Abstract

A case of mass murder by a 35-year old male is reported. Following a week of separation from his spouse and temporary loss of custody of his son, the subject went to his wife's worksite and murdered her and the store manager, wounded a passerby in a car, and murdered a police officer arriving on the scene. Weapons used were a .32 caliber revolver, a 9-mm pistol, a 7.62-mm assault rifle, and a .50-caliber rifle. The fact pattern of the case is shown to be quite consistent with a predatory mode of aggression—violence that is planned, purposeful, emotionless, and not preceded by autonomic arousal. The forensic importance of considering mode of violence, whether predatory or affective, independently of psychiatric diagnosis, is emphasized.

References

1.
Mirsky
A F
,
Siegel
A
.
The neurobiology of violence and aggression
. In:
Reiss
A
,
Miczek
K
,
Roth
J
, editors.
Understanding and preventing violence. Volume 2. Biobehavioral influences
.
Washington, DC
,
National Academy Press
,
1994
;
59
-
111
.
2.
Siegel
A
,
Pott
C B
.
Neural substrates of aggression and flight in the cat
.
Progress in Neurobiology
1988
;
31
:
262
-
83
.
3.
Volavka
J
.
Neurobiology of violence
.
Washington, DC
,
American Psychiatric Press
,
1995
.
4.
Eichelman
B
.
Toward a rational pharmacotherapy for aggressive and violent behavior
.
Hosp Community Psychiatry
1988
;
39
:
31
-
9
.
5.
Eichelman
B
.
Aggressive behavior: From laboratory to clinic
.
Arch Gen Psychiatry
1992
;
49
:
488
-
92
.
6.
Meloy
J R
.
The psychopathic mind: Origins, dynamics, and treatment
.
Northvale, NJ
,
Jason Aronson
,
1988
.
7.
Eichelman
B
,
Hartwig
A
.
The clinical psychopharmacology of violence
.
Psychopharmacol Bulletin
1993
;
29
:
57
-
63
.
8.
Dietz
P E
.
Mass, serial and sensational homicides
.
Bull NY Acad Med
1986
;
62
:
477
-
91
.
9.
Dutton
D G
.
The domestic assault of women
.
Vancouver
,
UBC Press
,
1995
.
10.
American Psychiatric Association
.
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
, 4th edition.
Washington, DC
,
author
,
1994
.
11.
Williamson
S
,
Hare
R
,
Wong
S
.
Violence: Criminal psychopaths and their victims
.
Canad J Behav Sci
1987
;
19
:
454
-
62
.
This content is only available via PDF.
You do not currently have access to this content.