Serial Killer Expert's Safety Tips for Women

Dr. Ann Burgess, a groundbreaking criminal profiler who revolutionized how the FBI catches serial killers, has offered important safety advice for women.

Dr. Burgess, a professor and former forensic nurse, has inspired several fictional shows like "Mindhunter" and "Criminal Minds". Now, her remarkable career is showcased in Hulu's "Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer".

In the late 1970s, Dr. Burgess was called in by the FBI, a male-dominated organization at the time, to consult on cases involving notorious serial killers like Ed Kemper, Ted Bundy, and John B. Simonis.

Through her meticulous data collection and analysis, Dr. Burgess transformed the FBI's understanding of serial killers and created a groundbreaking framework for criminal profiling.

In an interview with "People" magazine, Dr. Burgess shared her top safety tip for women: "Get a German shepherd. That's the one thing I always say - a German shepherd."

She explained, "A lot of killers seize opportunity. So if they see a 'Beware of dog' sign and think that a man is there who could possibly fight them, they're going to move to the next house for the easier victim."

Dr. Burgess also emphasized the importance of trusting your gut instinct: "That's your limbic system reacting," she said. "It's an involuntary system that is set in us to alarm us, and you should pay attention to it. I just think that's only good sense to listen to it, and not to override the system."

She recalled how many women she's spoken to have felt something was off, only to find themselves in dangerous situations later.

In a previous interview with "The Independent", Dr. Burgess expressed concern about the impact of true-crime media on criminals, stating that it could be making them "more sophisticated."

"I think we have to be very careful that they don't pick up the lingo and they don't use it in any way to manipulate," she warned, "because they are such major manipulators – and their skill in lying and putting it over on people is so much a part of them and getting away with a crime."

She also acknowledged the growing threat of cybersecurity and social media, questioning what the future of crime might hold. "Who knows where we'll be in the next decade?" she asked. "There's been so much crime and reaction; will there be a difference in victim response? We don't know that. Or will there be new and different kinds of crimes that we'll have to look into?"

"Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer" is streaming on Hulu in the US and will soon be available on Disney+ in the UK.