Offenders’ interrogation behavior: the importance of crime scene characteristics and corroborating evidence

Abstract: Offender profiling aims at generating information of an offender based upon the crime committed and the goal is to be an adjunct in the crime invesigation process. The aim of the study was to examine crime scene characteristics and corroborating evidence and their associations with offenders' interrogation behavior. Results from 207 analyzed police files indicated that reactive (impulsive) offenders confessed more often when there was technical evidence against them compared to instrumental (calculating) offenders. Reactive offenders also had more injuries. Injured reactive offenders were more inclined to deny, whereas injured instrumental offenders claimed amnesia more often. When comparing the confessions injured reactive offenders were more inclined to confess than injured instrumental offenders. There was also a strong tendency implying more confessions with witness reports. The findings point towards the practical usefulness of information of crime scene characteristics and corroborating evidence in the interrogation phase by better tailoring the interviewing strategy.