Collision or Collusion? Homicides Staged as Car Accidents

A staged crime scene involves deliberate alteration of evidence by the offender to simulate events that did not occur for the purpose of misleading authorities. Staging has received little attention in the medical, legal and criminology literature, and discussions of staged car accidents are almost non-existent – bar a few case studies, no literature exists. The study examined 16 homicides staged as car accidents. The descriptive analysis examined common staging behaviours, and victim, offender and offence characteristics. Findings indicate staged car accidents present differently than true accidents. They often involve single vehicle, slow speed, downhill scenes, with middle-aged, female victims. Physical damage to vehicles is usually minimal, except for fire damage. Common offender behaviours include transporting the body to a vehicle, mutilation of the body, arson, and clean up. The results suggest these efforts are often unsophisticated and potentially identifiable to investigators and physicians.