1. Homicide Investigation
Chapter 13
Warren McLeod, MA, D-ABMDI
South Puget Sound Community College

2. Suicide
Intentional taking of one’s own life.
Risk factors:
Past attempts
History of mental disorders (depression)
History of alcohol/drug use
Family history of suicide *
Family history of child abuse
Impulsive tendencies
Barriers to accessing treatment
Loss *
Illness
Easy access to lethal means
Stigma of treatment

3. Suicide
Cultural/religious beliefs
Isolation
DEPRESSION:
-mood disturbance-sadness/despair/discouragement from personal
loss
Clusters of symptoms:
Emotional
Cognitive
Motivational
Somatic
Emotional/cognitive symptoms affect motivational
symptoms=“paralysis of the will”

4. Suicide
EMOTIONAL:
-sadness
-anxiety
-loss of interest
-eating
-sex
COGNITIVE:
-negative self worth
-despair
-failed
-inferior

5. Suicide
-low esteem
-hopelessness
-doomed
MOTIVATIONAL SYMPTOMS:
-trouble getting started
-passivity/lack of activity
-Paralysis of will
SOMATIC SYMPTOMS:
-biological manifestations
-loss of appetite/interest in sex
-weight loss

6. Suicide
-sleep disturbances
-susceptible to illnesses
OTHER MOTIVES:
-clinical to the bizarre
-life changes
-punish survivors
THE INVESTIGATION:
-more problems
-families embarrassed
-religious reasons
-own guilt

7. Suicide
INVESTIGATIVE CONSIDERATIONS:
Possible?
Weapon/means
-present?
-in hand/within reach
-blow back
-survival time factor
Wounds
Cutting/stabbing
-neck/wrists
-mid & left chest areas/multiple
-hesitation marks
-number v lethality

8. Suicide
Gunshot:
-head/mouth
-chest/abdomen
-powder burns/soot
Hanging:
-Scene plausible?
-Staged?
-ligature marks

9. Suicide
Jumpers:
-landing site
-starting point
Overdoses:
-medication inventory
-bottles
Struck:
-trains
-vehicles
-interview of operators

10. Suicide
Bizarre suicides:
Blasting cap (404)
Fireplace (405)
Self-mutilation (407)
People stick with what they know
Suicide notes:
-Clark County 14%
-direct communications indicating intent
-most often legible/coherent
-sometimes nice to survivors sometimes not

11. Suicide
Notes:
-intent
-content
-prints
-exemplars
-electronic

12. Suicide
PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:
Family/friends/coworkers
-depressed
-verbalize (ideations)
-attempts
-recent mood (s)
-life changes
-recent losses
-financial
- alcohol/drug/gambling
-future plans
-self-imposed isolation

13. Suicide
EXTREME DANGER SIGNS:
-suddenly happy/calm
-giving away possessions
-past tense

14. Suicide
FINAL EXIT:
-victim-facilitated
Two parts:
-self-deliverance
II. Euthansia involving doctors and nurses
-Dr. Jack
-meds
-letters
-STAGING!!!!!!

16. Suicide
SUICIDE-BY-COP
-police colloquialism
-reduces sin/stigma
-simple/no courage
-social conscious

17. Suicide
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OF SUICIDE BY COP:
1. Grandiosity
2. Parent figure
3. “Super cause”