Frequency of Serial Sexual Homicide Victimization in Virginia for a Ten-Year Period

• NCJ Number: 206379
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 49 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2004 Pages: 529-533
• Author(s): James J. McNamara M.S.; Robert J. Morton M.S.
• Date Published: May 2004
• Length: 5 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Using the target population of homicide victims in Virginia known to law enforcement from January 1, 1987, through December 1996, this study sought to determine the number of serial sexual murder victims in the State during this period.

Abstract

A tiered system was used to link cases that involved victims of serial sexual murders. In the case experience of the special agents in the FBI's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, the serial sexual killer eroticizes violence that can lead directly or indirectly to murder. In sexual murder, the goal is to kill the victim as part of a ritualized attack. For this type of offender, the primary motivation is acting out the sexual fantasy that has preoccupied him for some time. The tiered system used in the current study consisted of three types of case linkage: forensic (evidence collected at the crime scene); legal (offender has been legally convicted of serial sexual murders); and behavioral (offender's behavioral patterns across murders are similar). For the period studied, the number of murders in Virginia ranged from a low of 437 in 1987 to a high of 584 in 1991. The total number of murders for the 10-year period was 5,183. Two groups of victims of serial sexual killers were identified: the victims of known offenders and the victims of unknown offenders. Five known serial sexual killers were identified as killing 24 victims. The most prolific known offender was an African-American male who victimized young African-American or White adult males. This offender was linked to 12 victims (6 White and 6 African-American) who were between the ages of 21 and 38. One unknown serial sexual killer was responsible for four victims. All of the victims were older White females. Only 0.5 percent of the victims of murder in Virginia over the 10-year period were known to be victims of serial sexual killers. 5 tables and 28 references