The Weighting Game: Exploring Factors Impacting Detectives' Prioritization of Cold Case Homicides
Date
2016
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Publisher
American Investigative Society of Cold Cases
Abstract
[CVRL Note: this article begins on page 12 of the PDF; also, the section most related to research on victims/co-victims begins on page 14, under the heading Victim Prioritization.] Declining clearance rates are contributing to a growing number of cold case homicides and spawning the generation of designated detectives and specialized units. Despite the attention and resources being assigned to cold case homicides, investigators face caseloads that include daunting missing pieces and unique needs. Therefore detectives must decide which case files they will select to actively investigate. This paper explores multiple factors that may influence their decision making. With major cases, personal experiences and scholarly literature, the writer introduces the impact of nondiscretionary planning, utilizing resource allocation and extralegal factors such as political pressures, ideal victim theory, survivor and communal pressure, and investigators own personal relationships with the case. (Author Abstract)
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Keywords
Synthesis, Homicide Survivors, Murder, Case Management, Prosecution, Evidence, Policy, Police, Law Enforcement, Racial Disparities, Protective Factors, Blame, Blaming, Economic Disparities, High-risk Behavior, Victim-Offender Overlap, Caucasian, White, Criminal History, Victim Input, Community Perceptions, Public Awareness, Secondary Victimization
Citation
Wellman, A. (2016). The Weighting Game: Exploring Factors Impacting Detectives' Prioritization of Cold Case Homicides. Journal of Cold Case Review: 2 (2), 11-15.