PECULIARITIES OF INVESTIGATING MURDERS IN THE ABSENCE OF A CORPSE

Abstract

Objective: the purpose of this article is to explore the specifics, difficulties, as well as the methodology for establishing the fact of murder, the identity of the deceased and the circumstances of the criminal offense in the absence of the main source of evidence, namely the victim’s corpse.

Therefore, the investigation of murders in the absence of a corpse is a particularly difficult task that requires high professional training of all participants in the investigative process, since without a body it is much more difficult to establish the fact of death, its causes, motives for the crime, the manner of its commission and the persons who may be involved. This, in turn, requires the development of effective methods for collecting and analyzing evidence, and the adaptation of existing investigative algorithms to conditions of uncertainty. Today, the relevance of this topic is due to both the growing number of cases of disappearances of persons with signs of violent death and the modern possibilities of concealing traces of an offense in the context of technological development. Criminals are increasingly resorting to measures that make it difficult to identify the bodies of the dead, hoping to avoid criminal liability. In such circumstances, law enforcement agencies need to have a clear algorithm of actions based on the analysis of circumstantial evidence, the latest methods of forensic science and forensic examination. The study and systematization of the peculiarities of investigating such proceedings are extremely important for improving the practice of pre-trial investigation, increasing the efficiency of investigative bodies and ensuring the principle of inevitability of punishment. Research methods: the following methods were used in the course of the work, namely: the historical and legal method, which analyzed the evolution of approaches to the investigation of such proceedings in different periods. It also includes the forensic method, namely the analysis of methods and tactics used by investigators when collecting evidence without a corpse. The sociological method is a survey or questionnaire of investigators, judges, and prosecutors to identify the difficulties and problems that arise during the investigation of such proceedings. Results: this article focuses on the problematic issues that arise in the course of investigating murders in the absence of a corpse. The shortcomings of the methodology of investigation of these offenses are considered. Discussion: the author analyzes the difficulties faced by officers in investigating murders without a victim’s body, and draws attention to the use of non-standard approaches and in-depth analysis of circumstantial evidence. After all, investigators and prosecutors are forced to act in conditions of high evidentiary complexity in order to collect sufficient evidence to cast no doubt on the person’s guilt. This requires not only in-depth knowledge of the law, but also a high level of professionalism, analytical skills and the use of modern forensic methods.