FOCUS Criminal Investigative Analysis in Sex-Related Homicide
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE ANALYSIS IN
By Vernon Geberth
he process of a crime scene investigation starts with some basics. What took place? Why did it occur? Who could have done it? The investigator then attempts to ascertain the “Modus Operandi” utilized in the offense and the “Signature” of the offender.
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Determining Motivation An extremely important aspect of homicide investigation is the determination of the motive for the killing. In the sex-related homi- cide, there are a number of possibilities to consider. These crimes include rape-murders, serial murders, killings involving acts of sexual perversion, and interpersonal violence scenarios. No one acts without motivation. The motivations may some-
times be revealed in the presentation of the body in the crime. The investigative challenge is to discover this perverse or seemingly irrational logic and then apply this information to the case. A careful search should always be conducted at the crime scene and within the surrounding area for evidence of sexual activity. This includes the presence of sexual assault activity as well as substitute and paraphilic behaviors. Pornographic books, videos, magazines, and/or photographs may be found at the crime scene. The photographs may depict the victim involved in sexual activ- ity. Writings or messages may be left by the offender at the crime scene and/or upon the body of the deceased.
Human behavior, although unpredictable, is often repetitive.
Research has indicated that certain actions engaged in at the homi- cide crime scene by certain types of personalities will be repeated in other homicide investigations. The homicide detective who has enhanced his experience with a comprehension of the psychody- namics of human behavior will be able to develop a base of knowl- edge that can be applied to the review of similar cases.
28 LAW and ORDER I June 2015
The reason and motivation for the crime are an extremely im- portant consideration in establishing the investigative direction. Was the murder the result of a lover’s quarrel? Is the case attrib- uted to interpersonal violence? Does it appear the victim was killed during a rape or sodomy attempt? Is the killing sexually oriented? Is there a psychotic motive, which sometimes appears to be motiveless or bizarre? Is the homicide the work of a sexual psy- chopath, with sadistic or impulsive implications? Was the body sexually posed? What does this suggest? Each of these scenarios suggests a specifi c course of action.
However, in sex-related homicide investigations, the motiva- tion behind the killing may not be immediately ascertained. Even when you do believe you have determined the motive, my experi- ence suggests exercising caution.
Motivation in Cases Involving Sexual Posing
Crime scene staging and sexual posing and/or positioning of a body in a crime scene are recognized homicide investigation phenomena and may provide the reason for the murder. Was the staging done to satisfy some psychological need? Was the staging a result of anger or retaliation? Was the staging done to evade detection? How frequent these motivations are seen in staged or other homicides, or how often staging actually occurs, are not typically recorded in justice system data. In a survey on this phenomenon, the author had access to 185 cases of sexual posing in homicides. These 185 cases represented slightly less than 1 percent of all of the homicides in the database. Examination of these cases revealed the offender’s motivation could be sorted into Three Categories. Fantasy-driven behavior was the most common motivation. The posing was done to satisfy a perverse sexual fantasy. Sexual sadists rely heavily on fantasy and ritual to obtain sexual satisfac- tion. The sexual manipulation of the victim’s body including pos- ing, propping, sexual mutilation, defeminization and evisceration are examples of fantasy-driven behavior.
Anger or retaliation was the second most common motivation in
SEX-RELATED HOMICIDE THE APPLICATION OF MODUS OPERANDI AND SIGNATURE
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