Friends of the Forensic Science Club, this week we present the paper “Homicide Profiles Based on Crime Scene and Victim Characteristics” by Pecino-Latorre, M. M.; Pérez-Fuentes, M. C. and Patró-Hernández, R. M., in which authors try to identify the homicides characteristics based on observed behaviors at the crime scene and the victim.
Criminal profiling is a very complex field of study that has been object of interest of many experts during the last years, due to its efficacy when it’s about solving crimes.
And as complex as criminal profiling is the area in which its application is the most important and spectacular: homicide cases.
Homicide cases have gained considerable academic and professional interest, not only because is the most violent of the criminal behaviors but also because they have enormous impact on the victim’s relatives and, besides, the whole society.
These cases are extremely difficult since it is a criminal category that includes distinct variants with dynamic characteristics and specific psychological processes related to the criminal, the victim, the context of both, etcetera; and this is hard to investigate.
That is why in previous research, studying each case independently has been recommended: examine specific aspects, their details, instead of seeking out general associations.
There is an approach that has become more important in the past few years, in which the idea of the traditional criminal profiler changes. It is suggested that from now on, the profiler could try to base the criminal’s profile on elements of the crime that allow him/her to create hypothesis of what are the criminal’s potential characteristics, thus a more rigorous suspect prioritization is possible.
Some authors from previous research have focused on analyzing the differences in modus operandi according to the perpetrator’s gender. For example, it was found that men tend to kill more women and people they know, whereas women use to kill more frequently members of their families.
Regarding the crime weapon, men are more likely to use firearms, while women tend to use suffocation methods on their victims.
Other interesting data that authors mention, is that it has been observed that, in the case of perpetrators who previously knew their victims, there tends to be a greater number and seriousness of injuries, with the homicides tending o take place indoors and most often using bladed weapons or blunt objects.
Namely, there are lots of studies where it has been shown that it is useful to study details and elements of the homicide to infer the criminal’s characteristics. Because of that, authors of this paper wondered which data of the crime, of the behavior observed in the crime scene and in the victims, are associated with the perpetrator of simple homicide in Spain, which is the place in which the study took place.
The study included a total sample of 448 cases of simple homicide that were studied using statistics software. The 90,8% were committed by men. A 9,2%, by women.
Obtained results are consistent with the central postulate of criminal profiling, that is, on the basis of homicide elements –crime scene, modus operandi, victim characteristics– it is possible to hypothesize about the potential characteristics of the perpetrator, which helps make decisions to establish more rigorous suspect prioritization.
Some of the data obtained in the study were, firstly, that there is a greater probability that the perpetrator will be female when the victim is a minor and when suffocation methods are used to commit the homicide. Plus, women would be more associated with intra-family homicides and the most common victims would be their children.
We see how the results agree so far with previous studies.
Research also shows that there is a greater probability that the aggressor is Spanish when the victims also are –remember the study was made in Spain–, just as it is more likely for the perpetrator to be a foreigner when the victim is also a foreigner.
As for the existence of a criminal record, the results suggest that perpetrators with a criminal record tend to use precautionary measures to avoid identification. Similarly, perpetrators with a criminal record commit more homicides in outdoor locations. Moreover, perpetrators with a record of violent crimes and sexual aggressions are more likely to have victims aged between 19 and 35.
Authors point out that some limitations exist. For instance, the conclusions derived from the study cannot be generalized to other types of homicides, since only simple homicides and those with perpetrators over the age of 18 were considered. In addition, the database did not include detailed information on the scene of the crimes, location of injuries, or circumstances in which the cadaver was found, so future studies should include these variables.
This investigation shows how important is to pay attention to victimology. It is essential in criminal investigation, due to victim characteristics, modus operandi, crime scene, etcetera, give us very powerful information about perpetrators.
Authors sum up with the idea that results are based in empirical evidence, thus future research should go also in this direction, correcting the limitations in this paper.
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Criminal analysis and forensic psychology are essential in solving complex cases. If you want to become a true specialist in this field, we invite you to explore our Master in Criminal Profiling. This online program allows you to learn from anywhere and earn a degree from Evidentia University, a licensed university in the United States.
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