Murder in Families

WIVES ARE THE MOST FREQUENT VICTIMS IN FAMILY MURDERS

U.S. Department of Justice

ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 5 P.M. EST                               
BJS 

SUNDAY JULY 10, 1994                                    202-307-0784

WIVES ARE THE MOST FREQUENT VICTIMS IN FAMILY
MURDERS

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Wives are the most frequent victims of fatal
family violence, according to a study of family murder made public 
today by the Justice Department.

In a study of more than 8,000 homicides in large urban counties, 
the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) said 16 percent involved 
murder inside the family, in four out of ten of them a spouse 
killed a spouse.  Offspring were killed by their parents at twice 
the rate that offspring killed their parents.

A male was the assailant in about two-thirds of family murders. 
However, among black marital partners, wives killed their husbands 
at about the same rate as husbands killed their wives--47 percent 
of the black spouse victims were husbands and 53 percent were 
wives.  Among white victims murdered by their spouses, 38 percent 
of the victims were husbands and 62 percent were wives.

Most murders inside the family happened at night--62 percent.  
Alcohol was often part of the fatal scenario.  Nearly half of the 
killers and a third of their victims had been drinking at the time 
of the family homicide.

The study, based on murder cases disposed of in 1988 in the 75 
largest U.S. counties, determined that family murder victims were 
related to their assailants as follows:

              Husband or wife of murderer  . .   40.9%
              Offspring  . . . . . . . . . . .   20.9
              Parent . . . . . . . . . . . . .   11.7
              Sibling  . . . . . . . . . . . .    9.4
              Other type of family member  . .   17.1
     
Other data developed in the study included:

--Six percent of family murderers killed more than one person.  
Among spouse murderers, 2 percent committed multiple murders and 
among persons who murdered their own mother or father (or both 
parents), it was 13 percent.

--Fourteen percent of family murderers had a history of mental 
illness.  Among spouse murderers, 12 percent had such a history, 
and 25 percent of persons who murdered their mother or father had 
a history of mental illness.

--Fifty-six percent of family killers had a history of arrests or 
convictions.

Among those who killed a spouse, 51 percent had a prior criminal 
record (not necessarily for spouse abuse), and among defendants 
who killed one or both of their parents, 67 percent had been 
previously arrested or convicted.

--Seventy-six percent of the family murderers were convicted of 
murder or some other crime, 6 percent were acquitted,  9 percent 
were not prosecuted, 4 percent were dismissed by the court, 3 
percent were found not guilty by reason of insanity and the 
remainder were still pending.

--Eighty percent of the spouse murderers were convicted of murder 
or some other crime, 6 percent were acquitted, 7 percent were not
prosecuted, 4 percent were dismissed by the court, 1 percent were 
found not guilty by reason of insanity, and the remainder were 
pending.

--Seventy percent of defendants charged with killing their parents 
were convicted of murder or some other crime, 6 percent were 
acquitted, 6 percent were not prosecuted, 5 percent were dismissed 
by the court, 9 percent were found not guilty by reason of 
insanity, and the remainder were pending.

--Eighty-eight percent of convicted family murderers were sentenced 
to prison with an average sentence of 13 years.  Corresponding 
figures for convicted spouse murderers were 89 percent prison and 
an average sentence of 13 years, for convicted parent murderers, 
95 percent prison and a sentence average of 13 years.

--Thirteen percent of convicted family murderers received a 
sentence to life imprisonment.  For convicted spouse murderers, it 
was 13 percent and for convicted parent murderers, 18 percent.

--Seventy-nine percent of those younger than 12 years old who had 
been killed by a parent had been previously abused by their 
assailant.

--Eleven percent of all victims who were 60 years old or older were 
killed by a son or a daughter.

Single copies of the BJS special report, "Murder in Families"
(NCJ-143498), as well as other BJS statistical reports may be 
obtained from the BJS Clearinghouse, Box 179, Annapolis Junction, 
Maryland 20701-0179.  The telephone number is 1-800- 732-3277.  
Fax orders to 410-792-4358.

                               # # # 

After hours contact: Stu Smith 301-983-9354