On February 10 (year commonly cited as 1957 but not universally confirmed), a published piece appeared that is widely considered the first documented profile of a serial killer accessible to the public. The publication summarized investigative observations about a series of linked violent offenses and described behavioral patterns, victimology, and probable offender characteristics—elements that foreshadowed later formalized criminal profiling. Historical context Mid-20th-century law enforcement and journalism were beginning to confront recurrent, patterned violent crimes that did not fit existing investigative models. Earlier decades had seen individual reporters and investigators note similarities across crimes, but the practice of assembling a systematic behavioral portrait of an unknown offender was still nascent. By the 1950s, advances in forensic science, growing interest in psychopathology, and increased media coverage combined to make such public-facing profiles both possible and newsworthy. The publication and its content Contemporary accounts describe the work as more analytical than typical crime reporting of the era. Rather than merely recounting events, the piece organized details from multiple incidents—timing, victim characteristics, locations, and modus operandi—into a cohesive statement about likely offender motives, habits, and possible social background. That approach paralleled developments inside some police departments, where investigators began to consult psychiatrists and behavioral specialists when cases suggested a serial offender. Attribution and uncertainty Several secondary sources and historical overviews attribute the first printed serial killer profile to an article published on February 10, often citing 1957 as the year. However, archival verification is incomplete: newspapers and magazines of the period used varying terminology ("repeated offender," "connected murders," "psychopathic killer"), and some earlier investigative reports contained elements of profiling without being labeled as such. Because of these overlapping practices and inconsistent archival records, the exact year and the single definitive “first” document remain subject to scholarly caution. Significance and legacy Whether or not this February 10 publication was the absolute first instance, it occupies an important place in the history of criminal investigation and media coverage. It helped normalize the transfer of behavioral observations from law-enforcement circles into public discourse, influencing both investigative techniques and popular understanding of serial violent crime. Over subsequent decades, such profiling matured into formal disciplines—most notably forensic psychology and offender profiling within law enforcement—while also attracting criticism for methodological limitations and potential biases. Historiographical notes Researchers seeking to verify the publication should consult contemporaneous newspaper and magazine archives, police records where available, and journals of psychiatry and criminal law from the 1950s. Secondary histories of policing and forensic psychiatry discuss the emergence of behavioral analysis in this era but sometimes differ on chronology and attributions. Where specifics cannot be corroborated, historians typically frame the February 10 profile as a representative milestone rather than an uncontested singular origin. Conclusion The February 10 publication attributed in many accounts to 1957 symbolizes the moment when behavioral interpretation of violent crime entered public print in a recognizable profiling form. Although exact bibliographic details are debated among historians, the piece reflects a turning point in how investigators and the press conceptualized and communicated about serial criminality.