Countering The Serial Murder Threat:
A Major Case Handbook Forthcoming

By Des Plaines Police Chief JOSEPH R. KOZENCZAK
and
Des Plaines Public Relations Technician KAREN M. HENRIKSON

While many local law enforcement agencies will never encounter a serial murder case, the reality of becoming involved in such an investigation never-the-less exists. While this is a rather grim topic for municipal administrators who are concerned about the overall safety, welfare and image of their community, being prepared for such an occurrence has obvious attributes. Recognizing this, municipal administrators should be aware that guidelines for special murder investigations will be available through the National Institute of Justice, the principal research agency of the Department of Justice.

The published guidelines, in manual form, are the result of the two week Multi-Agency Investigative Team Workshop (M.A.I.T.) held during the summer of 1986 in Phoenix, Arizona. The workshop involved case presentations by law enforcement, medical and media practitioners who had dealt with one or more serial murder investigations.

Des Plaines Police Chief Joseph R. Kozenczak, who directed the investigation of the disappearance of local resident Robert Piest in 1978 which resulted in the arrest and conviction of serial murderer John Wayne Gacy, was invited to participate in the M.A.I.T. Workshop because of the Gacy Case's impact on the Midwest region. Some of the other cases discussed included the Green River Case, the ongoing Salt Lake City Case, the Night Stalker Case, and the Atlanta Child Murder Case.

Some of the topics addressed were developing a serial murder task force; managing a multi-agency investigation; communicating internally and externally; operation coordination when several agencies are involved yet geographically separated; reluctant participants; budget restraints; the FBI's role; the pathologist's and lab technician's role; the use of profilers, consultants, support staff and psychics; managing the news media; political interference; handling suspects; witness interviews; evidence collection; data processing; designing pre-printed investigation forms; dealing with tipsters; and utilizing the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VI-CAP).

VI-CAP, physically located at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, is a computerized system designed to collect, collate and analyze the aspects of violent crimes on a national basis so that crimes can be compared, indentified and charted. Through VI-CAP major case specialists and crime analysts review violent crime cases and work to provide suspect information, link crimes and combine resources to identify common serial murderers.¹ During the M.A.I.T. Workshop the value of VI-CAP was stressed.

The M.A.I.T. Staff, which coordinated the workshop, consisted of M. Douglas Moore, Project Director, Criminal Justice Center, Sam Houston State University; Pierce Brooks, Principal Investigative Consultant, former Los Angeles Homicide Investigator, Chief of Lakewood, Colorado Police Department and innovator of VI-CAP; Terry Green, Principal Investigator, FBI; Dr. Barbara Hunt, Research Consultant, Texas Department of Corrections; Michael J. Devine, Doctoral Fellow, Criminal Justice Center, Sam Houston University; and Robert Ibanez, Audio-Visual Technician, Criminal Justice Center, Sam Houston State University.

M.A.I.T. was made possible thanks to a grant from the National Institute of Justice issued to the Criminal Justice Center, Sam Houston University where Project Director M. Douglas Moore serves as the Center's Director. A portion of the grant money will be used for printing and distribution. The National Institute of Jus-

February 1987 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 21

tice has agreed to supply additional funds for such purposes when necessary.

In addition to information obtained from the M.A.I.T. Workshop Canadian and New York authorities have been contacted for additional information to be included in the serial murder guidelines.

Illinois agencies requiring further information on the M.A.I.T. Program are encouraged to contact Chief Joseph R. Kozenczak, Des Plaines Police Department, 1418 Miner St., Des Plaines, Illinois 60016 (312) 391-5450.

Agencies interested in obtaining the manual on serial murder guidelines, which will be published in the summer of 1987, should notify Dr. M. Douglas Moore, Director of the Criminal Justice Center, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas 77341 (409) 294-1644.

The manual will be sent free of charge to law enforcement agencies. •

Page 22 / Illinois Municipal Review / February 1987