NCJ Number
163782
Journal
Justice Quarterly Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1996) Pages: 107-128
Date Published
1996
Length
22 pages
Annotation
The interactions involved in homicides with multiple offenders were studied using data from 102 homicides in Baltimore during 1987, 1988, and 1989.
Abstract
The research used models developed for the analysis of single-offender non-felony homicides and for lethal shootings by police. These models have generally been determined to be applicable to multiple-offender and felony- related homicides as well. Results revealed that multiple- offender homicides were less likely than single-offender homicides to involve character disputes that develop solely during the course of the homicidal interaction. Instead, they more often involve a character or business dispute spread over time, during which the situation evolves toward a lethal outcome. The final decision to use lethal force is commonly made before the offenders enter the final, lethal interaction. Findings indicated that it is important to include an anticipatory phrase into a model of these interactions to emphasize the importance of prior rehearsals in the evolution of many lethal interactions. It is also important to focus on the aftermath of the event to understand more fully the homicide's meaning for the participants. Table, footnotes, and 42 references