Modus Operandi Page 11

  Another scenario may be that the spouse places a sedative of some type into a beverage or a dish at dinner. Once the victim passes out, he will be pushed down a flight of stairs or even placed into a vehicle and an accident will be staged. In rural areas, the victim may be put in a situation where the death seems to be caused by animal behavior, such as a kick to the head by a horse.

  Adjunct Homicide

  When a detective is looking at a homicide, he must take into account the whole scene. He cannot zoom in on just the body; he must look at the complete picture.

  Take for example, a burglar surprised by the victim during the course of burglarizing his home. Prior to killing the homeowner, the suspect gained entry into the house. He had to enter rooms and look for items of value to steal. He had to locate something to carry his loot out of the house. This is our criminal's M.O. The killing is secondary. By studying the M.O. of the burglary, the homicide detective can also determine the murderer.

  The Cover-up Murder

  In a perpetrator's mind, they sometimes must kill people to cover up other acts of crime and violence. a juvenile offender robbing a house is discovered by the homeowner as he walks into his bedroom. The victim will be able to positively identify the juvenile to the police. He will use a weapon at hand, or with the increasing tendency to carry handguns, shoot and kill the victim with the hopes of covering up his burglary.

  Sex Offenders

  A sex offender will sometimes kill at the conclusion of his sexual assault, usually by some form of strangulation. He may even kill as part of his sexual gratification. This is done in many ways during his assault upon the victim. The sex offender may cause additional mutilation after the killing—vampirism, cannibalism and physical probes of the victim are not uncommon. Souvenirs are sometimes taken, in-

  cluding photographs, videotapes or articles of clothing. Multiple stab wounds and bite marks around the breasts and genitalia are also common.

  This type of behavior is the signature aspect of a crime. These criminals will repeat a certain behavior at each crime scene. By acting out their personal fantasies, the killing becomes almost ritualistic as the crimes continue. However, as time goes on, these signatures may expand to more gruesome mutilations postmortem.

  When dealing with sadistic or ritualistic criminals, it is important to consider their psychological behavior. The ritualistic or sadistic killer performs to satisfy his mental needs. One of these needs may be to strike fear into the general public, and he wants the world to know that he is the one committing these terrible crimes. To stimulate his own personal fantasies and achieve notoriety, he will incorporate a signature into the killings.

  Serial Killers

  It is not uncommon for multiple or serial killers to leave a taunting bit of evidence for the police, usually referred to as a calling card. These calling cards are intended to direct police to the suspect or to new victims.

  Very violent homicides can be brought on by sexual fantasies manifested by the killer. These fantasies become uncontrollable, causing the suspect to act out his fantasies, slowly at first, but eventually with a growing frenzy. Sexual abuse may occur pre- or postmortem. Serial killers often attack only a particular type of person. His fantasies dictate the victim including hair color and/or length, facial features, body type, age, nationality, or a resemblance to someone from his past.

  Sexual assault plays only one part in the modus operandi of serial killers. Some kill because they enjoy the victim's fear and the act of killing. On occasion, serial killers kill the victim in front of family members to gain a sense of domination.

  To gain control over victims, a serial killer will use a number of different methods. He may coax a prostitute into his vehicle on the premise of using her services. He may coax a victim into his vehicle by asking directions or offering a ride. He may even ask for assistance in repairing his vehicle or locating a lost animal.

  Once inside the vehicle, control is the first objective. This is done through physical force and/or possession of a weapon. When young people are the victims, verbal threats are used. Another method is to say that they won't be harmed but will be used for a particular situation, such as to gain entry into a building.

  These types of homicides usually are performed on victims who are social outcasts. The victims are not involved with family members and are likely to not be reported as missing. Secondly, the criminal wrongly believes when they are reported missing, because they are social outcasts, police will not pursue the case as efficiently.

  The victim allows himself to become a victim by being in situations and locations where few people will observe an abduction. One example is a prostitute who stands on street corners in undesirable areas and has no problems with getting into a stranger's vehicle.

  Some homicide scenes will be left in such a way that it is shocking or disturbing when they are discovered. Other killers will insert spoons or pieces of wood in the victim's genitals. This is done mainly for curiosity's sake and usually points to a younger male with little or no sexual experience. Mutilation of the victim's genitals usually points to a sexual sadist.

  The suspects will, during the course of the crime, have the victim perform certain functions in an attempt to hinder detection by destroying evidence. The victim may be made to shower or wash up after sexual acts. The victim may also be made to clean up areas where the suspect feels evidence might be obtained.

  When suspects know the victim prior to killing them, it is not uncommon for the suspect to actively assist the police in an attempt to steer them away from the crime. They will even comfort family members and render assistance to them. This behavior is overly cooperative but can be very distracting to the investigators.

  Contract Killing

  Contract killings are used by gangs — organized or otherwise—to rid themselves of a member who is perceived as disloyal, a screw-up, or a danger to the gang. La Cosa Nostra, the most notorious organized crime gang of the twentieth century, will usually hire an outsider. They often choose Irish mobsters known as The Westies, because they live predominately on the west side of New York City, and who are calculated, cold-blooded killers who will kill at any time and any place. Their weapon of choice and usual killing method is a shot from a small caliber handgun to the head.

  Other contract killings are done by outlaw biker gangs called the 1 percenters. The 1 percenters were given this name in a speech by the president of the American Motorcycle Association. In this speech he stated only 1 percent of all motorcyclists in the United States belong to outlaw biker gangs. The 1 percenters biker colors include the club's emblem, gang name, chapter number and/ or chapter location.

  Organized crime members like to use the 1 percenters and the Westies because of their vicious nature and their loyalties. They will not divulge to law enforcement the circumstances involved. These contract killings can be as simple as placing an explosive device under the front seat of the target's vehicle. This device is activated when the car is started or by a remote-control device. Other hits could be in the workplace, a sidewalk, a restaurant or any other place where one can easily kill the target.

  An assassination could take place as follows: The target is driven to a remote location under the pretense of performing a task. While the target is occupied, a gunman will come up from behind and shoot him at close range in the head. The victim is left where he is shot. Assassins do not want to be apprehended with a body in the trunk of their vehicle. The weapons used are dumped, preferably

  into a river, making it very difficult, if not impossible, to recover them.

  Inner-city gangs generally deal with problem members or members of other gangs themselves. Everyone has heard of drive-by shootings. This is the usual assassination method of ethnic gangs. A plan is formulated and a location, almost always on the opposing gangbanger's turf is picked. Sometimes, a car will be stolen and other times they will use their own vehicle. The vehicle is loaded with four or five gangbangers who drive to the location
with the passenger's side facing their target. Upon arrival, they indiscriminately open fire.

  Gangbangers prefer high-capacity, large-caliber weapons of mass destruction. They want to spray as many bullets as possible in the shortest time possible. They will use both semiautomatic and fully automatic weapons. AK-47s and 9mm or .45 caliber semiautomatic pistols are most often used. Some of the flashier gangbangers choose chrome-plated weapons. Gangbangers have even been known to possess military hand grenades.

  Ritualistic Cults

  During the 1960s and early 1970s, Satanism was popular. Satanists believe that the more they kill, the more power they will achieve in hell. The more innocent their victims, the more power they will receive. Thus, babies and virgins are in demand. People are attracted to Satanism because they are attempting to receive the power of demons and use it for themselves. Satanism is growing again and the crimes related to it are increasing, but there is no statistical way to measure the threat. When criminals are arrested, they are arrested for the crime, not for what they believe in.

  In teen occult practices, you may or may not find symbols and instruments related to Satanism. In some satanic circles, where sacrificing is performed, ritualistic symbols and other paraphernalia will abound.

  A noteworthy case of satanic killing is the night stalker Richard Ramioez who was accused of killing fourteen people. The satanic ritual aspect of the case came out when pentagrams were found at several of the homicide scenes and when a witness testified that she was forced to swear to Satan that she would not call for help when Ramioez left from the scene.

  Stabbing

  Stabbing deaths account for a large number of homicide-related deaths yearly. Some statistics report that the number of deaths caused by stabbing is just below the number caused by gunshot wounds.

  There are two types of injuries caused by sharp items. The first is the stab wound: A pointed object, such as a knife, is pushed through the skin causing injury to the victim. Little or no bruising is observed around the wound. The hilt of some knives may cause bruising. The bleeding associated with the stab wound is internal and little blood is observed at the crime scene. The injuries suffered are internal and to the different organs of the body.

  The second is the cut wound: A sharp knife, or other object such as a razor blade, is dragged across the skin causing cuts to the surface of the skin. These injuries will bleed profusely and will only be as deep as the pressure that is applied. Therefore, the injury indicates the amount of force used to make the cut.

  Cut wounds are closely related to defense wounds. Defense wounds are injuries suffered by the victim in an attempt to protect himself from the attack. Defense wounds are found on the palms of his hands and on his fingers from when our victim made an attempt to grab the knife. Fingers will be cut deeply causing a large amount of bleeding. When the knife is grabbed by the victim, the perpetrator will pull back with extreme force causing large wounds.

  Defense wounds may also be located on the forearms, below the knees on the legs, and sometimes the feet as the victim kicks the assailant.

  For suicides, stab and cut wounds are quite different. The victim will show signs of past attempts of suicide: old scars or semi-healed wounds from prior attempts. At the time of the suicide, a number of superficial wounds will be present. These wounds are referred to as hesitation wounds and are caused by the victim's attempts to cut himself.

  Most suicide lacerations are horizontal. Even with self-inflicted stab wounds, the victim will have hesitation wounds from experimenting prior to the actual suicide. This is one of the ways of determining if a victim was killed by his own hands or those of another.

  Some weapons used in stabbings are axes, scissors, forks, screwdrivers, razors, kitchen knives or ice picks. The following cases give an indication of how stab wounds and their attendent (or non-attendent) blood splatter and pooling assist the forensic detective in determing the method of death:

  Example 1: A young couple are at home and are complaining about the lack of money to pay their bills. The argument starts in the living room, and proceeds to the bedroom where the wife attempts to take refuge. The husband forces his way into the bedroom by pushing the locked door open. The wife, fearing for her safety, picks up her knitting needles and strikes the husband until he is mortally wounded. The victim's body may show defense wounds on the hands and forearms. The body may also show signs of one or more stab wounds. All injuries to the victim will be pre-mortem. The blood splatter found at the scene will be consistent with the suspect's story and the blood will be contained in one room.

  Example 2: Let's take our same young couple and add some complicating factors. The wife wants to leave the husband because she found a better lover, but she knows that if she gets a divorce, she will walk away with little or no money. The wife and boyfriend plan to kill the husband and to make the homicide appear to be self defense. In this case, the husband may be found in the kitchen area or the bedroom. The husband will show few or no defense wounds because the attack will be a surprise. The stab wounds will be numerous and may even be found on his back. Some stab wounds will be postmortem.

  The victim's body will contain both cut and stab wounds and the blood splatter will not be consistent with the suspect's story. The blood splatter will be consistent with defensive behavior such as fleeing from room to room and there will be blood pooling where the victim has stopped to defend himself.

  Example 3: A middle-aged fellow is walking home from work and, prior to arriving home, he is stopped and robbed by the neighborhood gang at knife point. Our victim, having been robbed numerous times in the past, decides he is going to fight back. The victim is found the next morning with a single stab wound to the chest. Little or no blood will be observed at the scene. Most of the victim's bleeding will be internal, leaving small blood staining around the wound on the victim's clothing.

  Example 4: A young woman is walking to her vehicle after leaving work one night. The suspect grabs her from behind, places a large knife to her throat, and demands that she obey his requests. The victim is then taken to a waiting van where she is forced to lie on her stomach while her hands are secured behind her with duct tape. The victim's eyes and mouth are also covered with duct tape to prevent her from calling for assistance and seeing the suspect. The victim's body will show bruises caused by rough treatment at the hands of the suspect. The victim will show signs of sexual assault and will receive from one to multiple stab wounds depending on the psychological motivation of her attacker.

  Death by Gunshot

  Before we get into some examples, let's take a moment to discuss the different types of weapons and wounds that one will find. The so-called small arms are basically weapons that can be carried easily and comfortably by one person. They include machine guns, submachine guns, handguns, shotguns and rifles. We have, on occasion, observed cases involving cross bows and long bows. In most cases involving a bow and arrow, the person using these weapons has a hunting background, and these weapons are readily at hand.

  Handguns come in many forms from the very simple to the very complex. Zip guns are homemade single shot pistols usually carried by gang members and guerrilla fighters. Only one round of ammunition can be inserted and fired.

  Derringers and Saturday Night Specials are small, cheaply-made handguns. Most Derringers contain chambers for two rounds and can only be fired one at a time. The Saturday Night Specials are knock offs of more expensive revolvers.

  Revolvers, or wheel guns, are pistols with a two- to twelve-inch barrel. The rounds are inserted into the wheeled chamber, which can hold from five to eight rounds. The shell casings will remain inside the chamber until they are physically ejected.

  The auto-loading pistols, which are also called semiautomatic handguns, use a magazine to contain the rounds. The magazine is placed into the pistol grip, and shells are fed into the cylinder by the action of the slide. After firing, the shell casing is ejected from the weapon.

  For those of you w
ho are unfamiliar with the make up of a round, it contains four components:

  1. Bullet

  2. Shell casing

  3. Powder

  4. Primer.

  The bullet, or projectile, is the portion that leaves the barrel of the weapon. The shell casing holds the powder, a flammable propellant similar to black powder, and the bullet. The final component is the primer, which rests at the base of the round. When struck by the weapon's firing pin, it creates an ignition source for the powder, which ignites and turns into gases that force the bullet out of the shell casing and down the barrel of the weapon.

  The basic sizes of ammunition used for semi-automatic handguns are (starting from the smallest): .22 caliber, .25 caliber, .32 caliber, .380 caliber, 9mm, .40 caliber, 10mm and .45 caliber. Other handgun calibers used primarily for revolvers are: .38 caliber, .357 caliber, .41 caliber and .44 caliber. Caliber refers to the diameter of the muzzle, or opening, of a gun's barrel and is measured either in hundredths or thousandths of an inch or in millimeters.

  Handguns are popular weapons because they are easy to conceal. Because they are so popular, we are going to concentrate on them.

  The bullet creates a number of different injuries referred to as gunshot wounds. These wounds are classified into four categories, based on the distance from the muzzle of the weapon to the victim at the time of injury:

  1. The contact wound, occurs when the muzzle of the gun is placed directly against the victim's body.

  2. The near contact wound when the muzzle of the gun does not come in physical contact with the victim's body but is only a short distance away (one to three inches).

  3. The intermediate gunshot wound occurs when the muzzle of the gun is six to eight inches away from the victim but close enough to have the victim burnt by the gunpowder. This burning is also known as powder tattooing. Powder tattoos can be found on the clothing or skin of the victim.