Maternal filicide may occur either alone or as part of a filicide-suicide. This study considered differences among 3 groups of mothers who committed filicide: those who did so without a concomitant suicide attempt, those who made a nonfatal suicide attempt, & those who died by suicide. Traditional predictors of suicide did not distinguish mothers who died by or attempted suicide from those who did not. Mothers who died by suicide following filicide often had altruistic motives & more frequently used firearms. (32 refs.)