1. The lure and the law of homicide -- Fascination with murder -- Selling evil -- Homicide law -- Murder -- Manslaughter -- Defenses to criminal homicide -- Homicide law in practice -- Endnotes -- 2. Explaining the will to kill -- The devil made me do it -- Back to the classics -- Using science to explain violence -- Biology then and now -- Psychological causes of violence -- The social sources of murder -- Strain, frustration, and murder -- Cultural deviance -- Learning to kill -- Self-control, social control, and murder -- A word of caution about cause -- Endnotes -- 3. The killers and their victims -- Race differences -- Gender differences -- Age differences -- Differences by location -- The geography of meth -- The role of firearms -- Breaking the mold -- Endnotes -- 4. Intimate and family murder -- Killing for profit -- Obsession and jealousy -- Power, control, and abuse -- Family annihilation -- Infanticide -- Motherhood by proxy -- Killing for love? -- Murder-suicide -- Endnotes -- 5. The young and the ruthless -- An "epidemic" of youth homicide -- Explaining the 1990s decline -- Dial M for media -- Looking ahead -- Endnotes -- 6. Well-schooled in murder -- Blaming parents -- Copycat shootings -- Explaining school massacres -- Trends in school shootings -- Responses to school shootings -- Healthy and safe schools -- On to college -- Endnotes -- 7. Serial killers -- A profile of serial killers -- The murdering mind -- Childhood origins -- Victim selection -- Endnotes -- 8. Medical murder -- Counting medical murders -- Motives and types of medical murderers -- Munchausen syndrome by proxy -- Administrative facilitators -- Prevention and intervention -- Endnotes -- 9. Rampage -- Methodical and selective -- Losses and frustrations -- Profile of the workplace avenger -- Murderous customers and clients -- Endnotes -- 10. Hate homicides -- Characteristics of hate homicide -- Types of hate homicide -- Organized hate groups -- Current state of hate crime laws -- Endnotes -- 11. Murderous terror -- Hate homicide and domestic terrorism -- International terrorism -- Homegrown terrorism -- Left-wing vs. right-wing terrorists -- Single-issue terrorism -- The impact of murderous terror -- Endnotes -- 12. Cult killings -- Dangerous cults -- The appeal of cults -- Charismatic leaders and their followers -- Needs fulfilled by cults -- Normal people in abnormal situations -- Suicide or homicide? -- Endnotes -- 13. Catching killers -- Science of the lambs -- Clearance rates -- VICAP and profiling -- Sightings and visions -- Working a homicide in the media spotlight -- Endnotes -- 14. Getting away with murder, or not -- The insanity defense -- Justice for juveniles -- Capital punishment -- Epidemic thinking and overresponse -- Endnotes -- A note on data sources.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.