NCJ Number
169316
Date Published
1996
Length
4 pages
Annotation
In memory of the victims of the Montreal Massacre, this chapter outlines 10 reasons why surviving victims of multiple homicide experience difficulties that are qualitatively different from those of surviving victims generally.
Abstract
First, because of the widespread publicity given to multiple homicide, members of the media often try to get close to surviving victims to obtain quotes and stories; such attention can provide support for victims, but it can also produce a sense of abandonment when the case is no longer newsworthy. Second, surviving victims tend to want to know everything regarding the death of their loved one and the efforts by the criminal justice system to bring the perpetrator to justice. Third, when information pertaining to a crime and its investigation is released or leaked to the press, the relatives often learn second-hand about developments in the case. Fourth, serial killers have a tendency to kill in particularly gruesome ways, often involving acts of torture prior to the murder as well as postmortem mutilation. Fifth, in high-profile cases, rival media outlets sometimes compete for the most sensational stories that the public will be eager to read or hear; and sixth, false rumors and insensitive jokes often spread through a community. Seventh, of greater insult to surviving victims, however, is the widespread attention, fascination, and glorification surrounding the killer. Eighth, surviving victims of most homicides can at least make some sense of the underlying motivation for their tragedy, even if they cannot accept its validity. Ninth, in multiple-victim slayings, particularly serial killings, the state will often charge and prosecute the accused on fewer than all the crimes suspected. Finally, because of the "motiveless" nature of the crime, serial murder cases sometimes remain unsolved.