I’m a body-language expert and here are the tell-tale signs you’re talking to a killer
If you were sitting opposite a serial killer on a bus… would you know?
Here are the creepy telltale signs and traits that can expose someone as a murderer, according to an expert.
And while you may think you know it all after watching Netflix true crime shows on Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer, there’s a lot more to it.
Cliff Lansley, a behavioral scientist, spoke The Hippocratic Post and explained the strange body language, small signs and gestures that apply to killers in real life.
He said even the “most confident, hardened killers” can slip up, and small marks in the face, body and voice can help tell if a killer is lying.
But the key is knowing what you’re looking for – so here are the signs…
Peter Sutcliffe (left) was sentenced to 20 consecutive life sentences for a total of 22 murders. Meanwhile, Harold Shipman (right) was a general practitioner who murdered his patients with a lethal dose of diamorphine
Police photo of convicted serial killer Ted Bundy (left). After nine years in Florida State Prison, Ted Bundy was put to death by the state on January 24, 1989. Mugshot of cannibal serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer (right) who was also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or Milwaukee Monster
According to a study conducted in 1971 by social psychologist Professor Albert Mehrabian at the University of Los Angeles, body language makes up 55% of the meaning in how someone communicates their feelings.
And about 38% comes from the tone, pitch and tempo they use, while only seven percent comes from the actual words.
Following this, Mr. Lansley says that when trying to determine if someone is lying about being a killer – it’s not about keeping eye contact, sweating or dodging questions – it’s all about how their behavior changes.
While the circumstances in which you interrogate a murderer may vary, at the beginning of an interview an interviewer may have a conversation with a suspect that makes him feel comfortable.
For example, they can discuss family, skills, education, and their dreams.
It is during this period that Mr Lansley says that ‘we pay attention to how often they blink, the normal color of their skin, their speaking speed and how they maintain eye contact.
“Later, when the real questioning kicks in, we can assess changes in these basic normal patterns to assess discomfort, stress, and lying.”
However, some criminals use eye contact to gauge whether the interrogator believes their story, while others may try to avoid it altogether.
Theodore Bundy gestures as he questions prosecution witnesses as members of the jury look on in Miami courtroom, July 9, 1979. The expert says even the “most confident, hardened killers” can make a mistake
Theodore Bundy, sitting in court, charged with the murder of two Florida State University students
When police interrogate potential suspects, they are therefore trained to question them in a way that reveals their deepest feelings and thoughts.
And while we may be used to believing that someone looking away from you means they’re lying, this isn’t actually true.
The behavioral scientists explain: ‘Studies show that maintaining eye contact while telling a story is actually a stronger indicator of cheating than looking away, as this suggests someone is checking to see if they are believed.’
So there you have it.
Figuring out if someone is a serial killer is all about noticing changes in behavior – even if they are minor or unnoticed at first.