The Stranger You Know: Analyzing Offender Behaviors in Sexual Homicides Based on Crime Location

• In Event: Murder Investigations: Locations, Bodies, Scripts, and Arrests

Abstract

This study looks at what factors help predict whether the offender in a sexual homicide was a stranger or known to the victim based on whether the crime happened indoors or outdoors. Understanding how crime location relates to the victim-offender relationship is important for homicide investigations, especially as cases involving strangers and outdoor crimes are often harder to solve. Using logistic regression analysis, we examined 508 solved cases of sexual homicide involving adult victims aged 16 to 65 years. The analysis focuses on three phases of the crime process: pre-crime (victim activities and offender approach); crime (weapons and violence); and post-crime (body management). We present our findings, discuss the practical implications, and outlines opportunities for future research.

Authors

• Zena Rossouw, Texas State University

• Eric Beauregard, Simon Fraser University

• Julien Chopin, University of Lausanne