The relationship between homicides reported by printed media and official records in Costa Rica, and a test of the Duntley-Buss Biological Model of Murde

Studies about homicides in Costa Rica have not been systematic and have dealt mostly with homicide rates, mode of death, identity of victims and murderers, place and time of death, and relationship with drugs. None dealt with biological models of homicide. The goals of this study were to compare press reports with official statistics, to evaluate several hypotheses about when homicides occur and to analyse the Costa Rican murder scene from the point of view of the Duntley & Buss biological model. We recorded all homicides mentioned in two Costa Rican newspapers (La Nación and Diario Extra) from January 1 through December 31, 2008 and extracted the corresponding statistical data from the Costa Rican Judicial Branch for comparison. Both newspapers reported data that were in agreement with official statistics. Our hypothesis that mortality was higher in the months with long holidays was rejected. Men have a higher probability of dying from fire weapon wounds and women from smothering. Limón province has a higher homicide rate, as do Colombian, Panamanian and Nicaraguan immigrants. All our results are in agreement with the Duntley & Buss biological model.KEY WORDSScientific model of murder, Latin American security scene, crime in Central America, biological causes of murder, sexual strategies.