case studies in forensic psychology

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Key Cases in Forensic and Criminological Psychology

• R. Stephen Walsh - Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
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Five Famous Cases Cracked by Forensic Psychologists

• Published December 1, 2016
• Last Updated May 19, 2021
• Read Time 3 mins

An understanding of the criminal mind is one of the most useful tools in solving crimes, which becomes apparent in these five famous cases cracked by forensic psychologists. Although techniques are becoming more sophisticated every year, forensic psychology has a long and storied history.

1. Ted Bundy

A psychologist could spend a lifetime examining the twisted mind of Ted Bundy, one of America’s most notorious and charismatic killers. Luckily, several forensic psychologists used their expertise to crack this famous case. Over time, Ted Bundy’s brutal attacks and killings became less careful and more frequent. Their psychological profile, which benefited greatly from a former girlfriend’s information, eventually ended the nationwide manhunt for Bundy and even linked him to other unsolved murders.

2. John Wayne Gacy

Although complaints and suspicions from neighbors were ultimately what ended “killer clown” John Wayne Gacy’s shocking killing spree, forensic psychologists ensured that the culprit in this famous case didn’t go free on a bogus insanity plea. Through a series of interviews, psychologists on the case were able to determine that Gacy’s murders involved premeditation and a detailed plan to hide his victims bodies. Without forensic psychologists assistance in this case, traumatized families may have never experienced the satisfaction of seeing Gacy punished for his crimes.

3. Explosions at Radio City Music Hall

An ongoing series of bombings at New York City’s famed Radio City Music Hall is an intriguing case that’s often forgotten these days. This case, which involved more than a dozen explosions between 1940 and 1950, proved so problematic for police that it was one of the inspirations for the development of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Psychologist James Brussel was able to determine that due to the intricacy and knowledge of the explosive devices, the bomber was almost definitely an engineer, most likely at Con Edison. This profile directed the police towards George Metesky. The remarkable accuracy and efficacy of the forensic psychologist’s profile increased the demand for these experts across the nation.

4. Aileen Wuornos

The case of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who you might know as the inspiration for Charlize Theron’s mesmerizing performance in “Monster,” may have never been solved without a famous use of forensic psychology. Psychologists were able to determine a consistent motivation for Wuorno’s killings–her intense fear of losing her relationship with her long-time partner Tyria Moore. This profile proved to be incredibly accurate when each of Wuornos’s killings was later linked to rocky periods and short-term separations between the lovers.

5. Andrei Chikatilo

Andrei Chikatilo’s reign of terror had Russian police mystified for more than two decades, until it became one of these famous cases cracked by forensic psychologists. To date, Chikatilo has been linked with the murders of 53 Russian women and children. Growing frustrated with the lack of promising leads, Viktor Burakov, the case’s chief investigator decided to employ a new method. He enlisted Dr. Alexander Bukhanovsky’s help in compiling a psychological profile for the killer. This information proved invaluable in narrowing down their list of suspects down to Chikatilo himself, who confessed to his horrific crimes in 1990.

The Ongoing Importance of Forensic Psychology

Although many people probably think of Clarice Starling in the movie “Silence of the Lambs,” when they think of forensic psychology, it’s not just a plot device in a movie. The real-life psychological profiles from these five famous cases that were cracked by forensic psychologists were the difference between letting a case go cold and capturing a criminal.

Top 20 Graduate Degree Programs in Forensic Psychology

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Insanity and incompetence - case studies in forensic psychology, additional details.

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Open Access Journal of Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology unbound.

ISSN 1948-5115

Case Studies

Section editor:  Laura Kirsch   [email protected]

Kirsch, L. (2010). Introduction to the Journal’s Section Devoted to Case Studies. Open Access Journal of Forensic Psychology, 2, 377-378.

Mart, E. G., & Connelly, A. W. (2010). An unusual case of epileptic postictal violence: Implications for criminal responsibility. Open Access Journal of Forensic Psychology, 2, 49-58.

Mart, E. G. (2012). Case study: The assessment of an intestate ward with anomic aphasia to determine testamentary capacity. Open Access Journal of Forensic Psychology, 4, 81-90.

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Forensic Psychology Graduate Programs

Master of arts in forensic psychology  .

The Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology is designed to provide a strong foundation in forensic psychology that can be applied to, and within, the criminal and civil justice systems as well as to prepare students for doctoral study in psychology. The 42-credit curriculum focuses on understanding, serving, and studying both offenders and victims. This course of study explores the role of psychology in the legal system, in criminal behavior, in substance and alcohol abuse, and in terrorism. Through the curriculum, students are provided with an advanced understanding of psychological development and psychopathology, personality assessment, psychotherapeutic techniques, and research methods. For more information, please visit this  page .

See d egree requirements  and  admissions information .  Note:  The MA in Forensic Psychology is not a licensure program. States vary in their licensure requirements at the master’s level.

Program Director:  Professor Kendra Doychak ([email protected])

Master of Arts in Forensic Mental Health Counseling  

This Program, developed within the Psychology Department, has been approved by New York State as a "license eligible" academic program. It satisfies the state's educational requirements leadings toward professional licensure as a Mental Health Counselor, with a specialization in forensics. It develops skills in interviewing, counseling, and assessment, based upon established principles and research regarding human development, personality, psychopathology, and counseling. Students will be uniquely prepared to work towards licensure as counselors in prisons, juvenile detention centers, probation and parole agencies, and social service agencies that counsel and assess adolescents and adults at risk for criminal behavior. The program offers research opportunities for those students interested in pursuing doctoral education. The degree requires 60 credits. For more information, see the  FAQ section . See  admissions . Interim Program Director:  Professor Abbie Tuller ([email protected])

Victim-Focused Programs

​ Certificate of   Victimology Studies in Forensic Psychology  

The Victimology Studies in Forensic Psychology is a 12-credit certificate program which aims to develop specialized knowledge in the area of interpersonal victimization in a forensic psychology context. Areas covered include but are not limited to interpersonal violence and victimization including domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, ch ild abuse, sex and labor trafficking, and hate crimes.  This non-licensable certificate will allow BA graduates working in Victim Services agencies to develop a better understanding of relevant issues, and to possibly consider additional training. It will also be available for those already in our MA Programs, who can concurrently receive the Certificate along with their MA, to demonstrate some focus in this area.  The core courses are PSY 700: Mental Health Professionals, Social Science, and the Law; PSY 705. Victimology; PSY 742. Family Violence and Disputes; and PSY 733. Dissociation and Trauma.

Victim Counseling Track in the Forensic Mental Health Counseling MA Program We have now expanded the current FMHC MA program to offer three tracks. The existing two tracks are not altered. The proposed change will now allow students to select from one of these three tracks--the standard Forensic Counseling Track (formerly externship track), the new Victim Counseling Track, and the combined Forensic Counseling and Thesis Track (formerly thesis track). 

In addition to required FMHC courses, the Victim Counseling Track requires 18 credits as below:

PSY 705 – Victimology (Fall and Spring) PSY 708 – Crisis Intervention and Short-term Counseling (Spring) PSY 733 – Dissociation and Trauma (Fall only) PSY 742 – Family Violence and Disputes (Fall and Spring) PSY 774 – Child Abuse and Neglect (New course:  Spring 2018) PSY 773 – Advanced Issues in Victim Counseling and Psychotherapy

The programs will be coordinated by Dr. Chitra Raghavan, the Deputy Director of the Forensic Mental Health Counseling program, with the help of the MA office staff. Please contact [email protected] if you need more information.

Four-Year Forensic Psychology MA/JD Program 

The Four-Year Forensic Psychology MA/JD offers qualified students the opportunity to earn both a John Jay Master of Arts degree in Forensic Psychology and a New York Law School Juris Doctor degree in Law which may be completed in as little as four years. The curriculum is composed of the existing required and elective courses for the MA and for the JD, requiring a combined total of 128 credits, including 42 credits for the completion of the MA Program in Forensic Psychology and 86 credits for the completion of the JD Program in Law. However, 12 New York Law School credits focusing on mental disability law will be credited towards both the JD and the MA Program. Likewise 12 MA credits from the John Jay Forensic Psychology MA Program will be credited also to the New York Law School JD program. Consequently, due to the 24 transfer credits applied in the dual degree program, the actual number of credits taken will be 104, resulting in graduation for full-time students in four years instead of five. For more information, go to  FAQ . See admissions  and other information.

Program Coordinator:  Professor James Wulach ([email protected])

BA/MA Program  

Qualified undergraduate students may enter the B.A./M.A. Program and thereby graduate with both a bachelor's and a master's degree in forensic psychology. Director:  Professor Diana Falkenbach ([email protected])

Postgraduate Certificate in Forensic Psychology 

This is a state-registered Postgraduate Certificate Program in Forensic Psychology. Students receiving the certificate after 18 creditswill be credentialed with postgraduate documentation of coursework within one of the following six forensic psychology tracks: Psychological Assessment and Forensic Psychology; Family Violence and Victims; Forensic Counseling and Psychotherapy; Research in Forensic Psychology; Selected Topics in Forensic Psychology; Forensic Psychological Assessment and Testimony. This certificate has been developed to permit applicants with a clinical graduate degree to receive additional forensic training and focus in the subspecialty of their choice. The postgraduate certificate is designed primarily for those applicants who have already received a masters or a doctoral degree in psychology, social work, counseling, or a related field. For more information, see the  FAQs .  Program Director:  Professor James Wulach ([email protected])

Law and Crime

10 mistakes fiction writers make about forensic psychology, these errors can be avoided with better research..

Posted May 4, 2024 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

• Many crime fiction writers often make mistakes about what forensic psychologists do.
• The range of errors covers investigations, consulting, and the courtroom.
• There are resources that can help to present this profession correctly.

Forensic psychology is the application of concepts and research from social, clinical, experimental, and cognitive psychology to the civil or criminal legal arena. Forensic psychologists generally work within the prison or court system. My discussion below covers typical conditions.

In most of the U.S., forensic psychologists generally ascertain a defendant’s mental state when they’ve committed a crime (MSO) and/or determine competency to participate at various stages of the legal process, e.g., waive rights, confess, stand trial, testify, or represent themselves. Psychologists might also serve as experts to explain complex concepts or conditions to fact-finders (judge or jury), and might be involved in offender assessment or treatment programs. In addition, they might offer predictions about future potential violence or advise on such behaviors as lying, malingering, and falsely confessing. They might offer police training or consult on unusual investigations.

When I reviewed depictions of forensic psychologists in crime novels for my MFA, I found many incorrect assumptions. For example, forensic psychologists were often posed strictly as profilers. Some writers understood their clinical work, but many thought they’d be active investigators. (My own forensic psychologist in my Nut Cracker series, Annie Hunter, has a PI license and uses an investigative team.)

Following are 10 errors I’ve seen in fiction about forensic psychologists:

Error 1. They’re used as profilers because detectives can’t do this work.

The FBI offers U. S. jurisdictions its Behavioral Analysis Unit at no cost, if needed, and plenty of detectives get training in profiling at the FBI’s National Academy. Britain has a program where psychologists (and others) might be trained as behavioral investigative advisors, but BIAs mostly gather victim and crime scene data. Research psychologists with special knowledge about certain types of crimes might consult, but they don’t generally step in as profilers. Frankly, detectives resent the notion that they’re deficient in criminal behavioral analysis.

Error 2 . They visit crime scenes to advise on catching a killer.

Forensic psychologists might view crime scene photos for their reports, but they don’t lie in graves, barge into active investigations, or examine bodies to advise on how to locate and arrest offenders.

Error 3. They profile a person.

Even when they do act as death investigation consultants (my character is a suicidologist, a discipline in which few cops are trained), they don’t profile a specific person . Profiling focuses on victimology and crime scene behavior to envision the type of person who would behave in this way. It’s about reconstruction and linkage analysis. Profiling a person is more correctly called kinesic analysis or reading body language . Also, the phrase, “s/he doesn’t fit the profile,” mistakenly suggests that a profile is a blueprint developed before a crime has even occurred.

Error 4. They undertake hypnosis or therapy in the courtroom.

If they’re testifying as experts, they’re explaining psychological concepts or conditions that would be difficult for a layperson to understand. They don’t approach defendants, let alone put them under hypnosis. They also don't betray their own clients by revealing the content of sessions without permission. (When the experts who are testifying are the defendants’ treating clinicians, they’re not acting as expert witnesses. They might be there to clarify motivation or aberrant conditions or to offer mitigating factors for sentencing.)

Error 5. They interrogate suspects.

Although psychologists might advise detectives about interrogation research and strategies, they don't displace detectives to interrogate suspects as some kind of specialized expert.

Error 6 . Forensic psychiatrists, forensic psychologists, criminologists, and criminalists all do the same work, so the titles are interchangeable.

Psychiatrists obtain medical degrees and complete specialized training in psychiatry . They can prescribe medications. Psychologists cannot. A criminologist typically studies crime and criminal behavior from a sociological perspective, specifically regarding trends and causal factors; they devise ways to contain or prevent crime. Criminalists deal with physical evidence from a scene. (I differentiate these roles in detail here . )

Error 7 . Police psychologists act as “the” profiler.

Clinical psychologists employed in police departments carry out activities such as fitness for duty evaluations, critical incident debriefing, counseling, or stress management . They might offer advice in a hostage situation or provide training, but they’re not invited into brainstorming sessions with detectives to perform the profiling.

Error 8 . Thanks to their clinical training, psychologists can always spot a liar.

Unless they do specific research on deception , research shows that forensic psychologists have no special talent for spotting liars. (Neither do detectives, despite what they want to believe.) Even those who do deception research know they have limits.

Error 9. Forensic psychologists pronounce defendants to be sane or insane.

During the 19 th century, insanity was a medical term, but now it’s a legal term that describes a mental disease or deficiency that prevents a person from knowing that what they did was wrong or from comporting themselves according to the law. In addition, a finding of insanity is the “ultimate issue” for the fact-finder (judge or jury) to decide, not an expert witness. Psychologists can describe the mental state at the time of the offense, but the fact-finders determine whether it qualifies as legal insanity. Each state has its own criteria for an insanity defense (or has none at all).

Error 10. Forensic psychologists can accurately predict long-range future violent behavior without standardized tools.

They can’t predict potential future danger with much range or accuracy, and best practices call for using detailed standardized assessments based on several life domains. Some clinicians are risk assessment specialists, but even they know that the ability to predict future violent behavior is complicated and limited in scope.

Crime writers can avoid errors like these with some basic practices:

• Don’t expect television series to provide accurate models. TV is for entertainment, period. If facts conflict with a cool plot, the plot wins. (I’ve experienced this as a TV writer.)
• Don’t look to other fiction writers as models unless you have reason to accept their credibility, e.g., they have professional background in the field or they use consultants with professional background.
• Take seminars or classes, or purchase some nonfiction books by professionals in the field. Many writing groups host such experts or offer seminars or courses. Listen to them.

Costanzo, M., & Krauss, D. (2018) Forensic and legal psychology , 3rd Ed., Worth.

Hafemeister, T. (2019). Criminal trials and mental disorders . New York University Press.

Ramsland, Katherine. (2002). The criminal mind: A writer’s guide to forensic psychology . Writers’ Digest Press (outdated info for the DSM, which changed editions in 2013.)

Ramsland, Katherine. (2018). The psychology of death investigations . CRC Press.

Scherer, A., & Jarvis, J. (2014). Criminal investigative analysis: Practitioner perspectives. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin . https://leb.fbi.gov/2014/june/criminal-investigative-analysis-practicioner-perspectives-part-one-of-four (a 4-part overview of profiling).

Katherine Ramsland, Ph.D., is a professor of forensic psychology at DeSales University and the author of 69 books.

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