THE PSYCHOLEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF PARRICIDAL BEHAVIOR

Adam M. Weisman, Ph.D., Kaushal K. Sharma, MD., 1;Martene Ehrenclou, B.A., and Jennifer A. Gullesserian, B.A. 2

1. USC Institute of Psychiatry, Law and Behavioral Medicine2. Pepperdine University

Weisman, et al. (1999)

INTRODUCTION

• MATRICIDE, PATRICIDE, ATTEMPTED PARRICIDE

• INCIDENCE: TWO PERCENT OF HOMICIDES (N=300)

• ADOLESCENTS (25%); ABUSED, MENTALLY ILL, ANTISOCIAL

• ADULTS (75%); MENTALLY ILL, ANTISOCIAL, EXOTIC

Weisman, et al. (1999)

METHODOLOGY

• SUBJECTS: 57 PARRICIDE; 21 ATTEMPTED PARRICIDE

• LOS ANGELES, ORANGE AND RIVERSIDE COUNTIES

• VICTIMS: MOTHER (41), FATHER (25), BOTH (12)

• DATA: FORENSIC REPORTS, ARRESTS AND COURT RECORDS

Weisman, et al. (1999)

PARRICIDE ATTEMPTPREMORBID CONDITION

• 18 MALES, 3 FEMALES

• AVERAGE AGE= 30.38 (SD= 9.9); RANGE 19-56

• 48% CAUCASIAN, 29% AFRICAN-AMERICAN, 5% HISPANIC

• 59% POSITIVE FAMILY MENTAL HEALTH HISTORY

• 70% LIVING WITH VICTIM(S), 62% UNEMPLOYED

• 65% PRIOR THREATS, 47% PRIOR ASSAULTS

Weisman, et al. (1999)

PARRICIDE ATTEMPTPSYCHOLOGICAL HISTORY

• 85% PRIOR INPATIENT HISTORY, MODE (45%)= 2-3 TIMES

• MODE (60%) DIAGNOSIS: PSYCHOTIC CLASSIFICATIONS

• 58% SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER UNDERLYING PRIMARY DX

• DRUG USE: ALCOHOL, PCP, COCAINE

• 85% PRIOR CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS; 56% VIOLENT CRIME HX

Weisman, et al. (1999)

PARRICIDE ATTEMPTCRIME SCENE DATA

• VICTIMS: 14 BIOLOGICAL MOTHERS, 5 BIOLOGICAL FATHERS

• ONE DOUBLE ATTEMPT

• AVERAGE AGE= 59 (SD=13.24); RANGE 40-84

• 90% AT HOME, 81% WITNESSES PRESENT/NEARBY

• 62% KNIFE; 14% FIREARM; 14% STRANGLING; 10% BEATING

• 26% INTOXICATED: ALCOHOL, AMPHETAMINE, COCAINE

Weisman, et al. (1999)

PARRICIDE ATTEMPTCRIME SCENE DATA

• MOTIVE: 57% DELUSION; 19% QUARREL; 19% FIDUCIARY

• RESPONSE: 48% NOTHING, 24% FLED, 24% COMBATIVE/SUICIDAL

• 57% OPEN CONFESSION; 19% ACTIVE CONCEALMENT

• CHARGE: (14) ATT MURDER, (2) VOL ATT MAN, (5) AGG ASSAULT

Weisman, et al. (1999)

PARRICIDE ATTEMPTLEGAL PROCEEDINGS

• COMPETENCY: 95% RAISED, 9 (45%) INCOMPETENT

• 15 MONTHS RESTORATION (SD=10.47), RANGE 3-36

• TWO CASES UNRESTORABLE

• DEFENSE STRATEGY: 68% NGRI; 33% DIMINISHED INTENT

• 76% PSYCHOTIC, 24% SUBSTANCE USE

• (10) CASES GUILTY, (8) NGRI, (1) AQUITTED

Weisman, et al. (1999)

PARRICIDEPREMORBID

• 51 MALES, 6 FEMALES

• AVERAGE AGE=29.26 (SD= 10); RANGE 14-54

• 61% CAUCASIAN, 21% AFRICAN-AMERICAN, 11% HISPANIC

• 65% FAMILY PSYCH HX; 58% FAMILY DRUG HX

• 80% LIVING WITH VICTIM(S), 72% UNEMPLOYED

• 43% PRIOR THREATS, 34% ASSAULTS

Weisman, et al. (1999)

PARRICIDEPSYCHOLOGICAL HISTORY

• 55% PRIOR INPATIENT HISTORY (20% 4-6x; 19%> 7x

• MODE DIAGNOSIS: 46% PSYCHOTIC; 30% NO PRIOR DX

• 55% SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER UNDERLYING PRIMARY DX

• DRUG USE: ALCOHOL, CANNABIS, COCAINE

• 55% PRIOR CRIMINAL CONVICTION; 36% VIOLENT CRIME HX

Weisman, et al. (1999)

PARRICIDECRIME SCENE DATA

• VICTIMS: 31 BIOLOGICAL MOTHERS, 3 NONBIOLOICAL, 22 BIOLOGICAL FATHERS, 1 NONBIOLOGICAL

• ELEVEN DOUBLE CASES

• AVERAGE AGE: 60 (SD=13); RANGE 35-85

• 95% AT HOME, 40% WITNESSES PRESENT/NEARBY

• 42% KNIFE, 25% FIREARM, 19% BEATING, 9% STABBING, 5% SUFFOCATION

• 15% INTOXICATED, ALCOHOL

Weisman, et al. (1999)

PARRICIDE CRIME SCENE DATA

• 51% DELUSION; 21% QUARREL; 16% FIDUCIARY; 7% RELATION; 5% RAGE

• 23% DID NOTHING, 40% FLED, 20% COMBATIVE/SUICIDAL

• 70% OPEN CONFESSION, 21% ACTIVE CONCEALMENT

• CHARGE: (57) MURDER, 14% SPECIAL CIRC

Weisman, et al. (1999)

PARRICIDELEGAL PROCEEDINGS

• COMPETENCY: 51% RAISED, 11(38%) INCOMPETENT

• 19 MONTHS RESTORATION (SD= 12) RANGE 3-36

• TWO CASES UNRESTORABLE

• DEFENSE STRATEGY: 71% NGRI, 11% EXOTIC; 16% DIM INT/CAP

• 59% PSYCHOTIC, 23% AFFECTIVE, 13% AXIS II, 5% SUBS ABUSE

• 61% CASES GUILTY, 20(37%) NGRI

Weisman, et al. (1999)

GROUP DIFFERENCES

PARRICIDE TYPE• INPATIENT TREATMENT• ADULT VIOLENT HISTORY• WITNESSES• INTOXICTION• COMPENTENCY RAISED• FORENSIC DIAGNOSIS• DISPOSITION

DISPOSITION• ETHNICITY• MOTIVE• DRUG INFLUENCE• FORENSIC DIAGNOSIS

Weisman, et al. (1999)

SUMMARY

• PRIMARY SUBTYPES: SEVERE MENTALLY ILL & ANTISOCIAL

• ATTEMPTERS: PSYCHIATRIC INSTABILITY & VIOLENT

• MALE OFFENDER: MOTHER>FATHER; DOUBLE- PARRICIDE

• PARRICIDE ATTEMPT WITNESSES COMMON

• PRIOR THEAT AND/OR ASSAULT COMMON

Weisman, et al. (1999)

SUMMARY

• KNIVES, FIREARMS AND BAREHANDS COMMON

• DRUGS RARELY PRECIPITATED EVENT

• 36% NGRI SUCCESS RATE • (8/18 ATTEMPTED; 20/53 PARRICIDE)

• ETHNICITY AND DISPOSITION DIFFERENCES

• 30% SAMPLE REPRESENTATION ESTIMATE