Factors influencing the use of forensic awareness strategies in sexual homicide

Body dismemberment in sexual homicide cases: lust murder or rational decision?

“…Body recovery and forensic awareness strategies. Several studies suggested that SHOs could be forensically aware and could use criminal dismemberment as a strategy to try to avoid police detection Chai et al, 2020;Chopin et al, 2020;Dogan et al, 2010;Holmes, 2017;Petreca et al, 2020;Püschel & Koops, 1987;Ziemke, 1918). To test the association between criminal dismemberment and the offenders' ability to avoid police detection, we used a total of seven variables describing the postcrime phase.…”

“…Second, the dismemberment of specific parts of the victim's body -also known as selective dismemberment -may be motivated by the perpetrator's intention to conceal the identity of the victim (Dogan et al, 2010;Häkkänen-Nyholm et al, 2009;Holmes, 2017). This behavior has been associated with offenders presenting prior criminal experience (see Canter & Allison, 1999;Holmes, 2010) as their contact with the criminal justice system educated them to evidentiary procedures (Chopin et al, 2020).…”

Juvenile Sexual Murderers: Examination and Classification of the Crime‐Commission Process

“…Previous studies have not tested the ability of juvenile SHOs to avoid police detection. Nonetheless, several studies suggested that SHOs may take precautions to avoid police detection (36–38). In order to test this specific aspect of the crime‐commission process, we used a total of four variables describing the body recovery characteristics and the forensic awareness strategies used by SHOs: (i) body moved from the crime location, (ii) body concealed, (iii) offender protected his identity (e.g., offender used a condom and offender wore gloves), and (iv) offender destroyed evidence (e.g., offender set fire to scene, offender washed victim’s body, offender cleared crime scene, and offender planted evidence).…”

Lethal outcome in elderly sexual violence: Escalation or different intent?

“…Nonetheless, several studies suggested that SHOs may take precautions to avoid police detection (36)(37)(38). In order to test this specific aspect of the crime-commission process, we used a total of four variables describing the body recovery characteristics and the forensic awareness strategies used by SHOs: 1) body moved from the crime location, 2) body concealed, 3) offender protected his identity (e.g., offender used a condom, offender wore gloves, etc.…”