ABSTRACT
Murder does not happen in a vacuum. Therefore, valuable insight can be gained by visualizing the act of murder as one of numerous events on a timeline, with the 911 call as the midpoint. Numerous offense-related events occur before and after the murder, and each of these significant points can be identified by the investigator. Sometimes relevant events occurred years before the date of the murder. Prior acts of criminal behavior or violence, previous suspicious deaths, financial issues, infidelity, new marriages, recent insurance purchases, arguments between the caller and the victim, and calls made by the caller before placing the 911 call are all examples of previous actions that should be identified on the timeline. The murder and the corresponding 911 call, made by an innocent or guilty caller, are also scored on the timeline. The 911 call provides insight to the caller’s mindset. The points on the timeline prior to the 911 call often bring into focus the rationale for the caller’s choice of words during the call.
