Open AccessFinding Needle in the Haystack: “Kasur’s Bogeyman” Brought to Justice by Geographic Profiling and Mass DNA Screening
Author(s) -
Muhammad Ahsan Butt,
Talha Bin Rahat,
Nasir Siddique,
Madiha Shad,
Sajjad Ahmad,
Qazi Laeeque Ahmed,
Muhammad Amjad,
Mohammad Ashraf Tahir
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
brazilian journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2237-261X
DOI - 10.17063/bjfs11(1)y202134-48
Subject(s) - suspect , crime scene , profiling (computer programming) , criminology , offender profiling , dna profiling , law enforcement , haystack , witness , forensic science , polygraph , criminal justice , crime analysis , psychology , law , political science , history , social psychology , biology , data mining , computer science , dna , genetics , artificial intelligence , archaeology , visualization , operating system
This article describes the application of the concept of geographic profiling in hunting a serial child rapist in Kasur, Pakistan. It also discusses, how DNA became the prime witness against the serial rapist in the court of law. In January 2018, the blind rape and murder case of Zainab Amin hit the headlines. Following autopsy and the subsequent forensic examination, the only piece of evidence, the agencies had, was the DNA profile of the perpetrator and the information that the source of DNA profile is a serial child rapist, involved in at least seven more cases. The analysis of all crime sites and the distance between them strongly suggested that the offender most likely was a local resident. Mass DNA screening in the target region was conducted by CSI teams of Punjab forensic science agency. The DNA matched with suspect number 814 who later confessed all his crimes. In Polygraph examination, the offender revealed his modus operandi which was in line with the hypotheses made during the geographic profiling of the crime scenes. Thus, geographic profiling proved to be a very useful investigative tool in predicting the probable location of the criminal involved in a series of crimes.