Body Part Removal: A Thematic Exploration of UK Homicide Offenses

Almond, Louise, Pell, Connor and McManus, Michelle (2021) Body Part Removal: A Thematic Exploration of UK Homicide Offenses. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE, 36 (11-12). NP6370-NP6389.

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Abstract

Body part removal (BPR) is a rare homicide phenomena, which emerges as a result of a variety of motives. Fifty-eight BPR U.K. homicide cases were analyzed. Findings indicated key characteristics within BPR murder offenses, with most offenders males; aged around 31 years; knew their victims; with presence of alcohol, drugs, and mental health issues; and more than two thirds of the sample had previous convictions, more than 50% for theft. Offense behaviors showed "multiple wounds" and "victim naked" as highest frequency, with the head as the most frequently removed body part. Smallest space analysis (SSA) identified two behavioral themes (expressive and instrumental) with 62.1% of cases classified as one of these. The study has provided the largest U.K. sample of BPR homicide, furthering understanding this type of offense and the offenders who commit it.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Homicide, violent offenders, body part removal, mutiliation, offence behaviors
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	29 Nov 2018 10:20
Last Modified:	19 Jan 2023 01:11
DOI:	10.1177/0886260518814268
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3029158