There have been reports of psychics helping police with their investigations into cases of murder, and these usually involve an attempt to locate the missing body of the presumed victim; in most instances the psychics have not been successful. There have been a few reports claiming that a psychic did help the police locate the body of a victim, but often the actual help has been exaggerated by the media.
Most police forces, including those in Australia, state, that they do not consult with psychics to determine the whereabouts of presumed victims or the identity of perpetrators. However, unofficially these things do go on; especially when police are unable to solve these questions themselves and cases remain unsolved over a lengthy period of time. Psychic investigators are seen as some silver bullet, by a credulous public seeking answers.
There is a great body of fiction, which feature psychic detectives, and these stories read in books and seen on television contribute to society’s ongoing belief in the ability of psychics to solve crimes. The majority of cop shows on TV feature a detective grappling with strands of evidence and attempting, by dint of intuition, to unravel a mystery. Most crimes are actually solved by the dogged cross referencing of evidence by police operatives.
Many parents of missing persons and presumed murder victims have been deeply hurt by the spurious attempts by psychics to solve the mysteries involving their children. There have been multiple cases of psychics, stating publicly, that someone was murdered and their body is located in such and such place, when in reality that person turns up alive and well later on. Certain psychics seek celebrity through involvement in high profile murder cases, and the fact that they are, usually, always unable, to solve the case or clearly wrong, does not seem to harm their reputation. People who believe in psychics are not greatly troubled by evidence, which discredits their belief; it is more important to them to maintain these beliefs – much like religion.
The rational and scientific modus operandi of police forces is often viewed as inadequate, especially by the media who feed on events like murder. These irrational events sell newspapers, as the public gain stimulation from nefarious acts committed on other people. The talk around water coolers is abuzz with chat about crimes and questions like, can psychics help police with murder cases? We all want to believe in an overmind, which can be tapped into by a psychic, as an example of good over evil; someone who can bear witness to the ultimate truth of the matter.