9 Myths From Detective Movies And TV Shows You Shouldn't Believe
Miscellaneous / / July 20, 2022
It's time to find out what kind of intelligence serial killers have and whether it is possible to determine by the echo in the handset that you are being tapped.
Myth 1. Serial killers are brilliant
In the movies, a maniac with dozens or hundreds of murders is often portrayed as a dark genius who uses his incredible intelligence to constantly beat up the servants of the law.
Remember Hannibal Lecter, Dexter Morgan, Anton Chigurh - these are extremely intelligent people with a peculiar charm and good upbringing. In principle, if they were not murderers, they could be considered quite pleasant members of society and real gentlemen.
Obviously, psychopaths in films are made into intellectuals so that the viewer can empathize with them.
However, real maniacs are not at all like the sophisticated Lecter or the gloomy and prudent Chigurh. ResearchM. amodt. Serial Killer Statistics / Radford University / FGCU Serial Killer Database experts at Radford University show that most serial killers IQ is 94.7 - and this is a rather mediocre indicator.
So the idea that these people are evil geniuses one step ahead of the police is somewhat exaggerated. Most of them succeed commitE. W. Hickey. Serial Murderers and Their Victims several crimes in a row with impunity, not thanks to incredible cunning, but because of the connivance of law enforcement agencies.
Myth 2. Fingerprints are reliable evidence
On television, investigators only need a single fingerprint to identify the culprit. In reality, fingerprinting is not considered such a reliable way.
In most cases, the prints left on the murder weapons are incomplete or indistinct and not sufficient to prove guilt. Besides, statementthat "there are no two people with the same fingerprints" is not true: people with almost identical patterns on the fingertips still occur.
Criminologists at the University of California, Irvine installedS. A. Cole. More than Zero: Accounting for Error in Latent Fingerprint Identification / The Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology at least 22 cases of errors, when the investigation came across similar prints on different suspects.
Myth 3. Camera image can be zoomed indefinitely
This is one of the most popular clichés in detective series. Criminologists examine recordings from CCTV cameras, and the fragment of interest from a hodgepodge of pixels turns into a clear picture. Small details can be seen on it, such as the reflection of the criminal's car number in a puddle, or blood stains on the killer's fingers.
It's embarrassing to talk about such obvious things, but in reality the resolution of cameras is limited. Therefore, they cannot write videos with such detail.
It's too expensive to put ultra-clear devices on every barn. Yes and keepJ. J. Miletich. Homicide Investigation: An Introduction the material shot by them in 8K is expensive - you won’t get enough of any hard drives.
But in general to improve the "pixel" image is really canWhat a machine learning tool that turns Obama white can (and can’t) tell us about AI bias / The Verge - by using neural networks, which complete the missing parts of the picture. But such a photo will not be proof.
The fact is that AI does not draw what should be in the picture, but what it considers most likely. For example, when restoring an image of Obama, the PULSE AI made it white. So this technique is not applicable for the investigation.
Myth 4. Detectives gather evidence at the crime scene
In TV shows like C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation and Criminal Minds, detectives gather evidence at crime scenes along with forensics guys in white overalls and masks. And then in the laboratories along with forensic experts they study the found DNA samples and fingerprints.
In reality, police detectives do not rub around forensic scientists and generally rarely intersect with them, and it’s common for them to walk in the laboratory no needHow Accurate are Crime Shows on TV? Debunking 7 Common Myths / Rasmussen University. They receive the results of examinations in paper form and work with them.
Therefore, the scenes in the series, when the investigator shoves the medical examiner away from the microscope and begins to examine the samples, look simply ridiculous.
Myth 5. To track someone's call, you need to keep the subscriber in touch
Surely you have seen this many times: the perpetrator calls the victim, for example, to negotiate a ransom. And the operatives are trying to trace where the villain is broadcasting from. But this process takes time, and law enforcement officers quietly instruct the victim to drag out the conversation, otherwise the search will be unsuccessful.
Maybe a long time ago, when telecommunications company switching systems used complex mechanical relay networks, that was it. trueJ. J. Miletich. Homicide Investigation: An Introduction. But now defineUS20160337831A1 - Real‑time over the top 9‑1‑1 caller location data / Google Patents The location of the subscriber can be almost instantaneous - even if GPS is disabled on his smartphone.
Myth 6. If you hear your voice during a call, you are being monitored
Another popular myth that appeared thanks to spy movies. In fact, the echo can be causedHow to Stop Echoes in Voice Calls / Lifewire many different reasons: malfunctioning speakers, problems with equipment on the line, buggy noise reduction mechanisms. And even an unsuccessfully selected case on a smartphone can cause the formation of an acoustic echo.
So the echoes in the handset have nothing to do with the recording of the conversation. If you don’t believe me, call the technical support of your Internet operator and check if there is an echo. But they will directly tell you that they will record the call.
Myth 7. Maniacs meet at every turn
Shows like Mindhunter can give the impression that the streets are crawling maniacswho have not yet been arrested by the police. And if a lifeless body is found somewhere, you can be sure: this is the work of a serial killer - and he will soon commit other bloody atrocities.
In reality, there are not so many maniacs in the world, if you look at the statistics. For example, the US Bureau of Judicial Statistics discoveredA. Cooper and E. L. Smith. Homicide Trends in the United States, 1980‑2008 / BJS Statisticiansthat between 1980 and 2008 only 1% of crimes were committed by serial killers.
Banal household showdowns with a sad ending or reprisals for profit are much more likely than a sudden attack by a psychopath.
Myth 8. The body of the murdered must be circled with chalk
The chalk outline drawn by forensics around a corpse is a cliché in popular culture. Basically, it is, however, used in humorous films and serials, but in the past it also flashed in more or less serious cinema.
In reality, of course, the body experts of the victims are nothing don't circleJ. J. Miletich. Homicide Investigation: An Introduction — instead they take pictures of them. American forensics even have expressionJ. J. Miletich. Homicide Investigation: An Introduction "chalk fairy" - this is the name of inexperienced cops who, after watching enough films, draw lines around the corpse, accidentally destroying really important evidence.
In the past, the police really circledJ. J. Miletich. Homicide Investigation: An Introduction bodies with chalk - but only after collecting all the evidence. And not to help the investigation, but for photo reporters - so that they can photograph the scene without shocking the audience.
Myth 9. You have to wait 48 hours to report a missing person
Relatives come to the police, they say: we have a missing person here, find it. But they are answered: he probably decided to spend the night with friends or just wants to take a break from you. Well, or he has a teenage crisis and he ran away from home. He will announce himself, they say, do not rush things.
In reality, the police are required to accept a missing person report immediately, and they begin search activities immediately. First 72 hours consideredWhy the first 72 hours are vital when finding a missing person / BBC News the most important for the search for the missing: if the missing person is not found during this time, then it will be much more difficult to find him. Therefore, in no case should one waste time and wait two days.
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