Overview on Men Who Kill
Their Intimate Partners
November 21, 2006
David Adams, Ed. D.
Emerge
Dadams9@aol.com
www.emergedv.com
Upcoming 2-Day Trainings
•
West Palm Beach –
January 22-23, 2007
•
Santa Fe –
April 2007 TBA
•
Seattle –
May 2007 TBA
•
Minneapolis –
September 24-25, 2007
•
Providence –
October 2007 TBA
TBA dates to be posted in November 2006 on
www.emergedv.com
Training Goals of Danger Assessment and
Risk Management Training Project
•
Recognize risk factors for homicide and
serious abuse
•
Become acquainted with danger assessment
and safety planning tools and procedures
•
Identify best practices for assessing danger
and managing risk
•
Learn how to interview victims and
perpetrators
Training Goals, continued
•
Identify characteristics of abusers
•
Become acquainted with methods of
stalking, including uses of various
technologies to stalk or monitor
•
Recognize needs/risks for particularly
vulnerable populations of victims
Training DVD
•
Shows interviews of victims by police officer,
community-based advocate, prosecutor, and
prosecutor-based advocate
•
Shows interview of perpetrator by police
•
Interviews show how to incorporate danger
assessment into crime investigation and safety
planning
Available from Emerge at www.emergedv.com
Key Points
•
Danger assessment is a continuous process of
risk management
•
D
o
n
‟
t
o
v
e
r
-rely on tools
•
D
o
n
‟
t
g
o
b
y
g
u
t
i
n
s
t
i
n
c
t
s
a
l
o
n
e
•
Pool information
•
Look at victim as best source of information
•
Recognize victim trauma and coping strategies
•
Safest course (for victim) may be not to use the
criminal justice system
Risk factors for homicide:
Which is best predictor?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
Past threats to kill
Past threats of suicide
Access to a gun
History of serious domestic violence
Sexual Violence
Stalking
Substance Abuse
Estrangement
Risk factors for homicide and
serious abuse
A. Past threats to kill
B. Past threats of suicide
C. Access to a gun
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
History of serious domestic violence
Sexual Violence
Stalking
Substance Abuse
Estrangement
A. Prior threats to kill
80
74%
70
60
50
Femicide
Abused Control
40
30
20
15%
10
0
Source: J. Campbell, NIJ VAWA R01 DA/AA156
Multiple threats to kill
In Emerge study of 20 attempted homicides:
•
19 victims said perpetrator had made at least
one prior threat to kill
•
18 reported more than one threat
•
10 said monthly or more
•
5 said weekly or more
•
2 said daily threats
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
Examples of threats
prior to homicide attempts
•
To maim her, to kill daughter, to make her
watch him raping new partner
•
To kill her with ax he kept under the bed
•
To make her watch as he killed her parents
•
To shoot her in head and cut her to pieces
•
To chop fingers and then arms off
•
To have his daughter kill her
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
Threats
•
Never ask as a yes/no question
•
Ask:
How many threats have been made?
When, including the most recent?
What were the exact words and actions?
Have the threats escalated or changed?
B. Suicide
30% of femicides are
murder/suicides
Source: National Institute of Justice Journal, Intimate
Partner Homicide, Issue # 250, November 2003
Prior suicide threat/attempt
by perpetrator
Attempted Homicide
Abused Control
24%
19%
Source: J. Campbell, NIJ VAWA R01 DA/AA156
Prior threats to kill
80
78%
70
60
50
Murder/Suicide
Abused Control
40
30
20
16%
10
0
Source: J. Koziol-McLain, Johns Hopkins
C. Access to guns
•
64% of women murdered from
1981-1998 were shot with a gun
-¾ of these with a handgun
Data source: CDC, Paulozzi et al
Weapons used in femicides;
1981-1998
•
65% shooting
•
16% stabbing with sharp object
•
8.4 % hands or feet
•
4.7% blunt object
•
4.6% other
Source: CDC, Paulozzi et al
Perpetrator Access to Gun
Femicides
Abused Controls
65%
24%
Source: J. Campbell, NIJ VAWA R01 DA/AA156
Choice of Weapon
Emerge study of 31 killers
14 Shooters:
11 o
f
t
h
e
s
e
(
7
8
%
)
s
a
i
d
t
h
e
y
w
o
u
l
d
n
‟
t
have used another weapon
S
h
o
o
t
e
r
s
‟
r
e
a
s
o
n
s
f
o
r
n
o
t
u
s
i
n
g
other weapons
“
I
w
a
s
i
n
t
o
x
i
c
a
t
e
d
…
d
i
d
n
’
t
h
a
v
e
t
h
e
s
t
r
e
n
g
t
h
t
o
stab or choke her”
“
I
t
h
a
p
p
e
n
e
d
s
o
f
a
s
t
…
I
w
o
u
l
d
h
a
v
e
c
o
m
e
t
o
i
n
t
h
e
time it took to take out a knife”
“
A
g
u
n
d
e
p
e
r
s
o
n
a
l
i
z
e
s
…
I
w
o
u
l
d
n
’
t
h
a
v
e
g
o
n
e
through with it if I had time to think about it”
“
I
h
a
t
e
k
n
i
v
e
s
.
I
’
v
e
b
e
e
n
s
t
a
b
b
e
d
”
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
How guns are obtained:
14 shooters
•
7 had legal possession of gun
•
4 had illegally purchased gun
•
3 had failed to surrender gun
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
Multiple victims
•
Murderers using guns are more
likely to have multiple victims
S
t
a
b
b
e
r
s
‟
c
h
o
i
c
e
o
f
w
e
a
p
o
n
•
4 of the 6 stabbers said they
would have used gun if available
•
2 said they would not have used
gun since it would have made too
much noise
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
S
t
r
a
n
g
l
e
r
s
‟
c
h
o
i
c
e
o
f
w
e
a
p
o
n
•
Only 1 of the 8 stranglers said he
would have used a gun.
•
This man said:
“
I
f
I
’
d
h
a
d
a
g
u
n
,
I
w
o
u
l
d
h
a
v
e
u
s
e
d
i
t
e
a
r
l
i
e
r
;
t
h
a
t
’
s
w
h
y
I
d
i
d
n
’
t
k
e
e
p
one in the house”
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
D. Past Serious Violence:
Victims of Attempted Murder
•
90% had been punched in face or stomach
•
63% had been choked or gagged
•
31% had gun used against them
•
2
6
%
s
a
i
d
t
h
e
y
‟
d
b
e
e
n
k
n
o
c
k
e
d
o
u
t
•
26% had been hit by car or pushed out of car
•
15% had been stabbed
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
Past Violence/Threats
•
When inquiring about past violence, ask
about:
•
Injuries?
•
Use of weapons?
•
Escalation?
•
Context (estrangement?, substance use?,
jealousy?, depression?)
Prior arrest for domestic
violence
Femicides
Abused Controls
26%
14%
Source: J. Campbell, NIJ VAWA R01 DA/AA156
Prior Arrests
•
N
e
v
e
r
a
s
s
u
m
e
t
h
a
t
t
h
e
r
e
’
s
n
o
h
i
s
t
o
r
y
o
f
violence just because there have been no
prior arrests
•
Some of the most dangerous situations have
no prior police/court involvement
Prior Strangulation Attempt
Femicides
Abused Controls
56%
10%
Source: J. Campbell, NIJ VAWA R01 DA/AA156
E. Prior Forced Sex
Femicides
Abused Controls
46%
15%
Source: J. Campbell, NIJ VAWA R01 DA/AA156
F. Stalking
60
50
40
30
Att. Homicide
Abused Control
20
10
0
Follow or Unwanted
spy
calls
Stood
outside
Destroy
property
Source: J. Campbell, NIJ VAWA R01 DA/AA156
Extreme Jealousy
Femicides
Abused Controls
39%
17%
Source: J. Campbell, NIJ VAWA R01 DA/AA156
G
.
P
e
r
p
e
t
r
a
t
o
r
s
‟
S
u
b
s
t
a
n
c
e
Abuse
60
50
40
Femicides
Abused Controls
30
20
10
0
Abused alcoho
Drug user
Source: J. Campbell, NIJ VAWA R01 DA/AA156
Substance Abuse
D
o
n
‟
t
a
s
k
a
b
o
u
t
s
u
b
s
t
a
n
c
e
a
b
u
s
e
a
s
yes/no question.
A
l
s
o
a
s
k
…
.
.
•
What drugs are used?
•
How often are drugs/alcohol used?
•
Have there been any recent changes
in use?
H. Estrangement
Femicides
Abused Controls
55%
35%
Source: J. Campbell, NIJ VAWA R01 DA/AA156
Extreme Dominance
•
Usually consists of extreme possessive
beliefs and actions
•
C
o
n
t
r
o
l
a
n
d
m
o
n
i
t
o
r
i
n
g
o
f
v
i
c
t
i
m
‟
s
d
a
i
l
y
activities
•
S
t
a
t
e
m
e
n
t
s
t
h
a
t
t
h
e
r
e
l
a
t
i
o
n
s
h
i
p
c
a
n
‟
t
e
n
d
o
r
t
h
a
t
t
h
e
v
i
c
t
i
m
c
a
n
‟
t
l
e
a
v
e
.
•
R
i
g
i
d
„
r
i
g
h
t
o
r
w
r
o
n
g
‟
t
h
i
n
k
i
n
g
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
Common Abuser Traits
•
Often has a likeable public personna
•
Paternalism toward victim
•
Jealous and/or Paranoid thinking
•
Projection of blame (views self as victim)
•
Entitlement/Ownership Beliefs
•
Dependent on victim
Types of killers
1) Jealous
2) Substance Abusers
3) Depressed, Depressed
4) Materially Motivated
5) Career Criminals
Source: David Adams, forthcoming in Why Do They Kill?
Men Who Murder Their Intimate Partners,
Vanderbilt University Press, 2007
1) Jealous Type (65-90%)
Description:
Paranoid, obsessive
Can be controlled or impulsive
Often highly dependent on victim
Behavior:
Control over daily activities
Jealous questions and monitoring
Stalking
Lots of past threats and accusations
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
Jealous type
Common triggers:
•
Estrangement
•
Divorce
•
Infidelity or suspected infidelity
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
Jealous type
Potential Deterrents:
•
Mandated batterer intervention program
•
Clerical intervention (for some)
•
Screening for substance abuse
•
Lack of access to victim following
estrangement
•
Strict monitoring
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
2) Substance Abuser (50-65%)
Description:
•
Can be functioning or nonfunctioning
•
Relationship revolves around drugs
•
Emotionally unstable and grandiose
Behavior:
•
Daily drug abuse or frequent binging
•
Unstable employment and finances
•
Criminal behavior
•
Short courtships
•
Violence is more severe
Short Courtships
Proportion of Killers and Attempted Killers with short
courtships:
Less than 6 months
54%
Less than 3 months
50%
Less than 2 months
46%
Less than 1 month
31%
One or two days
12%
Substance abusers were most likely to have short
courtships and short relationships.
Substance Abuser
Common triggers:
•
Conflicts over drug use and finances
•
Infidelity or imagined infidelity
•
General deterioration
•
Pending criminal charges
•
Complaints by victim
•
Petty arguments
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
Substance Abuser
Potential Deterrents:
•
Mandated substance abuse
treatment/detox
•
Mandated batterer intervention
•
Removal of weapons
•
Lack of access to victim
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
3) Depressed/Suicidal (20-40%)
Description:
•
Depressed
•
Highly dependent
•
Emotionally unstable
•
Older and more stable than other killers
Behavior:
•
Suicide and homicide threats
•
Frequent violence
•
Isolation (of self and/or family)
•
Substance abuse
Depressed/Suicidal
Common triggers:
•
Estrangement
•
Loss of job
•
Loss of children
•
Nothing to live for
Depressed/Suicidal
Potential Deterrents:
•
Counseling for depression
•
Monitoring of meds
•
Batterer intervention program
•
Screening for substance abuse
4) Materially-Motivated Type
(20-25%)
Description:
•
Obsessed with money and possessions
•
Contempt for women
•
Financially exploitative or possessive
•
Some fit anti-social personality profile
•
Exhibits less jealousy than normal
Behavior:
•
Level of violence varies
•
Frequent acts of vengeance, stealing
•
Keeps secrets from victim
Materially-Motivated type
Common triggers:
•
Financial loss or pending loss
•
Criminal charges
•
B
e
i
n
g
“
b
o
t
h
e
r
e
d
”
b
y
v
i
c
t
i
m
Materially-Motivated type
Potential deterrents:
•
Incarceration for domestic violence or
other crimes
•
Close monitoring
•
Mandated batterer intervention program
5) Career Criminal (15-20%)
Description:
•
Problems with authority
•
Anti-social personality
•
Exploitative in relationships
Behavior:
•
Supports self via crime
•
Level of violence varies a great deal
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
Career Criminals
Common Triggers:
•
Financial loss
•
Victim fighting back or defying him
•
Arrest or attempted arrest
•
Incarceration
•
B
e
i
n
g
“
b
o
t
h
e
r
e
d
”
b
y
v
i
c
t
i
m
Career Criminals
Potential deterrents:
•
Incarceration
•
Arrest for other crimes
•
Strict monitoring
•
In-house treatment for domestic violence
and substance abuse
Double and Triple Threats
•
Frequent overlap among killer types
(Nearly 2/3 killers are more than one type)
•
Common overlaps include:
-Substance abuser and Jealous
-Substance abuser and Materially-motivated
-Career criminal and Materially-motivated
-Depressed and Substance abuser
-Depressed and Jealous
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
Jealous Substance Abusers
Interviewer: What would make you jealous?
J
a
m
e
s
:
T
o
b
e
h
o
n
e
s
t
,
I
‟
m
n
o
t
t
h
a
t
j
e
a
l
o
u
s
.
I
g
u
e
s
s
i
f
I
w
a
s
d
r
i
n
k
i
n
g
,
t
h
a
t
would make me more so. You know, the insecurity would kick in and then
I
‟
d
b
e
s
a
y
i
n
g
s
o
m
e
r
e
a
l
s
h
i
t
.
Interviewer: Are you saying that when you were drinking that you would
t
h
i
n
k
t
h
i
n
g
s
t
h
a
t
y
o
u
‟
d
n
o
r
m
a
l
l
y
n
o
t
t
h
i
n
k
?
J
a
m
e
s
:
Y
o
u
c
o
u
l
d
s
a
y
t
h
a
t
.
I
‟
d
b
e
t
h
i
n
k
i
n
g
a
l
o
t
o
f
t
h
i
n
g
s
,
y
e
s
.
S
i
c
k
s
h
i
t
.
Interviewer: Like what?
James: Like her (Corinne) and her father.
I
n
t
e
r
v
i
e
w
e
r
:
Y
o
u
m
e
a
n
,
y
o
u
‟
d
b
e
t
h
i
n
k
i
n
g
C
o
r
i
n
n
e
w
a
s
s
e
x
u
a
l
l
y
i
n
v
o
l
v
e
d
with her father?
James: I might have accused her of that a couple times when I had alcohol in
me.
Interviewer: Did you really believe that?
J
a
m
e
s
:
N
a
h
!
N
o
t
r
e
g
u
l
a
r
l
y
,
n
o
.
B
u
t
a
g
a
i
n
,
i
f
I
‟
d
b
e
e
n
d
r
i
n
k
i
n
g
,
y
e
s
.
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
Jealous Substance Abusers
Lydia said: He seemed more paranoid. I think it was the drugs.
I
n
t
e
r
v
i
e
w
e
r
:
W
h
a
t
d
o
y
o
u
m
e
a
n
b
y
“
p
a
r
a
n
o
i
d
”
?
L
y
d
i
a
:
H
e
‟
d
a
l
w
a
y
s
b
e
t
h
i
n
k
i
n
g
p
e
o
p
l
e
w
e
r
e
o
u
t
t
o
g
e
t
h
i
m
.
T
o
w
a
r
d
s
t
h
e
e
n
d
,
h
e
‟
d
b
e
s
a
y
i
n
g
p
e
o
p
l
e
w
a
s
c
o
m
i
n
g
i
n
t
o
t
h
e
h
o
u
s
e
t
o
s
t
e
a
l
h
i
s
m
o
n
e
y
.
H
e
‟
d
a
c
c
u
s
e
o
f
c
r
a
z
y
t
h
i
n
g
s
.
Interviewer: Like what?
L
y
d
i
a
:
H
i
d
i
n
g
t
h
i
n
g
s
f
r
o
m
h
i
m
.
H
e
‟
d
a
c
c
u
s
e
m
e
o
f
t
a
k
i
n
g
h
i
s
c
l
o
t
h
e
s
i
f
h
e
c
o
u
l
d
n
‟
t
f
i
n
d
t
h
e
m
.
Interviewer: Was his jealousy getting worse?
L
y
d
i
a
:
O
h
G
o
d
,
y
e
s
!
I
w
a
s
a
l
w
a
y
s
b
a
d
b
u
t
t
h
e
n
h
e
‟
d
b
e
t
h
i
n
k
i
n
g
I
h
a
d
something going on with every person I met.
Interviewer: Did you really believe that
Source: D. Adams, Emerge
Significance of Killer Types
When doing danger assessment:
•
A
s
k
a
b
o
u
t
r
e
l
a
t
i
o
n
s
h
i
p
h
i
s
t
o
r
y
,
l
o
o
k
i
n
g
f
o
r
a
b
u
s
e
r
‟
s
longstanding grievances and past responses to victim
resistance/defiance
•
Ask abuser if he accepts separation and if he can
recognize life beyond the relationship
When doing safety planning with victims:
•
A
n
t
i
c
i
p
a
t
e
p
e
r
p
e
t
r
a
t
o
r
‟
s
a
c
t
i
o
n
s
i
n
r
e
s
p
o
n
s
e
t
o
e
s
t
r
a
n
g
e
m
e
n
t
a
n
d
o
t
h
e
r
s
t
e
p
s
s
h
e
‟
s
t
a
k
i
n
g
•
Look for patterns of escalation and deterioration on
a
b
u
s
e
r
‟
s
p
a
r
t
Why Do They Kill?
Men Who Murder Their
Intimate Partners
David Adams, Ed.D.
Forthcoming:
Vanderbilt University Press
Fall, 2007