Murder-Suicide of the Jealous Paranoia Type: a Multicenter Statistical Pilot Study

The authors present a pilot statistical study of murder-suicide comprising 32 cases from the years 1990-1992, collected from the offices of the medical examiners of seven counties in five of the United States. The study includes brief reviews of previous statistical surveys of murder, murder-suicide, and suicide. This present study’s conclusions parallel the findings of previous research on the demographic characteristics of the perpetrators of murder-suicide, the relationship between killers and victims, the types of weapon used, locations of the incidents, and the time intervals between the murder and suicide. It also highlights the similarities between the characteristics of the perpetrator of murder-suicide and those of persons who commit only suicide, supporting the thesis that murder-suicide is an extended suicide. Suggestions for prevention of such a type of crime are offered.