ABSTRACT
The opening quotation in this chapter evokes a common image of a murderer. Cold, calculating, and unrepentant, murderers and homicide seem to defy explanation, except by resorting to statements about the perpetrator’s “obvious” psychological problems or evil inclinations. Of all crimes, perhaps homicide makes us the most uneasy, incredulous, and angry. Indeed, most people would agree that homicide is among the most serious of all deviant and criminal behaviors, warranting the harshest punishments society can inflict. Intentionally taking the life of another person or persons would widely be regarded as a crime mala in se, which as you will recall from Chapter 1, refers to crimes over which there is consensus that the act is wrong in itself. Yet, as with many other types of deviant and criminal behaviors, the definition of homicide is the subject of some disagreement, and the issue is complicated by the fact that the phenomenon varies a great deal. These points will be taken up in the next section.
