Pennell v. State of Delaware Case Study by hicaliber

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.