Summers spent 20 years undercover with the Atlanta Police Department. He also worked for the Department of Defense in Afghanistan tracking bomb-makers affiliated with the Taliban and Al-Qaida.
"As an investigator, first thing I would do is look at other parts of the country and see if there are other crimes that parallel this," Summers said.
The FBI is involved, at least in part because Shirley Dermond is missing. But they would also investigate a multistate serial killer.
"If it is a serial killer, he's operating in such a way ... he's been in that community for a while."
"I'd definitely be interviewing anybody on the lake for any single males, probably white males they've seen in kayaks or canoes," Summers said.
Summers said investigators are also likely looking at a connection to organized crime.
"This is something very common with drug cartels, which is prominent in Atlanta area. Beheadings are absolutely the No. 1 way you send a message," Summers said.
Summers also said investigators are likely going through any surveillance video of nearby gas stations, convenience stores and hotels, looking for anyone who may have recently appeared in the area.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/former-investigator-sheds-light-case-beheaded-man-/nfsSj/
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This is from another older report but the view is from a 20 year veteran of the APD undercover unit and worth noting. I personally don't think it was a serial killer but who knows?! And drug cartel?? That doesn't ring true for me, either. It's been a long 14 weeks waiting on just some nugget of information. *sigh*
<BBM for Focus>
Happyshoes, although I agree with many of retired APD undercover investigator Summers' assessments and recommendations. The decapitation of Mr D was obviously meant to send a message, imo. There were a couple of faulty assumptions and conclusions made by Summers, from info known on May 9, 2014 , based on myths and outdated info, imo. Also over the past three months, imo, there has been much more info revealed and many indicators that point to a likely motive, and that multiple perps were involved in the Dermond abduction/murders/decapitation..
It would be interesting, imo, if ms media would do a three month Dermond murder investigation update and re-interview Summers, and other retired law enforcement/homicide investigators, preferably retired GBI & FBI BAU profilers such as gbi Bob Ingram, R.L. Depue, John Douglas, Clint VanZandt, etc...
Happyshoes, I agree the indicators do not point to a serial killer, nor a message sent by a drug cartel??
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* Myth: Serial killers are all white males.
Contrary to popular belief, serial killers span all racial groups. There are White, African-American, Hispanic, and Asian serial killers. The racial diversification of serial killers generally mirrors that of the overall U.S. population.
The most significant factor is the serial killer’s personal decision in choosing to pursue their crimes.
There were several additional observations made by the serial killer symposium attendees regarding causality:
• Predisposition to serial killing, much like other violent offenses, is biological, social, and psychological in nature, and it is not limited to any specific characteristic or trait.
• The development of a serial killer involves a combination of these factors, which exist together in a rare confluence in certain individuals. They have the appropriate biological predisposition, molded by their psychological makeup, which is present at a critical time in their social development.
• There are no specific combinations of traits or characteristics shown to differentiate serial
killers from other violent offenders.
• There is no generic template for a serial killer.
• Serial killers are driven by their own unique motives or reasons.
• Serial killers are not limited to any specific demographic group, such as their sex,
age, race, or religion.
• The majority of serial killers who are sexually motivated eroticized violence during development. For them, violence and sexual gratification are inexplicably intertwined
in their psyche.
• More research is needed to identify specific pathways of development that produce serial killers.
IV. Psychopathy and Serial Murder
Attendees at the Serial Murder Symposium agreed that there is no generic profile of a serial murderer. Serial killers differ in many ways, including their motivations for killing and their behavior at the crime scene. However, attendees did identify certain traits common to some serial murderers, including sensation seeking, a lack of remorse or guilt, impulsivity, the need for control, and predatory behavior. These traits and behaviors are consistent with the psychopathic personality disorder. Attendees felt it was very important for law enforcement and other professionals in the criminal justice system to understand psychopathy and its relationship to serial murder.
Psychopathy is a personality disorder manifested in people who use a mixture of charm, manipulation, intimidation, and occasionally violence to control others, in order to satisfy their own selfish needs. Although the concept of psychopathy has been known for centuries, Dr. Robert Hare led the modern research effort to develop a series of assessment tools, to evaluate the personality traits and behaviors attributable to psychopaths.
FBI Serial Murder
http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder