Journey to murder: examining the correlates of criminal mobility in sexual homicide

Although the empirical research on the journey to crime seems to indicate that most crimes are committed close to home, only a few studies have specifically examined the journey to crime in cases of sexual homicide. Using a sample of 214 sexual homicide cases, the current study investigates, using logistic regression, offenders who travel during the crime to those offenders who commit their crime, all at the same location. Current findings suggest that sexual murderers who engage in intra-crime travel tend to use a vehicle in the commission of their offence, target adult victims who are involved in the sex trade and move the body post murder.     

The murder-suicide. A study of the postagressional suicide

The authors studied a series of 18 cases of homicide followed by suicide or attempted suicide by the aggressor, analyzing: 1) the frequency of such acts; 2) the age and sex of the aggressors; 3) the means or arms used for the murder and suicide; 4) the period of time between the two events; and 5) the motives for the homicides and the relationship between the victims and their aggressors.     

Severe Mental Illness,Somatic Delusions,and Attempted Mass Murder

A case of an attempted mass shooting at a large psychiatric hospital in the United States by a 30‐year‐old male with severe mental illness, somatic delusions, and exceptional access to healthcare professionals is reported. Six persons were shot, one died at the scene, and the shooter was then killed by the police. Data were gathered from court documents and media accounts. An analysis of the shooter's psychiatric history, his interactions with healthcare professionals, and communications prior to the shooting suggest a rare form of mass murder, a random attack by a documented psychotic and delusional individual suffering with somatic delusions. Despite his being psychotic, the killer planned the attack and made a direct threat 1 month prior to the shootings. This case highlights problems with the healthcare system, indicating that it might be ill equipped to appropriately deal with severe mental illness.     

Immunohistochemical analysis of forensic evidence from a double homicide

We report the use of immunohistochemical staining for analysis of forensic evidence from a double homicide. A 38-year-old woman and her 7-year-old daughter were murdered by multiple blows to the head and face with a tomahawk, resulting in multiple fragments of brain tissue scattered about the murder scene. The victims' husband and father was the main suspect, who maintained that he was out of town on business during the evening of the murders. However, a shirt taken from the suspect's car on the morning after the murders (secured by the police before the suspect visited the murder scene) was found to have two small stains. DNA analysis on the stains showed the presence of the deceased wife's DNA, and immunohistochemical stains on shirt fragments conclusively documented the presence of deep central nervous system tissue, providing the critical piece of evidence needed to arrest and prosecute the suspect. This report demonstrates that shirt or similar cloth fragments can be processed into paraffin blocks and subsequently immunostained to search for and classify types of tissue fragments that may be present on the fabric.     

Wah Mee massacre. The murder of 13 Chinese adults in a Seattle gambling club

This report covers the murder of 13 Oriental adults in Seattle, Washington, on February 19, 1983. The victims were patrons of a local gambling club and were murdered systematically during a robbery. This report highlights the management of multiple homicide victims and illustrates interesting features which were developed during the investigation.     

Defining and classifying serial murder in the context of perpetrator motivation

The last several decades have seen increased research attention to the subject of serial murder. Unfortunately, an empirical understanding of serial homicide continues to be impeded by difficulties in establishing a working definition for serial murder. Current definitions for serial homicide tend to focus on frequency and timing of homicide behaviors, and thus leave some confusion as to which groups of individuals should be included under the heading of serial murders. This article suggests alterations to the definition of serial murder, which focus not only on frequency and timing of homicide behaviors, but also on the motivation and context of those behaviors.     

An Empirical Study of Rape in the Context of Multiple Murder

In recent years, multiple homicide offending has received increased research attention from criminologists; however, there is mixed evidence about the role of rape toward the perpetration of multiple murder. Drawing on criminal career data from a nonprobability sample of 618 confined male homicide offenders selected from eight U.S. states, the current study examines the role of rape as a predictor of multiple homicide offending. Bivariate analyses indicated a significant association between rape and murder charges. Multivariate path regression models indicated that rape had a significant and robust association with multiple murder. This relationship withstood the confounding effects of kidnapping, prior prison confinement, and prior murder, rape, and kidnapping. These results provide evidence that rape potentially serves as a gateway to multiple murder for some serious offenders. Suggestions for future research are proffered.     

Female murderers in a southern city, 1975–1992

A study of a population of 36 females arrested for homicide in a southern, nonurban city from 1975 to 1992 was conducted using both qualitative and quantitative data. The study explored the demographic, social, legal, and offense characteristics of female homicide offenders as well as events leading to the murder. The profile of female homicide offenders in a southern, non-urban setting that emerged from this study is supportive of earlier studies focusing on female homicide offenders in large urban areas.     

An unusual case of double death

The report presents the case of an alleged double homicide or a homicide followed by suicide of a couple, in which the court-ordered autopsy of both victims revealed that the homicide had been committed by the husband immediately before he died himself from cardiac failure. The article gives a short summary of the pathophysiological relations between emotional tension (stress) and physical strain and the effects on the cardiovascular system. The case report describes a homicide by strangulation immediately followed by the perpetuator's death from a natural cause.     

Hanging: suicide or homicide?

Death by Hanging: Suicide or Homicide. Six cases of homicidal hanging and murder presented as suicidal hanging are recorded. Suspension followed strangulation by ligature or throttling and head injuries in 4 cases. Distinction between homicide and suicide was easy in 5 cases: two of the perpetrators gave themselves up to the police, one committed suicide immediately after he had hanged his 15 year old daughter; in two cases tracks of blood, heavy injuries of the victims, and traces of robbery were obvious. Unless the victim is an infant or an adult person incapacitated by drink, disease, or drugs, or unless there are several assailants murder is difficult to accomplish. Distinction between murder and suicide may be impossible by an examination of the body alone. Detailed investigation of the scene, reconstruction of the position of the suspended body, examination of the rope, the knots, the direction of the fibres on the rope may serve to discover homicidal hanging. - Compared to suicidal hanging homicide has a frequency of about 1% in our autopsy material. However, we cannot estimate the number of obscure cases.     

Homicide–Suicide in Cuyahoga County,Ohio, 1991–2016

Research on homicides followed by suicides has relied heavily on small samples and relatively short time spans of data. This study helps to fill this gap by examining 26 years of homicide–suicide data from Cuyahoga County, Ohio, between 1991 and 2016. The main data source for the study is medical examiner files. Analyses of the data indicate the rate of homicide–suicide in Cuyahoga County is consistent with other studies but fluctuates considerably across years studied. The majority of victims are female while perpetrators are overwhelmingly male. Black people are overrepresented as victims and offenders. Use of drugs and/or alcohol leading up to the incident is common among perpetrators. Both the homicides and suicides were overwhelming committed with firearms. When comparing our results to the typology of murder–suicides developed by Marzuk, Tardiff, and Hirsch (JAMA 1992;267:3179), we find amorous jealousy is a significant motivating factor in a many cases, including those involving nonintimate partners. Our findings underscore the importance of widespread use of lethality assessment instruments.     

常州市武进区5年94例已破命案的回顾性研究

目的本课题收集真实案例进行回顾性研究、比对,寻找常州市武进区命案特征,总结命案现场的法医学检案重点、难点和相关实践经验。方法收集江苏省常州市武进区2006～2010年94例已破命案资料,应用Microsoft Excel软件进行一般描述性统计分析。结果 2009年、2010年案件数量略有上升,而每年的第一、三季度为命案高发季度。受害人及嫌疑人多为流动人口,男性显著多于女性,以青壮年为主。嫌疑人均学历较低,多从事打工、务农,或无业,多由纠纷升级为命案。以锐器伤及钝器伤多见,死因基本为机械性损伤和机械性窒息。结论命案发生与人口数量呈正相关。受害人及犯罪嫌疑人基本情况、作案动机、致伤工具、损伤分布、死因等均反映出了命案现场法医工作的基本内容、工作重要性及未来的研究发展方向。     

Homicide with special reference to alcoholic intoxication and relation to time of day

112 cases of homicide (around 4%) are presented from material of approximately 3000 psychiatric expert-opinions for criminal proceedings. The data of 107 committers were usable and could be evaluated statistically. 63% of the homicides were executed, 37% were attempted. 14% of the committers were considered to be psychopaths. The circumstances surrounding the crimes were further subdivided in imitation of Rasch and especially tested for daytime linkage. 53% of the males but only a very small percentage of the female committers were alcoholized. Neither alcoholization nor personality had influence upon the success of the crime. For most of the psychotic committers the attempt failed to succeed. There was a tendency that some of the assaults were performed during night-time. This was more pronounced in alcoholized than in sober committers. No linkage to the night hours could be found neither for criminal actions of psychotics or child murder, nor for murder or robbery. In conclusion we assume that certain forms of human aggression underlie a diurnal rhythm.     

Homicide and suicide by aircraft

A report of simultaneous homicide and suicide by aircraft is presented. This confirms the view of Phillips (Science, 201 (1978) 748–750), that despite the previous absence of similar reports in the history of civil aviation, such incidents may occur, and that therefore murder and suicide should be considered as a possible cause of aircraft accidents.     

Distinguishing juvenile homicide from violent juvenile offending

Juvenile homicide is a social problem that has remained a central focus within juvenile justice research in recent years. The term juvenile murderer describes a legal category, but it is purported to have significant scientific meaning. Research has attempted to conceptualize adolescent murderers as a clinical category that can be reliably distinguished from their nonhomicidal counterparts. This study examined 33 adolescents adjudicated delinquent or awaiting trial for murder and 38 adolescents who committed violent, nonhomicidal offenses to determine whether the two groups differed significantly on family history, early development, delinquency history, mental health, and weapon possession variables. The nonhomicide group proved more problematic on many of these measures. Two key factors did distinguish the homicide group: These adolescents endorsed the greater availability of guns and substance abuse at the time of their commitment offenses. The significance of this finding is discussed, and the implications for risk management and policy are reviewed.     

A media violence-inspired juvenile sexual homicide offender 13 years later

No follow-up studies exist on how minors who commit sexual homicides adjust once released back into the community. This is an important question given the extreme nature of their crimes, lack of recidivism data, and the expectation that one-half of them will be freed from prison by mid-life. Likewise, no studies exist on the role our culture's pervasive media violence plays in these offenses. This report describes a 13-year-old boy who committed a witnessed media violence-inspired sexual homicide. Follow-up information is provided on his community adjustment as an adult four years after release from prison. He had multiple indicators of brain dysfunction, and watched a "slasher" film just before committing the blitz style crime upon a female neighbor. Media violence literature is reviewed--against a backdrop of developmental abnormalities, neuropsychiatric vulnerabilities, family dysfunction, and mental illness. This case illustrates how the confluence of such variables, combined with the tinder of erotic screen violence, may lead to sexual murder.     

Do Gang Members Commit Abnormal Homicide?

Gang membership is a robust correlate of homicide offending and victimization, but little is known about the association between gang status and various abnormal forms of homicide (e.g., multiple-victim homicide, sexual homicide, and abduction homicide). The current study utilized data from a large sample of 618 male convicted murderers to empirically examine gang status and diverse forms of homicide perpetration. Gang-involved offenders were nearly three times as likely to commit a normal homicide characterized as a single-victim murder. However, gang members were 64 % less likely to perpetrate multiple-victim murder. In other models, gang status reduced the likelihood of sexual homicide by 75 % and reduced the likelihood of abduction homicide by 56 %. These findings present an anomaly in the gang-homicide literature, and suggestions for additional research are offered.     

Fighting back: Lethal responses to predatory attacks

Each year millions of Americans become victims of predatory crimes. The way victims respond to these attacks varies from complicance with offenders' requests to physically challenging offenders. In some cases, the physical defense of self and property has lethal consequences for the initial offender. While much is known about felony murder victims and typical homicide offenders, little is known about individuals who fight back against predatory attack by using lethal violence. In this paper, we use data from the Homicides in Chicago, 1965–1995 study to describe the characteristics of defensive homicide offenders and to determine how they compare with felony murder victims and defensive homicide offenders. Our results indicate that defensive homicide offenders are more similar to typical homicide offenders than felony murder victims, and are even more likely to have violent criminal histories and to use firearms than typical homicide offenders. Our results challenge the common perception that individuals who fight back against predatory attack are simply “law-abiding citizens.” We conclude the paper with a discussion of the implications of our study for additional research and police practice. Authors' Note: The authors thank editor Dennis Stevens and James Black for their helpful comments on earlier draft of the paper.     

On urban homicide: A statistical analysis

A statistical analysis is made of homicide rates in the 50 largest American cities for four different years. It is shown that differences in recent murder growth among the cities can largely be explained as typical random fluctuations about a common trend. It is also found that the changing age profile of the American people explains no more than ten percent of the increase in homicide since 1964. Several mathematical models for future homicide growth are proposed from the analysis, and under each the probability of death by murder and corresponding drop in life expectancy are estimated for individuals born now in each of the 50 cities.