Motive Behavioral Evidence Analysis

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Motive and intent are two crucial elements that establish if a crime occurred, the reasoning behind a crime, and the desired outcome of ones actions. While each describes a different aspect of the crime they are both extremely important when attempting to determine who the offender is. They are both also detrimental to a trial and without motive a case becomes weak and without intent sometimes a crime cannot even be proven. When trying to successfully discover who the offender is and then prosecute them, both motive and intent are crucial. According to Brent Turvey, the author of Criminal Profiling an Introduction to Behavioral Evidence Analysis, motive is defined as the “emotional, psychological, and material needs that impel and are satisfied…show more content…
Juries will take into consideration evidence of motive, or evidence of the lack of motive during criminal trials. Criminal motives are often inferred by reasoning from the facts discovered during an investigation. Sometimes the offender reveals the motive during an interview, but often it is determined by studying the crime scene, the victim, and the offender’s behavior. 313. Behavioral evidence at a crime scene is examined to reveal the motive or motives of the offender. Crime scene motives are “fixed in time in relation to a particular event” so they will not change. These motives should not be used to conclude specific insights about the offender “except when extraordinary and explicit behavioral evidence regarding the offender is gathered at the scene or in relation to the crime.”314. Examples of extraordinary circumstances in which insights can be inferred include a videotape of the offender with the victim, messages written by the offender, a reserve of pornography gathered by the offender, a confession, or documentation of the offender’s verbal behavior. If behavioral evidence points to a motive then the motive is attached to…show more content…
A person commits a criminal act with intent when their conscious objective or purpose is to partake in an illegal act. There are two types of intent, specific and general. Specific intent is intent to achieve a certain result. It also refers to a special state of mind required by the offender, and a physical act to comprise a certain crime. Specific intent is also described as knowingly and intentionally committing an illegal act. Common larceny, for example, requires a physical and mental aspect. The offender must physical take and carry away the property of another and mentally have the specific intent to steal the property. The second type of intent general intent only requires showing that a defendant intended to do the act prohibited by the law. General intent does not require showing that a defendant intended the harm or result that occurred because of the

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