RECONSTRUCTION OF THE VICTIM’S PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE AS AN ELEMENT OF MODELLING MURDERS DISGUISED AS SUICIDES

Abstract

This article examines the reconstruction of the victim’s psychological state as one of the key elements of forensic modelling in cases of murder disguised as suicide. The relevance of the topic stems from the fact that staging a suicide is a common method of concealing violent crimes against life, which creates significant difficulties for pre-trial investigation authorities in establishing the actual mechanism of the incident. In such criminal proceedings, the external features of the crime scene may create a false impression of the voluntary nature of the death, which necessitates the use of comprehensive forensic approaches to investigating the circumstances of the incident. One of the key areas of such an investigation is establishing the victim’s psychological and emotional state, their life situation, personal characteristics, behavioural patterns and social connections in the period leading up to their death. The paper argues that reconstructing the victim’s psychological state makes it possible to determine whether the suicide theory corresponds to, or is inconsistent with, the individual’s actual personality and behavioural characteristics. The main sources of information used for such reconstruction have been examined, in particular the testimonies of individuals from the victim’s immediate circle, personal correspondence, digital communications, social media posts, the results of forensic psychological and forensic psychiatric examinations, as well as other data that help establish the dynamics of the individual’s psycho-emotional state in the days leading up to their death. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of behavioural changes, the presence or absence of suicidal tendencies, the nature of social contacts, life plans and possible psychotraumatic factors. The importance of a comprehensive approach to reconstructing the victim’s psychological state is demonstrated, involving a combination of forensic, psychological, forensic medical and digital investigative methods. It is demonstrated that establishing the internal logic of the victim’s behaviour in the period preceding their death allows for a more objective assessment of the circumstances of the incident, verification of the suicide theory, identification of possible signs of a staged event, and the formulation of well-founded investigative theories. It is emphasised that the reconstruction of the psychological state should be regarded as a component of forensic modelling of the crime and integrated into the overall system of evidence alongside the examination of the physical environment of the crime scene, the evidence pattern and the mechanism of bodily injury. It has been concluded that the use of psychological profiling of the victim during the investigation helps to establish the circumstances of suspicious deaths more fully, improves the effectiveness of detecting staged suicides, and expands the scope of forensic analysis in proceedings concerning offences against life.