POLICE investigating the killings of five women in and around Ipswich have employed one of only ten specialist geographic profilers in the world, it can be revealed today.
POLICE investigating the killings of five women in and around Ipswich have employed one of only ten specialist geographic profilers in the world, it can be revealed today.
The profiler, from the National Centre for Policing Excellence, has been assisting Suffolk police with the inquiries into the killings of Tania Nicol, 19, Gemma Adams, 25, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29.
The role of the detective is to profile the areas where the women's bodies were found and look for potential relationships between suspects and locations.
He is one of several specialist profilers who have worked on the investigation and his main role has been to help build a picture of the offender's “mental map” of the area.
Such maps can help to identify where the killer or killers live or work.
The key locations in the Suffolk killings were Belstead Brook at Hintlesham, where Miss Adams' body was found on December 2, Belstead Brook at Copdock where Miss Nicols' body was found six days later and Nacton and Levington, where the bodies of the other three victims were found.
The majority of serious criminals are believed to live within the locality of their crimes as they are said to be more comfortable in areas they know.
Meanwhile, officers from across the country continued to probe the killings, under the codename Operation Sumac.
Police have set a provisional date of February 19 to end their evidence gathering.
They have already completed searches of the deposition sites and have conducted searches in areas where prostitutes are known to take their clients.
It is not known whether the dozens of police staff and officers still in the county will be returned to their home forces when evidence gathering is complete.
Steve Wright, 48, of London Road, Ipswich has been charged with the murders of all five women.
Wright is due to appear at Ipswich Crown Court on May 1 where he is expected to enter a plea.
Do you wish to pay tribute to any of the five victims? Write to: Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail: eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
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