CP505 Syllabus

CP505 Serial Homicide Investigation

Lecture 1: Death Investigation

1. Introduction
   
   
2. Guidelines
   
   
3. Determining Crime Scene Type: Open mindedness
   
   
4. The victim as an extension of the crime scene
   
   
5. Physical Evidence and the Deductive Method
   
   
6. Serial Homicide: Special Investigative Issues

Lecture 2: Defining Serial Murder, pt. I

1. A History of serial murder: Getting the perspective of time
   
   
2. Popular culture and serial murder
   
   
   • The media
   • True crime authors
     
     
3. Defining investigative and research terms
   
   
4. Typologies and Mythologies
   
   
5. Case Example: The Sadist

Lecture 3: Defining Serial Murder, pt. II

1. Mass Murder
   
   
2. Spree killings
   
   
3. Female serial murderers
   
   
4. The Rapist Motivational Typology, Adapted
   
   
5. Case Example: The Black Widow

Lecture 4: Crime Scene Characteristics   

1. Organized v. Disorganized scenes - a continuum
   
   
2. The Threshold Assessment
   
   
3. MO V. Signature
   
   
4. Case Example: The Profit Motive

Lecture 5: Victimology

1. Definitions and Typologies
   
   
2. Profiling the victim
   
   
3. The Last 24 hours - making a timeline
   
   
4. The Risk Assessment:
   • Understanding Offender Risk
   • Understanding Victim Risk
     
     
5. Some Data - Adult and Child Victims

Lecture 6: Behavioral Evidence Analysis

1. The objective record of behavior

2. Motivation and human development

3. Penal Codes v. Offender behavior

4. Case Example: Child Abduction -
   Serial Murder as a precautionary act

Lecture 7: The Motivational Themes Applied

1. Retaliatory (Revenge)

2. Reassurance

3. Assertive

4. Profit

5. Sadistic

Lecture 8: Offender Behavior

1. The Deductive Profiling Model
   
   
2. Understanding an Offender's method of Approach
   
   
3. Modus Operandi, applied
   
   
4. Case Example

Lecture 9: Case - Homicide

Lecture 10: New Case - Homicide

Reading

Required:

Practical Homicide Investigation
by Vernon Geberth, Publication date: June, 1996

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