One such expert is Fayetteville resident Maurice Godwin, professor of criminal justice at Methodist College and director of investigative process management.
Godwin appeared on CNN on Oct. 7 and Oct. 11 offering his expertise to shed light on the nature and whereabouts of the serial sniper who has shot 11 victims since Oct. 2 -- claiming nine lives.
"This is not thrill killing," Godwin said in an interview Tuesday. "I don't think it's anger or rage. There's no doubt this was planned."
Godwin said the places the killer has chosen to strike not only make weeks of planning necessary for a hit but require a high level of familiarity with the area likely to be had only by a resident of northern Virginia. "The general theory behind (geographic profiling) is that the way in which criminals travel when they commit crimes reflects where they travel when they aren't committing crimes."
He added that such profiling methods are more reliable than those related to psychology. "The most tell-tale thing is geography. With geography, you are dealing with facts."
Godwin said only an offender who knew the area's intricacies could make an escape like that executed after Monday night's shooting in a high traffic area of Falls Church, Va., the suspect's latest attack. "You know he knows the area."
The suspect's home base likely is nearer the border of Virginia and Washington than that of Maryland and the district, Godwin said.
He attributed the initial killings in Montgomery County, Md., to a day trip outside the killer's home zone. "I would suggest he was actually up there on some other business."
Godwin said that judging from geographical data and the killer's alleged flight pattern, the shooter is likely to strike east of the last attack.