Double Parricides in South Korea

Abstract

Prior parricide research has indicated that most killings of parents involve single offenders and single victims. While studies of one-on-one parricide incidents have revealed notable findings about offender and offense-related characteristics, the study of single offender and multiple victimdouble parricides-parricides has escaped the analytical scrutiny of researchers. Such an omission is particularly notable as the temporal sequencing of attacks has implications for the dynamics of an offender's on-scene behavior. This article examines the temporal sequencing of attacks in attempted and completed double parricides in South Korea. Results indicate that offender behavior in double parricides is shaped by time and distance between the first and second victims.