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In a thesis entitled Criminal Personality Profiling: Real Science or Just Wishful Thinking, .
Damon Muller said, "All of these popular portrayals of profiling are somewhat inaccurate, suggesting as they do that profiling is a magical skill, somewhat analogous to a precognitive psychic ability" (Online). When the law has exhausted all other leads they will consult with the 'supposedly real' magical worlds of psychics or astrologers, before consulting a profiler. When the 'magical people' give no leads, then and only then, will investigators call in a profiler. Anyone can say "the child is in a room with white walls and a single bed in it" most likely they will be right. Not because they supposedly 'saw' the room [as does the supposed psychic] but because that is the most typical description of a room a person will be held captive in. Profilers may not be able to close their eyes and 'see' a room of the killer's home, or [supposedly] tell what is happening at a given moment, but they can give a very good idea of what type of personality is being dealt with, as was proven in the case involving Dr. James A. Brussel. .
During the l950s several bombings occurred in New York City. Despite intense investigative efforts, law enforcement officials were unable to identify this individual. Dr. James A. Brussel, a New York psychiatrist was brought into the case to "profile" the personality of this unknown offender. Brussel studied the facts surrounding this series of bombings, and from his review developed an assessment of the offender's personality. His assessment was remarkably accurate. .
"You're looking for a heavy man, middle aged. Foreign born, Roman Catholic. He has a paranoid personality. He is single and lives with a brother or sister in Connecticut. When you find him, he will be wearing a double-breasted suit . . . buttoned. When police eventually arrested George Metesky, not only did he fit the profile provided by Brussel, but he was wearing a double-breasted suit -- buttoned" (BSU Online).