title: Juvenile and adult offenders arrested for sexual homicide: an analysis of victim-offender relationship and weapon used by race.
abstract: Limited information is available on racial offending patterns of sexual homicide offenders (SHOs). This study used a 30-year U.S. Supplementary Homicide Reports sample of SHOs arrested in single-victim situations (N = 3745). The analysis strength was used to determine whether the findings yielded meaningful patterns for offender profiling. Several important findings emerged for the juvenile offenders. Juvenile White SHOs were likely to target victims with whom they shared a mutual relationship. In contrast, Black juveniles were equally likely to murder strangers and those with whom they had prior and familial relationships. Notably, no juvenile Black SHOs were arrested for murdering intimate partners. Juvenile White SHOs were twice as likely to use edged weapons as their Black counterparts. Black juveniles, conversely, were more likely than White juveniles to use personal weapons. Beyond these findings, known victim-offender relationships and weapon used may not have significant utility for investigators in identifying the SHO race, even after controlling for offender age. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Criminology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue SOC 107, Tampa, FL 33620-8100, USA. hchan@mail.usf.edu
authors.forename: Heng Choon Oliver
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Heide
authors.forename: Wade C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Myers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054041:Weapons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult