the widespread institutionalization of criminal behavior analysis and the systematic study of serial offenders, practices still prevalent in the present day.