How Is Modus Operandi Important in a Death Investigation?
With regard to a death investigation, modus operandi (method of operating) refers to the way a criminal commits murder. Even when multiple murders occur under different circumstances, a single modus operandi could apply to each death. For example, the murderer might always or never use weapons, steal specific items before leaving or exit the crime scene in a certain way. Modus operandi proves important because it can help authorities determine the cause of death and associate one crime with another during an investigation.
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Intent
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When it remains unclear if a death occurred intentionally rather than accidentally, identifying a modus operandi that matches another recent murder will aid investigators in discovering that the death occurred intentionally. For example, if two people die in the same area after falling off tall structures in the evening, it becomes more suspicious. In this situation, police should conduct additional investigation to seek evidence of murder and remain alert to reports of suspicious activity on roofs or bridges.
Association
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Modus operandi also helps police establish links between separate murders which may have been committed by the same person or group. During a death investigation in 2010, Indian police linked the modus operandi of two murders and an attempted murder, according to the "Times of India." All of the victims were tracked by the killers and fired upon during the evening in locations near stores. This modus operandi linked the murders and focused the investigation on a certain gangster.
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Past Crimes
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Additionally, identifying a modus operandi proves important because it helps authorities investigate previous unsolved crimes that a murderer may have committed. If police apprehend someone committing or attempting to commit a murder, authorities can investigate as to whether the suspect committed other crimes using the same modus operandi. For example, an attempted murder using a handgun and a fake suicide note may be linked to an apparent suicide death involving the same circumstances three months earlier, requiring additional investigation.
Prevention
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Perhaps the most important benefit of establishing a modus operandi during a death investigation is that it can help stop future crimes by physically preventing them, warning the public or alerting at-risk individuals to the danger. If the murderer acts as a hitchhiker, police can advise motorists not to give rides to any unfamiliar individuals. If authorities know specific individuals the killer will probably target, the potential victims may receive warning of the modus operandi to expect, thus helping them to avoid the murderer.
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References
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