Behavioural Evidence Analysis In Criminal Investigation

In all crimes, a motive is present. Motive is defined as the emotional, psychological, and material needs that impel and are satisfied by behavior (Turvey, 2011). It is the driving force of our choices and actions, therefore, when it comes to criminal investigation, establishing a motive can help solve crimes. However, some motives are not apparent during the early stages of an investigation and before court proceedings. Without a motive, it would be difficult to prove guilt since the number question needed to be answer for juries are the “whys” in crimes. Therefore, it is extremely important to establish a motive in a case that a jury would believe. In addition, it is also important for criminal investigation personnel to collect and interpret evidence correctly to establish an accurate motive. The Behavioral Evidence Analysis would be the most effective method help with this. Behavioral Evidence Analysis (BEA) is a deductive based strategy that uses evidence from an investigation to determine the offender’s personality and behavioral characteristics. There are four elements in BEA; forensic analysis, victimology, crime scene analysis and offender characteristics. BEA

As mention before, motive is the driving force of our choices and actions. Our choices are fed by our mental needs which govern our behavior. The principle of behavioral motivation explains that no acts is without motivation and that all behavior has underlying causes and origins (Turvey, 2011). Therefore, it is important for an investigator to understand this concept as it would help determine a motive. For example, a son murdered his rich parents to inherit millions of dollars to pay off his gambling debts. He staged a stranger’s home invasion gone wrong to avoid detection and to collect the money. Desperation (cause) was the emotional need which cause the son to murder (action/behavior) his parents to pay of his gambling debt