Table 1.
Crime scene evaluations |
The victim’s morning routine, while structured and regular, did not involve a consistent pattern of leaving her residence. As such, a perpetrator would not know whether she would walk down the stairs or catch the elevator. That nature of the crime therefore indicates a blitz attack, with the crime indicating that the offender did not have a pre-determined plan to kill the victim, as indicated by strangulation with her bag strap. Further, while it may have been due to timing that the perpetrator was not recognised in the building, it must be considered that the perpetrator was able to access the building and not appear out of place. The behaviours of the perpetrator indicate both sexual and violent motivations, with both patterns of behaviour evident. Significant violence was used in committing the crime, including mutilation of the body post-mortem. The offender was sexually aroused at the crime scene and able to ejaculate to a mutilated and bloodied female body, indicating that sexual excitement was obtained from the murder. There are a range of differential diagnoses or explanations to account for this sexualised violence, ranging from sexual arousal towards the victim, through to paraphilic conditions such as sexual sadism or haematophilia (sexual fetish for blood). The perpetrator made no attempt to cover his DNA (e.g. semen and faeces). The role of defecating at the crime scene remains unclear, whether this was linked to fantasy, anxiety or other motives. The post-mortem behaviour by the offender, while partially a possible attempt to stage the crime scene, also involved targeted mutilation of breast and genital areas. This is considered to be an action above and beyond the need of a sexual crime, indicating excessive fixation and emotional disturbance. |
Relevancy of research |
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Investigative or clinical opinion |
This area may depend on the investigators or experts involved in the case, topics may include:
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Methods of investigation |
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Evaluation |
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