INVESTIGATIVE PSYCHOLOGY:Crime Scene Investigation, Staging

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Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Lesson 07

INVESTIGATIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Objectives:

To understand the Clinical and Statistical approaches of investigation

To understand the different types of crime scenes

To understand the phenomenon of psychological autopsy

To understand the limits of profiling and psychological autopsy

Media Hype vs. Reality

Media presents a large number of films based on successful profiling, like "Silence of the Lambs and

Hannibal" e.t.c. Are they accurate depictions of forensic psychology? Perhaps the answer is no.

Forensic psychologists are not able to become psychically linked with a meticulous killer and visualize

their next move as the heroes in the movies or on television seem to do. So, infact there are more misses

than

hits

and

success

rate

not

higher

than

chance

orensic psychology is a discipline based on the scientific practice of psychology. And on the same time

has several imitations as a science. So, while forensic psychologists get the "cool" jobs, they are far

from the situations often pictured and have not many career opportunities in this area, though recently

some increased.

Crime Scene Investigation

Crime scenes typology

Crime scenes can be divided into following three categories

1. Organized

2. Disorganized

3. Mixed

1. Organized Crime Scenes

The criminal shows planning, forethought and an exertion to avoid detection. The individual knows

well, what he is doing and takes every possible step to avoid leaving incriminating evidence police

could use to catch him. So, considerable precautions are made to prevent arrest or identification.

Offender maintains control of himself and the victim. One other very important characteristic of

organized crime scene is that victim is selected rather than being random.

Characteristics of Organized Crime Scenes

1. Planned offense

2. Transports body

3. Body hidden

4. Controlled conversation

5. Demands submissive victim

6. Missing weapon or evidence

7. Victim is a targeted stranger

8. Personalizes victim

9. Crime scene reflects control

10. Restraints used

11. Aggressive acts done before death

2. Disorganized Crime Scenes

The criminal shows no planning or premeditation. Motive of the crime is impulse, rage or some other

intense emotional state. Spontaneous actions and turbulent assaults results in chaotic crime scene.

Victim selected at random and crime scene is usually where the encounter took place. So, Victim is

often by chance like is at the wrong place at the wrong time. Usually, the offender uses materials at

hand. Hurried or blitz-style attack, and crime scene is disarrayed.

Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Characteristics of Disorganized Crime Scenes

1. Body left at death scene

2. Spontaneous offense

3. Evidence or weapon present at scene

4. Victim or location known

5. Body left in view

6. Depersonalizes victim

8. Minimal conversation

10. Crime scene is sloppy

11. Sudden violence to victim

3. Mixed Crime Scene

Mixed crime scene show characteristics from both the organized and disorganized crime scenes. Can

indicate the presence of two offenders, or that the offender planned the crime and was interrupted during

the act. Both organized and disorganized features are present like a crime was carefully planned but

later deteriorated into a disorganized crime when things failed to go as originally planned by some one's

interruption or strong emotions took over. e.g. at the scene of a planned robbery, un planned murder of

resistant.

Reality is Not So Neat

According to Kocsis, Cooksey & Irwin (2002) suggested that organized-disorganized typology has

limited usefulness. Reality of crime scenes is not so neat and distinguishing organized and disorganized

crime is not as easy as it appears to be and crime scenes exist along a continuum with perfectly

organized at one extreme and absolutely chaotic on the other.

Trophy Taking

The violent, repetitive offender often exhibits another element of criminal behavior during the crime

known as "The trophy taking" .This criminal conduct is a unique and integral part of the offender's

behavior and goes beyond the actions needed to commit the crime. A crime scene trophy is a

meaningful souvenir taken by the offender to remember the incident, to psychologically control the

victim or both. Piece of clothing, a photograph, a piece of jewelry, even a body part of a murdered body

is taken by the offender some time as a signature and challenge "yes this is me catch me if you can".

Staging

To over shadow the reality, people stage the whole crime scene. Staging can be defined as the

purposeful alteration of the crime and crime scene by the offender in order to mislead authorities and

redirect the investigation. Staging is a conscious criminal action on the part of an offender to ruin an

investigation.

When a crime scene is staged the responsible person is not someone who just happens upon the victim.

It is almost always someone who had some kind of association or relationship with the victim. This

offender will further attempt to steer the investigation away from him by his conduct when in contact

with law enforcement. Motives of staging can be several like a family is interesting in getting the money

of insurance and the person who is insured has committed the suicide and the company has the policy to

detach the family from insurance money so, this leads the family to make a suicide look like a murder.

Sometimes family members are trying to protect a relative or the reputation of the family and murder is

made to look as suicide.

Red Flags

Offenders who stage crime scenes usually make mistakes because they arrange the scene to resemble

what they believe it should look like. In doing so, offenders experience a great deal of stress and do not

have the time to fit all the pieces together logically and reasonably. As a result, inconsistencies and

clues in forensic findings are found in the overall "big picture" of the crime scene. These inconsistencies

can serve as the "red flags" of staging, which serve to prevent investigations from becoming misguided.

Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Psychological Autopsy

Psychological Autopsy is the psychological reconstruction of the person and is also called:

Psychiatric autopsy

Retrospective death assessment

Reconstructive evaluation

Equivocal death analysis

The term refers to a specific method used for examining a person's life--specifically, the life of a dead

person. So, it is different from profiling in a sense that:

a) In Psychological Autopsy profile of a dead person is prepared

b) Identity is known

Psychological autopsy is a term first coined in 1977 by the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's Office to

investigate suicide cases (Shneidman 1977). Anthony Spellman and Barbara Heyne viewed that

"psychological autopsy is a timely adjunct to the suicide detection and prevention efforts emerging in

many jails. These efforts can only be enhanced by a thorough review of what went right or wrong for a

particular inmate. Conducted in a non threatening spirit of peer review, the psychological autopsy can

provide staff with closure and new knowledge which will allow them to proceed more effectively and

confidently in safeguarding other inmates"

This technique is generally more valid and reliable the more it remains focused on the manner and

circumstances of death, and does not try to generalize or be extended to non-death situations. The

elements involved in a psychological autopsy are as follows:

1. History :Alcohol and drug history, decedent's history of dealing with stress, medical history,

family medical history, recent stressors in the victim's life, military history, employment history,

educational history, sexual history, dietary history

2. Interpersonal relationships: writings by the deceased, books and music owned by the

deceased, web sites visited, phone calls made, recent conversations with friends, acquaintances,

relatives, co-workers, and teachers, interests and hobbies shared with others, old and current

enemies.

3. Reactions by any of the above parties to the victim's death: especially as to the degree of

lethality, as well as the usual questions about early warning signs and who might have intended

harm.

4. Assessment of intention about the role of the decedent in their own demise: including any

sub-intentional, covert, or unconscious role, this obtained by analyzing the pattern of how the

victim went about accomplishing their goals or life plans.

5. Socio emotional state of the victim: Fantasies, dreams, thoughts, premonitions, fears, or

phobias of the victim, socio-emotional mood swings, mental status exam, concentration and

judgment abilities, IQ.

Types of Deaths

Five generally accepted manners of deaths are:

1. Natural

2. Accident

3. Suicide

4. Homicide

5. Undetermined

Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Clarification of Equivocal Death Analysis

Equivocal death investigations are those inquiries that are open to two or more interpretation. There

may be two or more meanings and the case may present as either a homicide or a suicide depending

upon the circumstances. The facts are purposefully vague or misleading as in the case of a "staged

crime scene." Or, the death is doubtful and dubious and it is when the manner of death is open to

question. The deaths may resemble murders or suicides, accidents or naturals. Forensic psychologist's

role for solving equivocal cases is difficult and important at the same time.

Purpose of Equivocal Death analysis

The deaths that are open to questions usually have very vague and undetermined facts. So, to uncover

the reality, a forensic psychologist is suppose to encounter many difficulties and hurdles as there could

be various reasons of such equivocal deaths. In the US insurance is a big issue and commonly insurance

companies hire detectives and forensic psychologist to find the real reason of deaths of their clients.

Forensic psychologists make a number of reconstructions of that person to uncover the truth.

Reconstruction

Involves the use of scientific method, logical reasoning, sources of information on people, experience or

skill to interpret the events that surround the commission of a crime. Bevel & Gardner (2001) define it

as "determining the most probable sequence of events". Reconstruction begins when detectives

conduct a walk-through of a crime scene, imitating the events that may have happened in their minds.

They sometimes call it getting a "feel" for the crime scene, but the process is as much cognitive as

emotional. They are attempting to prove and disprove any sequence of events that may have happened.

Some argue it has been a part of detective work for a long time.

Forensic psychologists keep in view the multifactor like if death appears to be a suicide; assessment of

mental state of the person prior to death is done that whether person was under some stress to commit

the suicide or not.

Then psycho- social factors are being considered that can led to suicide like whether person had good

marital and familial relationships and was successful and financially strong. So, forensic psychologist

will piece the information together and try to look into the whole scenario.

Procedure of Equivocal Death Analysis

Psychologists garner information through:

· Conducting interviews with family members and people who knew the deceased

· Examination of personal documents (suicide notes, diaries and letters)

· Post mortem reports

· Medical reports

· Police reports

Us Military and Equivocal Death Analysis

Any death that happens on the military property or of military personnel equivocal death analysis is

done not for insurance but to make sure there was no foul play involved and to improve conditions.

Limits of profiling and psychological autopsy

Psychological autopsy is also statistical like profiling and due to the nature of psychology field, only

statistical approach or merely subjective and intuitive approach is not sufficient. As discussed earlier

there are two distinct limitations of profiling and psychological autopsies.

1. Individual differences

2. Unpredictability of human behavior

Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

1. Individual differences

With out individual differences there is no point, no interesting thing in our personality and society and

individual differences make life exciting and enjoyable. Life is not so simple even death. When we are

finding that who have stroke where and when we should keep in mind that we are all different no two

human beings are alike and our knowledge about human nature is very limited as human beings are the

most complex phenomenon. With all new technologies and advancements we still have very limited

awareness as Holy Quran Talks about our limited understanding:

Translation Ayatal- Kursi

Al-Baqara (254) Allah! There is no Allah but He―the living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber

can seize him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His

presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) Before or After or

Behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth

extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. For

He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory)

2. Unpredictability of human behavior

Human behavior is very undeterminable and unpredictable like if we take the instance of a person who

always had been indulged in criminal activities. And then suddenly seeks forgiveness for all his sins and

crimes and become "Fakir" and starts walking on the way of spiritualism. Now the statistics and science

is against that person and do not believe for any such thing but storing faith on humanity we all know,

yes this does happens. On the other hand a very good and apparently pious man commits a crime like

child molestation. So in such cases statistical and scientific approach can mislead. Caution is "never

leave the element of unpredictability"

While talking about the probability one other thing that is important is to discuss that social class

distinction leads to violation of lower class like if any where theft happens, usually it is assumed in our

culture that only servant can steal. But on the other hand, the thought is always neglected that servant

also knows that he/she is going to be the very first suspect? So Socio-economic status can also play very

important role for suspecting any one.

One major limitation of Clinical/subjective approach is that court does not believe on psychological

proves or intuitions and demands for some physical and strong clue. So, if statistical and clinical

approaches have limitations and no perfect scenario is available then why we need forensic

psychologists? How to over come these flaws? For forensic psychology to work effectively we need a

balance in both approaches. When you feel that these people are involved, although only instincts are

not equal to evidences but surely instincts can lead to evidences, your hunch is leading you towards the

evidence so, intuition is needed to be integrated with the statistical probabilities. Better idea is to start

with science and then make it artistic.

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