Another Side of Multiple Murder: Women Killers in the Domestic Context

Using a national database of newspaper accounts from 2 archives, Lexis-Nexis & ProQuest, this article isolates an exploratory sample of U.S. women who, between 1993 & 2001, killed 2 or more victims during a single episode of domestic violence. Ways in which these 32 cases are distinct from cases of male mass murder are identified. With respect to the outcomes of these cases, more than 1 third (35.5%) of the women took their own lives after their murder spree, & another 25% attempted suicide. Reasons for the high rate of suicidality among this population are discussed. (64 refs)