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Abstract
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In spite of the confusing variety of the material, the murderers can be divided into three groups. The one is the young slayer, the hold-up man, the killer after an insignificant quarrel, who consciously has very little relation to death. He does not think about his own death, and the life of the other has no particular significance for him. His heterosexual attachments are incomplete. In the second group, the motives of the deed seem to be understandable. On closer examination, however, there are found deep-lying disturbances in the emotional life. In the third group, the preoccupation with the problem of death and murder plays a very great part. To them murder or death is a punishment. In all instances, by conscious and unconscious reasons, the murderer does not respect the integrity of the body of his victim, and seemingly lacks a deeper emotional insight into the meaning of life and death. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)
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