Youthful Familicidal Offenders: Targeted Victims, Planned Attacks

Authors

Rosa Viñas-Racionero, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Louis B. Schlesinger, John Jay College of Criminal JusticeFollow
Mario Scalora, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
John P. Jarvis, Federal Bureau of Investigation

ORCID IDs

Rosa Viñas-Racionero

Date of this Version

2017

Citation

J Fam Viol (2017) 32:535–542

DOI 10.1007/s10896-016-9836-9

Comments

US Government work.

Abstract

A nonrandom national sample of 16 familicides, which involved 19 offenders (ages 14 to 21 years) who either killed or made a serious attempt to kill their families, was studied. The majority of offenders were Caucasian (78.91 %) males (84.21 %) with interpersonal family conflicts due to parental control, substance use, or physical violence. Prior to the murders, 50 % of the offenders reported to others their intent to kill their families. All of the 42 reported victims were specifically targeted and most of the homicides were planned shooting attacks (75 %) rather than spontaneous eruptions. Immediately following the homicides, 75 % of the offenders stole money from their families, and in 50 % of the cases they either called their friends to report the murders or to plan leisure activities. All offenders were immediate suspects and 81.25 % confessed to the homicides. Implications for furthering our understanding of this group of young offenders are offered.