Criminal Histories of Intimate Partner Homicide Offenders

Abstract

This exploratory study investigates intimate partner homicide (IPH) offenders’ criminal histories to examine opportunities for criminal justice system intervention. Data were collected from the Michigan Violent Death Reporting System and Michigan State Police for the 117 IPHs committed in 2014 and 2015 in Michigan. Descriptive statistics on types of criminal charges and convictions for the 103 IPHs committed by aggressors (e.g., not in self-defense) are presented, with relatively few domestic violence charges or convictions. Twenty-nine percent of offenders had no criminal history. Findings highlight a need for more effective and greater implementation of interventions for both criminal justice system-involved and not-involved offenders.

Examining the Factors that Impact Suicide Following Heterosexual Intimate Partner Homicide: Social Context, Gender Dynamics, and Firearms

“…That being said, males are the primary perpetrators of both intimate partner homicide and homicide-suicide (Zeppegno et al, 2019). Relatedly, male perpetrators of intimate partner homicide and homicide-suicide more often than not have a history of (non-lethal) domestic violence; and males more readily use firearms than females, particularly in disadvantaged areas with pervasive violence (Zeoli et al, 2021). Given this confluence of gender dynamics, firearms, and social context, it is important to continue to use federal and local gun control measures to restrict access to firearms by male domestic violence offenders (Raissian, 2016).…”

“…Perpetrators of intimate partner homicide disproportionately have a history of interpersonal violence and are known to the criminal justice system (Vignola-Lévesque & Léveillée, 2022). Accordingly, previous intimate partner violence is the most documented correlate of intimate partner homicide (Zeoli et al, 2021). When a record of intimate partner violence does not precede intimate partner homicide, it is likely due to a lack of reporting to authorities rather than to its absence (Matias et al, 2021).…”

Prosecutorial decision-making regarding offenders’ social reintegration programs in intimate partner violence cases. A Portuguese study

“…Criminal history : Criminal history was not included in the study from our initial research [ 26 ], because of the scarce number of cases that allowed us to obtain reliable results. Evidence from several studies found that IPV offenders had high rates of prior criminal history [ 74 , 75 ], particularly in intimate partner homicide (IPH) cases [ 76 ]. The cases for weapon possession by the defendant were analyzed, verifying the inexistence of differences between groups and that it was not a determinant in mandatory SRP.…”

“…However, weapon possession, namely firearms, among male partners with a history of IPV is a lethal risk factor for the IPH [ 77 ]. It doubles the risk of an intimate partner´s attempted or consummated murder [ 56 – 58 , 65 , 76 , 78 ]. Such an outcome may be dependent on the state prosecutor´s assessment of the risk levels in the case and consideration of applying other heavier, and hazard-adjusted legal measures.…”

“…While the tendency for violence to decrease after the alleged offenders’ first entry into the CJS, violence seems to be more severe and frequent in re-entries cases [ 8 , 79 ]. Previous IPV cases are one of the most common risk factors of IPH [ 58 , 76 , 78 , 80 ]. Considering “ The best predictor of crime is prior criminal behaviour” [ 81 ], this factor should be always be considered in the CJS decision.…”