Citation

Rainbow L, Benson C, Almond L, Tandy A, McManus M. J. Investig. Psych. Offender Profil. 2022; 19(1): 20-32.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jip.1582

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Previous literature suggests that covering of a homicide victim's face by an offender indicates a pre-existing relationship. Operational definitions discriminate between three forms of victim covering (i) Masking (ii) Cloaking and (iii) Concealment. 126 UK homicide cases were examined to explore whether any evidence-based investigative inferences could be supported in cases of victim covering viewed through an instrumental/expressive framework. No statistically significant differences were found between face covering behaviour and the relationship between victim and offender, previous convictions, and offender age, although there was a high frequency of elderly female victims of masking. The findings are discussed in relation to offender-profiling.

Language: en

Keywords

crime scene behaviours; homicide; offender profiling