“Brainstorming” of serial homicide investigation materials

The author of the article states that the successful investigation of serial murders primarily depends on the timely establishment of the circumstances of the commission of two or more crimes of this type. The combination of criminal cases initiated in connection with these crimes, as well as operational and investigative proceedings, ensures that the maximum possible amount of procedural, operational, and other information is accumulated in one place. The formed information base significantly expands the operational base of further work in connection with the prospect of their productive use in the identification, search, and exposure of criminals. This is not only due to quantitative factors, but also a qualitative change in the structures of individual murder cases, the components of the investigated series. A positively tested means of analyzing these materials is the so-called “brainstorming” (“brain attack”). This is a form of collective discussion that takes place in the absence of information about the alleged serial killer in order to listen to and evaluate opinions about the versions. These versions are based on the materials of investigative and operational activities, as well as the methods and means of verifying them. “Brainstorming” or “brain attack” as a form of solving key issues in organizing and conducting an investigation into a series of murders as a result of a joint discussion by members of the investigative team should be considered as a necessary method for finding optimal ways to resolve unfavorable investigative situations. They should express their own (including differing) opinions on the substance and options for transforming them into favorable situations.