Question

While investigating a suspect who was believed to have burned down their own house for insurance money , the police find that their internet search history contains several entries for things like " arson " insurance " " starting a fire , " and " hiding evidence of a fire . " What element of criminal activity does this evidence most help establish ?

A.)mens rea
B.) causation
C.) harm
D.)actus reus

Answer 1

The search history of the suspect indicates mens rea, which is the intentional mental state to commit a crime, providing insight into their motive, potentially related to insurance fraud.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Internet search history of a suspect looking up terms such as "arson", "insurance", "starting a fire", and "hiding evidence of a fire" most helps to establish the element of mens rea in criminal activity. Mens rea refers to the mental state of the accused at the time of the crime, indicating a guilty mind or intent. The search history suggests the suspect had the necessary criminal intention to commit arson for the purpose of insurance fraud, which is an essential component of establishing guilt in criminal cases.