The M.O. Ties Together The Rest

Introduction

"M.O." is an abbreviation for "modus operandi". Wikipedia defines it as the following: This term is often used in law enforcement circles when discussing crime and addressing the methods employed by the perpetrators. It is also used in criminal profiling, where it can help in finding clues to the offender's psychology. It largely consists of examining the actions used by the individual(s) to execute the crime, prevent its detection and/or facilitate escape. A suspect's modus operandi can assist in their identification, apprehension, or repression, and can also be used to determine links between crimes.

The EARONS M.O.

EAR attacks frequently had many of the following features, some of which when taken together were quite unique:

• EAR seemed to follow a "script" and said the same things over and over again at different attacks. "All I want is food or money" was a common phrase, as well as certain curse words.
• Rummaging through a victim's drawers
• Eating food in the victim's kitchen
• Placing dishes on the back of the male so that he could hear from anywhere in the house if the male tried to move
• Tying up victims' hands behind their back, often with shoelaces, and always so tight that the circulation was cut off
• Speaking through clenched teeth in a harsh whisper
• Having the female play with his penis while her hands were tied behind her back. This was a fairly unique element and can make it easy to weed out copycats in a few cases
• Leaving money on the table or dresser instead of stealing it, though he would steal money from time to time
• Taking small souvenirs or pictures of the victims
• Rarely touching the victim's breasts

This isn't a comprehansive list, but as you read through the Attacks, certain patterns emerge and they become predictable.

Most attacks had most of these elements. Some had all, and some of them have very few. Ultimately, because of the lack of physical evidence, these elements become important pieces of the puzzle when it comes to analyzing attacks, especially some of the attacks that might offer important clues to the identity of the assailant or offer some new witnesses or clues.