Victimization of the Dead: Exploring Burglars Use of Publicly Available Obituary Information to Perpetrate Their Crimes.

Abstract

The present study uses primary data collected by the researchers on residential burglaries committed in the time-period of 1991-2021 to analyze the individual year frequency of obituary burglaries and patterns across time in relation to obituary burglaries. The goal is to assess the frequency of this form of burglary and the potential impact of increased web based publishing of obituaries on incidents of residential burglaries during funerary rites. Findings indicate that while this form of burglary is rare, it is a niche form of residential burglary committed by specialized burglars who utilize information available about funerals to specifically target the family of the deceased's home or the vacant home of the deceased. Recommendations for protecting against this form of victimization are provided.