Verifying a Person's Involvement in a Murder
The article is devoted to the issue of verifying a person's involvement in a murder by establishing the circumstances that must exist if the person committed the murder. Based on the analysis of scientific literature and investigative practice, the authors divided the evidence that serves as the basis and means of verifying a person's involvement in the murder into three blocks. (A) Evidence of the murder suspect related to the personality and behavior of the murdered person. The study of the identity of the victim should be conducted in the following main areas: family and household; business and commercial; unlawful. The person's involvement in the murder through a study of the victim's behavior before the murder is verified taking into account the place of the murder and the time of the murder. The picture of the victim's movements and activities over the period immediately preceding the murder (usually a day) is recreated, and a schedule is drawn up. A similar schedule is drawn up for the person whose involvement in the murder is under verification. The intersection of their routes when comparing diagrams at the place of the murder or in close proximity to it at the time of its commission indicate the suspect's involvement in the commission of this murder. (B) Evidence of the murder suspect related to the objective side of the murder. Establishing the location of the person during the murder in the place where it occurred justifies the possibility that the person committed the murder. The person's presence at the place of the murder is indicated by traces that may be left during the murder; traces that may be left on the person as a result of interaction with objects at the place of the murder; things and objects dropped, lost, abandoned by the criminal at the scene; the location of the suspect at or near the scene of the murder. To establish the location of the murder suspect at the scene of its commission, one should use the capabilities of mobile communications (billing). Data on the method of the murder to establish the involvement of the person in its commission should be used in the following options: the choice of the method of the murder in some cases is associated with the identity of the offender; the similarities in the method of committing certain types of murders (serial, contract) allow the investigator to assume a reasonable possibility of their commission by the same person. (C) Evidence of the murder suspect related to the subjective side of the murder. Mental phenomena are manifested in the person's actions, activities and behavior. Information about the person's particular behavior and statements (written, oral) is indirect evidence of the person's involvement in the murder. The authors conclude that a comprehensive study and establishment of these circumstances form a system of evidence unequivocally certifies the commission of the murder by a specific person or persons.