.

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE HAS APPEARED IN THE RECORD November 6, 2002

Chilling conclusions on the DC area sniper killings


With everything that has been reported since the arrest of the two DC area snipers we can be certain there was never any danger that their murders would remain unresolved. The fact that they eluded the police for so long was more of a fluke than the result of an all out effort to avoid being captured. Judging from many of their actions it even looks as if the two snipers begged to be arrested.

They were clearly not professional killers. Take their modified "sniper-nest" and get-away vehicle. Instead of resorting to a non- traceable stolen vehicle and disposing of it, they opted for a Chevrolet Caprice that belonged to an acquaintance, modified it to hide a sniper's nest in the back seat and trunk and kept using it during the entire killing spree.

The fact that they were captured inside their vehicle at a rest stop while still in possession of the lethal semi-automatic Bushmaster XM- 15 .223 caliber rifle is a testament to their amateur status. They obviously weren't paying much attention to the news reports. All it took was a tip from an individual who spotted their Chevrolet Caprice just hours after the public was warned by the police.

By matching the rifle to the .238 caliber bullets that were removed from many of the victims, the ballistic experts were able to scientifically connect the two snipers to 11 of the 13 shootings, as well as to slayings in Alabama and Louisiana. Such compelling and critical scientific evidence in a courtroom almost always guarantees a guilty verdict. Had they been truly professional killers, the two snipers would have relied on a non-traceable black market or stolen firearm that could have been left at the scene of the crime with little danger that it could be traced to them.

There is still more- when contacting the police by telephone and through notes in the hopes of extracting a $10-million ransom they left such a wide trail of clues, it only took days for the police to discover their true identities. As a result of one of the many telephone calls the police were even able to solve a shooting in Alabama which had never been connected to the serial killings.

While serial killers don't think or act like elite military snipers or hired assassins, this is not to say that they don't present special investigative problems. Not all serial killings have been solved. In fact, some experts estimate that the number of serial killers currently at large in the United States ranges from the low 30s to over 100 . While serial killings, by their very definition, involve repeat murders separated by varying amounts of time, they rarely involve victims that are affiliated to the killers. Since 80 per cent of all non-serial murders are committed by a spouse or acquaintance of the victim, investigators are usually able to develop and work on a list of credible suspects based on possible motive. However, such an elementary but useful tool serves little purpose in the case of serial murderers as they almost always lack apparent motive when it comes to selecting their victims.

Because serial killers also represent such a wide range of personality types with varying backgrounds it is extremely difficult for police experts to develop a profile of their suspect so as to know what type of person to look for. One has only to consider the major differences between the many well known serial killers such as the "Boston Strangler," Son of Sam" , the "Freeway Killer " , the "Stocking Strangler ", Clifford Olsen, John Wayne Gacy and Theodore"Ted" Bundy . During the course of the DC area sniper investigation, a variety of profiles had been proposed by different experts, yet they almost all turned out to be wrong .

Any serial murderer who relies on a long range rifle such as a semiautomatic Bushmaster XM- 15, is bound to cause additional hardships for the police. The 16-inch barreled rifle , which is capable of firing a single shot with each pull of the trigger, is as accurate as it is lethal when employed with a scope, a bipod and a 10-round clip. The mere fact that it has a maximum effective range of 600 yards provides a killer with a much better opportunity to avoid detection as well as ample time to leave the scene of the crime before the arrival of the police . It also makes it practically impossible for the police to pinpoint the exact location from where the fatal shots were fired. Furthermore, the use of such a weapon at long range wipes out any possibility of a killer leaving his fingerprints or drops of blood that could be utilized for an eventual DNA match. Unless a killer accidentally or intentionally leaves any incriminating evidence at the scene of the crime the odds of the police finding anything more than the spent bullets or slugs inside the bodies of the victims, are indeed slim.

The number of serial murders in the United States is naturally a matter of serious concern. On the basis of various economical and sociological theories various experts have predicted an increase. Even though the two snipers were able to terrorize the nation's capitol for well over three weeks, the DC area residents can at least consider themselves fortunate that the snipers weren't part of a coordinated team of well trained terrorists spread out throughout the United States. We can readily imagine the carnage if each member, in such an instance, had been skilled in concealment and armed with the latest high precision rifle such as the Japanese Arasaka Daemon rifle equipped with night scope and laser-assisted aim. With its 2000 meter range, the trail of bodies would have made the DC area snipers look like a bunch of two-bit thugs. As for the likelihood that such a team of terrorists could be quickly captured by the police, unfortunately , the odds are slim. With over 16,000 people murdered each year in the United States and a walloping 35 per cent going unsolved, well trained foreign terrorist killers with deep pockets could likely make it back to their home countries long before they would even be suspected