To understand the dynamics of individuals who are attracted to the death penalty as a form of suicide, the authors argues, one must first probe the dynamics of the so-called murder-suicide syndrome. Following a review of the literature on murderers who killed themselves shortly after committing murder, a sketch of twenty-two cases of murderers in the United States who killed in hopes of getting themselves executed, is provided. In recognition of the primacy of suicide in some forms of homicide, the term suicide-murder is used instead of murder-suicide. (56 refs)