Homicide Unit 1 Exam

Murder Definition

Unlawful killing of one human being by another; involves willing and/or negligent killing of the victim

Excusable Homicide

• There is no guilt; accidental or unintentional killing

• Meets criteria for murder because negligence was involved

  • Combat sports (boxing, MMA, wrestling)

Justifiable Homicide

• Judged to be acceptable because it occurs in defense of a life or property

  • Killing of a perpetrator by law enforcement, good Samaritans

Criminal Homicide

Purposeful, knowing, reckless, or negligent killing of one human being by another

Irrational Fear of Dying

Thanatophobia

Element That Brings Life But Can Also Be Fatal

H2O (water)

First Murder Recorded in Human History

Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:8)

Spanish Inquisition

• Period in which the Catholic Church persecuted anyone who deviated from the Catholic doctrine (heretics)

• One of the most tortuous times in history

Vlad III

• Also known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracul

• One of the most important rulers in Wallachian history; Romanian hero

  • Nothing more than a ruler who fought to defend his people, became a champion for Romanian independence

• Tourism and the Dracula name contributed to his fame

Best Time to Visit Poenari Fortress

June-September

Bram Stoker’s Novel

• “Dracula”

• Explored Romanian folklore (vampires)

Familicide

Murder of multiple family members

Filicide

Murder of an older child

Infanticide

Murder of a very young child (infant, toddler, newborn)

Matricide

Murder of mother

Patricide

Murder of father

Fratricide

Murder of brother

Sororicide

Murder of sister

Amicide

Murder of friend

Regicide

Murder of king

Dominicide

Murder of one’s master

Vaticide

Murder of a prophet

Omnicide

Murder of all humans to make society extinct

Genocide

Systemic murder and extermination of an entire group of people based on their nationality, religion, race, or ethnicity

Metropolitan Act of 1829

• Important advancement in policing because it established London’s metropolitan police force based in Scotland Yard

• Established guiding principles for police

  • Need for public cooperation, police impartiality, the importance of public approval, and use of physical force only when needed

Sir Robert Peel

• Father of modern policing

• Called law enforcement bobbies (England) and peelers (Ireland)

August Vollmer

• Father of American policing

• Argued that police should be free from political pressure and be highly educated, properly trained, and well-paid

  • Also for the use of tech, science, and education to help the public

• Implemented code of ethics banning political corruption, officers getting gifts, and the third degree

The Third Degree

Method used by police officers that included using brutal tactics on a suspect to gather info

Backbone of Policing

Patrol

Sherlock Holmes

• Fictional detective known for his proficiency in his skills of observation, deduction, forensics, and logical reasoning

• Flair for showmanship and is willing to break the law as a means to right a wrong

JonBenet Ramsey Case

• One of the most infamous cold cases

• Evidence mishandled

  • Father went downstairs (after being instructed by investigator to look upstairs) and found the body, removed the tape from her mouth, and brought her upstairs

  • Mother called friends to come into the home and help look

  • Ransom note in mother’s handwriting

• Cause of death was asphyxia, although there was also a severe skull fracture and evidence of sexual assault

Cold Case

• Investigation that has gone unsolved after more than a year

• Initial efforts did not yield enough evidence to identify/arrest a suspect or did not yield a definitive conclusion

Death Notification Procedure

• Done with two law enforcement officers making the announcement to the family members of the decedent

  • Should always be done in person

W.I.N.

What’s Important Now

Key Things to Remember When Dealing With PTSD

• Officers and detectives should remember the following:

  • Identifying triggers

  • Recognize signs and symptoms of PTSD

  • Overcome the stigma

Standard of Proof in Criminal Cases

• Beyond a reasonable doubt

• Defendants do not need to do anything in their case

  • Prosecutor has to prove their case to the set standard

Why Most Cases Don’t go to Trial

• Plea bargains; process in which the prosecutor offers a lesser charge or fewer charges in exchange for a guilty plea

  • Only 2-10% of cases go to trial

Venire

Provides list of potential jurors used to select the jury

Challenge to the Array

Argument that the venire should be discharged due to the selection process

Voir Dire

• French term meaning “to speak the truth”

• Involves questioning jurors under oath to uncover inappropriate jurors

Challenge for Cause

Defense, prosecutor, or judge believes a juror cannot be unbiased

Peremptory Challenge

Removing a prospective juror from the venire without legal justification (“just because”)

Federal Rules of Evidence

• Relevant: must have the ability to prove or disprove a fact in trial

• Material: must be offered to prove a fact in dispute in the trial

• Competent: must be reliable

Direct Evidence

• Does not require fact-finder to draw inference

  • Ex: video of defendant committing the crime or multiple eyewitness testimonies

Circumstantial Evidence

• Requires interpretation of evidence by the judge or jury

  • Ex: fingerprints found at scene of crime with the defendant saying they were out of town

Jury Deliberation

• Process of determining guilt taking place outside of the courtroom and in a deliberation room in a hidden part of the courthouse

  • Two options = guilty or not guilty

Average Cost of a Murder Trial

• Can range between $100k to $1 mil

  • In larger cities (NYC, LA, San Francisco, etc) the cost can be 3x the amount

6th Amendment

• Affords a person the right to have an attorney and a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of the state

  • If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you (public defender)

Negative Name Referring to Public Defenders

Public Pretenders

Trial of the Century Overview

• Actor and formal NFL star OJ Simpson accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her acquaintance Ronald Goodman

• Simpson was acquitted of the charges

Trial of the Century Legal Team

• Lead attorney was Johnnie Cochran

• Dream team of attorneys cost $3-6 mil

Social Media Trial of the Century

• Cindy Anthony reported her granddaughter Caylee Anthony missing for 31 days

  • Body found in a wooded area near the family home

• Prosecution argued that Casey Anthony wanted to be free from parental responsibilities and used chloroform to incapacitate her daughter before suffocating her

  • Defense argued that Caylee had drowned in the family pool and that the father helped conceal it as an accident

• Casey Anthony found guilty only of providing false info to law enforcement

• First case discussed in real time on various social medias

A Dirty Little Secret Case

• Jodi Arias stabbed her ex-boyfriend 27 times, slit his throat, and shot him in the head

• She was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole

3 Principles of Punishment

• Retribution: punishing an offender because they deserve it

• Deterrence: discouraging offender and general public from committing future crimes through fear of consequences

• Reformation/Rehabilitation: healing or changing the criminal so they can return to society as a law-abiding citizen

Forensic Science

Application of scientific methods and techniques to matters of law, helping courts solve crimes, identifying perpetrators, and protecting public safety

Fingerprints 3 Key Patterns

• Loops, whorls, and arches (most to least common)

• Also note that a print is unique to the individual, not even identical twins have the same one

Sir Edward Henry

• Henry’s Fingerprint Classification System

  • Foundational ten print categorization method that organizes fingerprint cards into logical groups based on gross pattern types

    • Simplifies manual filing and large-scale searches

  • Used strictly for class categorization and exclusion, never for individualization or positive identification

  • Fingers numbered 1-10 starting with the right thumb (1) and ending with the left pinky (10)

Latent Fingerprint

Invisible or barely visible impression left on a surface by the natural sweat, oils, or bodily secretions from friction ridge skin

Patent Fingerprint

Visible impression left when a finger coated in a substance like blood, ink, grease, or dirt, touches a surface

Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS)

• Computerized biometric database used to capture, store, and cross reference fingerprint records

  • Digital scans convert prints into high-res images, minutae mapping IDs unique print features, database generates ranked list of matches, forensic experts review and confirm the top matches

Locard’s Exchange Principle

• Whenever two objects come into contact, there is always an exchange of materials between them

  • Every contact leaves a trace

• When a perp enters a scene, they bring items with them and leave with items from the scene

A Patrol Officer Should… Upon Arrival at a Scene

• Start a crime scene security or entry/exit log

• Provide medical assistance

• Arrest the suspect

• Preserve life and property

• Isolate and secure the scene

• Identify and separate witnesses

• Document initial observations

Four Distinctive but Interrelated Components of Crime Scene Management

• Info Management

  • Handling, processing, and evaluating all data gathered from scene, witnesses, and victims to establish events and guide investigative direction

• Manpower Management

  • Assigning roles, scheduling personnel, and utilizing the right human resources and experts effectively

• Technology Management

  • Selecting and utilizing appropriate scientific tools, equipments, and forensic techniques to locate, document, and recover physical evidence

• Logistics Management

  • Handling operational needs of the scene

    • Equipment supply, site containment, safe transport of evidence, and continuous resource support

Mishandling of Evidence in OJ Case

• CSIs improperly packaged evidence and left it in an overheated car during the hot summer day

  • Rookie CSIs gathered most evidence despite more experienced ones being present

• Crime scene loosely controlled with investigators not being cautious about where they stepped or how close they were to key evidence

• Blood drawn from OJ the day after the murders not properly documented in the chain of custody

  • Detective kept the vial of blood in his pocket and went back to OJ’s home where additional evidence was being collected

• A forensic expert testified that Nicole’s blood was transferred not spattered onto OJ’s bloody sock

• Additional blood found weeks later despite not appearing in crime scene photos

• Fingerprint on the gate recorded but not entered into the chain of custody and later disappeared

  • Unknown who it belonged to

• Glove used by OJ found by a detective who was not only racist, but accused of planting evidence and falsifying police reports

  • Mark Fuhrman

Cadaver Dogs

• Specially trained dogs that can detect the scent of human remains and human decomposition

  • Trained in certified facilities mimicking the smell

  • Also trained in puppyhood via exposure to different parts of the human body at various stages of decay

• Common breeds include basset hounds, bloodhounds, german shepherds, and labs

Autopsy Definition

Dissection of the human body to determine cause of death

Types of Incisions Used in Autopsies

Y-shaped and T-shaped

N.A.S.H.

• Natural

  • Caused by diseases without intervention of trauma (dying in sleep, old age)

  • Cancer, strokes, heart disease, and diabetes also natural

• Accidental

  • Due to trauma occurring from acts no reasonable person would have felt had a high probability of producing injury or death

  • Accidentally shot on hunting trip, car crash due to malfunction, bad weather, etc

• Suicidal

  • Takes own life (hanging, self-inflicted gunshot, etc)

• Homicide

  • Death caused by actions of another person as previously defined

• 5th Manner: Unexplained

  • Does not happen often; cannot assign as accidental or homicidal

Purpose of Ballistics

Can determine range of fire, entry/exit wounds, etc

Forensic Toxicology

• Study of biological samples to identify and quantify drugs, toxins, and other harmful substances

• Blood, urine, hair, the liver, and the spleen can all be tested for impurities or toxins

Cold-Hearted Video

• Lynn used antifreeze to kill two of her husbands, went undetected until calcium oxalate crystals were found in the victims kidneys

  • Fatal amount of ethylene glycol (antifreeze) in both of their systems

• Wanted their life insurance policies

Self-Defense Definition

• Legal argument defined as a defense that claims that the defendant acted in response to an immediate threat of harm and how they must have a reasonable belief that their life or safety was in danger

  • Force used must be proportionate to the threat

  • No retaliation (not excessive or unnecessary)

  • No provocation by defendant

Stand Your Ground Laws

Formally mandated laws stating that individuals are not required to retreat from their location prior to using force, particularly deadly force, in self-defense

Castle Doctrine

• States that there is no duty to retreat in your home prior to using force in self-defense

  • Includes your personal property and yard

Moran Case

• Betty Moran convicted of murdering her husband but tried to claim self defense

  • Said she was subjected to repeated abuse by his hands for years

• Had to prove her case by a preponderance of evidence

  • 50% + 1 rule

• Jury sympathized but ultimately decided that her actions did not fit self defense since her husband was asleep when she killed him

Battered Women Syndrome

Type of psychological aggression defined as the set of symptoms, injuries, and signs of mistreatment seen in a woman who was abused by a spouse, partner, or relative

Kyle Rittenhouse Case

• Man from Illinois fatally shot two people and wounded a third with an AR rifle during civil unrest

• Went to protect a local business after an unarmed black man was killed and social media asked people to come defend

  • Rittenhouse is a civilian, not law enforcement

• Defense argued that he acted entirely in self-defense after being chased, attacked, and threatened by those he shot

  • Found innocent on all counts

Civil Rights Era (1954-68)

Time period in which the purpose was to abolish legalized racial segregation, discrimination, and voter disenfranchisement, and to secure full and equal constitutional rights and citizenship for African Americans

Emancipation Proclamation

• Issued by Abraham Lincoln

• All persons held as slaves in rebel/confederate states would be freed

  • Also allowed African Americans to join the Union army

Governor George Wallace’s Infamous Saying

“Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever”

Ku Klux Klan

• White supremacist and right-wing extremist group known for using terrorism, violence, and intimidation to suppress Black Americans and other minorities

• Prominent in the South because:

  • Post-Civil War backlash

  • Resistance to Reconstruction

  • Restoring white supremacy

Lynching

• Term widely attributed to Charles Lynch

  • Set up irregular court during the American Revolution to punish loyalists without a formal legal trial

• Extrajudicial killing; unlawful murder carried out by a mob outside of the legal/judicial system

Why Birmingham was Nicknamed “Bombingham”

Dozens of racially motivated dynamite bombings occurred there that targeted African American homes, businesses, and churches

Four Little Girls in Birmingham Bombing

• Victims who lost their lives when the KKK bombed the 16th street Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama

• They were inside the church basement

  • Addie Mae Collins (14)

  • Cynthia Wesley (14)

  • Carole Robertson (14)

  • Carol Denise McNair (11)

What happened to the Birmingham bombers?

• FBI agents quickly identified 4 primary suspects that were all members of a violent splinter group of the KKK

  • J. Edgar Hoover (FBI director) blocked their persecution by claiming that an all white Alabama jury would never convict them

    • Even withheld critical evidence (audio recordings) from local state prosecutors

  • Closed case without indictment

Who was the FBI Director that hated the Civil Rights Movement?

J. Edgar Hoover

Bloody Tuesday’s History in Tuscaloosa

• Brutal and violent attack by police and white segregationists on peaceful civil rights demonstrators

• Many injured or arrested