ABSTRACT
Of the 424 male–male murders in the Murder Study, 40 cases (9%) involved male victims age 65 or older. With evidence from casefiles, we describe the main patterns of the 40 murders of Older Men: background; relationships; conflicts and disputes; drinking and drugs; murder event; cause of death; and other offenses. Narrative accounts illustrate the dynamic elements of these murders and the diversity across these cases. We identify three subtypes of the murders of older men: hate crimes against older men; murders involving theft or monetary exploitation; and those involving various sexual encounters. Most murders of older men were committed by one man in the home of the victim, with no witnesses. A majority of perpetrators were drinking, and drunk. Very few victims were drinking, but those who were drinking were drunk. Very few were drinking together. Less than 10% of the murders involved an ongoing dispute, but over half of the murder events involved a confrontation at the time, often about an ongoing theft. Strangling, stabbing and beating were the main causes of death, and five or more injuries were inflicted in most of these murder. Nearly one-third were charged with a second offense, usually burglary.
