An Exploratory Inquiry into Homicide Survivors’ Talk of Murder Investigations

• In Event: Police Perceptions, Stressors and Victim Experiences in Criminal Justice Procedures

Abstract

Much of the research with friends and family members of homicide victims focuses on issues related to closure (Madeira, 2010 ), coping (Johnson & Armour, 2016), and needs (Mastrocinque, Metzger, Madeira, Lang, Pruss, Navratil, Sandys, & Cerulli, 2014). Research rarely examines how friends and family members view the government professionals responsible for the investigation and prosecution of their loved one’s case (cf. Metzger, Mastrocinque, Navratil, & Cerulli, 2015). This paper begins to fill that gap by presenting findings based on the Indiana component of a larger multisite project focused on the consequences of homicide on families and friends (Mastrocinque, et al. 2014). Figuring prominently in the Indiana survivors’ accounts is talk of the government professionals encountered during the investigation and adjudication of their loved ones’ cases, for example, representatives from the coroner’s office, police investigators, and prosecutors. The multisite, national sample will contribute additional data to this study at a later time thereby allowing us to determine whether similar patterns emerge in other jurisdictions. The implications of the findings for both future research and policy considerations are discussed.

Authors

• Joshua T. Ellsworth, Indiana University

• Marla Sandys, Indiana University Bloomington

• Jeanna M. Mastrocinque, Rowan University

• Heather Pruss, Bellarmine University