This variable is borrowed
from Hazelwood & Warren (2001) and describes the setting or situation the
offender fantasizes about and attempts to enact during his criminal
behaviors. As is true of the other variables, the situational component is a
continuum that can describe any number of desired settings or situations.
Many serial murderers seem to need some sort of dominance and control and
will choose to plan settings and situations which will enable them to
methodically capture, control (through bondage devices) and torture their
victims. The question to ask when attempting to determine the situational
variable to the particular offender begins with asking, "What setting does
the offender wish to achieve by creating an environment?" The answer or
answers are not easy because only the offender knows for certain, however an
overt interaction with another variable will allow one to provide an opinion
It was stated recently at a course I was attending at the Academy Group that
the fantasies of an offender mimic the production of a play. The fantasy,
like a script is developed, many times in childhood, and then practiced over
time. Most often the situational variable will require the defining of roles
by the offender, which will require the use of props or careful planning to
create the fantasized situation. Again, this is like the production of a
play. While enacting this play or shortly thereafter, the offender will
maintain those parts of the fantasy or fantasies that are appealing and/or
satisfy a psychological need while the aspects of the fantasy that are not
satisfying or appealing are disregarded or replaced over the course of time
until the fantasized script is perfected. There are many, myself included,
that believe serial murderers continue to commit the act of homicide due to
the enactments not meeting the expectations of the fantasy.
There are numerous examples of serial murderers constructing holding
environments for victims such as underground bunkers, modified basements or
garages or trailers. Some of these torture chambers are extremely
elaborate to include dentist chairs, video equipment and several forms of
restraint devices. One serial murderer went so far as to construct a hotel
with chutes leading to the basement and an incinerator for body disposal. In
cases such as these, the situational variable would interact with the
fantasy variable due to the elaborate planning and fantasizing necessary to
obtain an environment that will enable the offender to satisfy the intensity
of violence equal to his fantasies.
The abovementioned setting describes serial murderers that are on the
extreme end of the violence variable, which demonstrates an interaction
through criminal acts. There are however serial murderers that are not
aggressively violent yet kill many victims. These offenders kill their
victims in medical or home settings and attempt to make the death appear to
be a natural death. They may do this through lethal injections, creating
otherwise overlooked injuries that cause infections and asphyxiation. Sadly
enough, most of these offenders are paid employees of a medical team
entrusted to care for individuals.
In cases where the offender kills victims by these means, it is my opinion
that there can be several underlying motives and will interact with the
situational variable. If the offender simply wanted to kill a victim, they
could do so anywhere, yet they choose to do so within the confines of a
medical setting. This can be done for any number of reasons, however the
offender demonstrates a situational component by continuing to kill at the
medical setting. This may also demonstrate an interaction with the
self-perceptional and power variables if the offender has a "God-complex"
and is killing to satisfy a need to decide those who live and die.
I would like to attempt to make a list of "settings" others have identified
by offenders through the course of your study. If you would like to
add to the list, use the link below to contact Bryan and I will add it here.
Torture Chamber
Medical Setting
Hunting Ground
Prison
Execution Scene (gas chamber, hanging, beheading, lethal injection)
Concentration Camp
Home (similar to childhood memory of home)
References
Hazelwood, R., & Warren, J. (Editors) (2001). Practical aspects of rape
investigation: A multidisciplinary approach (3rd ed.). Boca Raton, FL:
CRC Press.
E-mail your questions or suggestions to
Bryan Nelson
