A Crime Scene Approach to Distinguishing Sexual Murderers

• In Event: Posters II

Abstract

Previous studies have typically identified two main types of sexual murderers: the angry and sadistic. Similar to the organized murderer of the FBI, the sadistic sexual murderer has often been described as likely to inflict mutilation on the victim, use restraints during the crime, humiliate the victim, and force anal sex on the victim. These crime scene characteristics are also found in several of the sadism scales developed to measure sadism in sex offenders. Therefore, the aim of the study is to compare offender and crime characteristics for sexual murderers who have committed these four behaviours associated to sexual sadism. Based on a sample of 85 Canadian sexual murderers, the study uses a series of logistic regression models to identify the potential differences between sexual murderers who adopted such “sadistic” behaviours and those who do not. Findings for example show sexual murderers who have inflicted mutilation on the victim are more likely to pre-select, choose victims with distinctive features and have post-mortem sex. Findings will be discussed in light of the literature on sexual sadism as well as the implications for the investigation of these crimes.

Authors

• Sonja Elizabeth Edwards, Simon Fraser University

• Eric Beauregard, Simon Fraser University