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Before examining its relevance to an investigation, the term motive must be defined. A motive is essentially the "why" of a criminal act. It is the reason and driving force behind committing a crime. Motive can also be viewed "as the emotional, psychological, and material needs that impel and are satisfied by behavior" (Turvey 2002: 307). Usually, a motive does not exist without a social context. Also, a motive is often difficult to discern, since it can …

…it may still assist in excluding some suspects. Thus, establishing the motive during the investigation of a crime has several benefits. Benefits include limiting the suspect pool by giving law enforcement personnel a focus in their work and setting priorities (Turvey 2002). To summarize, "motive is an important factor in pointing to possible suspects in a homicide" (Osterburg & Ward 2000: 383). If motive is disregarded altogether, the search for a suspect or suspects might be compromised.