How Sexual Murderers Checkmate the Investigation

• In Event: Poster Session II

Abstract

When a sexual homicide occurs, the top priority is to deploy all means available in order to identify quickly the perpetrator, and stop him from committing another sexual homicide. However, some investigations take longer than others to be solve. It has been suggested that beyond the murderer’s individual characteristics, the delay between the homicide and the apprehension of the offender can increase the probability that he commits another homicide (DeLisi, 2014).
The objectives of our study were twofold: 1) identify factors (modus operandi, criminal investigation) associated with the length of the criminal investigation, and 2) determine if these factors had an influence on sexual murderers’ seriality. Information on the modus operandi of 47 sexual murderers (serial sexual murderers = 10, nonserial sexual murderers = 37) having committed a total of 62 homicides were analyzed (sequential negative binomial regressions, sequential logistic regressions). Precrime, crime, and postcrime factors, and criminal investigation characteristics were analyzed in order to consider dimensions which could influence seriality.
Results suggest that choices made by both sexual murderers and criminal investigators can: 1) influence the length of criminal investigation, and 2) influence the seriality of sexual murderers. The forensic and theoretical implications of these results will be discussed.

Authors

• Jonathan James, University of Montreal

• Eric Beauregard, Simon Fraser University

• Jean Proulx, University of Montreal