Just as understanding the artist's mind can be gained by examining and comparing the progression of his work, so knowledge of the serial killer's mind can be ascertained by examining his canvas: The Scene of the crime. Forensic profiling is an attempt to do just that. An investigator tries to discern information about the killer based on crime scene information, inferring information about cause from effect. This is not an exact science and has often been compared to an art. The goal of this work is to provide the reader with a basic understanding of the function and application of forensic psychology, as well as an explanation of some of its strengths and weaknesses. Profiling itself has been used since Jack the Ripper's time in London during the 1880s. George Phillips and Thomas Bond made predictions about the killer's personality based on crime scene information (Winerman, 2004). The FBI now operates the Behavioral Science Unit (BSU) and the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) popularized by the television show Criminal Minds. Forensic profilers interact with a wide variety of crimes, but the focus of this article will be on the interaction between profiling and serial killers. The usefulness of profiling has been questioned many times. There are those who fall on both ends of the spectrum. Some believe profiling is as foolproof as a fingerprint, while others think it is as reliable as a sideshow gypsy. Studies have been conducted that support both positions. The truth, of course, lies in the middle: profiling can be a useful tool if applied appropriately, but it should not be used to exclude good suspects or information. It's an addendum to the investigator's document... middle of the paper... would you call him a lust killer? Do the bodies show signs of cleaning or posing, which could be a symbolic attempt to “undo” the murder (Bartol, 2002, p. 248)? This unraveling should not be confused with staging, which is, in the context of serial murders, generally an attempt to misdirect the investigation (Douglas & Munn, cited in Bartol, 2002). Works Cited: Holmes, R.M., & DeBurger, J.E. (1988). Serial murder. (Vol.2). Sage Publications, Inc. Winerman, L. (2004). Criminal profiling: the reality behind the myth. Psychology Monitor, 35(7), Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug04/criminal.aspxHolmes, R., & Holmes, S. (1996). Violent crime profiling: An investigative tool (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Bartol, C.R. (2002). Criminal behavior: a psychosocial approach. (6 ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.