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Attributes and behavioral patterns of female homicide offenders have been less explored than those of males, particularly in crimes that involve aggravating factors such as dismemberment and mutilation. This study explored the patterns of female murderers who engage in postmortem dismemberment and/or mutilation of victims, contrasting these with the patterns of males who display these same behaviors. Cases were obtained from Radford‐Florida Gulf Coast University Database and public sources, and then analyzed for specific characteristics of the crimes. An informational form was used to derive quantitative parameters. Statistical significance between sex and variables such as motive, dismemberment/mutilation style, and level of organization during the crime were examined. The majority of the cases were consistent with a defensive style. However, 23% of the cases involving females followed an offensive style compared to 33% among males. The nature of prior relationships between offenders and their victims was noteworthy, with the victims of males being largely strangers and the victims of females being primarily known to them. In comparison to males, females were markedly organized. These differences may emphasize aspects of psychological drives and pleasure‐seeking that was more commonly seen among men, who often targeted strangers and were motivated by sadism in 25% of the cases. Dismemberment perpetrated by women primarily followed a defensive style that aimed to dispose of evidence, which would be congruent with the assumption that the murder occurred within a prior background of interpersonal partner violence toward the female perpetrator or other family members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classification of violent behavior, including dismemberment and mutilation, has become increasingly more significant. This study uses a data‐driven classification system based upon knowledge drawn from the pertinent literature, and examination of cases of offenders who have dismembered or mutilated their victims. The latter were extracted from the Serial Killer Database, as well as media sources, and assessed for characteristics of the perpetrators and victim(s). An informational form was developed and used to establish quantitative parameters and objectively extract pertinent information that could be used for comparison and pattern analysis. Motives and styles, as well as the organized/disorganized dichotomy for murder and dismemberment/mutilation, were examined for each case. The majority of cases demonstrated defensive styles (60%), with the second most common being offensive styles (26%), which differs from previous studies that do not exclude older cases. Additionally, 68% of cases reflected organized patterns for both murder and the acts of dismemberment or mutilation. The results support a data‐driven classification system that may serve as a foundational model for the investigation of specific motives of this type of deviant behavior in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannibalism is a practice that has been present in numerous cultures. Personal cause or criminal cannibalism is arguably one of the most unfathomable acts which an individual might perpetrate. This study examined the patterns of those who engage in cannibalism in comparison to those who posthumously dismember or mutilate their victims but do not consume their flesh. Cases were extracted from the Serial Killer Database, as well as media sources, and assessed for characteristics of the perpetrators. An informational form was developed and used to establish quantitative parameters and objectively extract pertinent information that could be used for comparison and pattern analysis. Variables including motives, styles, and level of organization during the crime were examined for each case. The majority of the cannibalism cases were consistent with an offensive style (56.7%), while cases in the dismemberment-only group were marked by a defensive style (66.7%). Whereas the majority of dismemberment/mutilation cases have the ultimate goal of disposing of evidence, the dataset demonstrated that cannibal cases are primarily planned, organized and driven by sadism. The findings support two primary patterns among cannibalistic offenders: 'psychosis-driven, disorganized and aggressive' and 'sadism-driven, organized and offensive'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]