How Can a New Typology of Sexual-Homicide Offenders Help Forensic and Investigative Teams Detect Nonserial Offenders’ Potential for Seriality?

• In Event: A Typological Approach to Sexual Homicide: Criminal Opportunities, Escalation, and Persistence

Abstract

Various researchers established a portrait of the different profiles found among individuals committing a single sexual homicide (i.e. nonserial), profiles namely characterized by a differential psychopathology (Higgs et al., 2017; James et al., 2019; Proulx et al., 2007). However, to our knowledge, there is a lack of scientific endeavour towards the detection of the potential for seriality among nonserial sexual-homicide offenders’ profiles. The aim of this study was to detect nonserial sexual-homicide offenders whose profile indicates a potential to become serial sexual-homicide offenders. To this end, we developed two sexual-homicide offenders’ typologies, one for the nonserials (n = 87) and one for the serials (n = 33), based on the degree of premeditation, primary motivation, and type of violence, by performing two Two-Step Cluster Analysis. Six types were identified: four nonserials (sexual nonsadistic, sadistic, angry, sexual opportunistic), and two serials (severe sadistic, psychopathic). These analyses indicated a perfect match between the sadistic and the severe sadistic. Identifying concordances between nonserials and serials’ profiles is relevant for the early identification of offenders presenting an increased recidivism risk. The six types were also compared (Chi-Square, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-WhitneyU) on modus operandi characteristics. Results and their implications will be further discussed during the presentation.

Authors

• Kelly-Ann Oligny, Université de Montréal

• Alexandre Gauthier, Université de Montréal

• Ingrid Ménard, Université de Montréal

• Jonathan James, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières