Analyzing Criminal Behavior: The Case of the Beltway Snipers

by | Apr 24, 2024 | Criminology

 

Scenario

You are a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) senior special agent assigned to the National Joint Terrorism Task Force (NJTTF) based in Washington, D.C. The State Department recently requested your assistance at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Budapest, Hungary, where the facility is hosting a training course on mitigating violent crimes. The ILEA training director has requested that you provide a lecture on either a notable serial killer or a recent act of terrorism and discuss what types of factors may have influenced the perpetrator’s deviant behavior that manifested in this significant criminal activity. The director advised that the goal is not only to provide a case study, but also to discuss the relevance and impact of various criminological theories when assessing criminal behavior as an ethical criminal justice professional. In support of this assessment, an analysis should focus on the role of cultural views and norms, as well as the correlation between criminological theory and practice. The focus of the lecture should be to mitigate future criminal activity through deterrence and intervention.

Directions

Using the scenario above, create a written draft of your lecture that focuses on the application of theory when analyzing an incident of criminal behavior. Choose one of the following incidences of criminal behavior as the focus of your lecture:

Jeffrey Dahmer profile
Ted Bundy profile
Terrorism in the U.S. (Beltway Snipers)

Resources that support each of these incidences are included in the “Supporting Materials” section below.

The following required elements should be included:

Describe the incident of criminal behavior chosen (100–150 words). Include the following in your description:
What crimes took place?
Who committed the crimes?
Where and when did the crimes take place?
Explain how cultural views and values drive the criminal behavior (150–200 words). Include the following in your explanation:
What is the correlation between culture and the criminal behavior?
How do certain cultures view the criminal behavior differently?
Are there differences in culture and geographic location regarding the legality of the criminal behavior?
Do you feel that the criminal behavior is influenced more by nature or one’s environment?
Explain the importance of applying theory versus making broad generalizations to explain the criminal behaviors (150–200 words). Include the following in your explanation:
What are the advantages of applying theory to explain the criminal behavior?
What are the disadvantages of making broad generalizations?
Explain the role of ethics when applying theory to the criminal behavior (100–150 words). Include the following in your explanation:
Why is ethics an important facet of criminology and the criminal justice profession?
How does ethics play a pivotal role in the application of criminological theory to the crime chosen?
Explain the correlation between criminal behavior theory and criminal justice practices (150–200 words). Include the following in your explanation:
What theory is best applicable to the criminal behavior chosen?
How did that theory affect policies related to the criminal behavior?

Terrorism in the U.S. (Beltway Snipers)
http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/muhammad1181.htm

https://web.archive.org/web/20230427140229/https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog885/l5_p5.html

https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/beltway-snipers

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Sample Answer

Sample Answer

 

Analyzing Criminal Behavior: The Case of the Beltway Snipers

Incident Description

The Beltway Snipers, John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, spread terror in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area in October 2002. They committed a series of shootings, targeting random civilians with a high-powered rifle from a concealed position in their vehicle. This reign of terror led to multiple deaths and injuries over a three-week period, creating widespread fear and panic in the community.

Cultural Influences on Criminal Behavior

Cultural views and norms can significantly impact criminal behavior. In the case of the Beltway Snipers, the perpetrators’ actions were driven by a complex interplay of factors. Muhammad’s radical beliefs and anti-American sentiments, combined with Malvo’s vulnerable and impressionable young age, shaped their deviant behavior. Their distorted perception of societal injustices fueled their violent acts, reflecting a clash between their warped worldview and mainstream cultural values.

Importance of Applying Theory

Applying criminological theories helps unravel the complexities behind criminal behavior. By delving into psychological theories such as social learning theory and strain theory, we can better understand the motivations and triggers that led to the Beltway Snipers’ violent spree. Making broad generalizations oversimplifies the intricate nature of criminal behavior, hindering our ability to develop targeted interventions and preventive strategies.

Role of Ethics in Criminology

Ethics form the bedrock of the criminal justice profession, guiding practitioners in their pursuit of justice and fairness. When applying criminological theory to cases like the Beltway Snipers, ethical considerations are paramount. It is crucial to uphold principles of integrity, fairness, and respect for human rights while investigating and prosecuting such heinous crimes, ensuring that justice is served without compromising ethical standards.

Correlation Between Theory and Practice

In the context of the Beltway Snipers case, social control theory emerges as a pertinent framework for understanding the criminal behavior exhibited by Muhammad and Malvo. This theory emphasizes the importance of social bonds and societal constraints in preventing individuals from engaging in criminal activities. By examining how social disorganization and breakdown of social bonds contributed to the actions of the snipers, policymakers can design targeted interventions to strengthen community resilience and deter future acts of violence.

By critically analyzing the Beltway Snipers case through the lens of criminological theory and ethical considerations, we can glean valuable insights into the complex interplay of factors that drive criminal behavior. By bridging theory with practice, we pave the way for more effective crime prevention strategies and promote a safer, more just society for all.

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