Victimology First, We Will Need Term Paper

If the victim had a blog or home page then we would of course use that to discover more about her lifestyle, personality, and choice of friends. If she had been a member of an online dating service or similar social networks, then we might discover numerous leads. The victim might have agreed to go on a date with a man she met online and that man might be the perpetrator.

A toxicology report and autopsy should reveal whether the victim had been drinking or using drugs that night. In fact, the victim might have been drinking at the bar near where she was found. We will need to interview employees of that bar who were working on the night of the murder. Her appearance, her state of mind, and her interaction with others at the bar including but not limited to the person(s) she was with might reveal key clues in this investigation. Furthermore, this information will help us piece together information about the victim's lifestyle, habits, and the people she might have been associated with.

The victim's credit card and bank account records should be investigated too. Recent purchases can be clues as to what the victim was doing immediately before the homicide took place. For example, if she had been out to dinner with someone she might have paid for the meal on her credit card. This would allow us to visit the restaurant and interview staff who might have seen the victim on the night of the murder.Staff could identify who she was with at dinner: the companion might be a suspect in the case. Even if she had not eaten out that night, the victim's credit card might reveal where she had eaten in the past few weeks or month, which would yield similar information. Credit card data would also reveal if, when and where the victim went shopping, bought gas, and made daily purchases. At any one of these places the victim might have been seen with the suspect(s). Similarly, if she took cash out of an ATM it might lead us to locations that the suspect(s) might go to regularly. Patterns of purchases reveal lifestyle issues that can clue us into where to look next for clues.

Although the victim was found fully clothed it is essential to find evidence of rape and assault. If it appears she was robbed, then that information will also offer clues about the suspect. Interviews with family members and friends will also reveal keys to her personality and habits that would determine where she was before the murder and who she might have been with. Most likely she was in the area immediately preceding the murder, unless it appears her body had been dumped there. If that were the case we will need to inquire more aggressively about what she does recreationally. Her friends should be able to tell us whether she is more known to spend quiet evenings with friends or go out......