Why Do They Kill?

David Adams

Description

Moving backwards from the murders they committed through their adult lives, relationship histories, and their childhoods, the author sought to understand what motivates the men to kill. The patterns he found reveal that the murders were neither impulsive crimes of passion nor were they indiscriminate. Why Do They Kill? is the first book to profile different types of wife killers, and to examine the courtship patterns of abusive men. The author shows that wife murders are not, for the most part, "crimes of passion," but culminations of lifelong predisposing factors of the men who murder, and that many elements of their crimes are foretold by their past behavior in intimate relationships.

Key turning points of these relationships include the first emergence of the man's violence, his blaming of the victim, her attempts to resist, his escalation, her attempts to end the relationship, and his punishment for her defiance. Critical perspective on the men's accounts comes from interviews with victims of attempted homicide (standing in for the murder victims) who survived shootings, stabbings, and strangulation. These women detail their partner's escalating patterns of child abuse, sexual violence, terroristic threats, and stalking. The section on help-seeking patterns of victims helps to dispel notions of ìlearned helplessnessî among victims.

Sujets

• Public Health
• Sociology
• True Crime
• Criminology

Informations

• Publié par: Vanderbilt University Press
• Date de parution: 21 septembre 2007
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780826592316
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Why  Do They Kill?

Men Wo Murder heirIntimatePartners David Adams

Why Do They Kill?

Why Do They Kill? Men WHo Murder heir Intimate Partners

David Adams

Vanderbît Unîversîty Press | Nashvîe

© 2007 Vanderbît Unîversîty Press A rîghts reserved. Fîrst Edîtîon 2007

11 10 09 08 07

1 2 3 4 5

Prînted on acîd-free paper. Manufactured în the Unîted States of Amerîca.

Lîbrary of Congress Cataogîng-în-Pubîcatîon Data

Adams, Davîd, Ed. D. Why do they kî? : men who murder theîr întîmate partners /  Davîd Adams.—1st ed.  p. cm. Incudes bîbîographîca references and îndex. ISBN 978-0-8265-1568-1 (coth : ak. paper) ISBN 978-0-8265-1569-8 (pbk. : ak. paper) 1. Murderers—Unîted States—Psychoogy. 2. Women—Crîmes agaînst—Unîted States—Case studîes. 3. Uxorîcîde—Unîted States—Case studîes. 4. Murder—Unîted States—Case studîes. I. Tîte. HV6529.A33 2007 364.152’3—dc22  2007007049

Contents

1   4 5 6 7 8 9

Acknowledgments vîî Men Wo Kill heir Partners 1 Recognizing Abusive Men 23 Killer Profiles 35 he Killers’ Upbringings 120 Sort Courtsips 138

Cild Abuse 148 Patterns of Possession and Punisment Victim Help-Seeking 220 Conclusions and Recommendations 251

Notes 269 References 275 Index 283

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Acknowledgments

Thanks irst and foremost to Susan Schechter who started thîs project wîth me and, untî her untîmey death în February 2004, was a vaued consu- tant. Susan was înstrumenta în both the research desîgn and the eary anaysîs of the data, and even conducted the irst vîctîm întervîew. As the author ofWomen and Male VîolenceandWhen Love Goes Wrong, and as one of the pîoneerîng advocates for chîd wîtnesses to vîoence, Susan was one of the true orîgînators and eaders of the battered women’s movement. Sînce her work and vîsîon îve on, she contînues to înspîre my work.  Specîa thanks aso go to Mîchae Ames, the pubîsher who recog- nîzed the sîgnîicance of the study and encouraged me to wrîte thîs book. He never gave up on me even durîng my ong perîods of attendîng to other matters. I aso apprecîate hîs înput on how to structure the book and hîs advîce that I încude background înformatîon about abusîve men.  I’d aso îke to thank the funders of thîs project. These were the Gar- dîner Howand Shaw Foundatîon, the Boston Foundatîon, and the Ms. Foundatîon for Women. Thank you, Tom Coury, for your endurîng înterest în thîs project. Thank you, Ed Gondof, for your encouragement and for advîce on the research desîgn.  Severa peope heped to recruît subjects for the study. These încuded Donna Kausek, Gae Martîn, Mîchae Coffee, Lucy Murray Brown, and the staff at Womanspace Crîsîs Center, Transîtîon House, RESPOND, REACH, Hep for Abused Women and Chîdren, and DOVE. Of these peope, Gae and Donna payed addîtîona crîtîca roes as panners and facuty on the natîona danger assessment and rîsk management traînîng project. Other împortant consutants on these traînîngs and supporters of thîs book have been Connîe Sponser, Denîse Gamache, Edward Gondof,

vii

Neî Websdae, Susan Cayouette, Rhonda Martînson, Barbara Hart, Jac- queyn Campbe, Catherîne Pîerce, Dîane Coffey, and Lt. Jon Tîpady. I aso thank Chrîstopher Ha for hîs hep on the book cover desîgn.  I greaty apprecîate the experîenced advocates who conducted the întervîews of vîctîms. Thank you, Lîndsay Baker, Eîzabeth Bevîns, Lîsa Tîeszen, Bonnîe Gage Anderson, and Maureen Pasîk. Thanks aso to the staff at the Massachusetts Department of Correctîons who heped me to gaîn access to the prîsons and to recruît înmates. These încuded Janet Knîght, Lîsa Sampson, Peter Chaapatas, Donna Coîns, Joan Mîch, Bî Martîn, Sherry Bumpus, Scott Anderson, and Jake Gadsden. I’d îke to thank my wîfe, Lîsa Tîeszen, for beîng such a great soundîng board and source of support.  Fînay and foremost, I’d îke to commend and thank the vîctîms of attempted homîcîde for sharîng some of theîr most paînfu experîences and for speakîng for those who can no onger speak. A saîd they were wîîng to do so în hopes of hepîng to prevent more women’s deaths. I dedîcate thîs book to you.

viii| Wy Do hey Kill?

1| Men Wo Kill heirPartners

Introduction

Thîs book îs the cumînatîon of over ten years of work învestîgatîng the murders of women by theîr întîmate partners. In 1993, Governor Wîîam Wed decared a state of emergency for women în Massachusetts în re- sponse to the murders of twenty-eîght women and sîx chîdren at the hands of theîr husbands or boyfrîends. EvenPeoplemagazîne took no- tîce, îssuîng a cover story tîted “The Pague Strîkes Home” în response 1 to a spate of ive wîfe kîîngs în the town of Barnstabe on Cape Cod. Judgîng by newspaper accounts of these kîîngs, most of the kîers had prevîousy battered theîr vîctîms. Medîa accounts of the kîers poînted to a varîety of motîves. Some seemed to it wîth O. J. Sîmpson’s aeged motîve for kîîng, that of a jeaous husband or boyfrîend. John Dîaz, for exampe, mîstakeny shot and kîed Dawn Brown, the ook-aîke sîster of hîs estranged gîrfrîend, Kîmbery Brown, whom he had întended to kî. Apparenty, Mr. Dîaz beîeved Ms. Brown had eft hîm for another 2 man. James St. Cyr was another man who reportedy kîed în a jeaous rage. Mr. St. Cyr broke înto the apartment of hîs estranged gîrfrîend, Tara Hartnett, who was a coege senîor and young mother. After stabbîng her to death, Mr. St. Cyr set the apartment abaze în an attempt to cover up hîs 3 crîme. Other kîers appeared to have a cear hîstory of acoho or drug abuse, and judgîng from the medîa accounts, some of these deaths were unpanned and even accîdenta. There were aso those who kîed them- seves as we as theîr partners. The portraîts that emerged from these kî- îngs seemed to it those of suîcîda depressîon and menta îness. In some cases, though, very îtte was known about the prîor hîstorîes of the kîers and theîr vîctîms. For the most part, frîends and neîghbors saîd they were shocked and had no cue about what motîvated the fata attack.

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