MULTIPLE MURDER : A Review

A review of the literature on multiple murder reveals little systematic research on this phenomenon despite widespread media interest and figures indicating that over 3 per cent of homicide victims in England and Wales die in incidents of multiple homicide. Difficulties in both defining multiple murder and estimating its prevalance are noted, although these can be seen as essential steps towards the formulation of a comprehensive psychological model of this type of crime. A review of the literature indicates that fantasy rehearsal of murderous and sadistic acts is commonly reported in this group, and stresses the importance of examining environmental factors that could elicit and control violent behaviour. It is concluded that further research is required in three areas: (1) detection and recognition of a multiple crime perpetrator from crime scene evidence; (2) identification and recognition of risk factors within imprisoned and clinical populations; (3) identification of the treatment needs and the appropriate disposal of these offender.