NCJ Number
195251
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 47 Issue: 2 Dated: March 2002 Pages: 313-317
Date Published
2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This paper reports on an indepth analysis of 11 adult double-parricide cases (willful killing of both parents) from the Southern California region.
Abstract
The cases occurred between the years 1978 and 1999. Examiners were members of the Superior Court psychiatry and psychology expert witness panels. Descriptive information concerning various background and crime-scene features was extracted from forensic evaluation case files. This was followed by an examination of court files for additional evaluations and dispositional information. Consistent with a previous similar study by the authors, there was a marked absence of childhood abuse. The sample featured differing degrees of mental illness, criminality, or the combination of both. Sixty-four percent had positive family psychiatric histories, and 45 percent carried a major psychiatric diagnosis (schizophrenia) before the offense. Thirty-six percent had violent criminal histories, including convictions for assaults or robbery. Eighteen percent of the subjects had a premorbid history of substance abuse or dependence. In examining this unique subgroup, the subjects were all male; 91 percent were American-born Caucasians, and 91 percent were single, with the remaining subject previously married. Prior threats and assaults upon the victims were found in a majority of cases. Fifty-four percent of the double-parricides occurred because of a long-term discordant relationship or quarrel. One involved a robbery, and the remaining four were primarily delusional. This sample provides additional evidence that double parricide may be conceptualized as involving primarily mental illness or premeditated criminality without evidence for a predisposing history of abuse or mistreatment. 2 tables and 8 references