Final Exam Flashcards
Team Killers (Overview)
Murder of an individual at the hands of two or more perpetrators is quite common. Gang-related murders, group fighters, drive-by shootings. 25% of killings are done in a team
Characteristics
HIckey analyzed over 300 serial killers (few killers have lesser education + mainly organized) . Females do not exert power in a male/female team-killing partnership. The relationship between team killers is built on deception, intimidation, and manipulation. Teams can be of just about any combination. serial killers are derived from blue-collar type occupations. Team killers are not as prolific compared to those who act alone. The selection of victims is mainly strangers. Typically from a pool of society who are addicts, homeless, hitchhikers, and sex workers. Team killers are more likely to leave prints or other DNA evidence compared to those who are solo serial killers. (always a dominant and submission with each murder the more the pair trust one another (form bond) abduction, rape, torture -> murder
Motivations
Mainly sexually motivated. Teams who torture and kill are more likely to be influenced by a cult-like ideology. sexual assault is likely to display control or domination over victims. Financial motivation is also common. (They lose the sense of control and try to claim that in their murders because of abuse as a child)
Serial Murder Investigations
serial murders can be extremely mobile (nomadic). Murder strangers. Sometimes the killer leaves minimal evidence. Time-lapse between interagency communication as well as community engagement. Often, the public is demanding answers. The high financial cost of investigations. (Green River killer 20 million. success rates for murder are quite high and the suspect usually knows the victims).
Canadian Serial Killer
The rarity of serial murders could also contribute to the difficulties in successful investigations. There have been many Canadian criminologist researchers who have made contributions - but most cases are focused outside our country (aren’t enough here for us to build data on them)
4 major issues in managing major cases
Glover & William
Media impact: pressure on law enforcement police should have a working relationship w/ the press
Management of department resources: who’s gonna head this thing
Multiagency jurisdiction: coordinate investigations between why agencies
Unusual complexity of the case: might have lots of victims to caution modus operandi
Egger’s impediments (Holding us back)
Linkage Blindness: the inability of law enforcement to communicate to share and communicate similarities of unsolved crime
Lack of commitment: Refrain from that they are involved in serial murder investigations
Issues on coordination investigate functions and actions: police must use their best detectives and the police officers
Management of a large amount of investigative information: a substantial amount at investigation and tips and it is very easy for all of it to get lost
Public pressure and media pressure for information: public victim’s family
The less dead & their lack of prioritization in the police practice
Gaps in detective’s knowledge of academic and enforcement experience in the area of serial murder
common Recurring investigative issues
linkage blindness/lack of inter and intra-agency cooperation. Egger proposes that these are the most significant issues that prevent success: non-communication
Linkage Blindness
Olson was a career criminal. Zero inter-jurisdictional or inter-agency communication or cooperation. No links were made between crimes. Bernardo & Homolka. Ontario government review concluded that the case was a ‘systemic failure’. The green ribbon task force and the metropolitan Toronto police services. lack of communication between law enforcement agencies. possessiveness and control over case information and evidence.
Recurring investigation issues: Lack of commitment
Robert Pickton investigation. The police neglected the concerns of the families of missing women. Police refrained from announcing a serial murder investigation. Investigation vs media dynamic as an adversary.
Lack of commitment: Robert Pick Investigation
Robert Pickton abducted and murdered prostitutes of the lower East side, downtown Vancouver. Brought them back to his pig farm where he murdered the women (who mainly consisted of sex workers and Indigenous women)
Lack of commitment: Investigations & the media
police agencies generally try to avoid media attention during investigations. Rarely inform the public they are investigating a serial murderer. The press is desperate for information and when they cannot get it, the media often rely on internal leaks. Often, this relationship between law enforcement and the media is damaged as a case progresses due to strain.
Lack of commitment: information control & community panic
panicking a community is not appealing to police forces, however, serial murderers need to gauge whether they should disclose information. Clifford Olson was responsible for the disappearances of young children - however, the police lacked response and denied a connection between the murders.
coordinating investigations and managing of case information
Serial murder cases are demanding and stressful for police services. Agencies must utilize their best investigators while also addressing. the everyday crimes that occur in the community. The investigators work through large quantities of information when the case is at its ‘peak’. However, cases often go ‘cold’ due to a decrease in police efforts, monetary constraints, allocation of personnel, and the lack of new evidence. This is otherwise termed ‘Investigative Decay’
The Less Dead
There has been a longstanding issue of police being unable to provide information regarding a serial murder case to the victim’s families. Egger proposes the idea that this is because the police view certain victims as less deserving of their attention. ‘The Less Dead’.
