Familicidal Hearts: The Emotional Styles of 211 Killers

by Neil Websdale

Oscar, physically and sexually abusive, stabbed his partner and two stepdaughters to death, buried the bodies, and fled the state with his two younger children. Paul, a respected investment banker, donned a Halloween mask and shot his wife and two children before turning the gun on himself. What drives individuals as different as Oscar and Paul to kill their families? Why does familicide appear to be on the rise?In Familicidal Hearts, award-winning author and sociologist Neil Websdale uncovers the stories behind 196 male and 15 female perpetrators of this shocking offense, situating their emotional styles on a continuum, from the livid coercive to the civil reputable. With highly detailed and riveting case studies, Websdale explores the pivotal roles of shame, rage, fear, anxiety, and depression in the lives and crimes of the killers. His analysis demonstrates how internal emotional conflict, against a backdrop of societal pressures, is at the root of familicide, chall

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Psychology, Crime

336 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2010

Reviews

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Familicidal Hearts: The Emotional Styles of 211 Killers is not for the faint of heart. Familicide is the killing of an intimate partner and at least one child. The book focuses specifically on 211 cases from 1755 - 2007. 90% of the cases are from the US.

Shame, fear, anxiety and suppressed rage ran the length of many cases. Some perpetrators were frequently violent and angry before they murdered family members. Other perpetrators were pillars of decency and their community before they murdered their family. Usually there was fear of exposure for criminal, financial or embarrassing behaviors that prompted their actions. Acute shame permeated the majority of these familicides.

Not for the faint of heart but it does provide insight into dark, human behavior.