Deck 14: Case Linkage: Offender Modus Operandi and Signature

Question 1

Two women murdered in their homes, in generally the same fashion, in the same community, over the course of a year. This evidences what type of behavioral linkage?
a. A probative link
b. An investigative link
c. Behavioral commonality
d. Behavioral dissimilarity

Answer 1

An investigative link

Question 2

Which of the following is true regarding offender signature?
a. It is a repetitive behavior
b. It is always part of the offender's MO
c. It is unnecessary for the completion of the crime
d. It always involves an expression of fantasy

Answer 2

It is unnecessary for the completion of the crime

Question 3

Signature behaviors are functional in nature.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Offender signature and signature behavior are synonymous terms.

Question 5

Which of the following is true regarding signature behavior?
a. An offender may not always leave signature behaviors behind
b. An offender may engage in precautionary acts that conceal the evidence of signature behaviors
c. Evidence of offender behavior may be lost, overlooked, or destroyed by forensic personnel and criminal investigators
d. All of the above

Question 6

Behavioral evidence can be used like fingerprints or DNA with respect to determining with certainty that the same person must be responsible for two or more crimes.

Question 7

What principle of behavioral evidence analysis states that different offenders do similar things for different reasons?
a. The principle of multidetermination
b. The principle of behavioral variance
c. The principle of uniqueness
d. The principle of separation

Question 8

Which of the following is not an example of an X-factor?
a. Weapon malfunction
b. Unexpected witnesses
c. Increased security
d. All of the above are examples of X-factors

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of a passive signature behavior?
a. Specific and repeated victim type
b. Notes left at the scene
c. Overkill
d. Specific and repeated weapons that go beyond mere function

Question 10

Two convenience robberies occur in broad daylight. Both involve a .357-magnum handgun and both involve an offender wearing a mask. This evidences what type of behavioral linkage?
a. Behavioral dissimilarity
b. An investigative linkage
c. Behavioral commonality
d. A probative link

Question 11

All crimes contain evidence of signature behavior.

Question 12

Case linkage involves establishing and comparing which of the following?
a. Physical evidence
b. Victimology
c. Motivation
d. All of the above

Question 13

Offender signature refers to the pattern or cluster of which of the following?
a. MO behaviors
b. Signature behaviors
c. Motivations
d. All of the above

Question 14

What type of analysis is conducted during an ongoing investigation while facts are still being established?
a. Investigative
b. Forensic
c. All of the above
d. None of the above

Question 15

Case linkage is often seen in both forensic and investigative contexts.

Question 16

With respect to behavioral evidence, case linkage efforts have typically hinged on what two concepts?
a. Physical evidence and crime scene characteristics
b. Victimology and physical evidence
c. MO and signature
d. Physical evidence and motivation

Question 17

Which of the following is not a purpose of MO behaviors.
a. Protection of offender identity
b. Successful completion of the crime
c. Fulfilling a psychological need of the offender
d. Facilitation of offender escape

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of a destabilizing MO factor.
a. Professional experience
b. Criminal experience
c. The media
d. Use of controlled substances

Question 19

Which of the following is not considered an MO behavior?
a. Multiple offenders
b. Presurveillance of a crime
c. Taking a souvenir from the scene
d. The failure to use a condom during an offense

Question 20

An_________ refers to any unplanned influence that can affect crime scene behavior during an offense.

A) Interrupted offense
B) Incomplete offense
C) X-factor
D) Offense gone wrong

Question 21

Case Study
?Modus operandi MO) refers to the manner in which a crime has been committed. A criminal's modus operandi is made up of choices and behaviors that are intended to assist the criminal in the completion of the crime.
An offender's MO is a function of fortifying factors and destabilizing factors.
i. Fortifying factors are common ways that offenders may learn how to more skillfully commit crimes, evade capture, and conceal their identity. Examples include: educational and technical materials, criminal experience, and the media.
ii. Destabilizing factors are common ways that an offender's MO can de-evolve or destabilize over time. Examples include deteriorating mental state, use of controlled substances, and offender mood.
Review the following paragraphs and answer the questions below.
Offender A covers a victim's face with her own shirt during a rape. This behavior is part of a psychological desire, facilitating a fantasy that the victim is another person.
Offender B covers a victim's face with her own shirt during as part of a functional need to keep the victim from seeing his face and identifying him at a later time.
Covering the victim's face is considered a signature behavior in which of the above examples? Explain.

Question 22

Crimes that evidence a probative link do not contain behavioral dissimilarities.

Question 23

It is the nature of the dissimilarities that are of greater weight and importance to rendering linkage conclusions.

Question 24

Signature behaviors are rare.

Question 25

Explain the difference between signature behavior and offender signature.

Question 26

Signature needs and MO needs can be satisfied by the same behavior.

Question 27

Explain the difference between active signature behaviors and passive signature behaviors. Provide one example of each.
e.g., stalking, harassment)
iii. Jealous or self-deprecating language or scripting

Question 28

An investigative linkage is sufficient to suggest a behavioral commonality.

Question 29

Case Study
?Modus operandi MO) refers to the manner in which a crime has been committed. A criminal's modus operandi is made up of choices and behaviors that are intended to assist the criminal in the completion of the crime.
An offender's MO is a function of fortifying factors and destabilizing factors.
i. Fortifying factors are common ways that offenders may learn how to more skillfully commit crimes, evade capture, and conceal their identity. Examples include: educational and technical materials, criminal experience, and the media.
ii. Destabilizing factors are common ways that an offender's MO can de-evolve or destabilize over time. Examples include deteriorating mental state, use of controlled substances, and offender mood.
Review the following paragraphs and answer the questions below.
Offender A covers a victim's face with her own shirt during a rape. This behavior is part of a psychological desire, facilitating a fantasy that the victim is another person.
Offender B covers a victim's face with her own shirt during as part of a functional need to keep the victim from seeing his face and identifying him at a later time.
Covering the victim's face is considered an MO behavior in which of the above examples? Explain.

Question 30

Case Study
?Modus operandi MO) refers to the manner in which a crime has been committed. A criminal's modus operandi is made up of choices and behaviors that are intended to assist the criminal in the completion of the crime.
An offender's MO is a function of fortifying factors and destabilizing factors.
i. Fortifying factors are common ways that offenders may learn how to more skillfully commit crimes, evade capture, and conceal their identity. Examples include: educational and technical materials, criminal experience, and the media.
ii. Destabilizing factors are common ways that an offender's MO can de-evolve or destabilize over time. Examples include deteriorating mental state, use of controlled substances, and offender mood.
Review the following paragraphs and answer the questions below.
Offender A covers a victim's face with her own shirt during a rape. This behavior is part of a psychological desire, facilitating a fantasy that the victim is another person.
Offender B covers a victim's face with her own shirt during as part of a functional need to keep the victim from seeing his face and identifying him at a later time.
Explain the difference between signature behavior and MO.