Citation

Schlesinger LB. J. Am. Acad. Psychiatry Law 2001; 29(3): 294-297.

Affiliation

John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, Publisher American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11592456

Abstract

Close examination of the available crime data reveals little scientific support for the widely held belief that serial homicide is frequent and increasing. The author argues that the dramatic changes in homicide clearance rates, incidence of murders with unknown motives, and victim gender data point to a likely increase, not in serial murder, but in contract murder. This type of killing appears to be having a significant impact on society; yet there has been a complete absence of forensic psychiatric study of this crime, a circumstance that needs to change.

Language: en