Former FBI profiler on the psychology of a sexual serial killer | Forensic Files

[Music] some of the general traits and characteristics that would be consistent with Rodney Alcala as well as other
serial killers would be very glib and charming a lack of empathy extremely callous very grandiose and extremely
manipulative Rodney was able to use that manipulation and his extraversion his smile he's not threatening in his
appearance in fact he was handsome and all those things together allow him to go up to somebody and say hey can I give
you a ride or I'm a photographer do you mind if I if I take your picture so his ability to lure people away from their
comfort zone into another zone he was able to accomplish with his interpersonal skills when you talk to
surviving victims they'll tell you it's like he went from dr. Jekyll to mr. Hyde
I think that's what he was doing used his interpersonal skills move them into a place where he had them by himself and
then he would use blunt force trauma to overwhelm them and overpower them [Music]
Rodney had no idea that in the mid 80s early 90s there was going to be a new forensic technology called DNA he had no
idea about that so there was no way that he could have prepared for that the wonder of today's forensic science
is that we now have Rodney's DNA and we will have it for all time it's in the FBI's database so if 10 years from now
we find the remains of one of his victims and we are able to compare that with DNA that may have been left at that
crime scene we still can solve a number of cases so it won't end when he dies because his DNA will live forever

Dr. Mary Ellen O’Toole worked as a profiler for the FBI studying the criminal mind. She and her colleagues analyzed the case of Rodney Alcala.

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Brief Summary

Rodney Alcala's charm and manipulation aided his crimes, with DNA technology ensuring ongoing investigations into his victims.

Key points

The Charming Manipulator. Rodney Alcala's glib charm and manipulation allowed him to lure victims effortlessly.
The Power of DNA. Forensic technology ensures that Rodney's crimes can still be solved long after his death.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

He went from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde.

Surviving victims describe Rodney's transformation.

1:10WatchFeb 18, 2018

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