Citation

Petreca VG, Burgess AW, Stone MH, Brucato G. J. Forensic Sci. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Dr, New York, 10032, NY, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1556-4029.14274

PMID

31961954

Abstract

Classification of violent behavior, including dismemberment and mutilation, has become increasingly more significant. This study uses a data-driven classification system based upon knowledge drawn from the pertinent literature, and examination of cases of offenders who have dismembered or mutilated their victims. The latter were extracted from the Serial Killer Database, as well as media sources, and assessed for characteristics of the perpetrators and victim(s). An informational form was developed and used to establish quantitative parameters and objectively extract pertinent information that could be used for comparison and pattern analysis. Motives and styles, as well as the organized/disorganized dichotomy for murder and dismemberment/mutilation, were examined for each case. The majority of cases demonstrated defensive styles (60%), with the second most common being offensive styles (26%), which differs from previous studies that do not exclude older cases. Additionally, 68% of cases reflected organized patterns for both murder and the acts of dismemberment or mutilation. The results support a data-driven classification system that may serve as a foundational model for the investigation of specific motives of this type of deviant behavior in future research.

© 2020 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Language: en

Keywords

classification system; dismemberment; forensic nursing; forensic psychiatry; motives; mutilation; violent behavior