Patrick Mullany

Patrick Joseph Mullany (March 18, 1935 – September 7, 2016) was an American Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent and instructor at the FBI Academy. He is best known for pioneering the FBI's offender profiling in the 1970s and 1980s with fellow FBI instructor Howard Teten. Mullany received a master's degree in psychology and counseling from Manhattan College. He began working for the FBI in the mid-1960s. His primary position in the FBI was in the Behavioral Analysis Unit, where he embarked on his work in offender profiling. Mullany applied methods to analyze possible patterns of behavior and traits common in certain types of criminals. In doing this, the FBI can attempt to narrow down suspects and predict future likelihood of offending.

Early life and education

Patrick was born March 18, 1935, in New York City. He started and completed a bachelor's degree in American history with a minor in British history, from Catholic University in Washington D.C. During this time he was also involved in an organization called the Christian Brothers. After receiving a bachelor's degree, he went on to complete a master's degree in counseling and psychology from Manhattan College in New York. Shortly after graduating, Mullany worked various jobs. His FBI career lasted in total from 1966 until 1986. In the early stages of their work, there was some uncertainty with their methodology and how well their techniques worked. As they began to gain more confidence and momentum in what they were doing, and after a very significant case, their profiling techniques began to gain favor and become a more accepted practice within the FBI. While their original aim for these practices was to assist local law enforcement in serial killer and rape cases by narrowing leads and identifying suspects, through its eventual widespread use in such investigations, criminal profilers also began assisting in the prosecutions of said cases.

While success has emerged from the use of Mullany and Teten's methods, there has been many questions raised about their validity. The profiling methods used by the FBI are considered to be non-scientific and are usually compared to their scientific counterparts.