Sexual homicide: A review of recent empirical evidence (2008 to 2015)

Sexual homicide (or sexual murder) is generally referred to as a homicide that is committed with an apparent or underlying sexual motivation. Extending the review conducted by Chan and Heide (2009) on the empirical studies on sexual homicide that were published from the mid‐1980s to 2008, this chapter comprehensively reviews 47 published empirical studies of sexual homicide from 2008 to 2015. This chapter sets out to synthesize the most recent findings on the topic to better understand not only the socio‐demographic characteristics and psychological dynamics of sexual homicide offenders, but also to comprehend the overall offending patterns and process. The offending patterns and processes of sexual murderers are discussed based on different phases (i.e., the developmental, pre‐crime, crime, and post‐crime phases). In light of these studies, suggestions for future research are offered to better comprehend sexual homicide and the violent offenders who commit this type of offense.