Potential Sex Murderer

Problems Encountered in the Study of Sexual Murder

• No generally agreed-upon definition
• Many seemingly sexual murders are not really sexually motivated
• Many sexual murders are not overtly sexual
• Distinction between a sexual homicide and a homicide associated with sexual behavior is often blurred
• No national crime statistics exist
• Practical impediments such as incomplete and inaccurate background histories, low base rate, lack of interdisciplinary cooperation, and not being labeled institutionally are common.

Four Types of Sexual Murder

• Outgrowth of sexual conflicts (catathymic)
• Fusion of sex and aggression (compulsive)
• Murder to cover up sex crime
• Sex-related homicide