forensic chapter 15

Homicide

The killing of one person by another

Criminal homicide

A killing that is unlawful and punishable by law

Serial murder

Killing two or more victims at separate times with a break between murders

Mass murder

Killing multiple victims at a single location during one event

Spree murder

Killing multiple victims at different locations without a cooling-off period

Cooling-off period

A break in time between murders in serial homicide

Sexual homicide

A murder that includes sexual elements such as assault or positioning

Indicators of sexual homicide

Evidence such as nudity, sexual positioning, or sexual assault

High-risk lifestyle

Victim behaviours that increase vulnerability (e.g., substance use, sex work)

Overkill

Use of excessive force beyond what is necessary to cause death

Con approach

Using deception or trickery to gain access to a victim

Stranger victimization

Common in serial and sexual homicides

Close-contact methods

Methods such as strangling or stabbing requiring physical proximity

Organized crime scene

A planned and controlled crime scene with little evidence left behind

Disorganized crime scene

An unplanned and chaotic crime scene with more evidence

Holmes and Holmes typology

A classification system for serial murderers based on motives

Visionary killer

A killer motivated by hallucinations or delusions

Mission-oriented killer

A killer targeting specific groups they view as undesirable

Hedonistic killer

A killer motivated by pleasure or self-gratification

Lust killer

A hedonistic killer driven by sexual gratification

Thrill killer

A killer motivated by excitement and the victim’s fear

Comfort killer

A killer motivated by financial or material gain

Power/control killer

A killer motivated by dominance over the victim

Typology criticism

Serial killer categories often overlap and lack strong empirical support

Geographic profiling

A technique used to determine an offender’s likely home base

Mobility of offenders

Serial killers usually travel short distances to commit crimes

Average intelligence (serial killers)

Most serial killers have average intelligence

Psychopathy (serial killers)

Many, but not all, serial killers show psychopathic traits

Male serial killers

More likely to kill strangers and have prior criminal histories

Female serial killers

More likely to kill for financial gain and use poison

Accomplice involvement

Female serial killers are more likely to have an accomplice

Victim selection (males)

Males are more likely to target strangers

Victim selection (females)

Females are more likely to target family members or acquaintances

Financial motive

A common motive for female serial killers

Sexual motive

A common motive for male serial killers

Uxoricide

The killing of a wife by her husband

Mariticide

The killing of a husband by his wife

Parricide

The killing of one’s parent

Jealousy trigger

A common cause of spousal homicide related to infidelity

Fear-based homicide

A motive often associated with women killing abusive partners

Treatment of murderers

Programs focus on anger management, empathy, and self-control