Sexual Murder - Justicia Forense

wrapped his wife’s body in a tarpaulin. “I don’t remember covering the bodyup. I think, looking back at it, I probably put her under the tarp to protect heragainst flies and insects. I loved her.”Her body was eventually found in a wooded area. Her trousers and underpantshad been pulled down below her hips, and her shirt and bra had beenpulled up to her neck, exposing her breasts. Mrs. E’s clothing was drenched inblood, but there was little or no blood on the ground directly beneath her,indicating that the body had been moved. According to the autopsy, the victimdied as a result of 23 blows to the head by a hammer, causing multiple skullfractures and injury to her brain.When asked why the body was moved into the woods about 100 yards fromhis home, EE said, “That was my place to meditate. I loved her still.” When askedwhy her blouse was pulled up and her pants pulled down, he stated, “I think Iwanted to see if somebody had intercourse that night. I think that’s why. I wantedto see her breasts. If it was a lesbian, it would show some redness from fondlingor from another girl’s mouth.”When Mrs. E failed to show up for work the next morning, co-workersbecame concerned since she was usually very punctual. Her supervisor telephonedher home and spoke with EE who said he had been working on hiscomputer until 2:30 a.m. and did not know whether or not his wife had returnedhome. “He then related that his tarpaulin, used to cover his lawn mower, wasmissing, and expressed the hope that no one had killed and raped his wife,wrapped her up in a tarpaulin, and dumped her by the side of the road — orwords to that effect.”The homicide itself was unplanned and occurred in a state of rage, withinthe context of marital strife and a bizarre belief that his wife might have beenhaving a lesbian relationship with her secretary. EE’s behavior following thehomicide indicates that he had tried to make the crime appear to be a sexualmurder — a common attempt to redirect an investigation away from oneself.However, he quickly abandoned this approach the next day and led policedirectly to the body.Although this was not a sexually motivated murder, there is a sexual elementnoted throughout. Not only did he have a strange belief that his wife was alesbian, but his figure drawings of people with exposed genitalia reveal a sexualpreoccupation (see Figure 3.2). In addition, EE got into a dispute with hisattorneys, claiming “They told me if I did not plead guilty to a lesser charge, Iwill be sentenced to state prison where I would be forced to become the homosexualwife of some hardened criminal.” EE had no prior psychological orpsychiatric history. His intelligence fell within the superior range (full-scale IQ= 125); compulsive personality traits, characterized by a need for order andcontrol, were found.Situational homicides are relatively common and in most cases quitestraightforward with obvious and clear motives. Some situational murders,however, are exceptionally complex, so that all levels of motivation often