I just read an interesting article about 11 no-body cases that resulted in first degree murder convictions.
In each of the cases, there were commonalities:
-there was no body
-no certain time of death
-no certain means of death
-no eyewitness
-no confession
-no murder weapon
-bloodstains were not conclusively the victim’s as DNA was not yet being utilized
-no forensic evidence such as blood or hair was found
Some key quotes:
“It cannot be stressed strongly enough: if you don’t have a body, proceed as if you will never have one.”
“....A murderer should not be entitled to an acquittal on the basis that he was able to dispose of the body.” “That is one form of success for which society has no reward.” People v. Manson, 139 Cal. Rptr. 275 (Cal. Ct. App. 1977).
https://acsr.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Legal-and-Investigative-stratigies-No-Homicide.pdf
jmo