Homicide Final Exam

passcode RIPPER

Who was Leatherface based off of?

Ed Gein was the real-life Leatherface

What franchise did Leatherface star in?

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series

The most notable mentally disabled member of his family of deranged cannibals

What was Leatherface weapon of choice?

Wields a chainsaw to dismember victims

What was Ed Geins nickname?

Butcher of Plainfield

What subtype was Ed Gein?

Psychotic subtype

Why was Ed Gein the inspiration behind Leatherface?

*The name came from cutting off victims’ faces and wearing their skin

Macabre fantasies by robbing grace not for possession but for body parts to decorate his home

*When policed search the home they found womens body parts including furniture made out of SKIN

Who was Ghost Face in real life?

Danny Rollings

Would spy on women in their homes, in order to calculate their every move before his attacks

Didn’t know the difference between movies and reality (driven to kill after the Exorcist 3)

What franchise was Ghost Face apart of?

Scream

What was Ghost Face weapon of choice (from Scream)?

Knife to carve up, slice throats, and gut his victims

What was Danny Rollings nickname?

Gainesville Ripper

What city/university did Danny Rollings stalk and terrorize?

University of Florida, Gainesville or Santa Fe Community College

Who was Michale Myers?

“Pure evil” nearly unstoppable

Signature- kills on halloween were as a young boy he murdered his teenage sister for no reason on halloween 1963

15 years later escaped from a mental hospital to wreak havoc on community or kill the remaining members of his family

amassed approximately 159 murders though out the franchise

What franchise was Michale Myers apart of?

Halloween

What was Michale Myers weapon of choice?

Used a butcher or chefs knife to murder victims

Define Schizophrenia

Progressive disease, typically beginning in young adulthood

is classified as a psychotic disorder that is identified by a breakdown in thought, emotion, and behavior

life-altering, rendering many patients unable to take care of themselves

Is Schizophrenia treatable or curable?

life long; treatable but not curable

What are positive symptoms of schizophrenia?

Delusions- beliefs that are maintained despite strong evidence to the contrary, non-bizarre belief that one is being followed despite evidence, bizarre belief that aliens are going to abduct the person at night

Hallucinations- sensory experiences that do not like sharing, hearing voices, seeing things that aren’t really there

Disorganized Speech- frequent derailment, can’t stay on topic, “wordsalad” coherant

What are negative symptoms of schizophrenia?

Catatonic Behavior- lack of purposeful physical movement (rocking, pacing), lack of physical movement/reaction at all (immobility), can appear “frozen” for hours

Emotional Flatness- lack of appropriate emotional responses or reactions, feels flat or absent during interactions

Lack of Motivation- no desire to carry out activities, sometimes fail in basic personal hygiene measures

In terms of true crime aficionados or enthusiasts, they are sometimes called

JUNKIES

The place where your generation gets most of its information surrounding true crime

Social Media (Tik Tok, Facebook, Instagram, Podcast)

Key facts about Jack the Ripper

sometime referred to as the White Chapel Murders because they occured in the white chapel in East End London

Name derived from a letter written/published in the news paper claiming to be the killer

1st known serial killer in a major city with successful and educated people

Crimes were well documented with police and media published his crimes to warn citizens he could strike again

appeared during a time of political turmoil Local Gov Act giving women the right to vote in elections

Left mutilated victims in plain sight

Wa never caught and vanished into thin air without a trace or credible identity of who he was

What was Jack the Rippers Modus Operandi?

Strangled victims until they lost consciousness or died

Once on the ground, he would slit their throats from left to right

Suggested he was left-handed

The pool of blood would be beside the neck and head opposed to being in the front of the body as if they were standing up or if he was behind them

Define Overkill

A factor sometimes found in murders involves using excessive force against the victim

Numerous stab wounds, extreme bludgeoning, multiple gunshot wounds, severe bleeding

EX: Jodi Aris Dirty Little Secret Case stabbing her husband 27 times, gunshot wound, and a slit throat while he was in the shower

What does taking trophies mean?

Items that are taken from the victim for the offender to remember the victim and fantasize about the acts they have committed

EX: Jack the Ripper, Gut lining removed from the body

“The Juwes are the men that Will not be Blamed for nothing.” Professor Fields explained this statement in class was not what people thought. The key focus was on the word Juwes. What did Professor Fields say that this could have been in reference to? (***HINT: Their temples are everywhere?) 

Freemasons

The significance was that Jack the Ripper was toying with law enforcement after taken an apron from Eddowes and staging it near a wall that was commonly patrolled

Found at the scene of the murder of Catherine Eddowes

There were two notable letters that Jack the Ripper wrote that started off with a unique salutation

Dear Boss & From Hell letters

“the dear boss letter because it was the police acknowledging. I know y'all trying to catch me. Y'all think I'm a doctor? Ohhh yeah you're wrong. And then the from hell letter, even though it's it's short, he's joking about how he took his kidney. He mailed some of the kidney to them and he's saying the other piece. I cried and I ate it”

What was Jack the Rippers Signature?

Taunting law enforcement with letters

In terms of the Ripper’s identity, who did people say he was after nearly 100 years?

Aaron Kosminski. Remember the DNA from the shawl?

In terms of pop culture references, Jack the Ripper had a famous mashup and battle against a certain superhero.

Batman in “Batman: Gotham by Gaslight”

Who was Lizzie Borden?

Serial Murder on August 4, 1892

Killed Abby and Andrew Borden

struck her on the side of her head with a hatchet, falling face first

father an hour later, struck at least 10 times with a hatchet-like weapon while he was asleep

How many “real whacks” did Lizzie Borden give to her mother? (***HINT: Don’t think about the nursery rhyme)

18 Times

What happened with Lizzie Bordens trial and investigation?

Answers to police were strange and contradictory

Appeared calm and kept changing albi

Police failed to check for blood stains and did not complete a thorough search of room

Found 2 hatchets, 2 axes, and a hatchet head with a broken handle in the basement

Hatchet head expected to be the murder weapon due to fresh break

Alice Russell admitted to finding Lizzie tearing up a dress/ planning to burn it because of “paint”

Exonerated after 15 day trial with a jury of 12 men 30 min deliberation

“happiest women in the world”

What about the potential reasons why Lizzie Borden may have committed the murders?

Potential psychotic state

Potentially physically/sexually abused by father

Possible intent due to being caught in a relationship with Bridget Sullivan (live in maid) by her mother

Sullivan admitted on her death bed in 1948 to disposing evidence to “protect Lizzie”

Did Lizzie Borden have a lot to gain in this case?

Yes; Potential motive of receiving money

She was worth $250,00 = to $5.652 million in todays currency

Her father was wealthy but frugal

Define CSI Effect

Any of the several ways in which the dramatized depiction of forensic science on prime television shows or movies influences the public's perception.

Who was this guy? (****HINT: He is a mentor to Professor Fields in the world of forensic science and he studies a certain discipline in forensics. What was that discipline)?  

Doctor Jason Bird; Forensic entomologist meaning he deals with BUGS

Two notable myths surrounding TV vs. reality. What is the myth but what also is the reality?

Myth: Crime Scene Investigation teams work only on ultra complex murder cases

Reality:

• CSI analysts work on more crimes than murders (burglary, robbery, assault) and crimes where fingerprint analysis is required, or crimes where evidence needs to be analyzed

• Labs will also process DNA evidence and, in some cases, DNA for paternity, family tree tracing, and more

Myth: Crimes are solved quickly, especially murders

Reality:

• Some are, most aren’t

• TV shows have limited time (commercials, air time), real life, it could take weeks or years

Reality:

• Detectives have to have patience and play the waiting game

Speaking of reality, do CSI’s investigate homicides? Whose job is that?

Homicide detectives will investigate the circumstances around the death, not CSI

In terms of the speed and haste of when crimes are solved, what is the show, The First 48 about? 

Detectives in major cities in the United States race against the clock in the wake of homicides, knowing that if they don't find a lead within the first 48 hours, their chances of solving a case are cut in half.

What do detectives say about “the first 48 hours?”

The first 48 hours of the homicide investigation are a critical period because they note the chances of solving a case are significantly higher at this time; including identifying and apprehending a suspect

In lecture, Professor Fields highlighted some of the most inconsequential places that have experienced mass shooting through photos. Where were some of those places that we discussed in class?

Define Spree Killer

Murderers who execute two or more victims, but at more than one location

Although the murders occur in different seperate locations their spree is a continuous ongoing event because there is no cooling off period in between

Define Mass Murderer

Murderers who execute three or more victims, usually at one location during a continuous period with no cooling off between the events

The president who ordered the revision of the definition. Think about the scale and sheer volume of mass shootings under different administrations. (Mass Murder)

President Obama ordered that the definition be revised to three or more because the previous definition was four or more (revision was due to the exacerbated circumstance of repeated gun violence in the country)

What are Bump Stocks? Whats the purpose?

Replacement gunstocks that enables a semi-automatic rifle to discharge bullets at a much higher rate of fire, nearly that of a fully automatic machine gun

Key facts surrounding Columbine

April 20, 1999

Killed 12 students and a teacher

Wounded 21 students

Speculation they were apart of the Trench Coat Mafia

Harris was seen as brutal mastermind

Klebold attended the prom 3 days before shooting

Law enforcement intel suggested they planned on blowing up the school finding numerous pipe bombs and other bomb attempting to be detonated but no avail

Both shooters ended up taking their own lives

Eric Harrison “Kill everything, kill everyone”

Who were the perpetrators of Columbine?

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold

Which shooter from Columbine was going to College?

Dylan Klebold- University of Arizona

What is the Trench Coat Mafia?

A group of social outcast that are fascinated by goth culture

Did violent video games play a key role in the Columbine Shooting?

There was no concrete evidence to support that bullying, video games like Doom, or music were to blame

Columbine is known as this moniker?

The Gold Standard of School Shootings

What is the Columbine Effect?

The glorification and connection to the shooter(s) and the impact it had on the media and future school shootings

Define Omnicide

Murder of ALL human extinction

Majority Stoneman Douglas Shooting

February 14, 2018

Parkland, Florida

The death of 17 people

Injured 17 others

Legally purchased firearms (FL law allows firearms to be purchased at 18)

What is the moniker for Majority Stoneman Douglas shooting?

Deadliest High School Shooting in US history

Who was the perpetrator of Majority Stoneman Douglas shooting?

Nikolas Cruz former student of the school

Expelled from the school, but no alarms were made regarding behavior

Sentenced to Life in Prison

He was not given the death penalty because one juror was opposed to him receiving death

What profession did Nikolas Cruz expose on YouTube (in other words, what did he grow up and state that he was going to be known as)?

YouTube: “professional school shooter”

Instagram chat: hatred of jews, blacks, and immigrants

Why did Professor Fields say that Nikolas Cruz was a game changer? What happened?

Nikolas Cruz escaped but was apprehended without incident, 7 blocks away from the school

Pulse Night Club Shooting

June 12, 2016

Orlando, Florida

49 Murdered

Wounded 53

Popular gay night club

Who is Omar Matten?

Pulse Night Club shooter

Was armed with a Sig Sauer MCX Semi-automatic rifle, a 9mm Glock 17 handgun

What were some of Omar Mattens motivations?

Described as having sexual idenity issues as a former police academy classmate explained how he would go to gay night clubs and expressed interest in dating him

Mateen advised his family was linked to Alaueda and joined Hezbollah

What else happened to Omar Mateen?

After a deadly standoff with law enforcement when Mateen had taken hostages

He was neutralized by the police and was shot at least 8 times

Who did Omar Mateen pledge his allegiance to?

Isis

Las Vegas Strip Shooting

October 1, 2017

Route 91 Harvest Music Festival

22nd floor in a suite in Mandalay Bay Hotel

1,000 round fired

60 dead; 413 wounded

Due to the panic stamped injured individuals may be 867

Who was the perpetrator behind the Las Vegas Strip Shooting?

Stephen Paddock

Died from self inflicting gun wound

Reason is still unknown why he did it

What is the moniker of the Las Vegas Strip Shooting?

As of April 10, 2025 it remains the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in US history

In terms of mental illness, is this a talking point amongst politicians?

Yes; Politicians see this as a talking point opposed to the continued debatable issue of firearms

Do people believe the stereotype that mental illness is behind gun violence?

Yes, the General belief remains that mental illness is behind violent behavior

The aftermath of a shooting can lead to quick reactions to attribute the brutal behavior to mental illness

Not every person with a mental illness is dangerous or deadly

The NRA. What is this organization and do they back politicians?

The National Rifle Association of America is a very powerful lobbying machine

EX: Governor Greg Abbott from Texas. They gave him an A+ rating. Politicians, generally speaking, politicians on the left, they give them every, you know, so. They feel like if you're on one side of the political aisle, you don't support the NRA, you don't support the Second Amendment, you get an F If you're on the right side of the aisle, aisle, you support the Second Amendment. You're very much pro guns, and you know, don't take away our guns. You get an A or an A+ either way

Define Duty to Warn

A law that mandates mental health professionals to breech confidentiality if there is reasonable evidence to conclude that their patient will become imminently violent toward an identifiable group of people or persons

Psychologist and psychiatrist must abide by this declaration even though HIPPA laws are still in place; slippery slope

EX: Danny Rollings

Define Pseudo-commando type

Mass murder driven by fantasies of both revenge and fame

Takes time to plan/prepare even going as far as selecting the right type of military style garb to wear & acts conducted in a military manner

EX: Omar Matten sympathized with Isis and targeted LGBTQIA+ community

Pseudo-commando bears the moniker of?

Solider for the cause

Define the Family Annihilator

A person who kills multiple close family members in a quick temporal succession, usually starting with their children, spouse, and them themselves

Define Familicide

Murder of multiple family members

Most common form of mass murder in the US

Define Filicide

Murder of the oldest child

Second most common form

Who is this man and what did he embark on?

Ronald Defeo Jr

House of Horrors

Family Annihilator

Murdered father, mother, two brothers, and two sisters in Amityville, New York.

He was found guilty of six counts of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years to life.

DeFeo died in March 2021

Define Genocide

The deliberate killing or harming of a nationality, ethnicity, racial, or religious group with the intent to destroy

Where does the word Genocide come from?

Greek word

Genos = race/tribe

Cide = killing

Define Race

Classification of humans into populations or groups based on variations such as culture, language, social practice, and heritable characteristic

EX: African Americans, White/Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino

Define Ethnicity

Groups of people within a shared culture

Distinct language, values, religion, history or tradition

EX: Dutch, Italians, Greeks, Africans, Irish, Russians, French, Chinese etc

In terms of the present Convention from the United Nations, what are the four acts/criteria of genocide?

According to the United Nations, it could mean

• Causing serious bodily harm or mental harm to members of a group

• Inflicting pain on a group to bring out physical destruction in whole or in part

• Imposing measures intended to prevent births in a group

• Forcibly transferring children of a group to another group

Native Americans (Indigenous People). If they are called _____________ this is very wrong. 

Indians

What are some of the notable tribes that were in Alabama?

Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek (Muscogee), and Cherokee

Who was the 7^th president of the United States? (***HINT: He’s on the $20 bill). 

Andrew Jackson

Troubled legacy after owning slaves and his treatment toward Native Americans

Rumors he intentionally massacred Native American Women and Children at the Battle of Horseshoe bend and ate the bodied of the Native Americans killed in battle

Speaking of the 7^th president, he was noteworthy for the removal of Native Americans but also had the first tie-in to our “Kill Bill: Volume 1” lecture.

Andrew Jackson

Nearly assassinated on January 30, 1835, when an unemployed house painter aimed a pistol at him

Misfired and then pulled out a second piston, and also misfired

This was the very first assionation attempt on a sitting US President

What was The Trail of Tears?

The forced displacement of the 5 civilized Native American tribes (Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole) to Indian Territory modern-day Oklahoma

• An estimated 13,200-16,700 Native Americans died during the journey

• 60,000 forcibly removed from their land

What act was signed into law that emboldened this tragedy?

Indian Removal Act of 1830- authorized the federal government to remove Native Americans from their lands to the East of the Mississippi River and relocate to lands west of the river

The act is referred to as genocide or ethnic cleansing

Reasoning behind removal of native tribes from their land

• Economic opportunities sought by the US

• Discovery of gold near Dablonegea, GA (Georgia gold rush)

With respect to crimes on reservations, how is jurisdiction handled (i.e., does the tribe handle major or minor crimes)? 

Minor criminal offending falls under jurisdiction of the tribe

Felony offenses or the off-the-reservation criminal activity may be handled by the tribe, state, or federal government

Tribal courts can prosecute crime within the reservation, limiting sentencing power usually up to 3 years

Larger reservations may maintain their own jail and the accused may receive short incarceration sentences

Who handles murders on Native American reserves?

The FBI typically has primary jurisdiction to investigate especially for major crimes

Major Crimes Act

Gives federal authorities exclusive rights to prosecute murders committed by Native Americans on the reservation

Also applies when non-Native American are accused of killing a Native American on a reservation

Define Killers of the Flower Moon

Real-life murders of Osage Native Americans due to greed of white American men

EX: Oklahoma in the 1920s, many Osage people were systematically murdered after oil was discovered on their land

The most notorious Genocide in history ever

The Holocaust- The mass genocide of Jewish individuals from 1941 to 1945

Who was this baby and who did he grow up to be?

Adolph Hitler- dubbed the “embodiment of modern political evil”

Born April 20, 1889

Leader of the Nazi Party

Chancellor in 1933

Fuhrer or leader upon the death of German President Paul Von Hindenburg in 1934

Who were the Allied Powers?

U.S.A., Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and China

Who were the Axis Powers?

Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Japan

Holocaust meaning in Greek?

Burnt Offering

In terms of the sheer volume of Jews who were exterminated, how many and what percentage of the entire European population.

6 million or approximately 2/3 of the European Jewish Population

Define Concentration Camp 

A place were a large number of people were deliberately imprisoned in a small area sometimes with the intention to provide forced labor while awaiting mass execution

One camp that started with an “A” was arguably the most horrific.

Auschwitz