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09:49
Holistic Facial Composite Creation and Subsequent Video Line-up Eyewitness Identification Paradigm
Published on: December 24, 2015
A middle-aged female serial killer
Feggy Ostrosky-Solís1, Alicia Vélez-García, Daniel Santana-Vargas
1Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Psychophysiology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico DF, Mexico. feggy@servidor.unam.mx
Journal of Forensic Sciences
|July 19, 2008
Summary
This case study examines a woman with severe executive dysfunction and abnormal affective processing who committed serial murders. Childhood abuse and head injuries may have contributed to her violent behavior.
Area of Science:
- Neuropsychology
- Forensic Psychiatry
- Behavioral Neuroscience
Background:
- Presents a case of a 48-year-old woman accused of serial killings of elderly women.
- Investigates potential neurobiological and psychological factors contributing to extreme violent behavior.
Observation:
- Extensive testing revealed no DSM-IV-TR Axis I diagnosis but showed decreased executive functions and abnormal affective processing.
- Behavioral and psychophysiological studies indicated a dissociation between knowledge of social norms and actual behavior.
- The subject attributed her actions to responses to "humiliating situations."
Findings:
- Significant history includes childhood abuse and multiple head injuries.
- Probable frontal brain dysfunction is conjectured.
- Paranoid and personality traits, alongside demographic and social factors, are considered in the context of her violent behavior.
Implications:
- Highlights the complex interplay of neurological deficits, psychological trauma, and environmental factors in severe criminal behavior.
- Suggests the need for comprehensive neuro-psychiatric evaluations in forensic cases.
- Underscores the importance of considering past trauma and brain injury in understanding aberrant behavior.
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