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Suicide is caused by psychological pain in most cases. Staged suicides are often detected through careful victimology. The staged suicide by firearm presents a unique set of circumstances that when investigators study to learn to recognize, the associates challenges become less ominous.
When it comes to staged suicides by firearm the crime scene does not always solve the case because often the physical evidence does not conclusively put the weapon back in the hand of the offender. Sometimes investigators "know it's staged" and have tried everything to prove it, but just cannot get the case over that hump. So there has to be another way...and there is...This course teaches students not only how to recognize the difference between a genuine suicide by firearm compared to the red flags of a staged suicide by firearm, but it introduces Dr. Pettler's method for bringing these most often completely circumstantial cases forward. Suicidology, characteristics of genuine suicides by firearm, characteristics of staged suicides by firearm, and new investigative strategies for resolving them are discussed.
Although there is no specific empirical research that concludes staged suicides by firearm are more common than other types of staging, but empirical research specifically dedicated to the examination of crime scene staging has confirmed that firearms are the most common weapon used by offenders in staged homicides. It could be that investigators are dealing with a staged suicide more often than they think. Sometimes dispatchers dispatch officers to a "a suicide" because that is what has been called in. It is important to "start the investigation where the investigation starts" by listening to the 911 call and not assuming that the situation is suicide.
Our course objectives are linked all of the Program Outcomes:
Pettler, L. G. (2015). Crime scene staging dynamics in homicide cases. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press Taylor & Francis. (this text is also used in other LPAIFI courses as well)
Shneidman, E. S. (1996). The suicidal mind. New York: Oxford
- Amazon Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.com/Suicidal-Mind-Edwin-S-Shneidman-ebook/dp/B002BDU194/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=
-This book takes approximately 3 hours and 24 minutes to read
-Chapters 1, 3, 5, 7
Recommended Optional:
Shneidman, E. S. (2004). Autopsy of a suicidal mind. New York: Oxford.
-Amazon Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.com/Autopsy-Suicidal-Mind-Edwin-Shneidman-ebook/dp/B00JKOF2DC/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=
-This book takes approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes to read
-Chapter 2 "About Suicide Notes" is of particular interest.
Recommended Classical Reading Optional:
Durkheim, E. (1897). Le suicide. Retrieved from http://durkheim.uchicago.edu/Summaries/suicide.html
Frequently asked questions
The LPAIFI Online Division is self-paced. That means you can enroll and begin when you pay your tuition and you then have six weeks to complete the course. It's a good idea to set weekly goals for yourself to make sure you stay on track to complete the course within six weeks.
No. eBooks are not included with tuition. Most ebooks are available on Amazon as downloads on a Kindle App or other book reader. Books are typically very reasonably priced under $20 and are normally widely available.
All quizzes and essays must be successfully completed and submitted by 11:59pm EST on the last day of the six week course. Certificates of Completion are automatically generated by the course itself when all quizzes and essays have been graded by the course instructor and final points are entered into the grade book. If you ever find that you're confused, you can always contact your instructor or connect@lpa.solutions for help.
Yes, yes, and no. Why? Because some of the essay questions are based on the material contained within. Discussion is optional, but if you have time don't miss out on such a great learning experience as watching slideshows and videos. By the same token, Discussion is a great way to meet other people in your class, ask questions about anything that comes to mind, and to engage with your instructor. Networking is power.
Instructors are active in the LPAIFI Online Monday through Friday at least three days of the week. To contact your instructor, use the Course Email Tool in the right hand corner of the course that is located between your account icon and the Discuss icon. Instructors typically respond to student emails within 48 hours.
Continuing education for the 21st century investigator.
Laura Pettler & Associates
LearnWorlds
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Wouldn't it be a good idea to create a course?
