Crime Classification Manual Part I Chapter 4 28

 

Crime Classification Manual Part I Chapter 4 28

A STANDARD SYSTEM FOR INVESTIGATING AND CLASSIFYING VIOLENT CRIMES

SECOND EDITION

John E. Douglas, Ann W. Burgess, Allen G. Burgess, and Robert K. Ressler, Editors

 

The Depravity Standard in Court

Newman, Rayz, and Friedman (2004) coined the notion of “super-aggravators”: those aggravators that, when present, were more likely to result in a death sentence in a capital-eligible case in Pennsylvania:

 

Exhibit 4.1. Example of Item Description: Actions That Cause Unusual Quality of Suffering

Unusual quality of suffering of the victim; victim demonstrated panic, terror, and helplessness.

Key Distinctions: Victim terror

Description: The key ingredient of this item is the level of emotional suffering endured by the victim during the crime. The presence of post-traumatic stress disorder or acute stress disorder validates the degree of suffering during the crime. However, the absence of these diagnoses in the victim does not necessarily mean that this item is not present.

Alternatively, if it is clear from the available evidence that the deceased victim endured a realistic consideration that he or she would die, or threat to body integrity amidst a period of helplessness, criteria for this item are met. The assessment of this item is more reliant upon history if the aforementioned diagnoses are not later present.