Exploring the criminal histories of stranger sexual killers

Abstract

Although sexual homicide is receiving increasing research attention, few studies have examined the criminal histories of sexual killers in any detail. This study examined the criminal histories of 81 British stranger sexual killers to determine whether they were generalist, specialists or both and whether their criminal histories reflected violent, sexual, marginality and over control pathways. Results found most stranger sexual killers were generalist offenders and sexual homicide was part of a varied criminal repertoire and non-sexual crimes predominate. This 'antisocial orientation' means future offending may not be limited to sexual violence. Criminal histories reflected the violent, sexual, marginality and over control pathways, but offenders in the violent pathway were more criminally orientated. The clinical and investigative implications of these findings were considered as they suggest knowledge of the criminal histories of stranger sexual killers is an important consideration for criminal justice professionals.

Sexual Homicides in China: Exploring the Offender, Victim, and Offense Characteristics

“…Underreport in the data sources is possible. For instance, the lack of a criminal history in sexual murderers in this study is in contrast to the existing literature whereby studies indicate that criminal histories are common among sexual murderers (e.g., Beauregard & Martineau, 2013; Greenall & Richardson, 2015; Greenall & Wright, 2015; Häkkänen-Nyholm et al, 2009).…”

Nonstranger and Stranger Sexual Homicides in Mainland China: Comparing the Modus Operandi of Male Sexual Murderers

“…To date, only a handful of studies in sexual homicide have examined the victim-offender relationship as a dependent variable (e.g., nonstranger vs. stranger sexual homicides). For instance, the studies of Greenall and colleagues (Greenall & Richardson, 2015;Greenall & Wright, 2015;, who analyzed nonserial sexual homicides committed by British SHOs, are among the very few to have specifically studied sexual homicides committed against strangers. Petherick and Turvey (2009) suggested that SHOs target strangers for two primary reasons: (1) to avoid detection (i.e., a rational decision made by "precautionary murderers" to select victims who match a predetermined set of criteria), and (2) to seize an opportunity (i.e., as part of the routine activities of "convenience murderers," who come across their victims by opportunity and proximity).…”

“…To date, only a handful of studies in sexual homicide have examined the victim–offender relationship as a dependent variable (e.g., nonstranger vs. stranger sexual homicides). For instance, the studies of Greenall and colleagues ( Greenall & Richardson, 2015 ; Greenall & Wright, 2015 ; 2020 ), who analyzed nonserial sexual homicides committed by British SHOs, are among the very few to have specifically studied sexual homicides committed against strangers.…”

Criminals on the road? An exploratory study of those convicted of causing death by dangerous driving in Taipei City, Taiwan, 2014−2018

“…Other researchers have used the ‘diversity index’ (DI) to calculate diversity scores typically ranging from 0 to 1, with scores closer to 1 indicating greater diversity. The DI is a way of measuring offence specialization over a fixed period, ‘[B]y which the proportion of each offence type committed is determined’ (Greenhall and Wright, 2015: 247; see also Soothill et al, 2009). The diversity score is calculated using the formula ( k − 1)/ k , where k is the number of offence categories.…”