Q&A with Forensic Psychology Expert

[MindHunter13]

Hello everyone,

So I wanted to see if there was any interest in doing this thread. My general idea is for you inquisitive members to ask questions about the field itself, opinions on cases or just general chatter.

I'll do my best to answer every question to the best of my abilities and with absolute honesty.

I think this could be fun and look forward to how this turns out!

 

[Tripod]

One of my first questions is, how on earth a killer or helper in a crime be able to keep on with their everyday life, yet having to hide a terrible secret, I understand the things we in the public should look for, but some of those things might be more subtle .

 

[katydid23]

This may be a silly question, or even might be 'unanswerable. '

After just watching this crazy, tragic case with Chris Watts and the crazy, cold hearted case with P Frazee and his girlfriend accessory ,after the fact---with both men killing the mother of their children, and one of them brutally killing his 2 toddler girls.......

And after hearing everyone in their community and in their families, saying they were shocked because they were seemingly wonderful fathers and nice, stable people....


Is there any way to foretell these kinds of violent family annihilators?

My daughter is about to be engaged, to a very nice, very responsible and loving young man. I see no red flags.......but would I even know how to recognize indicators?

Does anyone know what the true red flags would be?

I mean besides someone having a long criminal history and drug problems and DV arrests, etc. Neither of these 2 recent family annihilators had any of that, and I guess that most don't.

The one thing I really 'researched' with my daughter's future husband, was his relationship with his parents and siblings. So far they seem like great, well balanced folks, lol.

 

[JR56]

Would you explain what a forensic psychologist does?

 

[MindHunter13]

One of my first questions is, how on earth a killer or helper in a crime be able to keep on with their everyday life, yet having to hide a terrible secret, I understand the things we in the public should look for, but some of those things might be more subtle .

I'm slightly confused with this one. Are you asking how they are able to commit heinous crimes and continue on with their life as if nothing happened or are you asking what "identifiers" exist in order to identify people with such horrendous secrets?

 

[MindHunter13]

This may be a silly question, or even might be 'unanswerable. '

After just watching this crazy, tragic case with Chris Watts and the crazy, cold hearted case with P Frazee and his girlfriend accessory ,after the fact---with both men killing the mother of their children, and one of them brutally killing his 2 toddler girls.......

And after hearing everyone in their community and in their families, saying they were shocked because they were seemingly wonderful fathers and nice, stable people....


Is there any way to foretell these kinds of violent family annihilators?

My daughter is about to be engaged, to a very nice, very responsible and loving young man. I see no red flags.......but would I even know how to recognize indicators?

Does anyone know what the true red flags would be?

I mean besides someone having a long criminal history and drug problems and DV arrests, etc. Neither of these 2 recent family annihilators had any of that, and I guess that most don't.

The one thing I really 'researched' with my daughter's future husband, was his relationship with his parents and siblings. So far they seem like great, well balanced folks, lol.

I can't necessarily agree that simply because someone has a history of drug problems and/or a domestic history, that they will become familial annihilators. But I do get the point you're attempting to make.

As for being able to catch a red flag, my honest answer is good luck. These individuals are typically very adept at manipulating others into believing exactly what they intend. Some offer signs (DV like you stated), extreme selfishness, lack of interest in family members and their well-being. This is obviously not all inclusive nor does it mean they are mandatory. It's a very tricky balance.

I personally am always suspicious of a family that is overly braggadocios about how great things are. In my experience, this is usually an attempt to convince themselves and others as opposed to genuinely sharing their happiness.

 

[MindHunter13]

Would you explain what a forensic psychologist does?

There are many different facets in which a Forensic Psychologist can operate. These can range from clinical work (competency assessments) to assisting law enforcement in their investigations (Investigative Psychology).

Most people know Forensic Psychology as Criminal Profiling. While this is a facet of Forensic Psychology, it in no way is the majority. The simplest explanation of what Forensic Psychology is: The bridge between the mental health system and the criminal justice system.

 

[Tripod]

I'm slightly confused with this one. Are you asking how they are able to commit heinous crimes and continue on with their life as if nothing happened or are you asking what "identifiers" exist in order to identify people with such horrendous secrets?

I just had to reread my post 3 times, as I confused myself, lol! Let me explain: I sometimes take the generic equivalent of ambien, for insomnia. I've been known to type on my computer when I should have turned it off...
But, I do think you've "gotten" my questions. I'm so sorry and will try to behave myself in future. I'm thankful I've never done anything else weird, like raiding the fridge or baking in the middle of the night

 

[molly1255]

Hi MindHunter13:

My question is regarding Chris Watts. A few weeks ago, investigators went to WI and interviewed him in prison. Watts was receptive to visiting with them, and he gave them new details on how he committed the murders.

The details he provided exceed what most expected, in terms of being horrific, and this is especially true for the details he provided on how he murdered his little daughters.

He claims to have found the Lord, he recited some scripture in his interview (and he messed it up). He was sniffling in parts of the interview, and his voice cracks and sounds shaky, but he quickly recovers and is able to engage in lighthearted banter with investigators.

Question 1 - in your opinion, what is the likelihood that he is telling the full truth about the new details?

Question 2 - in your opinion, what is the likelihood he feels genuine remorse for having murdered his pregnant wife and little girls?

I don't know whether anything he has to say could be truthful, and others believe he is likely telling the truth about the details, because the details paint him in an even more evil light, if that's even possible. It appears Chris Watts wants people to believe he's a really nice guy. He might even want to believe that himself.

Thanks in advance for any insight you might be able to provide on my two questions!

Molly

 

[MindHunter13]

Hi MindHunter13:

My question is regarding Chris Watts. A few weeks ago, investigators went to WI and interviewed him in prison. Watts was receptive to visiting with them, and he gave them new details on how he committed the murders.

The details he provided exceed what most expected, in terms of being horrific, and this is especially true for the details he provided on how he murdered his little daughters.

He claims to have found the Lord, he recited some scripture in his interview (and he messed it up). He was sniffling in parts of the interview, and his voice cracks and sounds shaky, but he quickly recovers and is able to engage in lighthearted banter with investigators.

Question 1 - in your opinion, what is the likelihood that he is telling the full truth about the new details?

Question 2 - in your opinion, what is the likelihood he feels genuine remorse for having murdered his pregnant wife and little girls?

I don't know whether anything he has to say could be truthful, and others believe he is likely telling the truth about the details, because the details paint him in an even more evil light, if that's even possible. It appears Chris Watts wants people to believe he's a really nice guy. He might even want to believe that himself.

Thanks in advance for any insight you might be able to provide on my two questions!

Molly

Molly,

I apologize for my delay in getting back to you. I haven't been able to review these recent interviews. Do you happen to have a link?

I posted a profile assessment of the case prior to C.W. being arrested. It should be floating around here somewhere. As soon as I get a chance to review these interviews, I'll reply back with my thoughts.

 

[MindHunter13]

Molly,

I was finally able to not only listen to the hours of interview tape but also read the full transcripts. I will attempt to answer your questions as best as possible. Please remember that these are my opinions based on my own schooling and experience.

Question 1 - in your opinion, what is the likelihood that he is telling the full truth about the new details?

I highly doubt he is being absolutely forthcoming. He truly seemed to be rather distant and as if he were rehashing a tale. Additionally, I believe he is fully aware that he cannot receive any additional jail time should he confess to the crime in a more heinous fashion but he enjoys the attention he receiving from it.

Question 2 - in your opinion, what is the likelihood he feels genuine remorse for having murdered his pregnant wife and little girls?

Without actually assessing CW, I would be inclined to think that he possessed narcissistic traits at a minimum, if not a full out psychopathy at the worst. His reported history was very self-focused and centered on his continued rise and prominence. It is possible that SW's launching career may have played a factor but this would only be conjecture.

There were no instances in which I personally felt CW to truly sound remorseful nor any evidence to truly suggest he was emotional prior to his arrest. Lack of empathy and no ability to feel remorse if they believed they are justified in there actions are just some signs of psychopathy.



I apologize for the delay. I got quite busy with some long term crisis incidents at work and am currently weeks away from entering my PhD. candidacy phase, so needless to say, time and sleep have been scarce. Thank you so much for your patience and please feel free to respond with any further questions or thoughts!!

-MH

 

[molly1255]

Molly,

I was finally able to not only listen to the hours of interview tape but also read the full transcripts. I will attempt to answer your questions as best as possible. Please remember that these are my opinions based on my own schooling and experience.

Question 1 - in your opinion, what is the likelihood that he is telling the full truth about the new details?

I highly doubt he is being absolutely forthcoming. He truly seemed to be rather distant and as if he were rehashing a tale. Additionally, I believe he is fully aware that he cannot receive any additional jail time should he confess to the crime in a more heinous fashion but he enjoys the attention he receiving from it.

Question 2 - in your opinion, what is the likelihood he feels genuine remorse for having murdered his pregnant wife and little girls?

Without actually assessing CW, I would be inclined to think that he possessed narcissistic traits at a minimum, if not a full out psychopathy at the worst. His reported history was very self-focused and centered on his continued rise and prominence. It is possible that SW's launching career may have played a factor but this would only be conjecture.

There were no instances in which I personally felt CW to truly sound remorseful nor any evidence to truly suggest he was emotional prior to his arrest. Lack of empathy and no ability to feel remorse if they believed they are justified in there actions are just some signs of psychopathy.



I apologize for the delay. I got quite busy with some long term crisis incidents at work and am currently weeks away from entering my PhD. candidacy phase, so needless to say, time and sleep have been scarce. Thank you so much for your patience and please feel free to respond with any further questions or thoughts!!

-MH

MindHunter - thank you so much for your thoughtful response. Your answers are clear and I don't think I have any questions about what you have stated, but if I think of some, I'll let you know. Thanks again.

 

[MindHunter13]

For the sake of keeping this thread going, here is an interesting article by the APA about offender profiling, a function of Forensic Psychology.

Psychological sleuths--Criminal profiling: the reality behind the myth

 

[MindHunter13]

Any new hot cases out there? Can use an interesting one to read up on/into.