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56 Fed. Probation 53 (1992)
Understanding Mass Murder: A Starting Point

handle is hein.journals/fedpro56 and id is 55 raw text is: Understanding Mass Murder: A Starting Point By RONALD M. HoLMEs AND STEPHEN T. HoLuEs* TrH RE IS a great deal of misunderstanding about mass murder. Often, the terms mass murder, serial murder, and spree murder are used interchangeably. But there are fundamental differences in these three forms of multicide, the killing of three or more victims. Motivation, antici- pated gains, selection of victims, methods of murder, and other important elements are unique to each type. Here, one type of multicide-mass murder-is examined. What is Mass Murder? Obviously, the complexities of mass murder cannot be explained in a simple definition. However, briefly stated, mass murder is the killing of a number of persons at one time and in one place. What constitutes a number of persons, however, has been the topic of debate. Although some authorities have stipulated four as the minimum number of victims necessary for an incident to be called a mass murder (Hazelwood & Douglas, 1980), others have set the number at three (Holmes and DeBurger, 1985, 1988; Hickey, 1991). Dietz also offers the number three .. . if we define mass murder as the wilful injuring of five or more persons of whom three or more are killed by a single offender in a single incident (1986, p. 480). The concern with numbers becomes complicated when injured victims are factored into the definition. Of course, if only two persons are killed and 30 are saved by the heroic actions of medical personnel, is this not also a mass murder? One can see the danger of limiting the definition to the number of victims killed. Time is another critical element in the basic defin- tion of mass murder. Typically, mass murder is a single episodic act of violence, occurring at one time and in one place. One such case occurred at a McDonald's restaurant in San Ysidro, California. The victims, 40 in all (21 died), just happened to be in the one place, the restaurant. Many similar situations have oc- curred. However, one must recognize that incidents may occur at slightly different times, say minutes or even a few hours apart, and also at different locales, perhaps only a few blocks away, and still constitute mass murder. For example, a mass murderer may go into a business establishment and kill several custom- ers and then go across town and kill another person. *Ronald M Holmes is professor, School of Justice Admini- stration, University of Louisville. Stephen T. Holmes is re- search assistant, University of Cincinnati. This must be considered a single act of mass murder despite the slightly varying times and locations. Thus, a definition of mass murder should take into consideration 1) the number of victims, 2) the location of the murders, 3) the time of the killings, and 4) the possibility of distance between murder sites. These components become vitally important when differen- tiating between mass murder, serial murder, and spree murder. The determination of the type of homi- cide holds the key to understanding the character of the person who would commit such an act and enables law enforcement to put into motion the procedures and protocol called for in such a situation. No matter how you define it, mass murder is neither an American nor a modern phenomenon. Cases spreading across history depict acts of mass murder. In recent times, however, mass murder seems to be on the increase--or is it? It may seem that such crimes have escalated because of the manner in which they are currently detected and reported. Table 1-which shows the names, locations, and number of victims of mass killers in the past 50 years in the United States-gives some idea of the magnitude of mass murder. Differences Betueen Mass and Serial Murder There are significant differences between mass and serial killers. One difference is that mass murderers often die at the scene of the multiple slayings. They either commit suicide or place themselves in situ- ations where they force the police to take lethal action. Only occasionally do they turn themselves into the police after the deed is done. Serial killers, on the other hand, take great pains to avoid detection and take elaborate measures to elude apprehension. Community reaction to the two types of murders is also different. Typically when a mass murder occurs, the immediate community, as well as the rest of the nation, is alerted to the event and shocked by it. The community's panic is direct and severe but short-lived in that the mass murder is almost always either ap- prehended immediately or winds up dead. Shortly the social climate returns to what is was before the inci- dent. Such is not the case with serial murder. The terror instilled by a serial murderer permeates the community's consciousness. There is no perceived end to the situation-it only ends when the killer is appre- hended. Such situation existed in Seattle, which was terrorized for more than a decade by the Green River Killer, who murdered 49 women-some prostitutes,

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