homicide and profiling Flashcards
Types of Homicide
First degree murder: all murder that is planned and
deliberate
◦ A few cases that would not be planned or deliberate
Second degree murder: murder that is not planned
but deliberate
Manslaughter: unintentional murder that occurs
during the ‘heat of passion’ or because of criminal
negligence
is homicide common
no - only 1% of all violent crimes
Bimodal Classification of Homicide
(what are the two ways to classify homocides)
- reactive aggression
(affective-heat of the moment) - instrumental aggression
(predatory-planned)
Theories of Homicidal Aggression
Social Learning Theory
aggressive behavior is learned through a process of
reinforcement
◦ How rewarding has aggressive behavior been in the individual’s past?
Theories of Homicidal Aggression
Evolutionary Theory
crime can be thought
of as adaptive behavior used to survive and
pass on genes
Homicide emerged as a strategy to deal with
competition for limited resources
Theories of Homicidal Aggression
General Aggression Model
(GAM)
integrates several
theories
Multiple Murderers
Serial murder: the killing of at least 2 people over time
◦ Usually committed in different locations, aren’t generally connected to one
another
◦ Cooling-off period: the inactive time interval between murders, can vary in length
Mass murder: the killing of multiple victims at a single location during one
event
Spree murder: the killing of at least 2 victims in one continuous event at two
or more locations
mass murder minimum number of victims
4
serial murderer characteristics
male, while, kill for enjoyment
most victims are white young females
shooting is mosr common method
black widow
kill for fincial gain
angels of death
nurses who kill patients
Holmes & Holmes (1998) → used 110 case files to develop a classification
system based on case characteristics
Proposed 4 major types of serial murders:
Visionary: kills in response to voices or visions
◦ Mission oriented: targets individuals from a group they consider ‘undesirable’
◦ Hedonistic: murders for self-gratification
◦ Lust murderer, thrill murderer, comfort murderer
◦ Power/Control: murders for dominance over the victim
Mass Murderers
Depressed, angry,
or frustrated
Believe they have
not succeeded
Socially isolated,
feel rejected
Sometimes
motivated by
perceived injustice
Criminal Profiling
Technique for identifying the major personality and behavioral characteristics
of an individual based upon an analysis of the crimes they have committed
Most commonly used for violent serial crimes
what does criinal profiling help with
Helps set traps to flush out an offender
◦ Determines whether a threatening note should be taken seriously
◦ Advises on how best to interrogate a suspect
◦ Tells prosecutors how to break down defendants in cross-examination
New York City’s Mad Bomber
1940-1957
Unknown offender detonated
bombs in public places
Dr. James Brussel, forensic
psychiatrist, developed a profile
Dr. Brussel’s profile was largely
correct, down to the double-
breasted suit that George Metesky
wore to the police station
when to use criminial profiling
when there is no clear motive
when the offender and victim do not know eachother
what 3 things are most important for a criminal profile
they get the personailty, the age, and the demographic
