Differentiating Homicide Offenders Based on Their Criminal Careers: A Latent Class Analysis

This study contributes to the existing literature dedicated to the empirical classification of homicide offenders. Utilizing an empirical method grounded in the criminal career framework, our aim was to enhance understanding of the diversity of the criminal pathways leading to homicide. We analysed the criminal careers of 5475 individuals convicted of intentional homicide in Belgium between 1995 and 2020, using data from the Belgian Central Criminal Records. We performed a latent class analysis using a series of 16 dichotomous indicators reflecting whether an individual had been convicted for specific offenses committed before the homicide (8 categories: e.g., violent crime) during different life periods (before or after age 25). The latent class analysis identified six distinct classes of homicide offenders, exhibiting varied criminal career patterns in terms of crime mix and continuity across life periods. The largest class (48%) comprised individuals with minimal prior criminal activity before the homicide, while, at the other end of the spectrum, a smaller group (7%) consisted of chronic, versatile and highly active offenders. Other groups exhibited discontinuities in the evolution of their criminal activity (3 groups), or specialization in specific crimes (1 group). This six-classes typology constitutes a refinement of prior empirical research, made possible by a better categorization of past offenses and by accounting for the temporal evolution of criminal activity. The classification could be valuable for future studies on the relationship between criminal career and homicide characteristics, recidivism, etc.