Characteristics Of Homicides Research Articles

Characteristics of elderly and other vulnerable adult victims of homicide by a care giver: National Violent Death Reporting System – 17 US States, 2003–2007

Homicides of dependent elderly adults by their caregivers violate trust and have long term consequences for families. Understanding the characteristics of homicide by caregivers may provide insights for informing prevention...

Mental illness, gender and homicide: A population-based descriptive study

In England and Wales, a lifetime history of mental disorder is recorded in almost a third of homicides but mental illness as a defence in homicide cases has recently come under review. In this study, we aimed to compare the social, criminological and clinical characteristics of women and men convicted of homicide and secondly, to understand how pathways through the judicial system differ by gender of the perpetrator, characteristics of the offence and mental illness. A cross sectional study of 4572 convicted homicide perpetrators in England and Wales 1997–2004 was performed. Significantly more women who had committed homicide had a lifetime history of mental illness and were more likely to be mentally ill at the time of offence compared to men. Women more often received non-custodial sentences, whether or not they had mental illness. If the victim were a child or other relative, the courts were more lenient with women. Gender and the presence of mental illness both influence the characteristics of homicide and outcome of the legal process in the UK. Our findings suggest that all perpetrators of homicide should have a psychiatric assessment pre-trial. Psychiatrists need to rate risk objectively in a gender blind way when providing psychiatric reports to be used as evidence in court.

Quantifying the ‘Worst of the Worst’: Victim, Offender and Crime Characteristics Contributing to ‘Heinous, Atrocious, or Cruel’ Findings in Alabama

This study focuses on capital sentencing in Alabama. Specifically, it will attempt to identify characteristics of homicides that distinguish cases with “heinous, atrocious, and cruel” (HAC) findings from those homicides that do not have this finding. Critics of HAC assert that it lacks a clear statutory definition, and is, as a result, particularly vulnerable to being applied inconsistently. HAC is found in approximately forty percent of the cases in which an individual is sentenced to death in Alabama and is one of the most highly litigated aggravating circumstances across the country.In order to examine how Alabama trial courts have been applying the HAC aggravating circumstance this study gathered data from all 414 individuals sentenced to death in Alabama from 1976 to 2008. Information was collected about procedural aspects of the cases, perpetrator and victim characteristics, and characteristics of the homicide. I examined the relationship between HAC findings and various crime characteristics using a logistic regression model. Even though the results of this analysis indicated that some case characteristics may be statistically relevant in predicting whether a particular case will result in a HAC finding, this study’s overall quantitative and qualitative examination was unable to identify a unifying set of characteristics that categorically distinguish the cases in which HAC is found from those where it is not. Because of these results, it appears that Alabama’s construction of HAC does not result in a consistent application of this aggravating circumstance.

Homicide-Suicides in the United States: A Review of the Literature

Homicide–suicides are phenomena where the perpetrator kills one or more victims and subsequently kills himself/herself. The typical classification includes intimate partner homicide–suicides, familial, and extrafamilial homicide–suicides. This review examines research beginning with a 1992 seminal article by Peter Marzuk, Kenneth Tardiff, and Charles Hirsch in the Journal of the American Medical Association in which they suggested that homicide–suicides constituted a distinct domain different from homicides to suicides. This review uses the JAMA article to frame the issues and discuss homicide–suicide research in the United States from the date of that publication. In addition to discussing characteristics of homicide–suicides, this review focuses on homicide–suicides involving intimate partners and compares both to homicides without subsequent suicides and suicides without prior homicides. Suggestions for further research are given as well as research problems available to Sociology.

Characteristics of sex-related homicides in Alaska

The identification and interpretation of anogenital findings postmortem is a critical component of a sex-related homicide investigation. The use of a colposcope to assist in identifying anogenital injuries in living sexual assault victims is well established. The use of a colposcope for postmortem anogenital examination has been briefly mentioned in a few publications, however, no studies were found regarding the types and sites of postmortem anogenital injuries identified with a colposcope in sex-related homicide cases. The purpose of this study was to describe the demographic, physical examination, and victim-suspect relationship characteristics of sex-related homicides in Alaska. Genital findings in living and deceased sexual assault victims in Alaska were compared. Given the results of this study, postmortem sexual assault examinations should be conducted in all suspected intimate partner homicides. Further implications for forensic nursing practice and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Characteristics of Elderly and Other Vulnerable Adult Victims of Homicide by a Caregiver: National Violent Death Reporting System—17 U.S. States, 2003-2007

Homicides of dependent elderly and nonelderly adults by their caregivers violate trust and have long-term consequences for families. A better understanding of the characteristics of homicide by caregivers may provide insights that can inform prevention efforts. Data collected in the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) between 2003 and 2007 are used to characterize victims, perpetrators, and caregiver roles, and circumstances that precipitated homicides by a caregiver. A total 68 incidents are categorized into either homicide by neglect ( n = 17), intentional injury of the victim only (n = 21), or homicide followed by suicide of the perpetrator (n = 30). Demographics, mechanism of injury, location of injury, and victim-suspect relationship variables are supplemented by narrative accounts of incidents. In general, findings show that adult homicide victims of a caregiver were widowed (42.6%), non-Hispanic (97.1%), White (88.2%), women (63.2%) killed in their homes (92.6%) with a firearm (35.3%) or by intentional neglect (25.0%) by a husband (30.9%) or a son (22.1%). Nearly half were aged 80 years and older (48.5%), 42.6% were aged 50 to 79 years, and 0.9% were aged 20 to 49 years. Many homicide by caregiver incidents are precipitated by physical illness of the victim or caregiver, opportunity for perpetrator financial gain, mental illness of the caregiver, substance use by the caregiver, or an impending crisis in the life of the caregiver not related to illness. Understanding the vulnerabilities of victims, the characteristics of suspects, and the multiple types of motivations is key to developing effective prevention efforts.

Sociodemographic and Offence-related characteristics of Homicide Offenders in a Nigerian prison

Background: Research on the sociodemographic, historical and forensic characteristics of homicide continue to attract the attention of mental health professionals in developing countries owing to the ongoing debate on the relationship between homicide offences and the presence of mental illness in perpetrators. This attention is partly due to the potential of these variables to be risk factors for homicide offences. There is a need to update available information in Nigeria. Aim: The study was carried out to evaluate socio-demographic and certain homicide- related characteristics of homicide defendants and to determine the relationship between socio-demographic variables and charge of homicide. Method: A questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic and homiciderelated items were administered on 66 homicide defendants at Ilesa prison, Nigeria. The socio-demographic questionaires were also administered on 66 other prisoners, as control. Results: The homicide offenders consisted of 63 (95.5%) males and 3 (4.5%) females. Most of them (78.8%) were less than 40years old. Most of the victims (72.7%) were males. In 81.8% of cases, the victims were known to the defendants. The commonest method of homicide was the use of sharp objects (27.3%) followed by the use of firearms (21.2%). Marital status, level of education and type of religion were not observed to be statistically different between the two groups. Even though, most respondents belong to less skilled occupational groups, the homicide defendants were significantly more represented in these groups and they were significantly more unemployed. Conclusion: The observations indicate that some level of restriction needs to be imposed on acquisition of dane-guns and call for concerted effort to tackle the interrelated problems of unemployment, poverty, and idleness in the society.

Localized Homicide Patterns and Prevention Strategies: A Comparison of Five Project Safe Neighborhood Sites

Research has produced a wealth of knowledge on the victims, offenders, and circumstances of homicide incidents. This research, however, is seldom tied to community-based homicide prevention initiatives. This article compares patterns of homicide across five Project Safe Neighborhood sites and presents an example of how homicide characteristics in local communities can be tied to specific local prevention strategies. Finally, the article concludes with a discussion of how homicide research can provide the first step in developing community-based, data-driven violence prevention programs.

To Know the Unknown: The Decline in Homicide Clearance Rates, 1980—2000

Against the backdrop of the precipitous decline in urban homicide clearance over the past several decades, this study examines factors that may be linked to within-city, over-time variation in homicide clearance rates from 1980 to 2000. Conceptual arguments focusing on case-level characteristics of homicides as well as the broader macrosocial context are delineated and empirically tested. Results from a fixed-effects regression analysis reveal that changes in clearance rates are linked to changes in the situational characteristics of murder incidents such as the percentage of cases involving strangers, firearms, other felonies, and arguments. In addition, within-city changes in immigration are found to be associated with lower clearance rates, whereas drug market arrests are associated with higher clearance rates. Contrary to politically popular assertions, clearance rates do not appear to be a function of changes in police personnel or workload.

Stability and Change in Homicide Victim, Offender, and Event Characteristics in Chicago, 1900 and 2000

This study took advantage of unique historical data to explore change and stability in homicide victim, offender, and event characteristics in Chicago between two time periods, 1898-1902 and 1998-2002. Data on Chicago homicides from 1898 to 1902 were extracted from the Chicago Police Department Homicide Record Index (compiled by the Chicago Historical Homicide Project), and data from 1998 to 2002 were taken from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Supplementary Homicide Report. Odds ratios were employed to compare homicide characteristics between time periods to examine change and stability on victim (sex, race, age), offender (sex, race), and event (type of weapon, victim—offender relationship, circumstance) characteristics. The results showed significant (a) increases in the proportion of victims who were Black and aged 15-29, the proportion of offenders who were female and Black, and the proportion of family, gun, and profit-motivated homicides and (b) decreases in stranger and argument-related homicides and in the proportion of victims who were female. This study contextualizes these results by discussing how demographic, structural, and cultural changes in Chicago over the course of the 20th century might have influenced stability and change in these characteristics.

Homicide of strangers by people with a psychotic illness.

The homicide of strangers by people with psychosis, referred to here as "stranger homicides," are rare and tragic events that generate adverse publicity for mental health services and have resulted in significant changes in mental health policy and law. To estimate the incidence of stranger homicides, using data from previously published studies, and to compare the characteristics of psychotic offenders who killed strangers with the characteristics of those who killed a close relative. Meta-analysis of the population-based studies of homicide by persons suffering from a psychosis in which the number of subjects who killed strangers was also reported. Characteristics of stranger homicide and family homicide offenders were examined in a multicenter case-control study of homicide during psychotic illness in four high-income countries. A pooled estimate of 1 stranger homicide per 14.3 million people per year (95% confidence interval, 1 in 18.9 million to 1 in 11.5 million people per year) was calculated by meta-analysis of 7 studies. The characteristics of the 42 stranger homicide offenders from New South Wales [NSW], Quebec and Eastern Ontario, Finland, and the Netherlands were identified. Twenty seven (64%) of these had never previously received treatment with antipsychotic medication. The stranger homicide offenders were more likely to be homeless, have exhibited antisocial conduct, and had fewer negative symptoms than those who killed family members. The victims of stranger homicide were mostly adult males and the homicides rarely occurred in the victim's home or workplace. Stranger homicide in psychosis is extremely rare and is even rarer for a patient who has received treatment with antipsychotic medication. A lack of distinguishing characteristics of stranger homicide offenders and an extremely low base rate of stranger-homicide suggests that risk assessment of patients known to have a psychotic illness will be of little assistance in the prevention of stranger homicides.

Characteristics of Infant Homicides: Findings From a U.S. Multisite Reporting System

The purpose of this study was to describe homicides of infants (children <2 years of age) in the U.S. Cases were derived from the National Violent Injury Statistics System; 71 incidents involving 72 infant homicides were in the data set. Type 1 involved beating/shaking injuries inflicted by a caretaker; type 2 involved all other homicides (including neonaticide, intimate partner problem-related homicide, crime-related death, and other types). Seventy-five percent of the incidents were type 1 incidents, perpetrated mainly by men (83%; typically the infant's father or the boyfriend of the infant's mother). In 85% of the type 1 incidents, the infant was transported to the hospital, usually at the initiative of the perpetrator or another household member. In almost one half of the type 1 incidents, a false story was offered initially to explain the injuries. In contrast, the type 2 incidents (16 cases) were perpetrated mainly by women (11 of 16 cases) and involved methods such as poisoning, drowning, sharp instruments, or withdrawal of food and water; most infants were not taken to the hospital. Although 93% of incidents were perpetrated by caretakers, the large differences between the 2 incident types suggest different avenues for prevention. The circumstances involved in the type 1 homicides (beatings by caretakers) suggested that those attacks occurred impulsively, death was unintended, and emergency care was summoned, often with a false story. Previous abuse was suspected in more than one half of those incidents.

Partners in Crime

Little is known about the characteristics of homicides committed by more than one perpetrator. This study examined the crime, victim, and perpetrator characteristics of individual homicides ( n = 84) versus multi-perpetrator homicides ( n = 40), according to official file information from two Canadian federal penitentiaries. Compared to multiple perpetrators, individual perpetrators were more likely to be older and to target female victims, and their homicides were more likely to contain reactive, sexual, and sadistic elements. Multi-perpetrator homicides tended to involve younger offenders, male victims, and instrumental motives. Psychopathic offenders were likely to act alone in committing sexual homicides and to involve an accomplice in other types of murders, but they typically committed gratuitous violence against women regardless of whether they acted alone or with a co-perpetrator. The findings indicate that individual and multi-perpetrator homicides have distinctive dynamics and can be differentiated during investigations.

Methods of homicide in England and Wales: a comparison by diagnostic group

Background: International literature has examined the offence characteristics of homicide in the general population, but there has been limited research investigating diagnostic differences between perpetrators who commit homicide by differing methods. Objective: To investigate the methods of homicide by people with different psychiatric diagnoses and to explore the offence characteristics of perpetrators with schizophrenia, in a seven-year (1997–2003) national sample of homicide perpetrators in England and Wales. Results: Of the 3930 homicide perpetrators identified, over a third (36%) used a sharp instrument. The use of firearms was rare. Methods of homicide differed significantly between diagnostic groups. Perpetrators with schizophrenia were more likely to use a sharp instrument and predominantly killed a family member or spouse in the home; a significant majority were mentally ill at the time of the offence. Perpetrators diagnosed with affective disorder were more likely to use strangulation or suffocation. Alcohol dependent perpetrators used hitting or kicking significantly more often, primarily to kill acquaintances. Finally, drug dependent perpetrators were more likely to use non-violent methods, particularly poisoning. Conclusion: Methods of homicide are affected not only by the social and behavioural characteristics of the perpetrator and victim, but also by the perpetrator's psychiatric history and diagnosis.

Contemporary Homicide Risks among Women of Reproductive Age

Homicide is a leading cause of death among women of reproductive age. However, little is known about how risk for homicide differs among women from different racial and ethnic groups. The purpose of this study was to identify the risk of homicide mortality among Hispanic, Black and White females of reproductive age in the United States, and to describe differences between these groups. A secondary data analysis of deaths certificates collected in the United States from 1999 to 2002 was conducted using descriptive statistics, chi(2) analysis, and logistic regressions. When controlled for education level, marital status, and year, the adjusted odds ratio for homicide mortality among Hispanics (2.6) and Blacks (2.1) were significantly greater than for Whites (1.0). Victim and homicide characteristics also differed across these groups. Minority women are disproportionately at risk for homicide mortality. Homicide prevention programs and policies need to be developed to target the specific risks and unique characteristics of high risk groups in the United States.

Child homicide in New South Wales from 1991 to 2005

To examine the circumstances of homicides of children in New South Wales from 1991 to 2005. Retrospective analysis of all identified child homicides in NSW from 1991 to 2005, based on data on offenders and victims obtained from crime statistics, documents located by systematic searches of legal databases and media reports, and medicolegal reports of offenders who committed child homicides during psychotic illness. Demographic characteristics of homicides and a history of prior psychiatric treatment among offenders with psychosis. We located documents describing 165 homicides by 157 offenders. Fifty-nine deaths were a consequence of child abuse, including those of five children who died from methadone overdoses. Both the offenders and the victims in fatal child abuse were significantly younger than in other forms of child homicide. The courts found that 27 child homicides had been committed by 26 offenders during the acute phase of psychotic illness, and 15 of these offenders had never been treated with antipsychotic medication. Earlier identification and treatment of psychotic illness in mothers, and changes in the way methadone is provided to opiate-dependent parents, might result in a small overall reduction in the number of child deaths. More lives could be saved by measures that reduce the incidence of child abuse, including the prohibition of corporal punishment of children.

Homicide Arrest Clearances: A Review of the Literature

AbstractThis is a review of the research literature on homicide arrest clearances or homicides for which no offender is arrested. The article describes the decline in the percent of homicides resulting in arrests and charges from over 90 pecent in 1960 to 61 percent in 2006. Research is reviewed on the reasons for the lack of public attention and concern and the low homicide clearance rates in the USA in comparison with other countries. Research on the extent to which homicides are uncleared because they involve low‐status persons and those economically disadvantaged is compared with research suggesting that it is the characteristics of the homicide event that make clearance difficult. It seems that such factors as age, gender, and race/ethnicity play a role in whether the homicide is cleared by arrest. Characteristics of homicides that increase clearances include occurrence in private residences, domestic homicides, and homicide with weapons other than firearms. Research on what police can do to increase clearances is examined. Suggestions on how to increase access to information on how homicide investigations are carried out are also discussed.

Hot vs. Cold Cases: Examining Time to Clearance for Homicides Using NIBRS Data

Very little attention has been devoted to studying factors associated with how quickly murders are cleared. This dearth of knowledge is mainly due to a lack of available data, especially at the national level. Currently the Uniform Crime Reporting Program is undergoing a large-scale conversion from its traditional summary system form of data collection to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). One benefit of NIBRS is that it enables law enforcement agencies to report incident-level clearance information, including the incident and clearance dates. The present study utilizes NIBRS data to compare characteristics of homicides that are cleared quickly with those cleared over a longer period of time and those that are not cleared. Findings from this exploratory study confirm the conventional belief that murders are cleared quickly if at all, as a large drop in the percentage of cleared cases is observed one week after a murder occurs. The present research also suggests that incident characteristics play a dynamic role in predicting not only whether a murder is cleared, but how quickly. These findings provide new insights for studying clearance and suggest policy implications.

Do Characteristics of Parental Child Homicide in Sweden Fit Evolutionary Predictions?

AbstractEvolutionary models have been used to explain parental child homicide. One idea is that children with low fitness value to their parents will be less loved and cared for and therefore more at risk in conflict situations. It is then important to investigate if conflicts with the children are the major pattern in cases of parental child homicide. The aim of this study is to survey the background circumstances of parental child homicide in Sweden and relate them to the evolutionary model suggested. We more specifically investigate if the homicides occur in conflict situations with the child, the frequency of several victims (including the partner or former partner) and if there are differences in characteristics of homicides between stepparents and genetic parents. Our results show that parental child homicide is a heterogeneous phenomenon, where relatively few cases were the result of a conflict with the child‐victims. Instead severe conflicts between parents were the most common circumstance in which children were killed. Many children were victims of an extended suicide, which often included several members of the family. Step‐parents were more likely to kill children aggressively in conflicts with them than genetic parents. The complexity of the phenomenon suggests that an evolutionary model based upon a mechanism related to conflicts with the child‐victim has limited explanatory value on parental child homicide in general.

An Exploratory Analysis of German and U.S. Youthful Homicide Offending

German and U.S. incident-level homicide files are extracted from the Freiburg Cohort Study and Houston, Texas, respectively, to compare characteristics of criminal homicide perpetrated by persons ages 14 to 30 years between the mid-1980s and 2001. Findings indicate that many of the characteristics of offenders, victims, their relationships to one another, and methods of killing are not culture specific, particularly for female offenders. However, despite a substantial difference between the two areas in overall homicide levels, the offending rates for this 14- to 30-year-old group are 5 to 6 times the overall national rates in each country. Findings further indicate that peak ages for homicide offending by males are 2 to 5 years older for German nationals and immigrants than for specific racial and/or ethnic subgroups of U.S. offenders. Support is found in both countries for the concept of an aging out of crime in the case of homicide.