Evaluate the claim "we can predict who will become a criminal"
Sharonhy
Workshpo6bAtypicalHomicide.pptxCriminal Behaviour CRM203
Atypical Homicide
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Content
Legal aspects
Case studies
CyberHomicide
Victimology
Serial Killers
Detection Avoidance/Complex Homicides
Terrorism
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Definition
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Legal Points
Murder
Intend to cause the death of a person (regardless of whether or not they intended to kill the person who was actually killed); or
Intend to cause an injury likely to endanger the life of a person; or
Cause a death by an act that is done in prosecution of an unlawful purpose and that is likely to endanger human life (regardless of whether or not they intended to hurt anyone).
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Legal Points
Manslaughter
a person who unlawfully kills a person in circumstances that do not constitute murder, is guilty of manslaughter.
THE KEY DIFFERENCE IS ‘INTENT’
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Actus Reus vs Mens Rea
A "wrongful deed," "guilty act" or "deed of crime." All crimes have two elements:
performing the act (actus reus); and
the intent to commit the act (mens rea)
The Actus reus is the causing of the death of a human being
Mens rea comes from the Latin phrase;
Actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea
An act does not make a man guilty unless his mind be also guilty
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Interpretation
If the intention to kill or to act in a way that can predictably lead to the death is not proved, one can not be found guilty of the crime of murder because the definition of this crime includes this condition (to be convicted, you need both the mens rea and the actus reus, also known as the "psychological" and "material" elements); without the mens rea for murder, the accusation will usually turn into manslaughter, a different but similar crime that does not require the same mens rea.
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REMEMBER:
“The difference between a homicide and an assault may simply be the intervention of a bystander, the accuracy of a gun, the weight of a frying pan, the speed of an ambulance or the availability of a trauma centre”
(Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990, p.34)
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Case study: Michelle Carter
“I love you, now die”
Michelle Carter and Conrad Roy
Wreckless behaviour caused death by suicide.
Ruling: ‘Involuntary Manslaughter’
What do you think?
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Digital Homicide
Increasing focus on digital crime
Dark/deep web is a primary focus (BUT BE WARNED)
Research suggests 4 themes:
Excessive violence
Fatal escalation
Crime-related incidents
Predatory behaviour
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Victimology
Men are more likely to be the perpetrators and victims of homicides (80-90 % of perpetrators and 60% of victims)
Half of all homicides involve a male offender and a male victim
Young people over 16 are at greater risk of becoming a victim than children or older adults: peak age among adults is between 21-25 years
Children are a low risk group, but infants under 1 year are at higher risk than any other single year age group
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Victimology
Offenders tend to be young with most aged between 18-35 years
In male on male homicides, a significant proportion of offenders, victims or both have consumed alcohol, often to excess
Men are more likely to be killed by strangers or acquaintances
Women are more likely to be killed by spouses, partners, or ex-partners
Homicides among unrelated men take the form of confrontational ‘honour contests’ that erupt spontaneously
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Victimology
Other male on male killings entail grudge/revenge style homicides where the offender seeks out the victim and commits a planned assault
Around 60% of homicides occur between 8pm and 4am
NOTE: Aoristic Timeline Analysis
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Prevention?
Is homicide an extreme act of violence that could be prevented?
OR
Is homicide a distinct phenomenon where the perpetrator fully intends to kill the victim?
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Sexual Homicides
Ressler, Burgess, & Douglas interviewed 36 men convicted of sexual homicide to ascertain the underlying causes of the offences, the motivations and the actions within the crimes
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Sexual Homicides
Growing up
Childhood attributes – eldest sons, normal to superior IQ, fathers employed, mother housewife
Social environment
Family functioning – parental histories (alcohol/drug abuse, psychiatric disorder); parental criminal history (sexual crimes); parental sexual problems
Relationship with parents/siblings – instability of residence, father absent (12 years +), mother dominant parent, negative relationship with male caretaker figures and mother, perceived unfairly treated, no older sibling role model
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Sexual Homicides
Formative events
History of excessive parental discipline
History of abuse and neglect
Sexual experiences – witnessing sexual violence, witnessing disturbing sex, sexual injury or disease, sexually stressful events, childhood sexual abuse, voyeurism, pornography, fetishism, rape fantasies, sexual incompetence, sexual aversion, autoerotic practices
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Sexual Homicides
Formative events
Typologies
Behaviours
Childhood abuse
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Sexual Homicides
Behavioural Indicators
Childhood – daydreaming, compulsive masturbation, isolation, chronic lying, enuresis, rebelliousness, nightmares, destroying property, fire setting, stealing, cruelty to children/animals, poor body image
Adolescence – assaultive action toward adults, rebelliousness, compulsive masturbation, stealing, daydreaming, isolation, chronic lying, nightmares, poor body image, cruelty to children, destroying property, enuresis, fire setting and cruelty to animals
Adulthood – assaultive action toward adults, daydreaming, compulsive masturbation, isolation, rebelliousness, chronic lying, poor body image, stealing and nightmares
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Sexual Homicides
Performance
Academic
Grade repetition
Did not complete high school
Poor performance in high school
Employment (prior to murder)
Military
Criminal record in military
Honourable/general discharge
Undesirable/dishonourable/medical discharge
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Sexual Homicides
Antecedent Behaviours
Pre-crime stress factors
Conflict with females
Parental conflict
Financial problems
Employment problems
Marital problems
Additional stress factors
Frame of mind
Frustration
Hostility and anger
Agitation
Excitement
Internalised distress
– nervousness, depression, fear, calm, confusion
Precrime planning
Precrime actions
Increased criminal or violent activities
Looking for victims
Victim selection
Triggering factors
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Sexual Homicides
The offence
The sexual element of the murder
Subtle vs. overt sexual acts
Rape-murder
Mutilation-murder
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Vulnerability
"It doesn't matter whether you're selling hotdogs, newspapers or pussy, when you sell it on the street, somebody's going to bash you over the head and try to take it from you.“
Monet, 47yrs, sex worker from California
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Vulnerability
“Obviously if you are going to attack a woman, the easiest target is a prostitute. She’ll get willingly into your car…the first she knows about it is when it all goes wrong. Up until then she’s been totally co-operative. There’s no other victim you could find that would do that, [who] is not in some way connected to you… Prostitutes are ideal.”
(Vice-squad officer. In Benson, 1998, p.12)
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Serial Murderer Typology
Holmes & Holmes (1998) - 5 types of serial murderer
Visionary
Mission
Lust
Thrill
Power/Control
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Serial Murderer Typology
Visionary
Acting on voices or visions from Gods, angels, devils
Commandments/direction to kill certain individuals (e.g., prostitutes, atheists etc.)
Crime Characteristics: Typically leaves chaotic crime scene – scattering belongings, clothing spread around, weapon left in victim, ransacking, bludgeoning
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Serial Murderer Typology
Mission
Focused on certain group or type of person as ‘unacceptable’ or valueless (and world is better free of them)
Crime Characteristics: Murder weapon missing, firearm use, bludgeoning, throat cutting
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Serial Murderer Typology
Lust
Subcategory of hedonistic killers
Process of fulfilling sexual fantasy
Sex is the point of the process
Crime Characteristics: multiple sex acts, penetration with object, vaginal rape, abdominal mutilation, torture, violence to genitals
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Serial Murderer Typology
Thrill
Subcategory of hedonistic killers
Enjoy process of killing
Pleasure and excitement from killing
Death deliberately extended (to prolong)
Crime Characteristics: Similar to lust (torture, vaginal rape, penetration with objects); Bite marks, manual or ligature strangulation, body covered after death and concealed in isolated spot; Possible burns on victim
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Serial Murderer Typology
Power/Control
Gratification in killing is that the killer has control
Dominance is motive
Enjoyment of process leads to prolonging sequence
Crime Characteristics: Restraints, torture, gagging, body parts missing, evidence tampered with, decapitation, vaginal rape, ligature strangulation, body concealed
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Quick tip:
Keppel & Birnes – Signature Killers
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Case Study: Peter Sutcliffe
AKA Yorkshire Ripper
1975-1980
13 Murders, and attacks on a further 7 women
Given 20 life sentences
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Case Study: Peter Sutcliffe
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Case Study: Peter Sutcliffe
Dear Sir
I am sorry I cannot give my name for obvious reasons. I am the Ripper. I've been dubbed a maniac by the Press but not by you, you call me clever and I am. You and your mates haven't a clue that photo in the paper gave me fits and that bit about killing myself, no chance. I've got things to do. My purpose to rid the streets of them sluts. My one regret is that young lassie McDonald, did not know cause changed routine that nite. Up to number 8 now you say 7 but remember Preston '75, get about you know. You were right I travel a bit. You probably look for me in Sunderland, don't bother, I am not daft, just posted letter there on one of my trips. Not a bad place compared with Chapeltown and Manningham and other places. Warn whores to keep off streets cause I feel it coming on again.
Sorry about young lassie. Yours respectfully
Jack the Ripper
Might write again later I not sure last one really deserved it. Whores getting younger each time. Old slut next time I hope. Huddersfield never again, too small close call last one.
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Case Study: Steve Wright
AKA Suffolk Strangler
October-December 2006
5 Murders
Given life sentences
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Case Study: Steve Wright
Gemma Adams, 25, lived in Ipswich and disappeared on 15th November 2006 at about 01.15 - her body was found on 2nd December in a river – she was naked but had not been sexually assaulted
Tania Nicol, 19, from Ipswich disappeared on 30th October 2006 and was reported missing on the 1st November. Her body was found on the 8th December in a river and there was no evidence of sexual assault
Annette Nicholls, 29, from Ipswich, disappeared on the 5th December 2006 at 21.50 and her body was found on the 12th December, naked but with no evidence of sexual assault
Anneli Alderton, 24, was three months pregnant when she went missing on the 3rd December 2006. Her body was found on the 10th December and she had been asphyxiated and was discovered naked but with no sign of sexual assault
Paula Clennell, 24, disappeared on 10th December in Ipswich at about 00.20. Her body was found on the 12th December naked but not sexually assaulted. A post mortem revealed that she had been killed by a compression of her throat
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Case Study: Steve Wright
Psychological Speculations (‘Profiling’)
Keith Ashcroft (forensic psychologist)
The murderer is deliberately “taunting” police - the person “probably has some massive grudge against the police force, probably even in Suffolk” and wants to make the police look inadequate
Joseph Diaz (criminologist)
commented that the fact the bodies were dumped in water suggests that the killer is of above average intelligence, because he knows physical evidence will be washed away
Further comment in the Daily Telegraph speculates the killer probably has a dominant mother, and is not in a stable relationship with a woman – possibly a virgin
David Canter (Forensic/Investigative Psychologist)
comments in The Times: "His first murder was likely to be a carefully considered attempt to hide some other crime: killing the victim because she was a crucial witness."
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Detection Avoidance
Dr Claire Ferguson’s Area of Expertise
Any behaviours offender uses to hide, destroy, or manipulate evidence in order to avoid detection or apprehension by police
Forensic Awareness also included
CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING
Examples:
Destroying evidence
Disposing of victims body
Protecting identity
Acting on the victim (posing)
Or environment (staging)
Securing alibi
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Detection Avoidance
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Detection Avoidance
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Detection Avoidance
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HINT: this is a good chance to ask me anything
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Terrorism
Difficult to study (context/situation dependent)
Use of force or violence
Individuals or groups
Directed to civilian population
Intended to instil fear
A means of coercing political or social change
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Terrorism
NOT A MODERN DEVELOPMENT,
But
B&B claims that globalisation and concomitant ease of travel, commerce and spread of information has made terrorism a modern threat. But the Baader-Meinhof, Che and IRA were operating with considerable threat.
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Terrorism
International vs Domestic
Distinction is also made between international terrorists and domestic or home grown terrorists but sometimes this can be blurred.
McVeigh was clearly a domestic terrorist
But London 2005 bombers were home grown but related to Islamic terrorists
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Terrorism
International vs Domestic
The critical issue in this distinction is that historically home grown terrorists have been a much greater threat than international terrorists. See Oklahoma City and Tokyo but also note that Madrid, London and Bali were also home grown.
Some home grown terrorists might be considered to be international because of their international links.
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QUICK TIP
Lone-Actor Terrorists (Gill, 2015)
UCL
Grievance Project (@Grievance_ERC)
LATs may have ‘contact’ with others, but effectively work alone
Psychological motivations
Harder to track
Sequential methods used (among many others)
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Keatley & Gill
CSA – Lone Actor Terrorists
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Keatley, Forsyth, & Clarke
Linguistic Pattern Matching
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Terrorism
Categorization
Who are the terrorists?
Very heterogeneous thus categorisation is very difficult
Islamic terrorists: 60% higher education; 3/4 higher socio-economic status; wide age range; but some were from menial backgrounds with little opportunity
B&B suggests two approaches: classification based on interest of the group and a typology based on motivation of members.
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Terrorism
Classifications – interest or group based:
Right wing terrorists – nationalistic, anti-global, conspiracy theorists
Left wing terrorists – generally aiming at removing disadvantage, discrimination
Special interest extremist for example protecting the environment
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Terrorism
Typology – offender motivation
Rationally motivated – clear, rational, achievable objectives; generally aim for infrastructure damage as opposed to loss of life. Extreme environmental groups (Greenpeace?) fit in this category – instrumental aggression?
Psychologically motivated – appears to be a category for individuals who have problems and engage in terrorism – hostile aggression?
Culturally motivated – individuals who are responding to a perceived threat to their values, beliefs etc – see Tedeschi and Felson “threats” in aggression lecture
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Terrorism
Why join?
B&B points out that for the disadvantaged it may represent a form of escape – an alternative to reactive depression or learned helplessness.
But given that many are successful and functional why do they join?
B&B suggests that it is driven by perceived persecution from outside groups. True for some, eg Palestinian terrorists, Boadicea.
But how does that explain Osama Bin Laden, a wealthy Saudi who never experienced any persecution, or the London 2005 bombers who were relatively integrated into British society etc.
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Terrorism
Why join?
Trying to understand terrorism that is not driven by direct persecution:
Start with frustration aggression hypothesis – it is a sound aggression model
Identify the frustration – Tedeschi and Felson’s threat to beliefs
This may explain a motivation but it doesn’t explain how they join or why they engage in violence.
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Terrorism
How do they join?
Ever seen an advertisement for ‘terrorist wanted – must be willing to kill self and others’
Can the organisations advertise, recruit etc?
In most countries it would be illegal and in any case it would be too easy for anti-terrorists to respond.
INTERNET IS MAKING THIS EASIER
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