Homicide/Murder
and
Robbery
Murder ̶ Defined
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Defined as the unlawful killing of a human being
with malice aforethought
Typical criminal code language
– A person who kills an individual without lawful
justification commits murder if, in performing the
acts that cause the death:
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He either intends to kill or do great bodily harm
He knows that such acts create a strong probability of death
or great bodily harm
He is attempting or committing a forcible felony other than
voluntary manslaughter
The Legal Definition of
Homicide
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Homicide is defined as the killing of a human by
another human
The common notion that homicide and murder are
synonymous is false
– The difference lies in the legality of the death
– The question is the presence or absence of criminality
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Homicide can be justifiable or excusable
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State executions
Arrests by the police in some circumstances
Self-defense
War
Criminal Homicide
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The act is murder if the wrongdoer accomplishes the
crime with premeditation
The act is frequently referred to as a premeditated
design to kill
The state must prove that the accused consciously
intended to kill the victim
Wisconsin’s definition:
– 940.01 (1)(a) First-degree intentional homicide.
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Whoever causes the death of another human being with intent
to kill that person or another is guilty of a Class A felony
Criminal Homicide
(continued)
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Premeditation does not always imply the existence of an
elaborate plan
– The time frame is not important (not defined in minutes, hours,
or days)
– The fact that the design to kill was present before the act is
critical
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Murder can be accomplished without premeditation ̶ two
examples:
– A criminal homicide can constitute murder even when
premeditation to kill is lacking altogether
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When perpetrated by any act imminently dangerous to another
Evincing a depraved mind regardless of human life
– If the killing occurs during the commission of a felony (felony
murder)
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The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR)
Program defines murder and nonnegligent
manslaughter as the willful (nonnegligent) killing
of one human being by another.
The classification of this offense is based solely
on police investigation as opposed to the
determination of a court, medical examiner,
coroner, jury, or other judicial body. The UCR
Program does not include the following
situations in this offense classification: deaths
caused by negligence, suicide, or accident;
justifiable homicides; and attempts to murder or
assaults to murder, which are scored as
aggravated assaults.
According to the UCR, in 2012, an
estimated 14,827 persons were murdered
in the United States. This was a 1.1
percent increase from the 2011 estimate,
but a 9.9 percent decrease from the 2008
figure, and a 10.3 percent drop from the
number in 2003.
Murder in Degrees
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Many states have assigned varying
degrees to the crime of murder
– First degree
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Typically includes premeditated murder
– Second degree
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An act creating a strong probability of harm,
which results in death
– Third degree
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Deaths that result during the perpetration (or
attempt) of a felony
Current State of Criminal
Homicide
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Accurate statistics are compiled by the FBI’s
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The current U.S. annual rate of criminal homicide is
more than 14,000
Uniform Crime Report
– Indicates a significant decrease of this serous violent crime
in the last seven years
– Homicide accounts for only about 1% of the total violent
crime
– The decade rate of homicide is historically very high
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Surpassing even the murder rates experienced during the
violent Prohibition era of the 1920s and 1930s
Chicago’s homicide rates are nearly triple the frequency
encountered during the city’s murderous gangland period
during prohibition
Why So Many Murders?
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The relationship of drugs to murder is unmistakable
The rapid growth of drug gangs, particularly those dealing in
cocaine
Washington, D.C. officials reported that 41% of all homicides
were drug-related
56% of the killings in Savannah, Georgia were similarly
connected to drugs
The greatest frequency of murder occurs:
During July and August
On holidays
On weekends
During evening and night hours
In southern states
In large metropolitan areas
Victims of Criminal
Homicide
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77% of victims are between 20 and 24
years of age
The residence is the most common
murder location
Males account for 78% of all victims
9% are juvenile and male
Racially, the victims are nearly evenly
split between blacks and whites
Victims of Criminal
Homicide (continued)
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Homicide is the leading cause of death
among black males 25 to 34 years of age
44% of victims know their killer (compared
with 80% in 1970)
– 13% are related
– 31% are acquainted
– Of female victims, 33% are slain by husbands or
boyfriends
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56% of all killings are classified as stranger
homicides
Victim Precipitated
Homicide
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Such murders involve a conscious or
unconscious action by the victim that is a
causative factor in the violent act
– Victims dare their slayers to assault
– May provoke the assault by some other action such
as:
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Continually insulting individuals known to be armed and violent
Unfaithful wife precipitating her own death by continuing an affair
after her husband has sworn to kill her if the extramarital
relationship is not terminated
Research studies indicated a substantial number of homicides
are victim precipitated
Offender Characteristics
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Murder suspects
– The majority of arrested murder suspects (70%) are
17-34 years old (20-24 modal category)
– 90% are male
– 51% are black
– 46% are white
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Most offenders are in an emotional state of
extreme anger when they kill
Typical murderers do not plan their crime
Offender-Victim Dyads
A. Gender Dyad
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male on male
male on female
female on male
female on female
C. Race Dyad
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black on black
white on white
black on white
white on black
Five Murder Causative
Categories: Why People Murder
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Emotional disputes
Matters of sex
– Jealousy is the causative factor
– Unfaithfulness is the precipitator
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Related crimes
– Normally during the commission of a felony
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Robbery
Narcotics
Severe mental abnormalities
– Mentally ill
– Mass murderers
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Terrorists
Individuals who experience sudden breakdowns
Mentally ill persons who kill to relieve tensions
Benefit factors
– To rid themselves of the attachment
– Financial motives
Weapons Used in
Homicide
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Firearms are the predominate weapon
– 53% of murders were committed with handguns
– 8% were committed with rifles or shotguns
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30% of murders were committed with knives
The remainder of murders were committed
with:
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Blunt objects
Poisons
Fire
Direct violence applied by hands, fists, or feet
Serial Murder Types
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Visionary: Kill in response to visions and/or voices –
psychosis apparent
Mission-Oriented: mission in life is to rid society of certain
groups of people – clear target group
Hedonistic: Kill because of some sort of satisfaction derived
from the murder – there’s a need to satisfy one of three
things
Lust: fulfilling sexual need – sex and murder go together
– Thrill: receive a high or a thrill from the killing –the process is
enjoyable
– Comfort: need is primarily money or property
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Power/Control: wants to exert power and control over
helpless victims; killing is a long process because there is
desire to see the victim beg for life; victims are killed when
they no longer have desire to live
Mobility Patterns
– Traveling: Acts committed while traveling
through or relocating to other areas
– Local: Remain within a certain state or
urbanized area to seek out victims
– Place-specific: Offenders who murder
within their on homes, places of
employment, institutions, or other specific
places.
Robbery
The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting
(UCR) Program defines robbery as the
taking or attempting to take anything of
value from the care, custody, or control
of a person or persons by force or threat
of force or violence and/or by putting
the victim in fear.
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There were an estimated 354,520 robberies nationwide in
2012. The 2012 estimated number of robberies 20.1
percent from the 2008 estimate.
The estimated robbery rate of 112.9 per 100,000
inhabitants in 2012 showed a decrease of 0.8 percent when
compared to the 2011 rate. In 2012, robberies accounted
for an estimated $414 million in losses.
The average dollar value of property stolen per reported
robbery was $1,167. Banks experienced the highest
average dollar loss at $3,810 per offense. Among the
robberies for which the UCR Program received weapon
information in 2012, strong-arm tactics were used in 42.5
percent, firearms in 41.0 percent, and knives or cutting
instruments in 7.8 percent. Other dangerous weapons were
used in 8.8 percent of robberies in 2012.