Research Design Memo: Homicide

Morgan Billingslea-Walker

Prof. Charles Loeffler

Criminology 410

27 October 2015

Research Design Memo

Research Question

According to the CDC (2013), in 2013 alone, over 16,000 people died as a result of homicide. Researchers have tried to shed light on the facts surrounding these crimes, in an effort to uncover more about homicide (Ressler, 1988; Decker, 1996; Kerr, 2013; Daly, 2013). This could lead to possible policy applications that could help reduce homicide rates. We have come to know motives like spousal conflicts, mental illness, revenge, hedonism, etc. Homicide as a contagion is an issue that has seen minimal research. There has been extensive research done pointing to suicide as a contagion, showing an epidemic-like spread. However,

One needs to determine if the respective offenders had any prior knowledge of the initial homicide before committing their own homicide. This could be less of a necessity the more unique and specific the initial murder’s signature is. For instance, if the initial killer strangled his victim(s) with a scarf as opposed to wire or rope etc., subsequent homicides by strangulation, using a scarf, can be tentatively categorized as a copycat even absent of the report or survey data.

There has been a notable self-report study specifically done on copycat crime and it covers most serious and violent crimes, though not solely homicide (Surette, 2002). Although it may not be feasible given the time constraints of this project, it would be beneficial, if not essential, for future research to be centered on constructing a self-report survey specifically aimed at those convicted of homicide. The survey would cover a range of parameters, including motive and explanation of the method(s) used. This survey data could be supplemented- and corroborated- with police

In the event that a survey response and/or police report indicates, for example, that a man killed his wife with a gun after seeing/hearing about a man killing his wife by strangulation. Do we exclude him based on method alone? It is possible that he copied the act of murder itself and not method. However, does that then change the very nature of what a copycat crime really is? Besides, can we rely on reports and surveys alone? Furthermore, it is entirely possible that survey data and/or police reports cannot be collected (people have the right to decline responding and police are not always cooperative). As mentioned previously, it is near impossible to definitively conclude that some homicides are copycat in nature. Survey data and police reports seek to minimize this uncertainty, but cannot be relied on 100% of the time (after all, people lie and police reports are not always as detailed as we would