Imprisonment v. the death penalty as a deterrent to murder

In this investigation we examine the simultaneous deterrent effect of imprisonment and executions on homicide. Examination of the census years 1920 to 1960 shows the certainty of execution and homicide rates to be generally unrelated. Also contrary to the deterrence hypothesis, the significant negative bivariate relationship between the severity of prison sentence and homicide rates found here and in earlier investigations is shown to be a statistical artifact resulting from a failure to control for the effects of alternative legal sanctions and sociodemographic factors. While neither imprisonment nor executions are found to have a significant deterrent effect on homicide, attention is called to some limitations of this investigation and the need for additional research.     

Hair as a source of forensic evidence in murder investigations

Obtaining palynological and other botanical evidence from murder victims is becoming part of routine mortuary protocol in the United Kingdom. Forensic pathologists are often keen to cooperate in the collection of classes of material that have, in the past, been considered to be of little importance in criminal investigation. Work over the last eight years has demonstrated the great value in scrutinising cadavers for the presence of plant material and/or soil stains. Macroscopic plant remains and palynomorphs (pollen, spores and other microscopic entities) retrieved from skin and hair have allowed the differentiation of murder scenes from places of eventual deposition. Furthermore, although the opportunity has not yet presented itself, obtaining palynological evidence from the hair of suspects is feasible. During an offence, the offender might have had physical contact with foliage or the ground. Pollen and spore assemblages picked up by hair during that activity might provide forensic evidence for contact. Brief details of some aspects of case histories are presented to demonstrate the value of sampling cadavers. One case has been through the courts while the other is ongoing and, therefore, cannot be identified.     

The insulin pump as murder weapon: a case report

Microprocessor-controlled insulin pumps designed for continuous delivery of short-acting insulin analogs into subcutaneous tissues offer several important potential benefits for diabetic patients. The delivery of other substances using these systems is technically feasible. We present a case of homicide involving lethal doses of etomidate and atracurium injected via the victim's insulin pump. This unique situation could be encountered by homicide investigators more frequently as the popularity of these systems continues to grow.     

Suicide disguised as murder: a dimension of Munchausen syndrome

This case study reports on a suicide made to look like murder. The case highlights the issue of false claims of criminal victimization and suggests the need for a reexamination of the dynamics of factitious allegations of criminal victimization. Factitious complaints of mental or physical illness are typically self-reported to psychiatric or medical authorities. This paper illustrates a different kind of phenomenon: one in which an injury or disorder is brought to medical attention by way of the police, who report the death or injury as arising from criminal victimization.     

A suicide decision as a motive for murder--an airplane as the murder weapon

It is supposed that some fatal aviation accidents of "cause unknown" especially of light and private airplanes are possibly intended by a suicidal act. However it is difficult to prove this suggestion. A case of a light aircraft accident is reported in which the medicolegal autopsy and the police investigation revealed, unexpected, a simultaneous homicide and suicide caused by a stabbing attack on the pilot. This paper stresses the importance of autopsies of the victims in aircraft accident investigation and discuss the medicolegal and psychopathological aspects of the case.     

Some further evidence on imprisonment vs. the death penalty as a deterrent to murder

Law and Human Behavior - The research reported here extends an earlier investigation (Bailey, 1977) on the deterrent effect of imprisonment versus the death penalty for murder. As a result of some...     

Psychiatric morbidity in murder and attempted murder crime convicts: a Turkey study

In the present, the morbidity of psychiatric disorders of homicide/attempted homicide crime convicts imprisoned in Turkey, Sivas maximum security prison was investigated. Seventy imprisoned homicide/attempted homicide crime convicts included in this study. Sociodemographic information form, structured clinical interview for DSM-IV Axis-I disorders and structured clinical interview for DSM-III-R personality disorders applied to the participants. Most commonly diagnosed disorders among those convicts were current Axis-I disorders, depressive disorders (7.1%) and anxiety disorders (5.7%). Among Axis-I disorders, the most diagnosed one was the substance use disorders (45.7%). The most diagnosed Axis-II disorder was found as to be antisocial personality disorder (48.6%). The rate of convicts who were diagnosed as having both Axis-I and Axis-II disorders was 51.4%. The most prevalently accompanying lifetime Axis-I disorders to antisocial personality disorder with respect to Axis-I, and Axis-II comorbidity was substance use disorders. As a result, it was thought that the substance use disorders and antisocial personality disorder among the homicide/attempted homicide crime convicts were the most prevalent lifetime psychiatric disorders.     

英国精神病法庭辩护简介

在英国，精神科医生常常以专家证人的身份涉入诉讼，提供专家证言。如果专家的证言对自己的辩护有利，律师会在法庭上出具专家证言或安排专家出庭作证；否则，证言将不被提交法庭。陪审团根据专家证言的说服力决定是否采纳。控辩双方都可以聘请专家证人。理论上，控辩双方都可以找到支持自己主张的专家证言。当双方所聘请的专家意见相左时，由陪审团做出取舍，法庭据此做出判决。当然，由于陪审团成员缺乏精神病学的专业知识，在取舍时也很困难。     

英国精神病法庭辩护简介

在英国,精神科医生常常以专家证人的身份涉入诉讼,提供专家证言。如果专家的证言对自己的辩护有利,律师会在法庭上出具专家证言或安排专家出庭作证;否则,证言将不被提交法庭。陪审团根据专家证言的说服力决定是否采纳。控辩双方都可以聘请专家证人。理论上,控辩双方都可以找到支持自己主张的专家证言。当双方所聘请的专家意见相左时,由陪审团做出取舍,法庭据此做出判决。当然,由于陪审团成员缺乏精神病学的专业知识,在取舍时也很困难。在英国,精神病法庭辩护主要有3大类:(1)因精神病无受审能力辩护(Notfittostandtrial);(2)因精神病无诉讼…     

The use of the subculture of violence as mitigation in a capital murder case

This paper examines the role a sociologist in a capital murder case involving a defendant who was black and a victim who was a white on-duty police officer. The author of this paper testified in this specific case and has worked as a sociologist in over 60 capital murder cases. The use of the subculture of violence as mitigation is presented.     

Can wine tasting be used as a defence to a charge of excess alcohol?

Wine-tasting has been used as a defence in the UK to charges of driving with excess alcohol on the breath. There is little scientific data to support this explanation. The authors carried out an experimental wine-tasting using twelve volunteer subjects. Breath alcohol samples were taken at the start of the experiment and fifteen minutes after the end. All subjects after wine-tasting had breath alcohol levels below the instrumental limit of detection. The authors conclude that the wine-tasting defence is not credible.     

An already archived latent fingerprint as a DNA source for STR typing in a murder case

Former studies have shown that even a single skin contact, resulting in a latent fingerprint, can transfer enough DNA for genetic analysis. However, up to now latent fingerprints have usually not been used for DNA typing. In the present case the smeared trace of a hand was found in the suspect's car and archived. As it could not be evaluated in a classical manner, the evidence had to be examined by molecular genetic methods. DNA was extracted and typed in five different STR loci. Based on the yielded results, the significance of the findings is discussed.     

Intoxication due to 1,4-butanediol

We report a case of intoxication resulting from the ingestion of a liquid, sold in the illicit market as "liquid ecstasy," which was found to contain 1,4-butanediol, a metabolic precursor of gamma-hydroxybutiric acid (GHB). Identification of the substance in the liquid was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).The toxicological analysis of blood, urine and gastric content of the victim was performed by immunoassay and gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection as screening techniques and by means of GC-MS for confirmation and quantitation of 1,4-butanediol and GHB. The following drug concentrations were found: 82 microg/ml (blood), 401 microg/ml (urine) and 7.4 microg/ml (gastric content) for 1,4-butanediol and 103 microg/ml (blood), 430.0 microg/ml (urine) for GHB. In addition to these, other drugs detected and their blood concentration found in this case were methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA) 0.23 microg/ml and its metabolite methylenedioxyphenylamphetamine (MDA) 0.10 microg/ml. In the urine, a concentration of 0.10 microg/ml of benzoylecgonine was also found.     

Chloroquine as a poison in murder. Report of fatalities after criminal or suicidal chloroquine administration

Presented is a case of murder by means of chloroquine, committed on a 36-year-old male. The wife of the deceased had confessed to have secretely administered chloroquine-containing tablets to her husband. She was lawfully sentenced to life-imprisonment. The toxicological findings of this case are compared to the results of two chloroquine suicide cases and discussed in the context of the referring literature. An additional case where chloroquine intoxication was doubtful is introduced because of the unusual circumstances under which it occurred.