The term “overkill” has made frequent appearances in classic and contemporary studies of homicide.
This will allow both researchers and practitioners to determine presence as well as utility of the term to investigators. Before valid research can be done to back up the hypothesis that overkill is a salient feature to focus on at the crime scene, or before overkill as key evidence can be collected and used as part of the crime scene analysis process, a clear, valid and reliable definition of the concept needs to be agreed on. 11) state that overkill is one crime scene characteristic that may “lead the investigator to a specific homicide category and thus a possible motive for the offense.” Thus, the authors suggest overkill can be directly applied in investigations however, the reliability, validity and utility of any variable is naturally correlated with its objectivity, highlighting the need for a clear definition. Studies have utilized the term “overkill” as indicative of offender motivation, as a characteristic of a particular type or sub-type of homicide, and as suggestive of the nature of the victim–offender relationship.
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