Article 105 of the Criminal Code provides for criminal liability for committing crimes especially dangerous for society. Their disclosure requires the high professionalism of the police officers and the operative-investigative workers assisting them. The methodology for the investigation of murders - forensics - includes various measures to identify the perpetrators of the crime, to compile a picture of what happened. The most important element of the characteristics of acts are information about the methods of their commission. Consider further the features of the murder investigation.
Types of crime
Article 105 of the Criminal Code defines the categories of acts, in accordance with which this or that preventive measure is established. Among the crimes committed are committed:
- On household soil.
- With a mercenary purpose.
- Of revenge.
- In order to conceal another crime.
- From hooligan motives and so on.
Classification by methods of commission
The method of investigating the killings is aimed at establishing how the actions were carried out that resulted in the death of the victim. Crimes associated with the deliberate infliction of death through the defeat of vital systems and organs are committed, as a rule, by causing bodily harm. For this, stabbing-cutting, gunshot, blunt and stabbing cold, chopping weapons, as well as various heavy objects can be used. The death of the victim may be caused by bringing him into a helpless state or using the inability to resist, followed by harm to health and life. In particular, it is about strangulation, leaving in dangerous conditions, drowning, poisoning (gas, poison, and so on). Crimes are committed by dropping a person from a height, throwing him out of a moving vehicle, etc. The method of investigating murders includes methods to identify the area of damage that caused death. In particular, injuries can be multiple or single, they can lead to death immediately or after a while. In addition, crimes can be accompanied by cutting off limbs, parts of the body, cutting organs. Each such method is associated with subjects - potential suspects - and appears as an element of a common characteristic.
Circumstances to be established and proved
The methodology for investigating murders should be focused on identifying the following facts:
- Was an act committed, resulting in death. If it was, then what is its mechanism, what caused the death, what time did it come.
- Under what circumstances, where, when and in what way the crime was committed, how the traces were hidden.
- Who is guilty of murder. If the act is committed by a group, what is the degree of participation of each criminal, how are they characterized.
- Are there aggravating or mitigating circumstances?
- Who is the victim, how is he characterized, what is his relationship with the killer.
- Guilty, purpose and motive of the crime.
- What is the size and nature of the damage caused.
- The circumstances that contributed to the commission of the act.
Kill investigation steps
There are initial and subsequent operational-search actions. As urgent events are:
- Inspection of the place where the crime was committed, the corpse (the remains, bones).
- Forensic examination of the body and material evidence.
- Interrogation of persons who discovered the corpse or its remains.
The methodology for the investigation of murders provides for the collection, generalization, investigation of material evidence, items of importance for identifying the perpetrators and compiling a picture of what happened. It happens that the body is not recognized. In these cases, the homicide investigation department takes steps to identify the deceased. Various persons are invited for identification, verification of applications filed with the police regarding the disappearance of citizens of a similar age and gender is carried out. If possible, fingerprints of the deceased are taken, the appearance is described, signs are revealed (tattoos, scars, etc.). Based on the data obtained, the information bases of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are checked.
Forensic medical examination
The forensic investigation of the killings involves various procedures. Forensic medical examination is one of the key elements of operational investigative work. In practice, there are cases when mysterious murders occur. In such situations, the expert opinion is of great importance. Using modern methods, experts examine all the materials that can be obtained at the crime scene. However, it also happens that mysterious murders remain unsolved. In practice, such cases are not common. As a rule, employees during the implementation of operational-search measures identify the perpetrators and hold them accountable. Investigation of contract killings is not complete without examination. As part of the search activities, a traological, ballistic study is carried out. Specialists study weapons, explosives, documents and other items related to the crime.
Interrogations
In some cases, the initial actions of investigators are not to inspect the scene of the incident, but to interview individuals who are in any way connected with the deceased. They can be colleagues, relatives, acquaintances, and others. In addition, other citizens who may know something about the incident are interrogated. Officers ask witnesses questions about the victim’s lifestyle, physical and mental condition, occupation, and so on. Interrogations allow you to outline a circle of people who might be interested in death. Thanks to this, in turn, directions for further action are determined.
Corpse inspection
As a rule, the investigation of the crime scene begins with it. Inspection of the corpse is primary if serial killings are being investigated. Such cases are related by common signs. For example, murders can be committed after rape or the offender, having killed the victim, cuts off a certain part of the body. A corpse is examined by a medical examiner. In his absence, the examination is performed by another competent doctor. The whole body and its natural openings are examined, the clothes of the deceased. During the examination of fragments, the smallest micro-tracks are revealed, which subsequently make it possible to determine not only the mechanism for committing the crime, but also to identify the killer, but also the scene of the incident if the body was found in another territory. During the inspection, experts pay attention to various, including negative factors, which may indicate a dramatization. In particular, this may be the mismatch of the clothes of the corpse of the year, the absence of pollution inherent in such killings, an artificial change in the situation, and so on.
Interrogation of a suspect
At the next stage of the investigation, when a citizen appears, who is involved as an accused, the number of witnesses increases, additional examinations are carried out when new evidence and traces are discovered, and the testimony of the accused (suspect) is also checked. During interrogations, operatives need to obtain information that they can subsequently use to clarify and supplement the available information. The employees of the investigation department check the personality characteristics of the accused, the facts referred to by the persons involved in solving the crime. One of the most important sources of information is the testimony of the suspect. The tactics of interrogation of this person is based on the materials already collected against him. If there are gaps in the evidence, the task of the operatives is reduced to the most thoughtful use of existing information to obtain as much new information as possible.
Important point
The interrogation of the accused has features. The tactics of the conversation is based on whether the person admits his guilt partially or completely or denies it. In the first two cases, the investigators, detailing his testimony, reveal facts that only the criminal can know, and circumstances that can be verified and confirmed by the available evidence. All this allows you to establish guilt, even if subsequently the accused refuses his words. If there is an alibi, it must be carefully checked. If the defendants change their testimony, the next interrogation will be constructed in the same way as in the guilty plea.
Psychiatric analysis
This type of forensic examination is considered one of the most significant. It is carried out at the next stage of the investigation, since, as a rule, killers have certain deviations. The need for a psychiatric examination is usually determined by simulating a nervous disease, staying in the appropriate clinic in the past, as well as in the absence of motive, common sense and the presence of special cruelty in the actions of the offender.
The importance of action
The main investigative measures include inspection, interrogation of witnesses, the accused and the suspect, examinations, and confrontations. A thoroughly prepared, timely examination of the place where the crime was committed or a corpse was found several times increases the detection rate. These actions should be carried out at the initial stage of the investigation. They allow you to record the signs of a crime, collect all available materials and evidence, and often find the culprit in hot pursuit. All of these activities require investigative staff to be responsive and responsive. This is important, in particular, in cases where the offender has taken certain measures to hide the traces.
Crime control
A set of administrative, organizational and legal measures can positively affect the effectiveness of measures to prevent serious crimes. In particular, it should:
- Adopt and implement regulations governing the safety of victims and witnesses.
- Eliminate cases of criminal prosecution only cases that are guaranteed to be disclosed.
- Maintain in the authorized bodies a full account of all information that is of interest to operational services.
- Equip forensic units with the necessary materials and equipment, increase the level of knowledge of employees.
Finally
The article discusses the general method of investigating serious crimes. In this or that case, experts select specific events on their own, based on experience and taking into account the need for a comprehensive study of the case. This, in turn, requires high professionalism, responsibility and in-depth knowledge of their work from employees. Unsolved murders will indicate a low quality of operational measures, an insufficient level of training for employees, and their low qualifications. The key to the effectiveness of the investigation is the consistency in the actions of authorized employees. Of particular importance in this case is the degree of interaction between the wanted officers and the investigator, which consists in analyzing the source data, developing versions, planning and implementing a set of operational actions.