Exploring unsolved homicides in Great Britain through the FOIA: implications for practitioner approaches to investigations
The implications of unsolved homicides (UHs) are wide-reaching and impactful for society. Yet, there is limited academic exploration of this phenomenon thus far. The prevalence of UHs, and which victims and homicide circumstances are more common, is also missing from academic discussions. This is a...
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| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2024
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| In: |
The crime data handbook
Year: 2024, Pages: 125-138 |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Keywords: |
| Summary: | The implications of unsolved homicides (UHs) are wide-reaching and impactful for society. Yet, there is limited academic exploration of this phenomenon thus far. The prevalence of UHs, and which victims and homicide circumstances are more common, is also missing from academic discussions. This is a crucial first step in exploring and understanding this crime. Using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), data was requested from all forces in Great Britain (GB), returning a 95 per cent response rate. There are 2,748 UHs across GB and the analyses of 1,160 cases demonstrate areas where research is needed. Males aged between 25 to 35 years, killed in a public location during the hours of 6 pm to 6 am, with injuries consistent with blunt-force trauma, shootings or sharp-force injuries are the most prevalent scenarios within GB’s UHs. These patterns are akin to the yearly homicide rates. However, the Two-Step Cluster Analysis demonstrates that there are several investigative challenges that may be preventing the resolution of all homicides. Five clusters were identified within the UH population, and these primarily centre on the investigative outcome of a case (whether a prosecution was possible or not). Shootings, body disposal attempts and excessive injuries were identified as clusters and indicate where investigators may be presented with challenges. However, this analysis is only a preliminary introduction to this phenomenon, to support further research endeavours. Much more work is required to understand how the identified challenges in this study can be mitigated by investigators and incorporated into their procedural guidance to resolve UHs. |
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| Item Description: | Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 136-138 |
| ISBN: | 9781529232042 |