Brendan Chapman

Sexual assault can be one of the most personally violating and horrific acts enacted on an individual, second only to murder. Forensic science has constantly evolved to become more equipped to respond to these offenses- yet there are still opportunities for advancement. This article describes the forensic processes from the outset of a sexual assault investigation, focussing on the primary target of forensic biology analyses- offender cellular material, namely semen and spermatozoa evidence. Understanding the biology and characteristics of this complex body fluid aids forensic biologists in targeting it to identify a perpetrator.

Violence in serial homicide is a complex and dynamic part of an offender’s behavior. This chapter explores how aggressive and violent behavior is a part of serial homicide and the escalation of aggression to violence. The organized/disorganized dichotomy of serial killers and reactive and proactive aggression is used to help explain different types of aggression and how they may be exhibited during the commission of a crime. The proposed aggression–violence continuum conceptualizes aggression on a behavior continuum for offending behaviors and helps to visualize how violent an offender may be. The violence portion of the continuum is then further broken down into the tiers of serial violence that demonstrate an ascending level of violence and presents the escalating nature of serial homicide.