127 Murder Essay Topics & Title Ideas about Homicide

If you’re a criminal justice student or a true crime fan searching for the best murder essay topics, look no further! StudyCorgi has created a list of engaging murder titles and questions you can use for your argumentative essay, research paper, speech, dissertation, story, debate, or other writing assignments. Read on to get inspired!

🔝 Top-10 Murder Essay Topics

1. Rhetorical Strategies in Mobley’s “Justice or Murder?”
2. Homicide Perception in Ancient Greece and Rome
3. The Case of Justice Through Revenge in Murder on the Orient Express
4. The Assassination of Julius Caesar
5. Aaron Hernandez’s Murder Trial
6. Should Children Be Tried as Adults for Murder?
7. The Murder of Caesar: Brief Analysis
8. “Anatomy of a Murder” by Preminger: A Critical Analysis
9. How to Define a Case as Attempted Murder
10. Causes the Murder and Homicide

👮 Serial Killer Research Paper Topics

Serial killers are surrounded by the curiosity of millions of people worldwide, with documentaries chronicling their crimes and becoming some of the most-watched shows. According to Radford University and Florida Gulf Coast University, worldwide, there are over 5,752 documented serial killers as of 2023. While the number of active killers has been declining over the years, public fascination with the topic remains high.

Here are the top 5 serial killer research paper topics that may come in handy:

1. Comparative analysis of serial killers from different countries.
2. The sociological routine of a serial killer and its peculiarities.
3. How does the media portray serial killers in the US?
4. The key motivations of a serial killer.
5. Serial killers and their impact on community psychology.

✍️ Murder Essay Topics for College

1. Kitty Genovese’s Murder and the Bystander Effect

   Multiple studies conducted to examine the problem of the Bystander Effect have proven that the subject matter exists and increases the threat faced by vulnerable populations.
2. Jeffrey Macdonald Murder Case

   Jeffrey Macdonald is an American serial killer who became notorious after murdering his entire family. At an early age, MacDonald showed no signs of violent behavior.
3. Homicide Rates in the United States

   Using data from the Uniform Crime Report, this paper discusses the peculiarities of the homicide rate in the United States and its changes over time.
4. Different Accounts of the Assassination of Malcolm X

   In the paper, the description of two primary persons, Malcolm X, and his killer Thomas Hagan is organized in sequence including their age, social status, and race.
5. Florida’s vs. California’s Homicide Statutes

   The essay compares Florida’s and California’s statutes concerning homicide and examine their impact on homicide occurrence in respective states.
6. Homicide in Puerto Rico: Analysis of the Situation

   The continuous worsening of the criminological situation in Puerto Rico reflects country policy-makers lack of conceptual understanding of what causes people to criminal behavior.
7. How a Folk Singer’s Murder Forced Chile to Confront Its Past: Victor Jara Story

   Victor Jara is still regarded as a national legend in Chile, and his death was a tragic incident in that country’s history.
8. “Murder of a President”: Analysis of Documentary

   After watching the documentary about President Garfield, I believe that he could have become one of the greatest presidents of the United States.
9. Can We Consider the War a Form of Murder

   This paper discusses whether war is a form of murder, emphasizing human intentions and incidences leading to fights and serial killing.
10. US President William McKinley Assassination: Research

    The murder of William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States of America, took place on September 6, 1901, when he was shot and received a lethal wound.
11. Homicide Investigations and Forensic Evidence

    Forensic evidence can be defined as the information at a crime scene such as DNA, blood, body tissues among others found at a crime scene.
12. Interconnection of Ethics and Murder

    The paper states that the morality of murder is a controversial topic in human history, for it is up to each individual to decide whether he can forgive himself.
13. Brains of Persons Who Have Committed Murder

    The human brain is amongst the most compound and most significant organs in the body, comprising more than a hundred nerves.
14. Notion of Evil and Media Influence on Public’s View on Serial Murder

    Being an “evil” person differs from simply being “bad”. Evil is unforgivable, while “badness” is expected to be found in many.
15. Unethical Conduct of Homicide Detectives

    Although homicide investigators are highly competent and specially trained, the pressure to resolve and incriminate a culprit often pushes them to operate unethically.
16. Suicide, Homicide, and Psychological Theories

    Suicidal attempts do not always result in death because the nature of some of them can be reversed. It is important to administer proper treatment to a suicidal person.
17. Emmett Till Murder Analysis as a Critical Incident

    Ochberg provides an efficient model that can help analyze critical incidents. It is possible to apply the method to consider the Emmett Till murder case.
18. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

    Abraham Lincoln is remembered as the 16th President of the USA and the first president of the country ever to be murdered. The Assassination of Lincoln has become an important historical event.
19. The Criminal Act Component of Murder

    Murder is a violation that contains the elements of criminal behavior. The criminal act component of murder is defined as conduct that kills the victim.
20. Reflection Essay on Memories of Murder

    Released in 2003, the film failed miserably at the box office, but this did not prevent the film from gaining cult status over time.
21. What Led Up to the Assassination of Julius Caesar

    Gaius Julius Caesar was an ancient Roman politician who transformed the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. Caesar became an outstanding general, orator, writer, and reformer.
22. Intimate Partner Violence and Homicide in Greece

    This paper discusses the rising rates of intimate partner violence and homicide in Greece. The author tells about several cases of men’s deadly assaults on their female partners.
23. The Multi-Agency Team Involvement in the Case of the Child’s Murder

    The evaluation of the actions of the multi-agency team involved in the case of the child’s murder shows that there was an insufficiently effective collaboration among the parties.
24. British Army Against the Northern Ireland: The Morality of Murder in Wartime

    The paper sets the task of investigating the question of the morality of murder in wartime. The confrontation of the British Army against the Northern Irish was taken as a basis.

😨 Intriguing Serial Killer Research Topics

Still have not found the topic on serial killers that suits you best? Do not fret – we have got you covered! Read the following paragraphs to find a lot of fresh insights!

What Makes a Serial Killer?

In general, a serial killer is someone who murders at least three victims over a month, with breaks in between. These killings are separate events, often motivated by a desire for power or enjoyment. Serial killers typically lack empathy and remorse, which makes them self-centered and potentially psychopathic. They may project a standard facade to blend in and even appear friendly despite their hidden darkness.

Psychological State of Serial Killers

Hollywood loves depicting serial killers as crazed geniuses or deranged psychopaths. This common misconception can obscure the true complexity of their actions and the factors that contribute to their crimes since real serial killers are more ordinary than you might think. Most of them, while exhibiting personality disorders, are legally sane and possess average intelligence, just like the general population.

Criminal Profiling of Serial Killers

Criminal profiling helps catch serial killers by analyzing crime scenes and offender behavior. Profilers, who are specialists in criminal psychology, use crime scene traits, including the evidence of torture, specific victim, weapon at the scene, etc., to predict the killer’s characteristics and narrow down the suspect range. The external features of the suspects also play an important role as most serial killers tend to have similar characteristics: white, from 25 to 34 years old, intelligent, charismatic, and interested in police work.

Are Serial Killers Born or Made?

Various factors could contribute to an individual’s reasons for committing multiple murders, including childhood abuse, personality disorder, violent tendencies, and so on. However, genetics can also provoke aggressive and risk-taking behaviors. According to neuroscientist Jim Fallon, there are 3 high-risk genetic factors that serial killers may have: brain damage, having the MAOA gene, and overexposure to serotonin in the womb.

What Are the Top Motives for Serial Killers?

Serial killers have a variety of twisted motivations. Some seek power, like historical dictators whose violent fantasies played out on a grander scale. Others crave notoriety or utilize their killings as an opportunity to seek revenge against the people who wronged them. Perhaps the most disturbing motive is the enjoyment some killers derive from inflicting pain and taking lives.

👍 Good Murder Research Topics & Essay Examples

1. Mysteries about President John F. Kennedy Assassination

   The paper seeks to discuss the aspect that the gunman was not alone, the magic bullet that shot JFK and the reasons why the CIA kept the events of that day as a secret.
2. Analysis of Leonard Peltier Murder Case

   The research paper challenges assumptions made by past researchers on the matter and provides an understanding of the American Indian Activism movement.
3. The Legality of Bin Laden’s Assassination

   President Obama didn’t have the legal authority to order Operation Geronimo and execute the plan for Bin Laden’s assassination, so it became a rude violation of international laws.
4. How to Conduct Greeting Session With Patients With Suicide, and Homicide

   The paper argues patients with suicide, homicide, and self-harm risks require special attention due to specific mental health conditions and behavioral features.
5. Murder of MaKayla Bryant as Case for Investigators

   The murder of MaKayla Bryant in Tallahassee, Florida, is a tragic event for the entire community, yet it also presents an interesting case for investigators.
6. Discussion of Attempted Murder

   Inchoate crimes include attempts, conspiracy, solicitation and attempted murder, and are based on the harmful intent of the suspect.
7. The “Just War” Theory, Genocide and Mass Murder

   The theory of just war was revived in the late 60s of the twentieth century in the United States due to the desire to find objective moral criteria for assessing the armed force.
8. Assassination of Julius Caesar

   The paper indicates that the assassination of Julius Caesar brought an opposite effect not according to what the killers had in mind.
9. Video Recording of George Floyd’s Murder

   Making a video is very important and necessary in some cases because it can help save valuable moments of life and in many situations for proving someone’s guilt or rightness.
10. Criminal Justice: Murder of Travis Alexander

    The paper discusses the murder of Travis Alexander which was a shock for many because the victim was found stabbed with a gunshot wound to his head in the shower of his house.
11. The Importance of Evidence in John Ramsey Homicide Case

    The crime-scene investigation’s primary aim is to recognize, collect, and document pieces of evidence. The collected proofs form the basis of these cases during judgment.
12. Fortunato’s Murder Trial Case

    Mr. Montresor, you are hereby sentenced to twenty years in jail for planning and executing the murder of Mr. Fortunato.
13. The Crime of Homicide: History and Laws

    The project describes homicide, which is the illegal killing of a human being by another. There exist state laws that define the services offered to the victims of homicide.
14. Murder Cases: Technology for Crime Monitoring and Control

    A new invention in the field of crime monitoring has greatly contributed to a decline in the number of crimes being committed.
15. The Empowerment of the Houston LQBTQ Community: The Role of the Murder of Paul Broussard

    Paul Broussard was beaten and stabbed to death by ten young people. This high-profile crime had an effect on the population and the movement for the rights of the LGBT community.
16. The Cost of Learning to Kill

    In the book ‘On Killing: The Physiological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society’ Dave Grossman studies the physiological mechanisms regulating the ability of soldiers to kill the enemy.
17. Two Verdicts for Casey Anthony Murder Trial

    In Anthony’s murder trial, the media condemnation of the defendant led to a complex distortion of justice, culminating in her receiving a comparatively mild legal punishment.
18. Death Penalty as a Cruel Murder

    While many arguments have been put forward for and against it, there is no doubt that the Death Penalty is nothing but a cruel murder perpetrated by the State.
19. The Criminal Mind – Homicide

    Serial killings or serial murders are the most dreaded and publicized crime in Australia and the USA. These still remain the most notorious form of crime.
20. Generation Kill: War on Terrorism After 9/11

    This paper gives a detailed analysis of the efforts the United States and its allies undertook in Afghanistan and Iraq and the predicaments of fighting insurgent forces.
21. Cognitive Bias in Robin Adams’ Murder Case

    The case of Robin Adams presented several cognitive biases. Contextual bias surfaced in taking into account the rumored information.
22. Police Officer Murder, Trial and Punishment

    Killing a police officer on duty is considered one of nine capital offenses punished either by a death penalty or by life imprisonment without the possibility of release.
23. Robert F. Kennedy: Biography, Contributions, and Assassination

    Robert Francis Kennedy, also widely known under the initials of RFK, was a lawyer and politician, one of the nine children born into the family or Joseph and Rose Kennedy.
24. The Media’s Role in the JFK Assassination’ Coverage

    It is claimed that 50 years after the JFK assassination, nearly all the known facts have been propagated by the mainstream media. Media’s roles have been evaluated over a long period.
25. John F. Kennedy: A Major Political Icon in American History

    This essay explores theories explaining the assassination of John F. Kennedy and compares them with the findings of the commission presented in the Warren report.
26. Rape and Murder Trauma: Coping Strategies and Recovery

    In most instances, rape experiences and witnessing murder lead to trauma. It is almost impossible for people who have encountered such experiences to forget about the unfortunate incidents.
27. President Harry S. Truman’s Assassination Attempt

    This paper analyzes the assassination attempt of Harry S. Truman and tries to detect the underlying causes and determine whether politics played any role in the attacks.
28. Mubarak’s Assassination Attempt by Zawahiri and Egyptian Radicals

    The ordinariness of terror lies in the natural cruelty of people who are usually considered to be the closest friends though they accept the rules and laws of jihad.

📘 True Crime Topics to Write About

True crime is a non-fiction genre that focuses on real-life crimes, such as murders, kidnappings, robberies, and other criminal activities. It explores motivations and psychological factors driving criminal behavior and its consequences, and it can be found in various forms, such as books, podcasts, TV shows, and documentaries.

The top 5 true crime topics are already waiting for you below:

1. Why is true crime so popular in film and TV?
2. The key features of true crime writing.
3. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and the reasons behind its popularity.
4. The power of storytelling in the true crime genre.
5. Romanization of murder in true crime shows.

🎓 Most Interesting Homicide Research Topics

1. The Racially Motivated Murder of Michael Brown
2. Analysis of Aaron Hernandez Murder
3. The Holocaust Was the Systematic and Bureaucratic Murder
4. Hitler and the Nazi’s Victims of Persecution and Murder
5. The First Murder Recorded by Biblical History
6. Psychological Coping With Murder in American Society: The Clint Lamebear Story
7. Holocaust Was the Mass-Murder of Six Million Jews
8. Punishments for First Degree Murder
9. Women Murder and Representation
10. The Lizzie Borden Murder Trial: Victorian Values Over Murder
11. Forensic Soil Science Solving Murder
12. Probing the Reason for Macduff’s Murder of Macbeth
13. The West Memphis Three Murder Trial
14. War Based Killing Should Be Regarded as Murder
15. The Morally Justified Mandatory Sentence for Capital Punishment for Committing Murder in the United States
16. Psychology, Childhood, Trauma, and Murder: Rethinking Justice
17. Overview Causes and Prevention of Murder
18. Should the Mandatory Life Sentence for Murder Be Abolished?
19. Intent and the Classification of Murder
20. Understanding Industrialized Murder During the Holocaust in Nazi Germany

💡 Simple Murder Title Ideas

1. The Fine Line Between Legalized Murder and Mercy Killing
2. Torture and Murder Jews and Its Human Nature
3. The Gangster Life and Murder of Paul Castellano
4. Were the Conspirators Right to Murder Julius Caesar?
5. The Civil Rights Movement and the Emmett Till´s Murder
6. Arguments for and Against the Reintroduction of the Death Penalty for Murder
7. State Executions, Deterrence, and the Incidence of Murder
8. Young Persons Who Commit Murder Should Be Tried as Adults
9. “Race, Class, Violence, and Denial: Mass Murder and the Pathologies of Privilege” by Tim Wise
10. The Police During the Murder Investigation of Steven Lawrence
11. Supreme Court Sentence Four to Death for Roger Whetmore’s Murder
12. President Kennedy’s Unsolved Murder
13. The Evidence That Stewart and Matthew Smith Are Not Guilty of Conestoga Indian’s Murder
14. Justifying Murder Through Non-consequentialist Means
15. The Race, Gender, and Murder of Oklahoma During the 1920s
16. Why Do People Commit Murder?
17. The Labor and Mass Murder Camps Built During the Holocaust
18. Should Women That Kill Their Abusive Husbands Be Punished for Murder
19. The Different Perspectives Why People Commit Murder
20. West Bank Israeli Americans Murder

❓ Research Questions About Homicide

1. Can Religion Justify Murder?
2. Did the Germans Who Voted for Hitler Realize That They Were Voting for War and Mass Murder?
3. What Impacts and Consequences Do Murder and Death by Natural Circumstances Have on Those Around It?
4. Why Is the Homicide Rate in Canada Dropping?
5. Does Capital Punishment Deter Murder?
6. What Is the Homicide Adaptation Theory?
7. How Does Murder Impact the Family of the Victim?
8. What Legally Justifies Committing Murder in American Society?
9. When Was Murder Legal?
10. Should Teens Who Murder Be Executed?
11. What Are the Three Motives for Murder?
12. Does the UK Have First-Degree Murder?
13. Why Did the Ideas of Hitler Make Mass Murder Possible?
14. What Causes Intentional Homicide?
15. How Should the Courts Deal With Battered Women Who Murder Their Abusers?
16. What Are the Types of Homicide?
17. How to Defend Homicide Charges in Texas?
18. What Is a Theory of Homicide?
19. How Is Homicide a Social Problem?
20. What Is Homicide in Psychology?
21. Is There a Difference Between Murdering and Homicide?
22. What Determines a Homicide?
23. How Does Homicide Affect the Economy?
24. What Is the Most Serious Form of Homicide?
25. What Are the Types of Criminal Homicide Related to an Unlawful Killing Without Justification or Excuse?