U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Motives in a Triple Spree Homicide

NCJ Number
232497
Journal
Victims and Offenders Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2008 Pages: 114-125
Author(s)
Leonard I. Morgenbesser; Ann W. Burgess; Mark E. Safarik
Date Published
January 2008
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article describes the analysis of multiple motives in a triple spree homicide.
Abstract
Juries, criminologists, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, and the lay public like to know the motive for a murderespecially when there are unusual features such as multiple victims, extensive injuries, or unexplainable acts to the bodies. However, many times the motive is not readily available from the murderer because he does not confess or he does not consciously know why he killed. The following case describes the analysis of multiple motives in a triple spree homicide committed in a very short time frame. Robbery was the primary motive for the first victim and sexual homicide was the motive for the second and third victims. (Published Abstract)