Mixed Scene
Definition
A scene with both organised and disorganised features. Canter (2004) showed this is the majority case, which is why the dichotomy is now treated as a spectrum.
Related terms
- Disorganised Offender
- FBI BSU category. Spontaneous, weapon of opportunity, chaotic scene, evidence everywhere. Suggests stress, mental illness or proximity to the scene.
- Holmes Typology
- Four-type serial-killer classification by Holmes & Holmes (1988): visionary, mission, hedonistic (lust/thrill/comfort sub-types), and power-control.
- Motivation
- The internal driver behind a criminal act: what the offender was trying to achieve, consciously or otherwise. Lust, anger, power, profit, ideology...
- Organised Offender
- FBI BSU category. Premeditated, brought weapon, controlled the scene, removed evidence. Suggests planning, social competence and a learning curve across offences.
- Typology
- A classification of offenders by behavioural pattern at the scene and across cases. Used to narrow suspect pools, not to identify individuals.
Explained in
- Criminal Motivation and Behavioural TypologiesA scene with both organised and disorganised features. Canter (2004) showed this is the majority case, which is why the dichotomy is now treated as a spectrum.