Identification of Potential Arsonists and Pyromaniacs: Medical, Psychological, and Operational Investigative Aspects

Abstract

he research applied a comprehensive approach to the psychological, forensic, and investigative aspects of arson and fire-related murders. The author studied criminal cases and forensic acts that involved burnt corpses. Together with the official criminal statistics, the data made it possible to formulate the following null hypothesis: arsonists, self-immolators, and murders who use fire or imitate a fire-related accident all share a certain psychological profile and tend to develop an identifiable situation at the scene of crime. As a rule, they leave specific evidence, e.g., containers with remnants of a combustible substance, props, traces of chlorpromazine in the blood of the victim, special tools, etc., which can help to build up versions about the incident, the criminal, their motives, etc. The research resulted in an optimal set of operational-search measures aimed at solving the problems of identifying potential arsonists. The author believes that arson correlates not with sexual tension, as previously thought, but with autism disorders.