FBI Behavioral Sciences Involved in Gee/Constant Family Massacre

Press conference about the murders of the Gee family

National media has virtually ignored the murders of Raymond “Rick” Gee, his wife Ruth and their three children. The case is heating up, though, because the Bloomington Pantagraph reported today that FBI Behavioral Sciences has been called in to help investigate.

From the FBI’s website:

Research performed by the BSU.
The unit focuses on developing new and innovative investigative approaches and techniques to solve crimes by studying offenders and their behaviors and motivations, collectively known as Perpetrator-Motive Research Design. Some of this research is conducted in partnership with outside researchers and through interagency agreements with the Department of Justice and its Office of Justice Programs. Some current research initiatives include: global hostage-taking research and analysis project; homicide clearance; reliability and validity of official crime statistics; gangs and gang violence; emerging technologies and policing; future of law enforcement, guidelines for interviewing juveniles; countering terrorism; juvenile crime; and spirituality and the law.

The perpetrator in this case, by the way, may be driving a “Chevy S10 or Ford Ranger-type vehicle with gray primer paint” and chrome exhaust pipes extending from the truck bed. In other words, a distinctive-looking, fairly memorable vehicle.

The involvement of the BSU in this case as well as setting up a tipline may indicate police are struggling with that most troubling type of homicide, the random murder. While I haven’t been able to find any sign that the Logan County, IL sheriff’s dept. has called these murders random, signs are pointing that way.

That could mean there is a killer on the road. One that police fear may strike again.

Authorities do not fear, however, that the Gees’ relatives are in danger. They told the Pantagraph and others that there was no truth to a Chicago newspaper report that some of the Gee familys’ kin had been put in protective custody. Additionally, in the press conference in the video above, Sheriff Nichols stated that the family categorically were not shot to death.

If you think you know something about this tragedy, call the Logan County Sheriff’s tip line at (217) 732-3000.