The Railway Killer: What Could a Psychologist See That Detectives Needed?

In 1980s Britain, investigators faced a disturbing series of sexual assaults and murders associated with railway stations across London and southeast England. Instead of asking only who the offender might be, psychological analysis introduced another question: What can the locations, sequence, and behavior of the crimes tell us about how this offender lives? The investigation of John Duffy became an important early demonstration of how behavioral and geographical analysis could support police decision-making without replacing traditional detective work.