Before examining its relevance to an investigation, the term motive must be defined. A motive is essentially the "why" of a criminal act. It is the reason and driving force behind committing a crime. Motive can also be viewed "as the emotional, psychological, and material needs that impel and are satisfied by behavior" (Turvey 2002: 307). Usually, a motive does not exist without a social context. Also, a motive is often difficult to discern, since it can be rather complex in some cases. In general, there are often multiple motives that, when combined, lead individuals to commit a c…
