Citation

Hedlund J, Ahlner J, Kristiansson M, Sturup J. Forensic Sci. Int. 2014; 244C: 25-29.

Affiliation

National Board of Forensic Medicine, Department of Forensic Psychiatry, PO Box 4044, SE-141 04 Huddinge, Sweden; Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.07.015

PMID

25151217

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Previous research on the toxicology of homicide has shown that about half of offenders and victims have psychoactive substances in their blood. The purpose of this study was to examine this topic in a Swedish setting.

METHODS: Toxicological data were sought in a database for all victims (n=273) and perpetrators (n=257) of homicide in Sweden from 2007 to 2009. Sufficient tests were identified for 97.1% of all victims (n=265) and 46.7% of all offenders (n=120). Additional information was obtained from court records and police reports.

RESULTS: A majority of individuals involved in homicides displayed positive toxicology (57.0% of victims and 62.5% of offenders). The most commonly detected substances, in both victims and offenders, were ethanol (44.9% vs. 40.8%) and benzodiazepines (8.3% vs. 19.2%). The difference between offenders and victims concerning benzodiazepines was statistically significant (OR 2.6; p=0.002). Perpetrators of homicide-suicide had a lower prevalence of positive toxicology (30.8%) than other homicide offenders (66.4%; p=0.04) and victims in unsolved cases more often exhibited positive drug toxicology compared to victims in solved cases (36.1% vs. 8.3%; p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study support the notion that substance abuse is firmly linked to committing homicide and to becoming a victim thereof.

Language: en