Perfect murder (fiction)
Encyclopedia
The perfect murder is a murder
which benefits the murderer, but also has no negative consequences for him or her; usually, this simply means that the murderer is never caught. Several factors might contribute to the perfect murder:
The concept of the perfect murder is closely connected with detective fiction
and often crops up in the whodunit
and the locked room mystery
. In the latter case, the murderer usually tries to make their crime 'perfect' by creating the illusion that there is no physically possible way they could commit the crime. For example, the victim is found dead in an empty room with its only door locked from the inside. The murderer, of course, has used some clever method to lock the door after departure, and a verdict of suicide means that foul play is not suspected.
The idea of a "motiveless" perfect murder is explored in the novel Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
, famously adapted into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock
. The scheme is for two strangers who both want someone dead to meet randomly and "trade murders," each doing the other's dirty work so they each have no discernible motive for their respective crimes.
A perfect murder could involve making it appear that the person one kills is oneself
. The film The Whole Nine Yards
features a perfect murder in which a hitman
kills someone and blows up his body, making facial identification impossible. Knowing the police would check the body's dental records, the killer has a dentist insert dental implants to modify the victim's teeth to match his own.
A perfect murder could also be made to appear as an accidental or natural death.
A less common alternative of a perfect murder is a murder that cannot be punished because of a loophole in applicable law
. An example of this is Gardner's The Bigger They Come (1939) in which the hero confesses
to a murder (which he did not commit), while presenting case law
(then valid also in reality) that disallows his punishment.
The Crow Road
by Iain Banks
, contains a modern perfect murder using a car
.
In the 2007 thriller Mr. Brooks
, the titular character is a serial killer who goes to exhaustive lengths to leave no evidence linking himself to any of his crimes.
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
which benefits the murderer, but also has no negative consequences for him or her; usually, this simply means that the murderer is never caught. Several factors might contribute to the perfect murder:
- The murderer has an impeccably trustworthy witness who provides an alibi, which no other witness contradicts.
- The murderer had no apparent motive to commit the crime, and thus is not suspected by investigators.
- The murderer does not retain incriminating items or leave physical evidence of his presence at the crime scene.
- The murderer cannot be convicted for the crime owing to a legal loophole that the murder knew would make a conviction unattainable.
- At no stage in planning, committing or covering up the crime does the murderer take another person into confidence on any suspicious or illegal matter.
The concept of the perfect murder is closely connected with detective fiction
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
and often crops up in the whodunit
Whodunit
A whodunit or whodunnit is a complex, plot-driven variety of the detective story in which the puzzle is the main feature of interest. The reader or viewer is provided with clues from which the identity of the perpetrator of the crime may be deduced before the solution is revealed in the final...
and the locked room mystery
Locked room mystery
The locked room mystery is a sub-genre of detective fiction in which a crime—almost always murder—is committed under apparently impossible circumstances. The crime in question typically involves a crime scene that no intruder could have entered or left, e.g., a locked room...
. In the latter case, the murderer usually tries to make their crime 'perfect' by creating the illusion that there is no physically possible way they could commit the crime. For example, the victim is found dead in an empty room with its only door locked from the inside. The murderer, of course, has used some clever method to lock the door after departure, and a verdict of suicide means that foul play is not suspected.
The idea of a "motiveless" perfect murder is explored in the novel Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith was an American novelist and short-story writer most widely known for her psychological thrillers, which led to more than two dozen film adaptations. Her first novel, Strangers on a Train, has been adapted for stage and screen numerous times, notably by Alfred Hitchcock in 1951...
, famously adapted into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
. The scheme is for two strangers who both want someone dead to meet randomly and "trade murders," each doing the other's dirty work so they each have no discernible motive for their respective crimes.
A perfect murder could involve making it appear that the person one kills is oneself
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. The film The Whole Nine Yards
The Whole Nine Yards (film)
The Whole Nine Yards is a 2000 American adventure crime comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn, starring Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Michael Clarke Duncan and Natasha Henstridge. The title derives from a popular expression possibly dating from World War II naval aviation which means...
features a perfect murder in which a hitman
Contract killing
Contract killing is a form of murder, in which one party hires another party to kill a target individual or group of people. It involves an illegal agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to kill the target in exchange for consideration, monetary, or otherwise. The hiring party may...
kills someone and blows up his body, making facial identification impossible. Knowing the police would check the body's dental records, the killer has a dentist insert dental implants to modify the victim's teeth to match his own.
A perfect murder could also be made to appear as an accidental or natural death.
A less common alternative of a perfect murder is a murder that cannot be punished because of a loophole in applicable law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. An example of this is Gardner's The Bigger They Come (1939) in which the hero confesses
Confession (legal)
In the law of criminal evidence, a confession is a statement by a suspect in crime which is adverse to that person. Some authorities, such as Black's Law Dictionary, define a confession in more narrow terms, e.g...
to a murder (which he did not commit), while presenting case law
Case law
In law, case law is the set of reported judicial decisions of selected appellate courts and other courts of first instance which make new interpretations of the law and, therefore, can be cited as precedents in a process known as stare decisis...
(then valid also in reality) that disallows his punishment.
The Crow Road
The Crow Road
The Crow Road is a novel by the Scottish writer Iain Banks, published in 1992.-Plot introduction:Prentice McHoan's life, growing up in a complex but coherent Scottish family with many mysteries is described, seen through his preoccupations with death, sex, relationships, drink and God, with the...
by Iain Banks
Iain Banks
Iain Banks is a Scottish writer. He writes mainstream fiction under the name Iain Banks, and science fiction as Iain M. Banks, including the initial of his adopted middle name Menzies...
, contains a modern perfect murder using a car
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
.
In the 2007 thriller Mr. Brooks
Mr. Brooks
Mr. Brooks is a 2007 thriller film directed by Bruce A. Evans starring Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, Dane Cook, and William Hurt. It was released on June 1, 2007...
, the titular character is a serial killer who goes to exhaustive lengths to leave no evidence linking himself to any of his crimes.