Death by murder: A study of women murderers

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Abstract
Death by murder is a horror in our society. As we struggle to understand the murderer we ask who is the murderer and who is the murder victim? Research on murderers shows that the murder victim is often a relative or close friend of the murderer. The following study of convicted female murderers incarcerated in a Florida prison concurs with this finding. For the study, 135 convicted felons were interviewed to obtain insight into the murderer's background, precipitating events leading to violence, attitudes toward death, and the relationship of the murderer to the murdered. The average female murderer is 35 or older, poorly educated, has few job skills, and, in prison, is generally placid, withdrawn, and nonassertive. The female murderers interviewed attacked their victims during domestic quarrels in an attempt to resolve a conflict, assert power, or protect themselves. Female murderers viewed their victims as objects to be disposed of rather than as real persons with a right to life. Language used to describe the violent acts shows that female murderers deny the reality of death.

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