Pennell v. State of Delaware

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the distinctive elements, which help an expert develop a profile on a criminal and are referred to as a criminal signature, are elements of a crime that appear somewhat unique and allow the crime to stand out from similar crimes. The author points out that, in the Pennel v. State of Delaware case, the court made the correct decision to allow the expert to testify regarding the signature elements of the murders because these elements were crucial in linking the defendant to two of the murders. The paper relates that the fact that the defendant was found not guilty of one of the murders demonstrates that juries use signature elements as tools for decision making but do substitute the presence of certain criminal signatures for a lack of reasonable doubt.

From the Paper:

"Because of their frequent use in television, books, and movies, the general public may believe that criminal profilers are involved in all aspects of crime detection and prosecution. This perception is inaccurate, but criminal profiling does play an important role in the investigation of serial criminals. While the Pennell court did not allow the expert to testify regarding the criminal profile used to narrow down the range of suspects, it did permit the expert to testify regarding those elements of the crime that helped the expert develop his signature."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Del. R. Evid. 404(b).
• Del. R. Evid. 702.
• Douglas, J.E. & Munn, C. (1992). Violent crime scene analysis: modus operandi, signature, And staging. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. Web site: http://www.fbi.gov/library/leb/leb.htm
• Pennell v. State, 602 A.2d 48 (Del., 1991).

More papers on Pennell v. State of Delaware:

• Case Study # 95788 : "Pennell v. State of Delaware"
• Essay # 15341 : "Clinton V. State of New York"
• Analytical Essay # 130901 : "State of the World in 1970"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: