Essay Available:
Pages:
11 pages/≈3025 words
Sources:
10
Style:
Harvard
Subject:
Law
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.K.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 47.52
Topic:
Psychological Profiling
Essay Instructions:
Psychological Profiling
Assessment: 3000 word limit
CASE: MURDER OF CLARA HIGGINS
Answer ALL THREE questions in this case.
You are required to produce a written piece of work for the Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) investigating Clara Higgins murder. He has set the following questions as terms of reference –
1. Construct a crime scene assessment from the information given with the aim of assisting the investigating team to a better understanding of the case from a behavioural perspective.
(Within this assessment, you may wish to consider aspects such as the likely sequence of events, victimology, offender motivations and the relevance of geographical factors.
2. Provide an informal initial opinion about the psychological and behavioural characteristics of the offender(s).
3. Critically discuss how effective offender profiling is for police investigations.
This piece of work should incorporate a brief description of the type of crime, clear and understandable conclusions relevant to the terms of reference and interpretations and investigative suggestions supported by academic evidence.
Circumstances of Case
Clara Higgins was a 64-year-old woman that lived in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. She had never been married and had one daughter, Natasha. She moved to Wakefield in 2005 for her health. She had worked hard all of her life before retiring. Clara had been employed as a hotel manager before retiring. She had health problems and she was currently battling stomach cancer.
On the evening of Tuesday August 18 2008 Natasha left Clara's house at 9.00pm after having dinner. They had been celebrating Natasha's recent promotion at work. The next morning Natasha arrived at her mothers house to find that the front door was unlocked, the lights and television were still on and Clara's mobile phone was on the table in the kitchen. Natasha contacted the police and reported her as missing.
On Saturday August 22 2008 the body of Clara was recovered in a shallow grave 8 miles away from her home. Medical examiners in Wakefield reported that she had been tied up with rope and had a tea towel placed in her mouth. According to the autopsy report she had sexually assaulted and had died as a result of mechanical obstruction of the airways by dirt. Essentially, she had been buried alive and asphyxiated from the dirt particles smothering her airway passages.
At the graveside, police found a spade, several pieces of cloth, empty beer cans and food wrappings.
Essay Sample Content Preview:
CASE: MURDER OF CLARA HIGGINS
Construct a crime scene assessment from the information given with the aim of assisting the investigating team to a better understanding of the case from a behavioural perspective. (Within this assessment, you may wish to consider aspects such as the likely sequence of events, victimology, offender motivations and the relevance of geographical factors.
According to Menzies, Wilder and Priestley (1999), a crime scene assessment can be termed as the basis on which answers can be obtained regarding the occurrence of a crime. It gives investigators and the police the answers that they need in unraveling the causes of a crime and the reasons behind the occurrence of a crime. As one would say, a crime scene assessment should be the first activity to be conducted in a crime scene as investigators seek answers to the occurrence of a crime in any crime scene. In the case of the murder of Clara Higgins, a number of aspects come up regarding the causes of the deceased’s death, the reasons behind this and the motivation factors that could have led to the murder of the deceased. In order to be able to effectively assess that scene of crime in this case, the house belonging to the deceased and the shallow grave in which the deceased’s body was recovered 8 miles away from her home.
The following assessment will contain some details of the rape/sexual assault, murder and subsequent burial of Clara Higgins in a shallow grave a few miles away from her house as understood by the author requiring close scrutiny of crime scene information as given. In this case therefore, this is a rather disturbing information to put together imagining what could have happened to the elderly deceased that fateful night as anyone with the smallest degree of humanity cannot help but be affected by having to examine this most brutal murder in detail. Within this assessment, the author will consider aspects such as the likely sequence of events, victimology, offender motivations and the relevance of geographical factors among others in attempt to ascertain the cause of the deceased’s death. The author believes that through this assessment, the investigative authorities would be led to a better understanding of the case from a behavioural perspective.
However, it is the author's belief that the close scrutiny of these disturbing details is essential if the investigation tem and the police are to make any considerable progress in any meaningful way in the resolution of what happened that night. Moreover, the evidence leads to some startling and potentially controversial conclusions and without those being evidenced they cannot be made. It is the author's hope that this work would in some way aid the investigative authorities and the police to reconstruct exactly what happened in Clara Higgins house that terrible night. The following is a partial reconstruction of the crime scene based on the police crime scene information as provided in the above extract.
The deceased’s house.
To start with, this would be seen as the scene in which the crime took place with the understanding that the perpetrators sexually assaulted the deceased and later murdered her then went ahead to burry her in a shallow grave a few miles away from her house. Firstly, the author would like to draw attention to the information given regarding the state of the victim’s house as was found out the following morning by Natasha. This is the most important crime scene picture/ information given and provides the author with some very important information and it is on the basis of this state of the house most of that information one would be able to partially reconstruct the crime scene. It therefore allows one to reveal some hitherto unknown events that could have taken place that fateful night leading to the murder of the deceased (Menzies, Wilder and Priestley, 1999)...
Bishop and Lawrence (1998) are of the opinion that the first piece of information that one can glean from this information is that it is a crime scene reconstruction information taken either after or before the forensic analysis had been made. In this case, the deceased’s house had been left unlocked with both the lights and the television set still on. This could mean that the perpetrator left in a hurry and did therefore not have sufficient time to either steal a few things from the deceased’s house or to leave the house intact such that anyone would presume that the decease is still in the house. Similarly, the deceased’s phone had been left in the kitchen meaning that the perpetrators did not need it and that the deceased had been found in the kitchen when the presumed perpetrators entered her house.
The likely sequence of events leading to the murder of the deceased.
In this case, from the events leading to the death of the decease, the author is able to reconstruct what could have happened leading to the death of Clara Higgins. To start with, after Natasha left the house, the deceased had been in the kitchen probably undertaking some chores when the perpetrators came in calling. However, it is unclear how this could have happened as Natasha had already left the house and the front door had not been broken and therefore the perpetrators must have been known to the deceased. In this case, the deceased must have opened the door herself to let in the perpetrators. At the same time, the house seems to have been in peace before and after the entry of the perpetrators. This is because as per the information given, everything was in order with the television having been left on as well as the lights. This also means that when the perpetrators came in, the deceased had not gone to bed and therefore it must have been shortly after her daughter Natasha had left the house. In fact according to the autopsy report, at the graveside, police found a spade, several pieces of cloth, empty beer cans and food wrappings. This means that the perpetrators had been having good time in the deceased’s house before they sexually assaulted her which led to their decision to burry her alive as a way of concealing their inhuman acts. At the same time, it is clear that these items must have been obtained from the deceased’s house hence the occurrence of the events.
According to the information given in the extract, the deceased must have been sexually assaulted first in her house after which she was dragged and buried alive in a shallow grave 8 miles away from her home hence her death as a result of mechanical obstruction of her airways. The sexual assault can be concluded to have taken place in the house because according a report by the Medical examiners in Wakefield, the deceased had been tied up with rope and had a tea towel placed in her mouth. This means that the deceased had been sexually assaulted in her house as these could be the only place that the both the tea towel and the rope could have been obtained. Further, according to the autopsy report she had been sexually assaulted and had died as a result of mechanical obstruction of the airways by dirt. According to the extract, essentially, she had been buried alive and asphyxiated from the dirt particles smothering her airway passages.
Offender motivations and the relevance of geographical factors
In the case of the murder of Clara Higgins, the offenders must have been motivated first by the intention to sexually assault the deceased and the intention to kill her probably to acquire by way of inheritance or otherwise what she owned. Similarly, it is clear that the offender’s intention was not to primarily murder the deceased but to sexually assault her. Salcey (2007) is of the opinion that most murderers do so as a way of concealing their beastly acts and making sure that their victim does not testify against them or identify and hence mention them to the authorities. This could have been the case with Clara and it can therefore be concluded according to the autopsy report, the deceased had been buried alive hence her death and therefore the perpetrators had not murdered her before burying her. In the case of the significance of geographical factors, the location of the grave is indeed the most significance aspect that could identify the scene of crime and intentions thereafter. According to the extract, the deceased’s body was found in a shallow grave a few miles away from her house. This means that the perpetrators buried her in a hurry and fear.
Provide an informal initial opinion about the psychological and behavioural characteristics of the offender(s).
Generally, an initial opinion creates a basis on which the activities leading to the occurrence of a crime can be traced. Essentially, initial opinion is a logical plat form on which conclusions can be made regarding the activities that led to the occurrence of a crime (Davis, 2008). These include both the behavioral and psychological characteristics of the suspect offenders among others. As a result therefore this assists the police and any investigators in unearthing the reasons behind the occurrence of a crime and the activities that could have led in to that.
In the case regarding the murder of Clara Higgins, several psychological and behavioural characteristics of the offender (s) can be deduced in the formation of initial opinion. Once obtained, these could be crucial in getting to know the individual(s) behind the cold blood murder of Clara Higgins. To start with, it is of crucial importance to try to understand why Clara Higgins’s only daughter Ms Natasha left the house leaving her sickly mother behind all alone yet they had been celebrating her recent promotion at their work place. In this case, under normal circumstances, one would expect that Natasha should have stayed at her mother s place till morning ads they were celebrating her promotion.
However, she decided to move out leaving her mother behind and leaving behind no reason as to why she had to g...
Construct a crime scene assessment from the information given with the aim of assisting the investigating team to a better understanding of the case from a behavioural perspective. (Within this assessment, you may wish to consider aspects such as the likely sequence of events, victimology, offender motivations and the relevance of geographical factors.
According to Menzies, Wilder and Priestley (1999), a crime scene assessment can be termed as the basis on which answers can be obtained regarding the occurrence of a crime. It gives investigators and the police the answers that they need in unraveling the causes of a crime and the reasons behind the occurrence of a crime. As one would say, a crime scene assessment should be the first activity to be conducted in a crime scene as investigators seek answers to the occurrence of a crime in any crime scene. In the case of the murder of Clara Higgins, a number of aspects come up regarding the causes of the deceased’s death, the reasons behind this and the motivation factors that could have led to the murder of the deceased. In order to be able to effectively assess that scene of crime in this case, the house belonging to the deceased and the shallow grave in which the deceased’s body was recovered 8 miles away from her home.
The following assessment will contain some details of the rape/sexual assault, murder and subsequent burial of Clara Higgins in a shallow grave a few miles away from her house as understood by the author requiring close scrutiny of crime scene information as given. In this case therefore, this is a rather disturbing information to put together imagining what could have happened to the elderly deceased that fateful night as anyone with the smallest degree of humanity cannot help but be affected by having to examine this most brutal murder in detail. Within this assessment, the author will consider aspects such as the likely sequence of events, victimology, offender motivations and the relevance of geographical factors among others in attempt to ascertain the cause of the deceased’s death. The author believes that through this assessment, the investigative authorities would be led to a better understanding of the case from a behavioural perspective.
However, it is the author's belief that the close scrutiny of these disturbing details is essential if the investigation tem and the police are to make any considerable progress in any meaningful way in the resolution of what happened that night. Moreover, the evidence leads to some startling and potentially controversial conclusions and without those being evidenced they cannot be made. It is the author's hope that this work would in some way aid the investigative authorities and the police to reconstruct exactly what happened in Clara Higgins house that terrible night. The following is a partial reconstruction of the crime scene based on the police crime scene information as provided in the above extract.
The deceased’s house.
To start with, this would be seen as the scene in which the crime took place with the understanding that the perpetrators sexually assaulted the deceased and later murdered her then went ahead to burry her in a shallow grave a few miles away from her house. Firstly, the author would like to draw attention to the information given regarding the state of the victim’s house as was found out the following morning by Natasha. This is the most important crime scene picture/ information given and provides the author with some very important information and it is on the basis of this state of the house most of that information one would be able to partially reconstruct the crime scene. It therefore allows one to reveal some hitherto unknown events that could have taken place that fateful night leading to the murder of the deceased (Menzies, Wilder and Priestley, 1999)...
Bishop and Lawrence (1998) are of the opinion that the first piece of information that one can glean from this information is that it is a crime scene reconstruction information taken either after or before the forensic analysis had been made. In this case, the deceased’s house had been left unlocked with both the lights and the television set still on. This could mean that the perpetrator left in a hurry and did therefore not have sufficient time to either steal a few things from the deceased’s house or to leave the house intact such that anyone would presume that the decease is still in the house. Similarly, the deceased’s phone had been left in the kitchen meaning that the perpetrators did not need it and that the deceased had been found in the kitchen when the presumed perpetrators entered her house.
The likely sequence of events leading to the murder of the deceased.
In this case, from the events leading to the death of the decease, the author is able to reconstruct what could have happened leading to the death of Clara Higgins. To start with, after Natasha left the house, the deceased had been in the kitchen probably undertaking some chores when the perpetrators came in calling. However, it is unclear how this could have happened as Natasha had already left the house and the front door had not been broken and therefore the perpetrators must have been known to the deceased. In this case, the deceased must have opened the door herself to let in the perpetrators. At the same time, the house seems to have been in peace before and after the entry of the perpetrators. This is because as per the information given, everything was in order with the television having been left on as well as the lights. This also means that when the perpetrators came in, the deceased had not gone to bed and therefore it must have been shortly after her daughter Natasha had left the house. In fact according to the autopsy report, at the graveside, police found a spade, several pieces of cloth, empty beer cans and food wrappings. This means that the perpetrators had been having good time in the deceased’s house before they sexually assaulted her which led to their decision to burry her alive as a way of concealing their inhuman acts. At the same time, it is clear that these items must have been obtained from the deceased’s house hence the occurrence of the events.
According to the information given in the extract, the deceased must have been sexually assaulted first in her house after which she was dragged and buried alive in a shallow grave 8 miles away from her home hence her death as a result of mechanical obstruction of her airways. The sexual assault can be concluded to have taken place in the house because according a report by the Medical examiners in Wakefield, the deceased had been tied up with rope and had a tea towel placed in her mouth. This means that the deceased had been sexually assaulted in her house as these could be the only place that the both the tea towel and the rope could have been obtained. Further, according to the autopsy report she had been sexually assaulted and had died as a result of mechanical obstruction of the airways by dirt. According to the extract, essentially, she had been buried alive and asphyxiated from the dirt particles smothering her airway passages.
Offender motivations and the relevance of geographical factors
In the case of the murder of Clara Higgins, the offenders must have been motivated first by the intention to sexually assault the deceased and the intention to kill her probably to acquire by way of inheritance or otherwise what she owned. Similarly, it is clear that the offender’s intention was not to primarily murder the deceased but to sexually assault her. Salcey (2007) is of the opinion that most murderers do so as a way of concealing their beastly acts and making sure that their victim does not testify against them or identify and hence mention them to the authorities. This could have been the case with Clara and it can therefore be concluded according to the autopsy report, the deceased had been buried alive hence her death and therefore the perpetrators had not murdered her before burying her. In the case of the significance of geographical factors, the location of the grave is indeed the most significance aspect that could identify the scene of crime and intentions thereafter. According to the extract, the deceased’s body was found in a shallow grave a few miles away from her house. This means that the perpetrators buried her in a hurry and fear.
Provide an informal initial opinion about the psychological and behavioural characteristics of the offender(s).
Generally, an initial opinion creates a basis on which the activities leading to the occurrence of a crime can be traced. Essentially, initial opinion is a logical plat form on which conclusions can be made regarding the activities that led to the occurrence of a crime (Davis, 2008). These include both the behavioral and psychological characteristics of the suspect offenders among others. As a result therefore this assists the police and any investigators in unearthing the reasons behind the occurrence of a crime and the activities that could have led in to that.
In the case regarding the murder of Clara Higgins, several psychological and behavioural characteristics of the offender (s) can be deduced in the formation of initial opinion. Once obtained, these could be crucial in getting to know the individual(s) behind the cold blood murder of Clara Higgins. To start with, it is of crucial importance to try to understand why Clara Higgins’s only daughter Ms Natasha left the house leaving her sickly mother behind all alone yet they had been celebrating her recent promotion at their work place. In this case, under normal circumstances, one would expect that Natasha should have stayed at her mother s place till morning ads they were celebrating her promotion.
However, she decided to move out leaving her mother behind and leaving behind no reason as to why she had to g...
Get the Whole Paper!
Not exactly what you need?
Do you need a custom essay? Order right now: