NCJ Number
136129
Date Published
1992
Length
333 pages
Annotation
This volume profiles 87 female serial or mass murderers who have killed at least three people; the book covers women from all over the world and extends from 1580 through 1990.
Abstract
The average women mass murderer kills for the first time at age 31 and continues to kill for 5 years before she is apprehended; by that time she has killed approximately 17 people. Multicides committed by women are different than those committed by men in terms of victim, method, and location. Most victims are selected from her immediate or extended family; other victims are associated with the murderer as employers, friends, or suitors. A large percentage of victims are very young or very old. With few exceptions, women murder their victims in either party's residence. Upon arrest, women murderers usually show little or no remorse for their actions; most women are adjudged sane, convicted, and sentenced to long prison terms. Hatred of men appears to be the underlying motive for these women. Chapter references