The Application Of Forensic Leisure Science To Homicide Research

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The Power of Imagination
After solving the “Whodunit?” of any murder crime, what follows is a general curiosity of why such crime was committed in the first place. What would drive any “normal” or “ordinary” person to take the life of another human being? Most importantly, it is worth noting that every individual has a tendency for murder - a crime that warrants capital punishment. However, when an individual decides to kill people habitually, we are inclined to dig further into the sadistic mind and behaviour of the killer.
In his article “Entering the Minds of Serial Murderers: The Application of Forensic Leisure Science to Homicide Research,” D. J. Williams, states that in the mind of a serial killer, murder is a form of leisure that stems …show more content…

Williams and Murray view that the killer devotes a lot of time into planning the “perfect” murder as relayed in fantasy. To the killer, the psychological rewards reaped for enacting the crime as imagined is sacred and as such any deviation from the “script” would bring about intense dissatisfaction, anxiety and depression to the killer (Malizia, 2017).
In the event of planning the murder, the killer engages in “leisure” activities that involve watching pornography, engaging in chat rooms that promote violent commentary and might even go as far as killing animals or rehearsing killings on dolls or mannequins. This planning phase is just as crucial as the actual act of the murder itself. This is when the killer “mentally anticipates the effects of his actions” (Malizia, 2017). The killer then executes the homicide, choosing the victim, the place and even how the victim is to be …show more content…

With fantasy being the driving force that makes the possible killer commit serial homicide, it is can has been noted that such indulgence cannot be completely hidden in public. This is because these abnormal behavioural patterns can only be developed over a long period of time. With this in mind, the general public should be made aware of these factors and make the effort to curbing such deviant behaviours in individuals so that future crime can be prevented as research is carried out and behavioural studies are implemented in various settings in society (institutions, family counselling, offices, schools,

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