Establishing the motive by exploring any possible link or relationship between the two dead men in the Sliema stabbing is the highest priority for the police at this stage, according to a forensic psychologist.
Roberta Holland, a forensic psychologist, said building a psychological profile of the victims would be less of a concern given that the individuals involved are known.
“Initially, the police will be looking for a motive and if no link is established they would normally look at the aggressor’s psychological profile and his background that may suggest why he did what he did,” Ms Holland said.
The New Year’s Day tragedy remains shrouded in mystery but the police believe the two men knew each other despite the families’ insistence they had no knowledge of any link.
According to Ms Holland it is only the details emerging from the investigation that could shed light on the reason for what happened because, at this stage, “anything could be a motive”.
“Presumably, the police are delving into the private lives of the individuals concerned to determine whether the two men had any link or form of relationship that could indicate the motive,” she said.
Any conversation that took place between both men just before or during the fight could also provide telling clues, she added, but this depended on what the only eyewitness available would tell the police.
Another important aspect the police would be looking into was the build-up to the tragic events, Ms Holland said. An individual about to commit a crime is bound to have worked himself up psychologically in the hours preceding the act.
“The psychological build-up would have possibly occurred over a period of time with an escalation closer to the crime,” Ms Holland explained.
During the escalation phase, she added, the individual’s changed behaviour could provide clues as to what he was about to do but it was normally only with hindsight that the signs were linked to the crime.
“The changed behaviour may provide an indication of what is about to happen but this may not be too obvious to anyone unless the observer has prior knowledge of the individual’s profile,” she said.
Even seemingly motive-less and nonsensical killings such as shooting sprees always had a build-up phase in the hours just before the acts were committed, she said.
ksansone@timesofmalta.com
New Year’s Day: what happened in the early hours
[attach id=181591 size="medium" align="right"]Duncan Zammit[/attach]
1 a.m. The in-laws of Claire and Duncan Zammit leave a small family party in their penthouse in High Street, Sliema. Mr Zammit drives his parents home to Tigné.
2.30 a.m. Staff members at Shivas Indian restaurant in Paceville, including Nicholas Gera, have a small staff party to usher in the New Year.
3 a.m. Mr Gera is the last one to leave the restaurant and gives a lift home to a colleague from Shiva’s, who lives in the environs of George Borg Olivier Street, Sliema.
4.45 a.m. Mr Gera enters Muddy Waters bar in St Julians and is said to be in an angry state of mind.
5 a.m. Mr Gera is made to leave the bar and does so without much resistance. He later called the barman to try and regain access to no avail.
6.30 a.m. Mr Gera and Mr Zammit’s lifeless bodies end up in a pool of blood from multiple stab wounds resulting from a knife fight in the bedroom of the High Street penthouse. Mr Gera is said to have gained access to the residence by climbing down onto the terrace from the roof. Entrepreneur Angelo Xuereb receives a panicked call from his daughter Claire, informing him that “a man with knives had attacked them”.
7.15 a.m. The police are informed of the double homicide and they arrive on the scene a few minutes later.