The Richardson Family Murder (Research Paper Sample)

The Richardson Family Murder
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The Richardson Family Murder
Introduction
Criminality has been a recurrent reality in regard to human existence in society. Although the nature and scope of criminal indulgence has evolved over time, the factors that predispose individuals to crime are still the same. In a bid to demystify the nature of the criminal mind, psychologists and other experts in human mental activity have endeavoured to formulate and entrench theoretical premises that offer information on the same (Mariotte, 2010). Through collaborative inter-disciplinary research efforts, experts have studied criminal minds in diverse areas of criminal indulgence. There are various factors that influence individual proneness to crime. They include biological, socio-cultural, and environmental factors. Biological factors are those that are not voluntarily imparted on an individual. For instance, such factors have been linked to the genetic orientation of individual criminals. Although people have identical brain structures in terms of layout and composition, research has shown that brains of criminals have unique capabilities that set them apart from other people who do not have criminal inclinations (Mariotte, 2010). For instance, experts have majored on studying the amygdala, a section of the human brain that is responsible for control of feelings and emotions that beget fear, aggressive tendencies, and patterns of human interaction. Researchers have termed the amygdala as a key determinant of the eventual development of criminal inclinations. According to a research study undertaken by a team of experts from the University of Pittsburgh, the individual proneness to crime is directly linked to their size of the amygdala (Butterfield, 2004). Their study revealed that individuals with a smaller volume of the section of the brain are more likely to engage in aggressive behaviour that often leads to indulgence in criminal activities. However, subsequent research efforts have indicated that criminal indulgence is not only linked to the size of the amygdala but also its overall threshold of functions and capabilities (Butterfield, 2004).
Criminal indulgence has also been linked to social and environmental factors that are characteristic of an individual existence in society. For instance, if a person lives in a community where criminality is valued and acceptable, they tend to adopt the same tendencies that they witness in their daily undertakings. Such contagion is evident in situations where people coexist within a society that condones criminality at all levels (Samenow, 2012). It is important to note that people gain their values through observation and learning from activities that happen around them. This is a clear pointer to the avenues that play a role in influencing the development of criminal tendencies within a social context. However, it is important to note that effects of criminality that emanate from social and environmental conditioning are corrigible through techniques such as therapy and counselling. Experts are always struggling to demystify the underlying trigger for criminal indulgence because criminals exhibit unique character traits that are hard to come by among people who do not involve themselves in criminal activities (Samenow, 2012). In fact, it has been observed that criminals bear superior mental and cognitive capabilities that set them apart from other individuals in social setting. In their bid to rehabilitate criminals, experts encourage them to channel such energy into productive activities that contribute to individual and collective wellbeing. Besides all efforts that seek to demystify the criminal mind, it is evident that criminals are constantly evolving in order to fit into current circumstances in society. The ability of the criminal mind to evolve with change in circumstances offers an area of interest for researchers who seek to generate further information in the area (Ramsland, 2010).
The Richardson Family Murder Incident
The above title suffices in reference to a criminal incident where three members of the Richardson familial unit were brutally murdered by their daughter in collaboration with her boyfriend. The incident took place in the month of April 2006. The discovery of the lifeless bodies of the parents and their son at their home in Alberta marked the beginning of a criminal inquest that would reveal the intricate detailing of the grisly murder. After failing to locate the couple’s 12 year old daughter, law enforcement agents were afraid that she could also have fallen prey to the criminal whims of the hitherto unidentified perpetrators. However, the theory was subsequently discredited after the daughter was arrested in Saskatchewan area that is over 100 km from their home. After intense investigation, detectives were convinced of their involvement in the murder incident and consequently charged them with the offences. Kacy Lancaster was also found guilty of abetting the crime through actions that involved evacuation of the perpetrators from the scene of crime (Ramsland, 2010).
According to friends and neighbours, parents of the daughter were critical of her relationship with Jeremy. They constantly castigated her for dating him on account of his age. The relationship was also disapproved by her friends and close relatives. The motive of the grisly murder was identified as the desire to eliminate the parents and brother who posed threat to their relationship. Friends and relatives also opposed the relationship because Jeremy was allegedly affiliated to a cult that is associated with evil deeds. In 2007, the daughter was committed to a ten year imprisonment after she was found culpable of first degree murder (Ramsland, 2010).
Criminal Background
The Richardson family murder case is a complex scenario that can be attributed to numerous factors. The evil behaviour that is evident in this case could have emanated from the involvement of Jeremy and her girlfriend in cult activities. Such activities are usually responsible for brainwashing and indoctrination that leads to fantasies that enhance irrational behaviour (Ramsland, 2010). The mass media could also have played a role in enhancing the behaviour patterns that are evident in this case. For instance, their love for movies such as Natural Born Killers is indicative of the potential influence of mass media in regard to their behaviour. In fact, it is importan...