What role does motive play in homicide cases?
Although criminal law is focused on proving intent, there are some instances where prosecutors may use evidence of motive to help explain why a person committed a crime. This type of evidence is usually used to make a connection between a defendant and the alleged crime so that an investigation can begin.
A Criminal Defense Lawyer Can Prove That There Was No Motive
In some situations, a criminal defense lawyer can use a lack of motive to raise reasonable doubt about a defendant’s guilt. This is especially important when a defendant denies the commission of a crime or when a defendant’s fingerprints appear on the weapon that killed another person.
The Criminal Mind
It’s common for people to entertain homicidal thoughts from time to time. Some therapists believe that these thoughts are actually part of our normal psyche. However, they are not a necessary condition to commit a crime.
MRIs and Gray Matter
Recent research has found that murderers have less gray matter than people who committed non-violent or minimally violent crimes. These findings can be a clue as to what may be going on inside the murderer’s brain.
The Intimate Partner Homicide Study
Researchers have found that intimate partner homicides are often the result of interpersonal problems. These include divorce or separation, abuse, and threats of violence. Other factors include social, religious, economic, and cultural backgrounds that influence how people relate to others.
The CDC reports that men kill their spouses at three times the rate of women. This is despite the fact that women are far more likely to be victims of domestic violence and abuse than men.
A Psychological Study of Homicides
The United States has more than 14 thousand homicides each year. This is a 50% decrease from 1993.
Studies have shown that many of the deaths are linked to socioeconomic, cultural, and religious issues. There are also some homicides that are not associated with any specific reason.
The criminal justice system has been struggling to understand why certain individuals commit homicides and what factors are associated with those types of crimes. Researchers have examined the underlying reasons behind murders and are trying to find ways to prevent them. One way is to reduce the incidence of homicide in certain groups of people. In addition, they are trying to determine why some murders are more common than others and whether these differences lead to better or worse outcomes for victims of homicide.
