Our November 2025 question comes from Doug, and he asks: "Which case types-homicide, missing persons, serial crime, or others-tend to benefit the most from the methodology you use?"
Great question, Doug. Thank you, and there's a bit to unpack here.
Geographic profiling is functional and beneficial across a wide range of case types. The methodology is designed to identify patterns in how an offender, or any decision-making entity, moves through space and time. This makes it applicable to serial crime, no-body homicides, missing persons, and a variety of other investigations where location choices matter.
My operational experience has been most substantial in serial offences and no-body homicide cases. These cases often contain multiple activity points, which allows the model to work at its best. When there are at least five locations that reflect an offender’s decision-making, geographic profiling can narrow search areas, prioritise suspects, and highlight overlooked patterns.
One thing I emphasise in training is that I can’t be the expert on every scenario that someone brings into the room. Students often present new and unexpected problems, and that’s where geographic profiling shows its flexibility. In one course, a student asked whether the method could be used to find a crocodile responsible for attacking pets and people. In another case, someone wanted to understand why garden gnomes were being stolen from multiple properties, and obviously, where they could be found. Both examples involved an “offender” selecting targets based on opportunity, access, and familiarity with the environment.
As long as there are enough locations to analyse, the behaviour (whether human or animal) can be modelled. With the proper evidence and a clear understanding of the context, geographic profiling can effectively support investigations that fall outside traditional categories.
All the best on your geo-profiling journey, Doug, and thank you again for being a loyal subscriber.